Well, as a matter of fact, YES!
And so, I am able to proudly proclaim that now...
That's right folks! This truly has been the life-changing experience that I was hoping for! Yippee!
It took about two weeks for me to notice any change, and the first thing I noticed was that my skin was a lot less broken out. A LOT. And smoother.
Alas, cutting out gluten seems to have done nothing for my eye wrinkles.
And those, my friends, age me so much past my 23 years.
Sigh.
But back to the topic at hand, at about two weeks, I was able to notice a change in my digestive works. You really don't need (or want to know) the details here, but let's just say that everything seems to be magically hunky dory down there now,
and that I am a much pleasanter person to be around.
Ha! For many reasons!
I guess I would honestly say it's been as life-changing as taking magnesium was for me several years ago, and it really has been a relatively simple life change for me to make.
And, AND, I have lost TEN STINKING POUNDS THIS MONTH!
Only, not so stinking at all since I'm a low-toot kinda girl now.
TMI? Really?
I have to admit, I am pretty boring in my food choices, though, which is more self-imposed than anything. I am still eating greek yogurt (with a tablespoon of flaxseed and a quarter cup of nuts), 8 ounces of low-sodium V8 juice and coffee for breakfast and a piece of fruit mid-morning. Lunch might be leftovers from dinner, salad, hummus and veggies with corn tortillas, or something similar. And dinner is actually fairly normal, just with lots of veggies. We eat more vegetarian meals these days (although definitely not solely vegetarian), and if I make some type of bread to go with dinner, I just don't eat it.
Only ice cream or popcorn for dessert.
Want to know what I miss the most? Yummy breakfast foods like waffles and pancakes. I did get some gluten free flour ($7.00 for a pound and a half - YIKES!) at the grocery store the other day, but I'll probably use it sparingly. We've also cut back on our eating out because it's so much more involved to eat at a restaurant where I don't always know if the food is truly gluten-free. As a result, we have been eating out a lot less, which is good for the waistline and wallet. If I know I'm going to eat out, I try to do a little research online before I go of available gluten-free menu items, and I will typically ask if they have a gluten-free menu.
When in doubt, I get a salad.
My only cheater cheater pumpkin eater moment came when I ate a bit of regular cake mix when I made cake balls for a family function. The bits of cake I ate were yummy, but it came at a price. Which is confirmation enough to me of my sensitivity.
And I don't make my family follow my diet. My kids and hubs still eat all the breakfast stuff, chicken nuggets, pasta dishes, etc. If we can substitute gluten-free pasta (or whatever), we do.
If I can't, then I make myself a separate dish.
It's really been no big deal.
And, oh, are the rewards worth it in so many ways. I am so thankful that my niece and sister-in-law mentioned eating gluten-free to me at Christmas.
It was the catalyst I needed to give it a try.
And the support of family and so many friends has made this a very attainable goal.
THANK YOU from the bottom of my colon. Errr...heart.
Hi Girl! That's wonderful that you have found what is working (and not working) for you! I wish you continued success in your gluten-free path!
ReplyDeleteSo great to hear you are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteYay! Welcome to our super cool club of gluten-free eaters!
ReplyDelete3 words: Pamela's Pancake Mix. Do it. For a while, I was eating it DAILY, and now I make it for Aaron at least once a week. He begs for it and likes it better than regular pancakes and he isn't even GF! I add a little vanilla, cinnamon, and 2T sugar to their recipe. Yeah, it's a bit pricey (as is all gf), but you'll find that certain staples are worth it.
My biggest suggestions:
1. Whole Foods has a frozen section of homemade baked goods. This includes biscuits, muffins, brownies, cookies, cornbread, banana bread, etc. All AMAZING (for gf).
2. Pamela's Pancake and Bread Mixes. We even buy them in 4lb bags to save a little dough (haha pardon the pun). Alison makes jeremy this bread every week for his lunches. AND it can be dumped in the breadmaker, so it's super easy and tasty.
3. Some of the stuff is live and learn. A good bit of it the GF products out there are nasty, so you're welcome to ask me before wasting your money, I've tried 'em all.
4. I've found that I do just as well eating 'clean' meats and veggies for most of my meals rather than trying to sub out so much gf for the things I used to eat. This makes ordering at restaurants a LITTLE easier (though still a chore), and just communicate no seasonings or marinades and grill it on a piece of aluminum foil to avoid contamination. Also a little cheaper than subbing gf constantly. This is also a super healthy way to eat, too, and makes you FEEL a lot better and more energized. We all know carbs give us a lovely sluggishness.
5. Don't even THINK that subbing GF flours will be the same in your recipes. Real flour does things ours doesn't. It reacts differently, rises differently, and will taste differently. The gf people have figured out great mixtures of almond, tapioca, corn, etc flours that have similar properties, but it's just an entirely different ballgame.
6. Pasta: Tinkyada is the brand to go for, by far. Usually only available at Whole Foods or Earthfare. If you're shopping at Harris Teeter (who, btw, are doing much better getting gf stuff in), then I tend to buy Notta Pasta (avoid DeBoles at all costs!). HT also has GREAT frozen chicken tenders and nuggets you can pop in the oven...by Belle & Evans (usually in a separate case near hot dogs and breakfast meat). For a quick bread pickup: HT also carries UDI's. Though it isn't my favorite, in a rush, it'll do nicely. Oh, and that dear Betty Crocker finally realized she should take care of us, too...and her baking mixes are pretty decent!
7. Last (yes, there's an end to this), learn what products are naturally gf and it will save you lots of time, money, and hassle - things everyone else eats. For instance, I buy things like regular ol' frozen tater tots, many/most kinds of chips (doritos are wheaty), etc. Once you realize that there actually ARE lots of things, this will make cooking for an entire family much easier and sometimes healthier. In fact, if you make some of the substitutions above (pastas, pancake mix), I bet they might not even know the difference, and you'll get to enjoy dinner with them without feeling like an outsider! :)
Ok, that's all the wisdom I'll share for now. I have an endless supply, where GF is concerned. The holidays can get tough, but I have fabulous tips there, too. Ask me questions anytime!
Love you and so glad you're feeling better!
Lauren