The gluten free project...

Yesterday we started cleaning out the cupboards. Dh and I have decided that the family is going to live without gluten for a month. The kids are all on board, too, but slightly less enthusiastic.

Well, they were pretty excited yesterday when I said to eat all the perogies in the freezer... ;-)

It all started when I had my Stay-cation (that is a vacation at home - for those of you who don't watch Corner Gas) and I refused to cook the entire time. I bought a lot of bread and sandwich stuff and left the family to fend for themselves. By the end of the week Sunshine was sick, sick sick...

Sunshine has always CRAVED pasta. You *could* get between her and a bowl of macaroni, but it wouldn't be safe... and I've mentioned to her before that I didn't think that was normal. She was much more willing to try an elimination diet when she was sicker than a dog.

For the last 2 months + she has been as faithful to the gluten free diet as she can be and her health is MUCH improved. She hasn't gained any weight, but she looks like she is a healthier weight and she isn't PALE anymore. It is noticable enought that many people have commented on it.

In an effort to streamline things and make her life a little more fibre-filled we got some whole grains and were trying them all. I started feeling really good then I ate barley and felt not so good. That was when I started looking around the house at the rest of us...

Dh - depression and anxiety.

Me- Osteoporosis, chronic sinus infections and numerous digestive complaints

Don't Know, Don't Care- Irritibility, fatigue, and severe PMS (One time I threw a chocolate bar at her in order to distract her and save myself... Not my finest moment, but I was in danger!)

Sunshine - Cyclical vomiting, choronic ear infections and numerous digestive complaints

Brown Bear - Chronic sinus infections

Schmidt - Chronic sinus infections and NO sense of smell

So I was talking to the Dr yesterday (who coincidentally did his internship with pediatric celiac patients...) and he said that gluten is hard to break down and "your diet will improve if you stop eating gluten regardless of whether you have Celiac disease or not."

We were going to try it for a month anyway, but when I came home armed with that tidbit the kids were more willing to try. We packed up all the food that has wheat, gluten and all the hidden gluten and it was a lot. REALLY a lot. There is wheat in everything, but we started looking and there are lots of wheat free/ gluten free things, too.

There are new labelling laws in Canada and that makes it a LOT easier to find the gluten. Companies that aren't trying to hide gluten will tell you on their websites which products are gluten free and which aren't.

This project is really challenging us to look at our relationship with food. Food *should* be something that takes time to cook and doesn't come out of a cardboard box. It also doesn't have to be four food groups and dessert. Boy is that one a tough sell for me!

We begin officially on Sunday, but most of us are starting today. 'Don't know Don't care' is going over to her friend's house to 'wheat it up' tonight though... :-)

Oh, and I've already been asked about cake. I make delicous gluten free cake... I'm not giving up chocolate cake...