Link: http://www.weareceliac.org/ltjayson/journals/25

Above is a link to some funny, sad, and true things about being gluten free.

One of the things about going gluten free is that you really have it brought home to you just how important food is. Here in the United States, we take food pretty much for granted. Maybe we can’t eat steak every night, but most people aren’t going hungry every day. We have supermarkets filled to the brim with edibles shipped from Chile, Morocco, all kinds of exotic places.

We are warned to wash our foods, especially fruits and vegetables because who knows who’s handled that stuff! We are shocked and titillated by stories of rare and deadly insects being found in bunches of bananas or grapes.

Some people have interesting aversions to food. My cousin for instance doesn’t like white food. HWSNBN prefers white food. I can’t buy the yellow corn chips, I have to buy the white corn chips. Seriously. He prefers the white breast meat of chicken over the dark meat. And so on.

I remember hearing that the book “The Carnivore’s Dilemma” informs us that we only eat a very small subset of what’s edible, because we tend to eat what we are used to. I’m sure the author did the research to prove that statement, it certainly sounds correct.

Throughout all of this, we don’t think much about our food until we encounter issues. Usually it’s just a tummyache from overeating, or maybe heartburn from a really spicy dish. Maybe you are lactose-intolerant, like many adults, and need to watch how much dairy products you consume. We say we’re allergic to things that upset our tummies, which has a tendency to dilute the meaning of the word as if lactose intolerance is in anyway comparable to allergies to shellfish and peanuts.

One thing about a gluten intolerance that I’m grateful for is that I don’t have to carry an epi-pen. I’ll always be grateful for never having to wonder if my next bite of food is going to paralyze me. All I have to worry about is brainfog, exhaustion, and very embarrassing bowel movements. And gluten free food is getting better all the time!

There is so much more available now than even when I started this diet. I can buy good bagels and english muffins at my local stores. I can buy something that looks like but tastes even better than an oreo. More restaurants are becoming aware, and providing options.