Gluten sucks!

That title is misleading as I truly feel Gluten is AMAZING! I am a bread lover! I always have been! One of my favorite memories of our honeymoon in Jamaica was in the morning we'd go down to breakfast right on the water and our server would bring us Jamaican Blue coffee. Normally I drink mine black but Jamaican Blue requires cream and it becomes truly decadent. The only think that makes it even more decadent? Pairing it with a chocolate croissant!

About 2 years ago I had a blood test done to see if I have Celiac Disease. In a nut shell, that would mean my body does not tolerate wheat, barley or rye. The test came back negative but the doctor told me I could try a gluten free diet if I wanted to. "Screw that!" I thought, "If I can have gluten I'm not going to deprive myself of it!" Fast forward two years...

Upon careful examination of my heath(or lack thereof) in relation to food, as well as some research through google and the good old fashioned Library hunt, I have come to realize that I don't give a RATS BEHIND what the tests say! I'm gluten intolerant! Every time I eat something that is gluten dense I'm either in the bathroom or have to take a nap! I get sick so often that my husband figured out I am ill for approximately 3 months a year. That's a QUARTER of my life!

So, once I realized this I decided to give myself some time to stock my pantry and learn a bit more about how to replace the gluten-full foods I eat with gluten-free varieties. I chose a start date for my G-Free living of Jan 1st 2010. I figured that way I could go through the entire holiday season eating my favorites one last time.

Then today I polished off 8 slices of bread with cheese and and apple and I'm ready to rip my insides out! I'M DONE! No more gluten for me! It's not worth it! I love my yummy holiday treats,(in fact my husband is begging for pumpkin rolls that I can't eat) but I don't want to feel like this anymore! This is no way to live my life! Not quite well, but not quite sick...who wants that? Not me!

The sad part is, I used to think that people who didn't eat gluten were crazy! I thought they were just on some mad quest to live forever, but now I realize, most of them are just trying to live like "normal" people. SO you can think we're crazy and fanatical and need to get a life but until you've had this kind of pain you can't possibly understand!

So call me crazy! It wouldn't be the first time :)