A Gluten Free, Dairy Free Lifestyle

It's been four months since I first cut out all dairy and gluten from my diet.  It's been a challenge and a learning process.  The first week, I thought I might starve, because I was being super strict about what I could and couldn't eat in an effort to cleanse my body.  But, I also noticed that for the first time in a LONG time I didn't have serious indigestion that would keep me up at night.  After the initial 6 week cleanse, I attempted to add in some dairy and gluten, but started to have the same digestion problems again, so it just confirmed to me that this is the right path for me.

Sometimes it's hard to explain to other people why I don't eat gluten or dairy, because sometimes it is even hard for me to understand.  I spent the past 27 years eating all the gluten and dairy I could.  I loved yogurt and bread was my go-to comfort food.  So why am I just now figuring out that gluten and dairy are not good for me?  I've struggled with indigestion and stomach problems for years, but they weren't always as bad as they are today.  I think the more gluten and dairy I fed my body, the more it caused damage to my digestive system.  It wasn't until my doctor said the words "irritable bowel syndrome" to me that it all made sense.  I've had it all my life but never knew what it was or why I had so many stomach problems.  And it just got to the point where I finally had to do something about it.

I soon realized that this is going to be a permanent thing for me, which took me some time to accept.  It was like I needed to grieve all the foods I used to love eating.  I had to grieve going to family gatherings, parties, or restaurants and eating whatever I wanted.  Now, any time we are gone over a meal time I have to plan ahead to make sure there will be food for me to eat.  Thankfully, my family has been so supportive.  My sister, Melissa, made sure our restaurant choice for our sister, Kelly's bachelorette party had gluten free options for me.  My mom buys gluten free bread when we visit and checks with me before cooking to make sure I can eat what they are having.  And my hubby is always my biggest cheerleader, praising the new gluten free recipes I've been trying and making sure I have food to eat wherever we go. 

I've also found so many resources to help me along the way.  One of my favorite websites for recipes is Simply Gluten Free.  I have tried many of the recipes and we've loved every single one.  I've also made use of our public library to find cookbooks about eating gluten free, cooking for IBS, and allergy free meal planning.  Since I've begun this journey, I've also found huge support from friends and family on Facebook cheering me along the way and sharing resources from their own experiences or from friends they know who eat gluten free.  And my latest favorite resource is Pinterest.  Are you on Pinterest?  I love it and have been saving all the gluten free, dairy free recipes I can find there or recipes I can adapt to make them gluten free and dairy free. 

It's certainly been a challenging journey, but it's worth it.  Isn't that what life is all about?