Just after New Year’s, I was officially diagnosed with two auto-immune diseases, one of them being Celiac disease. When I share about my Celiac disease, people always ask “what is that?” If you do not know someone with it or are not working in the food industry, you probably would ask this question, too. So, let me help you learn just a little about it.
For those of you that do not know, Celiac is “where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine” (Celiac Disease Foundation, 2021). Why is this a serious problem? “When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine. These attacks lead to damage on the villi, small fingerlike projections that line the small intestine, that promote nutrient absorption. When the villi get damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed properly into the body” (Celiac Disease Foundation, 2021).
Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. Gluten can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected.
Celiac Disease Foundation
No Bread, Coffee, baked goods? Oh My!
Gluten is usually found in wheat, rye, or barley. Living on a gluten-free diet means eliminating that from your daily life. Wait! That means no baked goods or bread?!? Oh my, I am so sorry for you. That must be terrible! This was a typical response I received from friends when this was all new. Though I have had to make some changes to my diet and lifestyle, they are definitely not at the expense of taste, especially because I am such a foodie!
With my other auto-immune disease, in addition to Celiac, I was not told that I would have to give up more than just gluten. Coffee, soda, caffeine in general, even some chocolate! Things that I had been consuming for years, were now turning my stomach into knots and causing serious pain.
Some have asked, “Well how did you find out about the diseases in the first place if you were eating these all along?”
To save you details, the answer was blood. A word to the wise, anytime you notice blood, it means something is wrong. On top of that, I was zapped with energy, making some days so difficult to stand while teaching, wear jeans or tight clothing, and even the desire to go from the couch to the kitchen in my one-bedroom apartment. That is what started me on this journey and new lifestyle.
Slow Down Lifestyle
Yes, there are bad days, but there are also plenty of good days. I am thankful for these new diagnoses because it forced me to slow down. I learned to say “No” and listen to when my body. This slowdown has helped me foster relationships with others better, because I do a lot more listening! Do you need to slow down or listen to your body when it is screaming, “STOP!” Do it! Listen. Slow down. Change your routine. Acknowledge that just because you are saying “no” does not mean you are weak or that you can’t do something. Sometimes saying “no” is just a way to enjoy the “yes” things!
Gluten-free Challenge, Accepted
As long as I am slowing down and learning to say “no” to some things, I don’t see these new diagnoses as challenges. The gluten-free challenge, for me started well before I actually needed to make the change. Let me tell you, I have preferred gluten-free brownies to regular brownies for years. They are gooier and more delicious than all those other recipes. I think people have mistakenly thought that living gluten-free is a challenge of what you can and can’t have. For me, I see the challenge as can I make this gluten-free? You don’t have to live without bread, cakes, cereals, or pretzels anymore!
Since I have been visiting my family recently, something they like to do when it is too cold or rainy outside, is walk laps in the mall. Well, at this mall, there are three soft pretzel shops. My parents have been walking there regularly to the point that they know the owner of two of these establishments. When we walked, every quarter-mile turn, you could smell that wonderful aroma of freshly baked soft pretzels! I began thinking, I wonder if I could make them gluten-free?
… You can, and I did!
These pretzels were absolutely delicious, and the only change I made to the recipe was using gluten-free ingredients, such as gluten-free flour! They came out great and they are almost all gone!
Do you have any favorite recipes, whether gluten-free or not? Share them with me! I am always looking to try new recipes and challenge myself with making gluten-free foods tasteful, not taste-free! Send your favorite recipes in the comments or personally contact me with the recipe attached!
