I am writing this diatribe to electronically journal my journey towards life and my own personal pursuit of happiness. Only as it pertains to me. Just me. I am supposed to eat Gluten Free all the time. I cant. The world around me is full of hype and fervor over the latest food rage to eat differently and grocery stores jump on the latest bandwagon of consumer driven pursuits of new, better foods. But it is either too expensive for me, a person on a disability pension, to purchase...or I am not in the position to prepare foods from scratch now that I am living in an assisted living apt. I am a Foodie. Always have been...food boredom is my nemesis. Flavor is key for me, not necessarily quantity. Gluten Free food can be boring at times. So I break down and go the easy route to flavor satisfaction and consume readily available only partially gluten free fast foods. So I have made the decision, for my health and future, to have surgery to alter my digestive system and restrict the amount of fluid (Im on dialysis) and food I can consume. This surgery will CURE me of Type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure. That alone makes it worth it! BUT... I am so done with counting calories, losing the battle, and having to eat boring, often tasteless food... that I am curtailing the need for regular eating. I will be consuming mostly healthy proteins and fats in order to lose excess weight and extend my life. Drastic? Yes. Not what you would do? Probably. But you arent on my end of the spectrum, fighting for the right that you all take for granted, to live as long as I can, as healthy and happily as I can. Do you care? I doubt it. But my friends might. But Im doing this for me, and if anyone like me gets information for their own benefit, thats great. With Love and Respect, I am, RobbinSuzanne OConnor This article below is reprinted from MyLifeWithFoodAllergies Gluten Free & More electronic magazine Are you a late-night gluten free junk food junkie? Written by Pam Jordan Dec.10, 2014, all rights reserved Eating Gluten Free is not always easy or fun. For example, when you have to pass up tasty food at family events, work events (mylifewithfoodallergies/index/survive-dreaded-work-lunch-meeting-food-allergies/), or when eating out. Often times you can get the feeling of being left out. Last week I went to a work event at a local brewery; yes I know the location wasn’t ideal. The tables were filled with piles of fresh soft pretzels, nachos, quesadillas and fried pickles. None of this was safe to eat for this Gluten Free girl. I ordered my glass of red wine, chatted with people and tried to hide my sadness of missing all the yummy food. The tour of the brewery was another rough spot as I just stood in the back and forced a smile. While everyone enjoyed their dinners of cheeseburgers and fish tacos, I quietly searched my phone for local Gluten Free restaurants that I could hit on my way home. During these times it is hard to be Gluten Free, it is hard to be different, it is hard to say no, and it is hard to go without. These are the days where I eat more calories after 9pm then I did all day long. You see, during the day I plan well and bring healthy food to work. I limit my snacking to veggies, cheese, nuts, yogurt and other healthy options. Lunch is normally dinner leftovers or salads. I create balanced dinners for our family (mylifewithfoodallergies/index/gluten-free-menu-planning/). So before 9pm I normally am well behaved and eat healthy Gluten Free food. Pretzels But… on days where I had to say no to tasty looking pretzels, pizza, cupcakes, onion rings, or many other gluten-filled options I devour food after 9pm. The house is quiet with the kids in bed, hubby is doing hubby stuff, and so I’m left with social media and snacks. Some evenings I can resist the urge of the junk food calling my name but more often than not I fail miserably. I even went six weeks without buying any potato chips since they are a huge weakness for me. Turns out I’m not alone in this struggle. I have chatted with a number of Gluten Free people in the past few weeks who also struggle with this late night eating. One lady said that she just feels so left out when she sees her family eating food she can’t have that when she gets home she just loads up on Gluten Free carbs. Another said she eats like a teenager at night and eats a bunch of junk food. To say I am excelling in this area and having restraint is a huge understatement. There are many nights where food is my comfort for going without during the day. But there are days where I overcome my junk food eating urges and make good choices. So I offer some tips below that we can all follow and encourage each other with. Here are some tips to help you not inhale 1,000 calories after 9pm: - Brush your teeth at 8:50pm, that way you are “done” eating - Have chopped veggies and a dip like hummus ready, no one wants to chop veggies at 9pm - Make pre-portioned snack bags of dried fruits and nuts - Get low-calorie mini-bags of popcorn - Eat a small bowl of cereal - Snack on apple slices with a nut butter or seed butter For me I take this struggle day by day. Some days I go to bed with a belly full of chips and dip while others I claim victory. So often we ignore the emotional aspect of living Gluten Free or avoiding other food items (link to article mylifewithfoodallergies/index/the-ups-and-downs-of-celiac-disease/ ). No matter what age you are there are still sad times. Even our three year olds notice that their cupcake doesn’t look the same as everyone else’s at a party. We as a community need to encourage one another during our bad days and cheer each other when we have good days. The only way we can live without is if we live together. It is now 9pm and I’m going to brush my teeth! Are you a late-night gluten free junk food junkie?, 4.5 out of 5 based on 4 ratings You might also like 5 Easy Ways to Stop Overpaying At The Grocery Store Does Celiac Disease Affect How You Diet & Exercise? Home Alone Fudge Brownie Quinoa Pizza Crust Raw Mint-Chocolate Truffle 5 Easy Ways to Stop Overpaying At The Grocery Store Does Celiac Disease Affect How You Diet & Exercise “Im a Celiac” is a blog about living Gluten Free with Celiac Disease. In January 2011 Pam Jordan was diagnosed and shortly after began to write about her journey of living Gluten Free. As a working mom, she struggled to make good, healthy, Gluten Free meals every day. ImaCeliac is where she posts recipes, restaurant, travel and product reviews and the occasional giveaway. Her goal and hope is that people will read about her journey and find a story, recipe or review that will encourage them to keep living Gluten Free. Visit her blog at imaceliac.c Recent Posts Raw Mint-Chocolate Truffle Are you a late-night gluten free junk food junkie? Readers’ Favorites Gluten Free “White” Bread from Allergy Free Alaska Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Two Ways – Gluten Free and Gluten & Dairy Free Allergy-Friendly Snickers Cups How to Cure The Gluten-Free Blues
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 18:30:57 +0000
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