One year ago today…gluten free

One year ago today…

I am always torn between how much “personal” info to share on our “Twice Shy” blog, well today, here is a chunk about our personal lives.

January 6, 2009 was the first day of a life long change…it was the day I gave up gluten. 10 years ago I was diagnosed with IBS, (no big deal, a bunch of people live with it) doctors gave me all sorts of medicines; nothing really helped.  As much as I would like to say that it didn’t affect my life…it really did.  It affected social situations, eating out and much more.  Well, 10 years later….we actually found the culprit. It all comes down to gluten.  (Which is the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and contaminated oats).  It is amazing how much things change with a simple change of the diet.  The first few weeks, I looked at this life long change as a negative…of everything I can’t eat (you would be surprised how many things gluten is in…it is a cheap filler), but now both Brian and I look at it is the best thing that has ever happened to our family.

The reality is that once you start reading the back of boxes…you start to realize just how much crap is in the stuff that we eat.  What ever happened to real food? Why are we eating man made artificial chemicals, sweeteners and genetically modified foods? Of course once you start asking these questions, it becomes a downward spiral into realizing the chemicals, pesticides & antibiotics we use, the medicines we take to cover symptoms, the nutrients American’s don’t eat, and what we are doing to the environment etc.  So one little diet change for us has been more than just a little change.

Real, Whole foods have become our friends. I have fallen in love with quinoa, arrowroot, millet, flax seed, coconut flour & oil, almonds, lemons, free range eggs & chicken and so much more…even cabbage, turnips & spaghetti squash. This last year has been a year of discovery and learning and I am so excited to see what 2010 holds.

Goals for 2010.

• Master cooking with almond and coconut flours
• Master a healthy gluten free dairy free bread (we have had 8 failed attempts)
• Eliminate refined sugars and sweeteners. (I am starting to fall in love with honey, maple sugar & stevia as sweeteners…and use evaporated cane or agave nectar as an occasional treat)
• Eliminate chemicals, GMO’s (genetically modified organisms), colorings, dyes and preservatives as much as possible
• Always take my reusable shopping bags (envirosax) into the store (look how cute they are)
• Buy as much local and organic produce as possible (we love the Carmel Farmer’s market & the Indy Winter’s farmers market)
• Give back to online communities. I have learned so much from them & not given enough back…starting with Gluten Free Indy
• Always use my SIGG…I am notorious for always having a bottle of water with me (no more plastic bottles)
• And the hardest…giving up coca cola…my one vice I am holding desperately on to (but if we are eliminating refined sweeteners, chemicals and GMO’s….this hits all those categories)

Here are a few resources that have become my friend over the last year & some that I am still reading

Books:

• Nourishing Traditions: Sally Fallon
• Real Food: Nina Plank
• Eat Fat, Lose Fat: Mary Enig
• What to Eat: Marion Nestle
• In Defense of Food: Michael Pollan
• The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook: Elana Amsterdam
• The Spunky Coconut: Kelly V. Brozyna
• Everyday Raw: Matthew Kenney

Blogs:

• The Nourishing Gourmet
• Elana’s Pantry
• CheeseSlave
• and a bunch more!

Happy 2010!