One week of no gluten down...

I've now gone one week and one day without any known gluten in my diet.  I say "known", because I think I got "glutened" somewhere in the last 48 hours, and I'm not sure what I ate that is causing my distress today.  Unless it's my system reacting to the onslaught of greens and healthier stuff coming through....

But, before I obsess about today, the last week has been pretty interesting for me.  I've lost about 5 pounds and actually feel much much better....less brain fog, no bloating so my pants fit, no other TMI symptoms.  Of course I'm eating like a giant rabbit--lots of veggies and salads.  Managing the diet isn't that bad, at least when I have control over it.  I think my biggest problem will be going out to restaurants.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory on Saturday night, and I worked with the server to order stuff that wasn't questionable, and I think it was ok. Problem was turning down repeated requests to sample things, especially the cheesecake.  I don't want to call attention to it, but I'm sure I came off as a total nutcase.  Who in their right mind turns down a nibble of Reeses Peanut Butter Cheesecake??  I enjoyed my grilled chicken corn tortilla tacos, thank you very much.  I avoided the rice.

I also discovered the ginormous list of options at Trader Joe's--can't wait to sample some new stuff.  But, I've noticed that gluten-free seems to translate to high fat content...but if I'm basically a vegetarian the rest of the time, won't it balance out?  Cool thing was finding gluten-free options at the airport--snacks and veggie side dishes that worked.  I had lots of veggies and fruit during the week, Udi's bread and bagels too.  And my awesome friend Sheila took excellent care of me this weekend making sure I had enough food to eat while I stayed at her house in CA!  Thanks Sheila!  We made a pilgrimage to Trader Joe's and I didn't feel quite so helpless.  I flew out for my goddaughter's confirmation (wasn't I just out there for her baptism?) and had a great weekend.  They are busy raising 5 puppies for a breeder, and they turned 6 weeks old while I was there.  Pics later....

Today however, I think some gluten snuck in there and I feel kind of icky.  I'm not sure exactly what it was, and I'm praying that I'm not that hypersensitive that I'll have to worry about serious cross-contamination issues.  Being on a plane and realizing you've been glutened is not a good feeling.  And I have noticed a huge difference by eliminating it.  I suppose I should go see a nutritionist?

And I'm looking at ordering food for my AP classes for an end of the year luncheon for next week, and it's pretty depressing to come to the realization that I probably won't be able to eat anything on the menu.  Sigh.

So I think I'll stay on this gluten-free road and see what happens.  I have some more researching to do, but I think I have a good idea of how to manage it at home and what questions to ask at a restaurant.  If you notice that I'm growing large furry ears and buck teeth, please let me know....