Allergies- Know Thy Enemy.

It's been over 3 months since I gave up gluten.
Do I love the change? Yes.
Do I feel healthier? Yes.
Have my eating habits changed for the better? Yes.

The problem now is that my body seems to be incredibly more sensitive to what I put in it. I really feel the difference between good food and bad food. I also really feel the pain if I accidentally consume gluten, in any form.

Last night I made a delicious recipe, adapted from one I saw on Steven and Chris
For the recipe: go here.

I messed around with the spices a little, didn't have any wine, used chicken breasts instead of thighs, but essentially a very similar dish.

So, a while back, I bought a bag of curry powder at my local No Frills grocery store. Of course, I read through the ingredients, and although NO gluten was listed on the label, it did say, "May contain traces of gluten". Now, I figured, okay, it's probably made in a plant that there is a risk of cross contamination, but if it actually doesn't contain gluten in the recipe, then it can't be that bad...right?

Wrong.

Pain, people. Lots. Of. Pain.

Slowly I am learning my lesson. No gluten allowed. Not even traces. It's a tough battle- this whole gluten-free thing. The diet is just fine- but wheat/gluten is so sneaky, it's literally in every corner of the grocery store. It just reinforces the fact that I really have to check the labels- and if it says, may contain traces- DO NOT CONSUME! It's just not worth it. Even though the risk may be small, there clearly was enough gluten in the product to really make me feel it.

So, today- I will be tossing out that curry powder, and looking for a new, gluten-free version.

I finished this book yesterday, and recommend it for anyone who is interested in living a gluten-free life, who has recently been diagnosed with a gluten-sensitivity/celiac, or anyone who wants to lose weight, feel better, and have more energy.

It really is a fantastic read- although slow at times (written by a doctor- many medical terms to plough through), William Davis gives a variety of examples of how wheat (gluten) can negatively affect your life. His many medical studies through his patients have proven the benefits of giving up gluten, and the absolute miracles that have occurred in their doing so (diabetes cure, 10 year skin rash disappears, incredibly fast weight loss).
For me, it was interesting to read the scientific side of this problem: how wheat has changed over the years, how science meddling in our food production has been an absolute curse, and of course, reading the many magical stories of people getting healthy through one simple change- no more gluten.

I, for one, know I'll never go back. I don't want to live with the constant stomach aches, the uncomfortable and ugly swelling and bloating of my stomach for reasons I was unaware of at the time, the energy crashes, the painful canker sores, the migraines. All of these problems disappeared within 3 days of me giving up gluten.
Coincidence? I don't think so.