4 weeks

Almost a month of gluten free living! To be honest, it has been easier than i expected. I am feeling good, and only crave wheat goodies every now and then (why can't there be a gluten free double stuffed oreo on the store shelves?). The only relapses i have had were accidental (putting the rest of the girls bagel in my mouth before knowing what i was doing) and once on purpose. We ordered Chinese food, and I went with my normal order that i share with the girls. I was curious to see if i would feel poorly after ingesting gluten (the coating on sweet and sour chicken), and it was amazing how awful i felt. I guess it isn't all in my mind after all!

here are a few things i have noticed about a GF lifestyle so far:

1) realizing the difference between bloated and full: at first it was hard to think i was full because my belly didn't feel like i was going to explode, but then i got used to the sensation.
2) cooking from scratch more: when tired, i would fall back on prepared meals or meat. now we are eating less packed foods, and i am cooking more to make sure we are not getting wheat in our diets.
3) eating out less: we normally didn't eat much fast food, but occasionally we would. Now, we avoid it because of the gluten. Luckily, Indian food is mostly gluten free, so we can still eat that! But no more Chippy, no more take-out pizza!
4) being more aware of my food: reading labels is great, you really know what you are eating. I realize that alot of pre-made GF foods are high in fat and salt, so to that end i am attempting to cook more, bake more, and look into alternatives for sugar and oil in those recipes.
5) it can be expensive: most of the GF flours, pre-made foods, and cereals are double the price of non-GF. I guess it is supply-and-demand, i guess it is because you have a captive audience. Maybe it is because i live in a small town where not many people are GF. It does make an impact to our weekly grocery bill, and I have to figure ways to cut costs to make being GF viable for the long term.
6) higher energy levels: i am feeling good, and even the winter blahs are not as prominent as usual.
7) IBS issues: i have to admit that since living in Scotland, I have had few issues with IBS. I think it is because there are less preservatives, and chemicals in the food over here. With GF, and cooking more from scratch, this is helping too.
8) less aches and pains: i would wake up really sore in the morning, or i would get very stiff if i sat for too long. now that i am GF, these aches and pains are virtually gone!
It has also been important to make it known to the girls, that GF is not a "diet", that i am GF because gluten makes mommy feel bad, and that I am not eating it anymore. Ruby has said that "gluten is yuck", but i assured her that gluten is great for most people, but it seems that mommy has a certain intolerance for it. She has a friend that is allergic to milk and eggs, so she understands that some people just can't eat certain things, and that she is very lucky to not have that problem.

Now if only i could stop craving donuts......