So, in sitting down to start this blog that I talked about making for forever, I realized that it’s important to give my own personal reasons for my lifestyle. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m working on it.

Why am I gluten free, dairy free and soy free? I have an auto-immune disorder, but at this time it is not definite which one, and I’m okay with that. I take medication to control some of the symptoms, and I try to follow the dietary parameters suggested. I lived for a long time in pain and very sick. At my worst point, I could barely get out of bed, I was taking a scary amount of ibuprofen and I was always covered in psoriasis and hives. I travel for work a lot, so making it to doctors’ appointments doesn’t always happen as it should, and the lifestyle I have adopted is working to make my life better, so I don’t need to put a name to whatever disorder I have. I don’t even like to think of it as a disorder. I prefer to think that I have a super-human auto-immune system, which makes me super-human and that means I’m a super hero. What’s up, Wonder Woman!!

Why is there almost never anything with beans, tomatoes or peppers? I can’t eat these either! Legumes give me a similar reaction as gluten causes, and nightshade vegetables kick up my rheumatoid arthritis, which as super fun as that sounds, does not make me a happy camper. I also can’t eat nitrates (these trigger migraines like no other) and sulfur products (severe stomach pains almost instantly). I travel pretty much constantly for work and I love my job, but there are some times when I have to pick my battles and ask myself which is my least severe reaction. I try to stick to the paleo diet as much as possible, but that’s not always possible and sometimes, I just don’t want to deny myself what I want. I’m kind of like a small child. Years ago, a psych major buddy told me I have immediate gratification syndrome. I’m not sure if this is a real syndrome or one made up just for me, but it’s pretty accurate.

Okay, so we realize I’m not a professional nutritionist right? I’m not a scientist. I’m not a doctor. If you’re interested in some technical info on the what’s and why’s, checkout this link: https://plus.google.com/103039088948833959794/posts/jSUxSJ9rc7q

This link is also by the same guy and goes into tons of detail. I read it through once. http://www.thedr.com/images/gs201crfoods.pdf

This also explains my aversion to rice and corn. Wow! Is he smart or what? I feel smarter just having read it. You know how there are those people that like to say gluten intolerance is just a trend and it’s all in your head? I soooo want them to pick a fight with me right now, while it’s fresh in my mind!! I check his site every now and then when I need to remind myself that I am living this lifestyle to make me better – and it does make me better. I think clearly, I’m not nearly as cranky as I used to be and the way I physically feel is so amazing. I can’t believe there are some people that have lived their whole lives feeling this good – I feel like I have a whole new perspective on my own abilities.

My lifestyle prior to my diagnosis was not even near what one would call healthy. I wasn’t super un-healthy, but eating right was definitely not on my radar as a focus. It still revolves around caffeine a bit more than it should, but I’m okay with that. In my prior lifestyle, I had a vague idea of what gluten means from helping an aunt with a suspected gluten intolerance, but when I got my diagnosis and parameters, I realized my knowledge had been just the tip of the iceberg. That said, the first thing I wanted to know was – and I swear, I’m not a booze bag – what can I drink? My whole life felt like it was changing in the span of two weeks and two doctor visits – I wanted a grown up beverage the size of my head.

Here are a couple of good lists I found in my research:

http://www.glutenfree-lifestyle.com/gluten-free-alcohol-beverages.html
http://www.celiac.com/articles/222/1/Gluten-Free-Alcoholic-Beverages/Page1.html

After I located this super crucial information, I started looking into food. I thought I would be safe just getting a list from a grocery store (most customer service counters have these available) and learning to say: “Do you have a gluten free menu?”, but I was pretty shocked at what I found. There is so much JUNK in foods I had thought were safe to eat. Even the foods that didn’t have gluten, dairy, soy and all my other enemies in them were labeled with words I didn’t know. Trips to the market would take hours as I read every label and compared it to this list and googled word after word. I threw out what felt like all of my cooking supplies and pantry foods. I was feeling pretty dismal, but determined, none the less.

I started grocery shopping on-line (Stop and Shop has a service called Peapod in my area) until I had a list of foods that work for me. At first, I only let myself shop the perimeter – buying just fruits, vegetables and meat. As I learned more and as I felt the magic of the lifestyle making my world better, I started to venture into the aisles to get the trusted supplies I was growing to love. It hasn’t been easy, but I find it exciting. I no longer cry in my car after a trip to the grocery store. I can shop with other people and not feel like a freak. I’ve made grocery shopping, cooking and eating into an achievement, and I want to share my journey because I know how I felt when I started.

I went an extra step about 6 months in, and dove into the paleo lifestyle for three reasons: 1. It fits my dietary needs, 2. It gives me a sense of global community, 3. My brother is paleo and is a super healthy fella. I’ve gotten pretty good at it. I’m now writing a cookbook, but everyone keeps asking for my recipes so those will be posted here soon. When I’m home, which is about a third of the year, I cook and eat paleo. When I’m on the road, I do my best to keep up with it, but it can be hard to make sure I’m not having processed sugars. If you want to learn more about the paleo lifestyle, this link has the basics: http://thepaleodiet.com/what-to-eat-on-the-paleo-diet/. In a nutshell, it’s eating what our ancestors ate – fresh vegetables, meat, fish, fruit – what our bodies are made to eat and process. The more unmodified, the better.

Soooo, yeah. That’s about it. Recipes and restaurant reviews to come! I’m pretty excited about it. Oh and this is me: