It has been so, so long, and I apologize. I think I lost my blogging mojo for a while there. And to be honest, I’m not sure if I’ve got it back yet. I know I will though, so you’ll just have to bear with me.
Some of you might know (ok, if you even read this blog occasionally you probably know, I like to complain a lot) that i’ve been experiencing some stomach problems recently, and headaches for several years. Over the past month or so, they’ve gotten much, much worse. It hasn’t been fun.
So, I started seeing a nutritionist who thinks that my problems are coming from the foods I eat. My stomach has always been a slightly picky eater, regardless of what I enjoy eating, my stomach doesn’t always like it.
It didn’t really come as a surprise to me when she told me that on top of my lactose intolerance that I was also intolerant to eggs, as well as gluten. She also suggested that I stay away from oats and refined sugars, as they weren’t doing much for my stomach.
No more dairy I got over pretty quickly several years ago. I don’t eat many eggs, so it’ wasn’t much of a problem. But gluten? Carbs are one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. To say I was upset was an understatement. I came home and drank an entire bottle of wine. I was very upset.
I wouldn’t be able to eat any more dinners like this:
Pasta and veggies, with a side of bread, veggies, and hummus.
So that night, I went to bed, (or passed out, due to all the wine consumption) and woke up the next morning feeling a little better. I went to the grocery store. I read more labels than I ever have in my life.
From this point on in my life, I’m moving forward as a gluten-free vegan, and trying to consume only small amounts of refined sugar.
I know it doesn’t seem like I really eat a lot of wheat-gluteny things, as most of the pictures I post on here are of salads and veggies and hummus. But I really do. I just don’t often show you those photos. They’re not as pretty.
I’m still eating lots of veggies and hummus.
And of course, I still love me some salads,
I’m coping with the loss of one of my favorite things in the whole world, soy sauce. But it will be ok. My stomach is even starting to feel a little better. I feel like good changes are coming.
I’m not quite sure what to eat for breakfast, as normal toast, oatmeal, and most cereals are out of the question, but I did find a semi decent creamy rice cereal, that I drown in maple syrup and sprinkle with some fresh fruit.
I know that I seem over dramatic about this. There are much worse things that could be wrong with me than a simple gluten intolerance. But it’s a hard adjustment. I went to culinary school. I’ve learned to appreciate that there are some things only bread flour can do. And I will never bask in it’s deliciousness again.
But I’m healing, and that’s the important thing.
Any g-free bloggers or readers out there, I’d love any advice you have to give, as I’m new at this. The mere thought of all the different types of flours that are at my disposal now are overwhelming, and I’ve got a lot of experimenting to do in the next few weeks.
Are you intolerant to anything? For those of you who are, was it difficult for you at first?
