Gluten Free and Paleo #GF

Three years ago, I began this blog for my family to know I was safe while traveling alone and to help memorialize my travels. Now as a homeowner with a #realjob, I am not traveling as much but still have something else I need to remember: good food.

After struggling with stomach issues (think indigestion and other unmentionables) since I was in high school, my body reached a tipping point this spring. At first I thought it was my gallbladder: pain near my diaphragm, right under my rib cage. I tested positive for H.Pylori, a bacteria that can cause ulcers, so my doctor prescribed antibiotics. The pain continued until I was uncomfortable at least 75% of the time. I continued to eat when it was time though I had completely lost my appetite. I knew I would be in pain after the smallest snack. I eventually went to a gastroenterologist who, within a week, did blood tests, a breath test, and an upper scope. Breath test = no bacteria. Upper scope = beautiful stomach, no signs of an ulcer. Blood test = inconclusive: I'm deficient in an "immune complex" that would allow the doctor to see if I had a gluten allergy or intolerance.

It was time to take matters into my own hands: I stopped eating gluten and dairy. Like flipping a switch, I felt better. Food finally tasted good. During this test week, I had a piece of Orbitz gum.  Within minutes,  my throat started burning, so I tossed it. I had a cup of Tazo tea - Green Ginger was not my friend. Gluten was the culprit. My doctor found the Celiac gene though did not see any Celiac antibodies - perhaps because I had stopped gluten cold-turkey or because of my immune deficiency.

When I tell this story, most people say they couldn't go gluten free. My response: you can do anything you set your mind to. Eat everything and feel so bad you aren't living? No, thanks. I'd prefer to eat delicious food and actually live. I'd prefer to eat, power my body, then have energy and the ability to work, travel, play. I'd prefer to spend my time enjoying a healthy meal then actually LIVE. Celiac is not like high cholesterol - which can cause a heart attack and kill you in five/ten/twenty years. Celiac is immediate: If I eat something with gluten, I feel it within the next 20 minutes.. and for the next 48 hours. If a Celiac has the tiniest bit of gluten (ex: chicken cooked on the same griddle as bread), they WILL feel the effects - either with GI issues like me - bloating, indigestion, bathroom maladies, pain and pressure; with skin irritation such as rashes; or even neurological symptoms like migraines, irritability, fatigue and sleeping disorders. (I won't try to blame Celiac on all of my moodiness throughout the years, but it sure as hell makes sense looking back.)

Since June, I have been Gluten Free outside of the rare contamination. I have no problems with will power (chocolate cake looks like poison to me now), but a strong will isn't all you need. There is a lot to learn about gluten and modern food manufacturers. I won't be the go-to resource on what to eat/not to eat - there are hundreds of books, articles, and blogs that can help with that. Instead I want to focus on solutions and meals that I am excited about.

Visiting my family in Mississippi a few weeks ago, I spoke with my cousin who follows a modified Paleo diet. Earlier this year, I laughed at Paleo followers thinking they were crazy. Now I can appreciate how much food can impact energy, sleep, and even moods; I get it. I understand. I want to feel alive and well - if modifying my diet a tiny bit more will make me feel even better, count me in.

So what does a gluten-free, Paleo diet look like? Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, meats and nuts. (My modified Paleo diet includes dairy and gelato, though that definitely isn't by the book. :-))  When I go to the grocery store, the only things I buy within the middle section of the store are organic juices, olive and coconut oils, coffee, and nuts. That means no cereal or granola; nothing processed like cookies, crackers, pasta, chips; nothing canned like canned green beans or tomato sauces; definitely nothing prepared that cooks in the microwave or only needs to be heated; and, yes, no bread.

What do I buy? Lots of produce: papaya, pineapple, carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, cauliflower, squash, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, oranges bananas, lemons and limes, avocados, brussel sprouts, greens (spinach, lettuce, cabbage), fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley), the occasional sweet potato (most would say that's NOT Paleo). Meat: chicken, fish, beef, bison. Dairy (#paleocheat): yogurt, milk, cheese.

With a beautiful new kitchen (thanks, Dad, for the remodel!!!) and new reasons to stay home and cook (risk of cross-contamination and a mortgage payment), I am very excited and inspired. I hope to journal about the delicious meals I make to help my future creativity and to remind me how GOOD food is.