“Woman and Hoagie, 2007”
Ahhh…just look at that gigantic “glutenous” hoagie…
This scene was nearly three years ago, set in some tourist-trap restaurant on the wharf in San Francisco. It was our first trip to California as a couple. Look at that happiness!
Food.
My husband believes I think about food the way most men supposedly think about sex: 97% of any given day. If asked, my friends would probably say the same.
I thought about food a lot before my celiac diagnosis and I think about it just as much now. That’s why I laugh about this photograph: It’s just me in absolute glee over what I’m about to eat, with the love of my life.
Of course, my love affair with food wasn’t always a honeymoon. The first year following my celiac diagnosis was the worst.
I was paranoid about gluten and was still highly symptomatic, and thus limited myself to chicken breasts, white rice, and green vegetables. It seemed that anything other than these three foods only fed my paranoia.
I remember my father’s annual visit that year. He was saddened to see me without a “Wilbert appetite.” A good appetite was an indicator of good Wilbert health. It was hard for him to enjoy the homemade Birthday cake I ordered for him without me, for a first. Our ritual of enjoying and ‘rating’ food together was just no longer the same.
Essentially, I had to start all over. I had to unlearn and relearn how to feed myself and that was difficult. I was also frustrated that I couldn’t eat like ‘normal’ people -- especially being the food lover I am.
I remember telling my gastroenterologist that I’d rather have some other disease -- that celiac disease was far too inconvenient. She told me I was lucky. This was one of the only diseases that could be cured without medical intervention -- no pills, no insulin, no physical therapy, no surgery, no chemo.
“If you’re going to have something, this is the best thing to have,” she said.
She was right, I believe (so far, so good). I’ve managed to stop the destruction to my intestines and completely turn my health around.
I’ve also relearned how to love and cook food again. I’ve moved beyond unseasoned chicken breasts and white rice and dared to use spices again.
Most “experienced” celiacs become expert label readers. I never paid attention to labels in the past but am now proficient in the complex language of “Ingredients” (I will say that it’s much harder than Latin). Celiac disease has helped me understand toxicity of certain ingredients as well -- even those suggested as safe for celiacs (corn syrups, artificial sweeteners, food dyes, etc).
Enough about me…what about YOU? Our journeys will be different but if you’re somewhat new to the gluten-free diet and/or struggling, soak in the following tips:
Join a celiac support group. You’ll learn much about the gluten-free diet and you won’t feel so alone in your journey.
Start cooking, even if you never did before. Cooking will improve your health and guarantee that what you’ve eaten really is gluten-free. Cooking can also be therapeutic so try not to think of it as burdensome.
Keep a food journal. Write about what you’ve eaten, what you plan to eat, and what you’d LIKE to eat. Reflect on your food diary -- what’s working well for you, what might be missing from your diet, and how might you make your favorite foods, gluten-free.
Be physically active. Chances are that your immune system has been taxed from years of eating gluten unknowingly. You’ll feel better gaining some muscle and cardiovascular strength. Strive for a minimal of 60 minutes of moderate to rigorous physical activity per day (the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control’s recommendation). *I’ll be blogging more about physical activity this spring so stay tuned.
Avoid restaurant food. One thing that frustrates me about the ‘celiac movement’ is the word-of-mouth restaurant ‘recommendationing’ (I know, it’s not a word) that is popular right now. Lot’s of us are yelping, “Hey, did you know that such and such is serving gluten-free?” The fact is there is no such thing as a gluten-free restaurant unless everything served is gluten-free OR there is a kitchen equipped to prepare gluten-free foods separately such as at Pizza Luce in the Twin Cities, for example.
You’re safest avoiding restaurant food altogether unless again, the restaurant is gluten-free all the way and/or prepares in a gluten-free kitchen. Otherwise, expect that you will eat cross-contaminated foods.
If you have suggestions that you think might be helpful for readers, contact me and I’ll post them.
Happy journey to you!
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