Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy & Gluten-y?

OK, so not one of the 7 deadly sins but...

                                                        Here she is. GlutenFreeMaddie...
                                           And Renz. He's not gluten free but she doesn't eat him 

Maddie being coeliac has opened my eyes to a way of life I had never paid attention to before. Why would I? I have no need to know about the New York Subway system as I don't live in New York so you know what? The height of my knowledge is that I am aware it exists and I'll even go as far as to hazard a guess that it's in New York. My point is that you research what you need to when you need to. Should I ever have the chance to visit The Big Apple I shall investigate the public transport infrastructure before I go.

Valued dietician Dr Google has been my best friend since Maddie was diagnosed. What is coeliac? What are the effects? What about the long term? Is there a cure? What do I do? The questions are endless.

Without wanting to get into all the gory details, Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disorder causing the enzymes in the small bowel to attack the lining causing inflammation and extreme cramps along with what we would describe as "explosive diahorrea"!!! I often wonder about the accumulative cost of all the nappies from when we were figuring out Maddies diet. We should really have a healthy amount of shares in Pampers.

As I trawled the internet for answers and ideas I encountered connected complaints such as allergies and their symptoms and it got me thinking, while for coeliac sufferers and gluten allergy sufferers, a gluten free diet is essential, what about the rest of us? Well there is evidence to suggest that there is benefits for those with attention deficit disorder, arthritis, thyroid disease, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, anemia, autism, irritable bowel syndrome, the list goes on.

Now let's assume you are a perfectly healthy individual. Can it benefit you? Well it can't hurt. Am I seriously suggesting you go gluten free? No, of course not but perhaps we could all feel a bit better by cutting down a little. Everything in moderation and all that. Gluten free foods tend to be low in carbohydrate. As part of a balanced diet can help weight loss, it can assist in better digestion, increase energy and lower colesterol. Mainly though it may just lead to a healthier attitude towards eating, cooking from scratch and avoiding processed food reducing sugar and salt intake. Surely it's a win, win situation right?  It is very easy to get bogged down in all the things you CAN'T have, but what about the things you CAN. Fresh veg and fruit, unprocessed meat and so on. There you go, a nice fillet steak and chips are still on the menu!!! Life's looking up already! Your local butcher will more than likely make gluten free sausages and burgers. And I'll admit I was shocked...but they tend to be very good. And there it is...very good...just because it has no gluten doesn't mean it has to be bland and tasteless. It's an adjustment, not an upset.

Now then...where from here?

Well there's two routes:

If you WANT to try gluten free then give it a go. Start small with a once a week gluten free dinner and see where that takes you.

If you HAVE to try gluten free then  it's time for change but remain positive.  As I mentioned in a previous post, we consider Maddie to be quite fortunate in that she has never known any different.  We have adapted to a mainly gluten free life though laziness. I don't want to prepare one meal for her and another for the rest of us. You could easily spend hours aimlessly meandering round the supermarket looking at packaging labels to see what you can still have. Please don't. Instead have a look at your favourite foods and ways to modify those to your requirements. I appreciate this may mean a little more time in the kitchen but is that such a bad thing? Indulge your inner chef, buy a hat and some new knives or an apron and a  mixer, but most importantly get a new hope. Don't weep for the things you miss but instead look forward to the things you have never tried. Our wee Mads loves her food, every gluten free crumb and we can watch her eat knowing that we know EXACTLY what went into it. It's a nice feeling!

If you would like any information/inspiration on what to make please feel free to contact us and of course keep an eye on here as there will be more recipes very soon. It's all about creating awareness and sharing experience.

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Thanks for reading.

Love & kisses

Suzi. xx