The story of the other shoe dropping

At R Ladies Weekend in October, my cousin Anna, my sis Joce and I were standing around the dessert table, looking at all the gluten-free items, each of us glad we could eat anything we wanted. We joked how we were just waiting for the other shoe to drop (many members of my mothers family do not eat gluten). Little did I know it was hovering on the edge (where does it drop from?).

About a month later, I started having stomach problems. Aches, pains, bloating and constipation, you get the picture. Since I could not think of anything else causing it, I decided to try going gluten-free. Almost immediately, I felt better. I had more energy too, which was wonderful after months of dragging an exhausted body around.

So I was a gluten-free Krista. And then I thought, "what if it's all in my head?" So one morning I had a piece of toast (and let me tell you, it tasted good in my mouth). It did not go over well with my stomach. I had a stomach ache and bloating for the rest of the day. Good to know I wasn't making it up.

The best part about going gluten-free (GFF, gluten free forever, as we call it in the Salmen household), is that it's not hard to do. It's not hard to find recipes, or food I CAN eat. It's not hard to avoid things with gluten, because I know they'll make me sick. Also easy is that there is a new Trader Joes a mile from my apt, and they gave me a list of everything in the store that is gluten-free. So nice of them. Another good thing is that my mother is currently not eating gluten either. Everything over the holidays was gluten-free (to the slight dismay of some of the others), and her pantry holds many things my stomach can appreciate. My birthday dinner, for example, was chili, chips, gluten-free cornbread (YUM), salad, gf gingerbread cake, and ice cream. My mother is amazing. I love her.

And that folks, is the story of me turning into one of THOSE people, the GFF ones. I have joined my relatives on their "crazy diet" that fortunately keeps us happy and healthy.