More Than Two Weeks In

As the title states, we have been doing this more than two weeks. Almost three actually. I can actually state that none of us has deliberately eaten anything containing gluten. Of course I am not sure if anything has slipped in unbeknownst to us...because then I would know about it. My mantra is CONSTANT VIGILANCE. I should add it's probably a good thing nobody reads this blog yet, or they would be sorely disappointed by my posting frequency. I'm glad it's just for me right now.

I have had some good days and some bad days. Went walking through the bakery department of a grocery store, with a friend, and thought the smell alone would do me in. But, I have also found some good products. We have a decent pizza crust mix, and a DELICIOUS chocolate chip cookie mix. Alternative choices are always great too. We have been eating lots more fruits and veggies (In fact I lost almost 7 pounds in the first four days before leveling out and gaining some back...but that is the subject of another post). I miss being able to throw together a sandwich to take to work. I am REALLY looking forward to experimenting with some of the different flours available. I want to make my own bread again. Returning the wheat grinder to my dad almost broke my heart.

Here's a partial list of some of our favorite GF treats:

Watermelon popsicles (frozen watermelon slices on sticks)
Coffee with sugar and milk
French fries
Chocolate!
"Happy snacks" (WalMart's store brand fruit snacks, actually called "Smiles" but renamed by the 4yo)
Popcorn (lots and lots of popcorn)
Hard cider (that one is just for me)

Stay tuned for some restaurant reviews. We have been eating out more than I'd like, budget-wise, due to circumstances beyond our control, so I have few experiences to share. Hopefully sooner than three weeks from now.

Independence From Gluten

Today my family declares its independence from gluten. No more shall we eat anything containing wheat, barley, rye, or oats. It has been a long journey to get to this day, and I intend to write about most of it at some point. For now, some intentions...

I intend to use this blog as a place to write about how it's going, as I am sure our friends and family are sick of hearing about it by now. (Although, if they're not, they are welcome to read along.) I also intend to write about our progress towards a healthier life. You can expect to learn more about gluten, gluten sensitivity and intolerance, celiac disease, and many aspects of a gluten-free life. At some point I will write about how we got to this point, and what it means for the rest of our lives. I want to put up recipes, when I find some good ones. I want to share successes! I am sure the topics of this blog will evolve over time, so I am not excluding anything at this point!

Who is this blog for? Mostly me. (See the first sentence in the above paragraph.) If friends and family want to use it to check in on us, that's great. (See the second sentence in the above paragraph.) If interested strangers want to follow along, well, maybe I won't kick them out. I don't expect to post anything too private or personal, and if what I write can help someone else, then that makes me happy.

But back to the main point. Today is our first day gluten-free. I expect this to be a journey, and I know it will be full of challenges. I expect to learn a lot, and I hope to enjoy it all. I just hope I'm ready for this...