Resources Are So Important!

Look to the right and you'll see that my resources link have swelled. The Gluten-Free Celiac Guide group on Facebook provided many of these links, and credit where credit is due. Sure saved me some casting around! I've added the links that worked for me only. The others I will explore further and add links as I review them.

INFORMATION is so important when dealing with a big change in diet. I remember after learning there were dietary restrictions I'd have to follow when I was diagnosed with colitis, I felt I was having to give up so many foods I liked. But time and experience soon demonstrated that I gained more than I gave up, especially in learning more about fibre and its role in our health. But also in good food. Turned out the food I was satisfied with before wasn't really all that good, in terms of enjoyment as well as health. When forced to explore the matter, I discovered all sorts of other foods that are delicious and special.

The same thing happened when I realized I was intolerant of gluten. Ok, I won't lie. I miss bread. I had switched to only whole grains and was really enjoying my bread. There's so much more flavour in some of those peasant, speciality loaves we can get now. Gluten-free rice bread is icky, in my humble estimation. I would toast some to go with a fried egg and put up with it, but there is so much good food in our world, I figure we really shouldn't have to "put up with" something that we eat. This is where discovery, experimentation, and resources come in. And these explorations are not only helpful to our health, they can be fun!

I still miss bread sometimes, but I no longer use it. I do like the g-free waffles I can get and enjoy them toasted from time to time, with a couple scoops of soy ice cream and some fresh fruit, such as banana and berries. Sooooo good, and yes, perfectly healthy. :)

There are mixes available, as well as alternative "flours," and there is a g-free section in most large grocery chain stores. Explore. I mean, give yourself at least a half day to just explore the possibilities, read labels, etc. And another to check out these and other resources and formulate a menu that suits YOU! Cut yourself a break and find the joy in your journey. Leave the food behind that hurts you, and enter a world where many have gone before and paved our way.

My daughter found Shawna Ahern James' book, gluten free girl, at the library ~ so useful and informative. I sprinkled granulated garlic on some of my food early on, and it hurt. Now, to my mind, granulated garlic should just be... um.... garlic. But clearly it isn't . I love garlic and it goes in most of my food. But the granulated garlic does not, because clearly it has gluten in it... somehow. The gluten-free girl explained some unusual sources of gluten that helped clarify for me what I should be looking for in condiments, and of course, much, much more.

Once again there came a point where I am enjoying this new diet so much that I wonder why I was ever satisfied with ordinary food ~ why I ever settled for the foods many regard as a "normal" diet. I like raw veges dipped in my homemade hummus. I like brown rice pasta. I need to find more ways to express this food, but for now, simple does the trick. It's not such a difficult journey after all.