I learned this summer that I am gluten-intolerant. Only intolerant because my blood test for Celiac Disease came back negative, but when I had to start eating gluten again in order to have the endoscopy, I got so sick every time I ate that I realized that I couldn’t handle it and cancelled my appointment. No matter what my “label” is – I cannot eat gluten without getting sick.
My symptoms range from stomach pain, digestive “unrest”, nausea, itchiness, and headaches – and I can never predict in which way I’ll react if I’m accidentally exposed. I haven’t found the adjustment in diet that difficult or expensive (except the beer) because I cook mostly whole foods from scratch. My husband and I both work full-time, but we have decided that eating well (and feeling well) is important enough to spend some time on food.
Cooking semi-from-scratch is much cheaper, as it mostly involves whole (GF) grains, beans, produce, dairy, and meat. Once you get the hang of it, it doesn’t take that much longer than throwing something together from a box. I like to cook extra and either eat leftovers or freeze portions for a day when I don’t have enough time or need groceries. The hardest part for me has been dining out, which we like to do about once a week – options are more limited and I know that the chance of exposure is much higher.
Thank you for sharing your gluten allergy story. Do any of you have suggestions for great national restaurants to eat at that are gluten free friendly?
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I like eating at PF Changs. They have tons of GF options. I also really like Chipotle.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for this website. I have multiple food allergies and meet more people every day who have food allergies, intolerance, or celiac disease.
Last year, I started blogging about my take on food allergies. I was laid off from my job 6 months ago and I have food allergies, so we are looking to cut costs. I hope you don’t mind if I mention this site on my blog – allergicgal.com