Impossible? PSH!

I found out I had celiac disease in August of 2009. Up to this point, I had intestinal issues accredited to "IBS" and lactose intolerance, occasional depression/anxiety issues, and frequent fatigue, all for 3 years. Once I cut wheat out of my diet, everything changed for the better- the pain was gone, I could think more clearly, and I didn't need a nap everyday. It was a miracle!

Unfortunately, I soon started noticing similar intestinal pains I had experienced before I gave up the wheat. After personal experimentation, I found these were attributed to eggs and soy, as well as cheese and chocolate, my two favorite milk products that I had refused to give up. I decided one day that enough was enough, I was tired of being in even the slightest pain, so I wholeheartedly dedicated myself to a wheat, milk, eggs, and soy-free diet. Impossible right?

Nope.

All it means is more home cooking and baking on my part. No more fast food, and I'm limited on my choices of restaurants (although Mexican food places are mostly ok- corn tortillas and tamale's all the way!). Central Market, Whole Foods Mart, and HEB all have gluten free sections-and lucky for me, a lot of gluten free products are also "all" allergens free (Ener-G breads and Enjoy Life! products, just to name a couple). Amazon.com sells a lot of products in bulk, so I can get, for example, $6 loaves of tapioca or rice bread for $3 each.

Mostly though, I cook my own food. I'm currently on a mission to cook one dish that will last me for the entire week-ie soup, spaghetti (rice pasta!), fajitas (corn tortillas!), chicken and potatoes/vegetables, etc. I don't have time to cook every night, so if I make it all in bulk on Sunday and refrigerate/freeze the rest for the week, I'm good. I've done this for one week so far. We'll see how the rest of the semester goes.

When it comes to baking, I use Egg Replacer or Applesauce instead of eggs, and rice or almond milk instead of milk. I use canola oil or corn oil instead of vegetable oil, as vegetable oil usually has soybean oil in it. I have successfully made a chocolate cake, rice crispy treats, and cinnamon/sugar pecans.

Most fruit candies are ok- Starburst, Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, Gummy Worms/Bears.

For my chocolate fix, Nana's No Gluten Chocolate cookies are AWESOME.

It is important to read labels and be very cautious when eating out.
It is vital to keep a positive attitude and focus on what I can have instead of what I can't.

I'll keep you posted!