I have a confession

When I was a kid, things were different than they are now. Grocery shopping meant getting whole, unprepared foods, kids went outside to play no matter what the season was, the family would get together and sit at a table to eat dinner that mom made from scratch, and having a snack meant to go get an orange or have some popcorn. Microwaves just came out and dining at a fast food restaurant was an occassional treat.

I remember when the McDonalds in Mechanicville was the cool, new place in town. It was in eye-shot from the big Episcopal church where we went on Sunday morning. You could walk out of those gothicly tall, red double doors and see those golden arches one short block away. It was an easy walk for a hungry youngster but I wasn't allowed to go anywhere alone yet. I still wanted those burgers; they were so mouth-watering as long as they had no onions.

The special order "no onion" was a problem at McDonalds. They premade all the food. And who knows how long it sat under heat lamps before you ate it. So the "no onion" request was futile at best. They always said it couldn't be done. And they were right. The little onion chunks would set up into the bun and it was nearly impossible to not taste them. My only hope was to go there when our family friend, David, worked the counter. He would go to the grill guy to ask him to make one up before the onions were pressed onto the bun and then bring the freshly compiled ketchup-mustard-pickle masterpiece to the hopeful little 9 year old girl behind the counter. A lot of time has gone by since those days.

I was a semi-slender kid but I was always tall. As a matter of fact, I was the second tallest person in my class all through grade school. Valerie was my only classmate who was taller than me. My self image wasn't horrible but it wasn't great either. It was the 70's. If you had blonde hair and you didn't look like Farrah, or if you were a brunette and didn't look like Daisy Duke, there was something wrong with you. The movie Grease made hot pants and satin jackets popular. Nair paved the way for us to want to wear short shorts. How could you possibly measure up? We tried anyways.

So I rambled on a little. Just what is my confession? I don't like being weighed. That's it. I didn't like it when I was a teen and I still don't like the idea of getting on a scale as an adult. Actually, I don't know many women who do. How many of us take our shoes off before they weigh us at the doctor's office? I do every time. That extra 10 ounces could throw me over one pound more than I actually am. I understand this and try to keep in mind that I don't have to be so hard on myself. Afterall, we have work with what we have been given.

Random thoughts

One of the things that no one wants to heartily embrace is change. We have a way of doing things. We have a comfort zone. Why rock the boat?

When it comes down to being well, sometimes we have to entertain the notion that the "same ol'-same ol'" may not be the best way.

Food intolerances have been on the uprise over the last number of years. Perhaps this is contibuted to more awareness of such intolerances and the desire of big name people to try to fight them.

About two years ago, I was experiencing some digestion issues. One thing that I don't like to do is to give up is stuff that I usually eat. But it came down to the notion that perhaps I should go GF.

I didn't need a doctor to tell me to do this. I am in control of what goes into my mouth. I chose to eat one way before, and I choose to eat this way now. It has benefited me in several ways so I continue. Do I slip up? Yes, I do. But for the most part, it is not that difficult to eat this way.

If you decide that you want to give up something, you just do it. In order for you to have an accurate blood test, you have to fast, and you do it. If you purpose to be a vegetarian, you strive to achieve that lifestyle. If you are unhappy with something in your life, you do what you need to do to change it. What kind of power is that? A great one, I'd say!

Are you having symptoms that won't go away no matter what you do? Should you go GF? Don't let addictions to food keep it's hold on you. Take control and do it! It may be the answer you're looking for.

Did it again

We had my shrimp poppers again and I didn't learn the lesson to take a picture while I can. They dwindled down to 2 or 3 and are in the fridge for later.

Yup. They are that good.

The regular old grocery stores

...are starting to carry more gluten free things. Have you noticed? I think Hannaford was one of the groundbreakers when it came to stocking the shelves with what we want. Price Chopper wasn't far behind them. Thank you, mega marts, for giving people with food sensitivity a place in the store!

About a month ago, I was meandering down the snack isle in Walmart, and glanced over at what I thought was a new place for salsa, and saw rice flour. Then I saw more flours and then saw GF noodles, and then found GF cookies and dessert mixes. At the point of holding back a tear, I immediately found Pamela's Pecan Sandies cookies and Midel Gingersnaps. Joy! I hear that Betty Crocker was going to release some dessert mixes, but I haven't found them yet. Believe me, I won't stop looking!

I suppose it isn't the fact that there are more places to buy "our" groceries that matters most to me. It is the notion that food sensitivity is being taken seriously enough by the stores. I hope this trend continues. We need it!

A Good Read

I am not a gluten expert by any means. I have not searched out books or feel qualified to say which one is better than which other one. There are several books out in the stores about the topic and I suppose that reading about the topic is better than not reading about it. However, when my sister wanted information, she found a book that was so very helpful in explaining what she needed to know. I have read it, and probably should go through it again.

THE GLUTEN CONNECTION by SHARI LIEBERMAN, PhD, CNS

That, my GF friends, is a good read.

The Deal

Almost as long as I can remember, my sister was really skinny. Some of you know what I'm talking about. This isn't perceived as a bad thing. Skinny has appeal. But when her physique landed her in the hospital, we all wanted answers. She was gluten intolerant. Come to find out, almost half of the people in my family are.

I am not an author, a doctor or a chef. I am just a regular person who wants to live a healthy life. I have not been diagnosed by anyone other than myself. I have done some reading and experimenting with my food and have found good results. I just want to share things that I do in my gluten free journey. My discoveries, recipes, thoughts, disappointments, struggles, shopping tips, successes. If I am going to do something, I need it to be simple! This site is a collection of GF done easy! Hopefully, something here will help someone out there.

So what is the deal with a Gluten Free diet? For my sister, it was a matter of life. For me, it's a choice. What is it for you?