Gluten-Free Challenge - Day 31: Beyond

In the end, the challenge wasn't much of a challenge. The temptation to sneak a Circus Animal cookie came and went. The challenge of finding something to eat when eating out wasn't there, given that we went out very few times during the month.

There was a party that K and I went to for Chinese New Year. At the party, there was a plate full of lemon cookies right in front of me. That's about the worst that it got for me. Everything else was pretty manageable.

Going gluten-free take work. You bring your own snacks, make your own lunches. You cook more at home. You eat out less. And when you do go out, you call the restaurant beforehand, look up menus online, ask your server what's OK to eat. And if he doesn't know, you get the heck outta there before it's too late.

Over the past month, I learned that food can be a point of obsession. K and I talked about food a lot. It nearly became the focal point in our marriage. What will we eat for dinner? What can we make? What are we gonna do with all these beets? Are Funyuns gluten free? What about Doritos? What do you mean I can't drink beer?

I have a new-found respect for my wife, who has to deal with this every day. It's not like she's waiting for the day when she can eat whatever she wants.This is a lifestyle that she chose, or maybe it chose her. And she feels better for it. It takes a lot of effort to shun wheat in your life, and K has done it for two years. I'm in awe of her.

Starting tomorrow, I'll probably eat the same things that I've been eating for the past month. There will still be veggies when I come from work, I'll still pack sandwiches made of brown-rice bread. I'll still bring mixed nuts to work for snacks. And maybe, just maybe, I'll get a craving for the Circus Animal cookies. I'll go up to the vending machine in the break room, stare at the bag full of gluten-rich goodness, and just walk away.

Or not.

Gluten-Free Challenge: Day 16 - I Miss Gluten

I'm halfway through, and nothing much has changed.

I'm still craving snacks at work. I found out that Funyuns are gluten-free (Huzzah!). Though I've been bringing my own snacks. Usually K-approved mixed nuts. Sometimes Clif bars. I bring my lunch every day. Usually leftovers. Sometimes a sandwich.

Now, you're probably wondering how can I eat a sandwich. They make gluten-free bread. We get the Trader Joe's brand. It's made from brown rice flour. And, between you and me, it's questionable. The bread just crumbles in my hands as I eat it. It appears to take an extra long time to eat a simple turkey and cheese sandwich. This, by far, is the most depressing aspect of going gluten-free. Which isn't SO bad, but I'm just nitpicking.

K has been cooking more, because she it's just easier for her to control what she eats. She found a recipe for Pumpkin Mac and Cheese. It was originally with regular, gluten-filled ingredients, so she made some changes. Last week, I had Pumpkin Mac and Cheese for four straight meals. I'd probably eat it for longer if there were more.

We still can go out once in a while. We went to Pampas Grill last night at the Farmers Market by The Grove. Brazilian food is usually OK. The food was great! And K survived! Seriously, it's an adventure when we go out. I stare at her for a minute to make sure she's OK. I check her vital signs and administer an IV drip when needed. Kidding about that last part.

I do miss gluten though. Well, gluten-rich stuff like donuts and cheese bread. I forget sometimes why I'm doing this. I do this because I love my wife and want to support her and her lifestyle. But yeah, come February 1, I'm walking to Vons, buying a loaf of Wonder bread, and eating the thing whole.

(Just kidding, K!)

Gluten-Free Challenge: Day 9 - On Cookies

You know what I’ve been thinking about lately? Mothers Circus Animal Cookies.

I’m sure you’ve heard of them. They come in two colors, pink and white. They’re covered in rainbow-colored dots. They’re all sugar, oil, and awesomeness. They’re in the snacks vending machine at work, and I get them once or twice (or thrice) a week. They’re as guilty a pleasure as they get.

I can’t have them this month, because, you guessed it, they contain wheat flour. Like all cookies in vending machines. Basically, I can just have the peanuts, and even those are way too oily for my taste. I'm in a snack dilemma. 

Going gluten-free has made me question my snacking habits. I snack a lot. Chips, cookies, candy bars, it goes on. So now, it's mostly fruits and nuts. I'm doing alright with those. 

Other than my snacking crisis, nothing has changed so much from before. It helps, again, that K prepares food that both of us can eat. Last week, she made a pumpkin mac-and-cheese that was wonderful, but had no protein. We had to mix some turkey breast in it. I've also had more vegetables. Some that are just foreign to me. Chard? Kale? What are these things?

A third of the way in, and so far, so good. But I do miss those cookies.

Gluten-Free Challenge: Day 2 - Consult the Guru

So far, so good. Although I was close to eating the regular crackers at Communion on Sunday, but caught myself at the end. There was also a small scare at a friend's place, as I shoved salt-and-pepper kettle chips in my mouth, but K assured me that those were OK. And they were. They had rice flour instead of wheat.

K has essentially become my Gluten-Free Guru. I can't eat anything without consulting her first. And if she doesn't know, then I don't eat it. I'm assuming that everything out there has wheat. Of course, bread has wheat, so pastries, donuts, and cakes are out. Soy sauce has wheat, so no Chinese food for me. Anything with sauces most likely has wheat in it, but K would know more than I would.

Two days in, and I'm OK. I'm not craving a stack of gluten or anything. I've fasted from other foods for longer (red meat, desserts, etc.) but this feels different. There's nothing religious about this one. I'm doing this because this is K's life right now, and her concerns are mine.

Will this turn into a year of gluten-free living? Let's just take this one day at a time.