My Latest Diet Adventure

I have struggled with mysterious stomach ailments for years.  Being that a stomach issue could be attributed to one of hundreds of conditions, the easiest way to determine what is plaguing you, once you have gotten bloodwork done, is by eliminating certain foods from your diet.

Celiac disease runs in my family {my Grampsy has it}, and, while I tested negative for celiac, my doctor recommended that I try a gluten-free diet to try and rule out a gluten intolerance.  For those of you who are not familiar, there are three different conditions that all fall more or less under the same umbrella; celiac, an autoimmune disorder that manifests itself in complete gluten intolerance {in other words, ANY gluten is a no-no}; gluten intolerance is a spectrum disorder that can range in severity {in other words, the less severe your intolerance, the more gluten you can eat}; and a gluten allergy.  The problem with all of these is that they are very difficult to test for.

The real kicker was when my doctor told me that I would have to be on this diet for SIX WEEKS {yes, sadly, you read that correctly}, because that is how long it takes gluten to get out of your system.  I felt like crying in the doctor's office at the thought of giving up gluten-filled foods for that long.  Yes, I am able to successfully give up sweets for Lent every year, but I usually overcompensate by overloading on other carbs.  Now, that is not an option, so my mission this week is to come up with some snacks that will fill me up during the day.  I have to say, though, I am really excited to have an excuse to try out the gluten-free foods at the grocery store, because I'm really curious about how good they are.  Whole Foods has gluten-free cupcakes, which could prove to be dangerous...

To be honest, though, my stomach has felt remarkably better since my race.  I have heard from many a runner how you put your stomach through the wringer during marathon training, and I can certainly attest to that fact now.  I am hopeful that the lack of race training {mind you, I am still running, because, being the crazy person that I am, I went for my first run a mere four days after my race} and the more mindful eating will help reset my system.  Also, I have the incredible resource of Pinterest at my disposal to help me find recipes that look delicious and also happen to be gluten-free :)

But frankly, right now, I'm starving...HAHA