GFREE

There’s a lot of talk about GFree and Gluten these days… People go on organic diets, do these five day cleanses, eat Kale and other things I’ve never heard of etc. etc.
I used to think the gfree thing was just another fad.
Not anymore.

As I’ve said before here on the good old blog, I struggle with depression and anxiety and also have a myriad of other random symptoms that seem to be the result of a thyroid condition. I was tested for hypothyroidism back in February when I moved home from school and got tested again in September when my symptoms became really obvious. Just like last winter, I didn’t feel like myself at all. Well the tests came back totally normal. I was so upset when I found that out. No one ever wants to find out they have a thyroid condition and have to be on medication for the rest of their life, but I was so sick of feeling crappy that I wanted an answer. Any kind of answer.

A week or two after I got my results back, I had dinner with a friend who just started going to all natural doctor. He really tries to find the problem in the body and then give the body what it needs to correct the issue. He doesn’t prescribe medication to cover them up. After five minutes of telling the doctor her symptoms and a brief history of the past few years of her life, the doctor had her totally figured out. He gave her all natural supplements to take that would help regulate and nourish her body to return to normal. Some things may take a few weeks, some a few months.
I was so blown away by this because my doctor had said to me, “If these tests come back normal, I have no idea what’s wrong with you”. And here this doctor had her diagnosed and on the right track in a matter of minutes.  I was so frustrated.

That next week I was talking to my family about it and my sister brought up gluten. My brother-in-law’s sister has gluten intolerance and his family has gone gfree as a result. His parents started a few weeks ago and felt a noticeable difference. Kayla and Bucky were also going gfree. At first I kind of shrugged it off, but as the week went on I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I remembered seeing a tweet from Elisabeth Hasselbeck about her gfree cookbook and stumbled upon THIS website. I ended up buying this book that afternoon…

Afterall, what could it hurt? Well I sat on Mark’s couch reading it last Sunday and I started crying. I felt like I was reading everything that has happened to me since last Christmas.
(It’s crazy that a year has gone by already. A year ago my depression started. That’s such a weird/crazy thing  to me!! One whole year of this. Holy cats.)

Last week I started eating Gluten Free with my meal at Kayla and Bucky’s house Monday night.  On my way home I stopped at the grocery store and stocked up on a few items to get me through my first few days… And now I have a whole cabinet in the kitchen!!

With the exception of a little bit of salad dressing and a bite of Mark’s Italian bread the other day, I have been totally 100% Gluten Free.

And I feel amazing.

I don’t feel bloated after I eat. I don’t feel like I’m so full I’m gonna burst. I feel full. Contentedly full. I don’t get headaches after I eat. I don’t get tired after I eat. I’m not as tired during the day overall. I’m more alert when I used to feel like there was a cloud over my head and everything was fuzzy. And I just feel better. I feel like I can breathe.
It might take a few weeks to see if my depression subsides, but I already feel happier and just more like myself.

When I started reading the book all I could think about were donuts, pizza, hoagies, bagels, rolls, pasta etc. etc. etc. All the food I love. Carbs. Bread. All of it. I sat there looking at Mark and almost cried. How could I refuse bowtie pasta with white sauce and Italian bread? I was pretty upset about the idea even though I knew there was a chance my depression could totally disappear and my other symptoms would be gone too.

Thankfully, since I’ve started eating gfree I’ve felt free. I told Mark the other day that I used to feel like a slave to food. It tasted so good and I loved to eat it even thought I felt like crap afterward. Always. Sluggish, tired, fat, gross, and grouchy. Now that food really has no appeal to me. Last Friday there was a craft bazaar at work and I could smell the glazed donuts in the baked goods section from my desk. They smelled amazing but I had no urge to get up and go buy one. Before nothing would have stopped me. If I wanted the donut, I’d eat it. Why not? And even though I tried to have disciple and didn’t eat everything in sight, I felt like a slave to food. That’s the only way I can explain it.

Today it’s totally different, I look forward to putting food into my body that it can use and that it needs. I’m excited to try things I’ve never had before. Hasselbeck wrote in her book that it may feel like there is nothing you can eat anymore, but actually your whole world just opened to food you never even knew existed.
And for me that is totally true. I am so so thankful that Kayla recommended I look into it and am so thankful I bought the book. I’m sure the day will come that I have a slice of pizza or a hoagie from Primo’s, but on a daily basis I am content to be gfree.

I’ll probably be blogging about this a lot since it’s such a huge change in my life! There’s already a ton of stuff to share about gfree food and recipes!
I’m talking cupcakes people!!

My favorite food item from week one:
Rice Cake w/All Natural Peanut Butter & Honey

Least favorite food item from week one:
Gluten Free Penne Pasta. Here’s to hoping it grows on me :)

It’s been one week and I feel amazing.
Here’s to week two.