Gluten Free Living
Celiac? Gluten-intolerant? Gluten-allergy? You've come to the right place. Here I'll be sharing both tips and anecdotes of my experience transitioning to a gluten-free lifestyle.
*END SCENE*
Above you have my theatrical, over-dramatic (or accurately dramatic?) interpretation of coming to terms with Celiac Disease. For those of you who are not familiar with such a delightful condition, consider yourself lucky. In short, Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder where the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barley) triggers a reaction in the body that attacks the small intestine. Every celiac's immediate symptoms are different, though going untreated can cause major damage to the small intestine. Long term health effects are rather adverse, and when left untreated can lead to the person developing other autoimmune disorders (including but not limited to Type I Diabetes, cancer, MS, skin conditions, etc.). The only known 'treatment' of Celiac Disease is a STRICT gluten-free diet. "Ingesting small amounts of gluten, like crumbs from a cutting board or toaster, can trigger small intestine damage" (celiac.org).
It has been three months since I have gone strictly gluten-free. For me personally, the hardest part of changing my diet has not been missing pizza and doughnuts (yes, I do miss them dearly), but instead the impact it's had on me socially. To be fair, I've always kind of hated people plus dealt with social anxiety. Now let's add the INFINITE IGNORANT QUESTIONS/REMARKS/JUDGMENTS I HAVE RECEIVED SINCE GOING GLUTEN-FREE. Here's a taste of words actually said to me recently:
If you're reading this and happen to be one of the people who asked/said any of the above in the last three months, please, please, please understand that this is not an attack on you. I'm just trying to paint a pretty picture of how exasperating it is to constantly be bombarded with questions and comments regarding a condition that, despite the struggle, I think I've been handling rather well. I truly do understand when it's coming from family and friends, they are asking because they care and are making their best effort to understand (it does not go unnoticed and unappreciated that you care, believe me).
Also note, I have responded to all these different encounters politely as my human capability allows. Usually with a smile and a joke, so the person doesn't feel bad. Sometimes I even apologize for being so troublesome, even though I know that is a ridiculous thing to do. Point is, I'm exhausted. All I ask is for people to be sensitive before they start rapid firing at any celiac (yeah, yeah, I know, classic crybaby liberal gluten-free snowflake over here). If you're truly interested/concerned, do at least a tiny bit of research before asking questions (after all, Google is our oyster). I promise you, any celiac will be forever grateful for it.
**END RANT**
So, where does The Hungry Turk go from here? Not hangry, that is for sure. If anything, I have gotten more creative in the kitchen and have also begun developing my own recipes (stay tuned y'all). Going out to eat definitely poses a challenge, but ya girl here will persist in explicitly researching and finding some NYC gluten-free gems. I'm hoping to be more active on the blog in terms of recipes, restaurant reviews, and tips so keep your eyes peeled.
So there you have it. It's true, sometimes you really are better off without those toxic relationships, even if you still love them (so meta). I have noticed a significant, positive change regarding my health and overall wellness, and I only plan on going up from here.
My Inexorable Breakup with Gluten
It's over. We had a good run of 24 years, but it had to come to an end. We simply didn't work anymore. Every time I made an effort, I was left in pain. The relationship was toxic. So many times I asked 'why?' Turns out we were just not meant to be.
*END SCENE*
Above you have my theatrical, over-dramatic (or accurately dramatic?) interpretation of coming to terms with Celiac Disease. For those of you who are not familiar with such a delightful condition, consider yourself lucky. In short, Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder where the consumption of gluten (found in wheat, rye, and barley) triggers a reaction in the body that attacks the small intestine. Every celiac's immediate symptoms are different, though going untreated can cause major damage to the small intestine. Long term health effects are rather adverse, and when left untreated can lead to the person developing other autoimmune disorders (including but not limited to Type I Diabetes, cancer, MS, skin conditions, etc.). The only known 'treatment' of Celiac Disease is a STRICT gluten-free diet. "Ingesting small amounts of gluten, like crumbs from a cutting board or toaster, can trigger small intestine damage" (celiac.org).
**Full disclaimer that the next section will be strictly bitching. If you are not interested in my frustrations, please skip. **
It has been three months since I have gone strictly gluten-free. For me personally, the hardest part of changing my diet has not been missing pizza and doughnuts (yes, I do miss them dearly), but instead the impact it's had on me socially. To be fair, I've always kind of hated people plus dealt with social anxiety. Now let's add the INFINITE IGNORANT QUESTIONS/REMARKS/JUDGMENTS I HAVE RECEIVED SINCE GOING GLUTEN-FREE. Here's a taste of words actually said to me recently:
"Oh, but you can like, cheat, right?"
"Can you scrape the cheesecake off the crust and just eat that?"
*dips bread in hummus* "Want some hummus?"
"Can you eat eggs? Can you eat potatoes? Can you eat cheese?"
"So, how bad is your allergy?"
"Who cares if it touched bread, it's not like you're eating the bread. You'll be fine."
"I bought this fruit tart from a bakery by my house, is it gluten-free? Can you eat it?"
*while asking a restaurant manager questions politely about the menu* "LISTEN I CAN'T BE LIABLE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO YOU, OKAY?!"
If you're reading this and happen to be one of the people who asked/said any of the above in the last three months, please, please, please understand that this is not an attack on you. I'm just trying to paint a pretty picture of how exasperating it is to constantly be bombarded with questions and comments regarding a condition that, despite the struggle, I think I've been handling rather well. I truly do understand when it's coming from family and friends, they are asking because they care and are making their best effort to understand (it does not go unnoticed and unappreciated that you care, believe me).
Also note, I have responded to all these different encounters politely as my human capability allows. Usually with a smile and a joke, so the person doesn't feel bad. Sometimes I even apologize for being so troublesome, even though I know that is a ridiculous thing to do. Point is, I'm exhausted. All I ask is for people to be sensitive before they start rapid firing at any celiac (yeah, yeah, I know, classic crybaby liberal gluten-free snowflake over here). If you're truly interested/concerned, do at least a tiny bit of research before asking questions (after all, Google is our oyster). I promise you, any celiac will be forever grateful for it.
**END RANT**
So, where does The Hungry Turk go from here? Not hangry, that is for sure. If anything, I have gotten more creative in the kitchen and have also begun developing my own recipes (stay tuned y'all). Going out to eat definitely poses a challenge, but ya girl here will persist in explicitly researching and finding some NYC gluten-free gems. I'm hoping to be more active on the blog in terms of recipes, restaurant reviews, and tips so keep your eyes peeled.
So there you have it. It's true, sometimes you really are better off without those toxic relationships, even if you still love them (so meta). I have noticed a significant, positive change regarding my health and overall wellness, and I only plan on going up from here.
To all my non-celiac, non-allergy, non-intolerant friends: please eat a doughnut for me.
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