How the [Gluten Free] Cookies Crumbles...

My friends, a sad day is upon us. I recently found out that I, a true lover of breads, pastas, and carbs, have a gluten intolerance. This has been very heartbreaking discovery to me, however I will always have a special love for wheat, barley and rye. I still look at crusty white artisan breads, Italian pastas, sandwiches and pizza, with the hope that one day somehow I might be able to enjoy them again. But most of all I just wish for being able to eat like a normal person with out scowering every label for "no-no" ingredients.

The truth is with my hectic work and travel schedule, I haven't even been able to make it to the doctor's to properly be diagnosed. Is it a gluten sensitivity? Is it Celiac's? To be honest I don't really know. But without going into the gory details let's just say the changes to my digestive system have greatly improved without gluten, and when I accidentally do ingest gluten, my body knows and my symptoms return right away. The whole "listen to your body" saying really chimes loud on this one!

How did I discover I have a gluten intolerance might be your next question. Well I had been having symptoms for months, but had not been listening to my body. I just tried to mental block them out, ignore them, and blame them on other causes. I really did even think anything was wrong, although my body was telling me quite differently.

It was really during my half marathon training that I began to notice I my body wasn't quite right. I was exhausted. I was eating well, but my body didn't feel as though I was. I didn't feel like I was getting all my nutrients. Training had become so difficult and sometimes I didn't even have the strength for a short distance run. This on top of the digestive problems led me to think that something might be wrong - just I was thinking something more like I had picked up a parasite then had developed an allergy to one of my favorite grains.

I was traveling for work at the time for three entire weeks so a doctor's visit was out until I return home. But with a little bit of research and some trial and error, I was able to narrow it down to gluten. Seeing a doctor is still necessary for proper diagnosis but at least I was able to manage my symptoms and successfully complete my half marathon last week.

Now that my work/travel schedule is calming down and I'm getting back into normal routine, I'm making an appointment to see specialist. But for now I just learning how to manage my intolerance and still find ways to enjoy the foods I love. I've found eating at home in my own kitchen to be the easiest place to eat because I have control over what goes in my food. There are no surprise glutens when you're in charge!

I wanted to find a way to make pizza at home and with Nature's Highlight Brown Rice Pizza crust I was able to do just that! I bought these frozen pizza crust at Whole Foods. This was not as light and fluffy as a normal pizza crust, but it was thin and crispy. For my toppings I used tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, red pepper, and fresh tomato topped with Pecorino and Manchego cheese. Hit the spot!



Please note: I am not a doctor or a medical professional. I am not able to diagnose myself or any one else with a food allergy. The information conatianed in this blog comes soley from my experience of eliminating certain foods from my diet. If you think you have a gluten allergy or other food allergy, please seek appropriate medical attention.