Category: Blog

Considering Meatless Monday (with Gluten-Free Options)

I’ve attempted to go vegetarian twice in my life. Both times were, to put it mildly, abject failures. Mostly because I had no idea what it meant to be a vegetarian. “Just cut out meat!” I thought.

This is reminiscent of the first time I decided gluten was my digestive problem. I simply cut out bread and some pasta — but the truth is, I mostly ate whatever I wanted, with a nod toward being gluten free. Since I didn’t feel better, I decided gluten wasn’t my problem. Continue reading “Considering Meatless Monday (with Gluten-Free Options)”

Allergy versus Intolerance

As mentioned, I read an article recently that left me thinking about labels and how they help us communicate. In the article, the authors was very clear that she considers her issue with gluten to be an allergy. That’s fine — she knows her body best.

(This article has inspired two pieces from me as there were two key points I took away. Here’s the other one, where I discuss communicating with restaurant staff.)

In the article comments, there was a lot of interesting back and forth (yeah, I broke the “don’t read the comments” rule, but this is a topic that interests me!), but there was one comment that really took me by surprise. One person took great exception to the author’s labeling her gluten issue as an allergy. Continue reading “Allergy versus Intolerance”

Restaurants. Again.

I read articles about how others handle their gluten-free lives with great interest, though, in all honesty, most of those articles have common themes. However, every now and then, a point jumps out at me, or a sentence helps coalesce my thinking about a particular issue.

A recent article got me thinking a lot about communicating our gluten free-ness with others. The author of the article made it clear she considers her gluten issue an allergy, and that lead me to think a lot about how restaurant staff look at an order of “gluten free”. Continue reading “Restaurants. Again.”

On Probiotics

Leading up to my gallbladder surgery, I focused a lot on probiotic foods. I knew I’d be getting a good dose of antibiotics — the killer of those lovely bacteria that keeps our systems regular — and wanted to give my gut a head start.

It seems everyone is talking (or writing) about probiotics these days. I first encountered a probiotic evangelist back before my diagnosis. She was working with me to help pinpoint my digestive issues — particularly those in the intestinal area — and recommended I add kefir or yogurt to my diet. I did…for a while. Continue reading “On Probiotics”

Bad Food Romance

Right now, I’m in a bad relationship with food. It’s temporary, thankfully, but it’s all too reminiscent of those days before I realized gluten was my mortal enemy. I do not miss those days. Not one little bit.

The end result of this bad relationship is that I’m going to have to exercise even more caution when it comes to my diet. My gallbladder is the culprit, and its removal is the cure. According to all the literature, I can, theoretically, eat anything I want. That freedom comes with a huge caveat. Continue reading “Bad Food Romance”

Let’s Focus on Gluten-Free Restaurant Meals

My local independent coffee shop, a place that gets very crowded on weekend mornings, proudly displays a selection of gluten-free pastries. Because I’m nosy, I’ve also noticed they have specific instructions with regard to handling these pastries, including separate tongs. This warms my heart!

(As a bonus, the pastries clearly sell well, based on my regular reviews of the selection.) Continue reading “Let’s Focus on Gluten-Free Restaurant Meals”

Gluten-Free in Disneyland

Despite my vow to never go to Disneyland again, I succumbed to a friend’s request that I run the Tinkerbell Half Marathon with her. It was, I will admit, a relatively easy race (or as easy as 13.1 miles can be!), and the energy of the crowd was amazing. Running through the park before the regular crowds arrived reminded me of my childhood.

(Or, it was amazing fun!)

I then spent a day at Disneyland with my family — my niece is finally old enough to appreciate the magic of Disneyland. I felt old and jaded as I watched her try to absorb all the sights and sounds of the park…and that was before we wandered halfway down Main Street. Continue reading “Gluten-Free in Disneyland”