Elizaeloise's Gluten-Free Adventures

So, hi! I've been wanting to start a blog for a long time. I've always been a bit of a journal-writer, and when it comes to nutrition, I think I'm going to need more than just my own inkling and whims on paper.

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I'm not new to gluten-sensitivity. Most of my relatives on my father's side have quite serious forms of Celiac. I distinctly remember one time when my mum and I had forgotten our house keys. We knew my dad was home, because his car was parked out the front. Making a bit of a joke out of it, we bashed incessantly on the door and shouted and made a bit of a production out of it. After a few minutes, we heard a bit of movement but my dad still hadn't responded - a bit concerning! Eventuall h just started groaning and made his way to the door. I've never seen someone look legitimately green in the face - it was like a cartoon. He told us that the lady at the cafe had given him a cappucino instead of a flat white. That teeny tiny bit of chocolate dusting had brought a 45 year old, broad shouldered Australian man to his knees.

So, I've always felt pretty lucky that I didn't have any sensitivity to gluten. And then,when I was 21 (about three years ago), I got a pretty hideous bout of glandular fever. Since then I've had waves of gluten sensitivity. The irritating thing is the lack of diagnosis - gluten won't bother me for months at a time, and then, BAM. I have a big bowl of pasta and get reflux and intense and insatiable hunger pains for hours/days.

The first time I got REALLY sick was at the worst possible moment. One of my dad's nieces was having a wedding - a huge, beautiful, formal, expensive wedding. Being on the 'gluten free' side of the family, the whole menu was catered to the Celiacs in the family. I thought I was totally safe in eating what I thought were 'gluten free dinner rolls'

They weren't gluten free. They were beautiful and fluffy and I should've known they weren't gluten free - they were wayyy too delicious. Sadly didn't taste as delicious when I was vomiting them up in the gutter outside the hall where the rest of the family was waltzing and laughing merrily. Safe to say I haven't been invited to anymore events with that side of the family..I was a 'non-Celiac' at the time, so I'm pretty sure they just thought I was plastered.

Anyway. That brings us to now.

I'm 24, very busy, and since finishing uni and entering the real world I've put on a little too much weight for my liking. Sadly, my gluten intolerance means weight-gain instead of weight-loss. Drew the short freaking straw there.

So this is the start of a journey for me. I've tried cutting out gluten before, but I love bread and KFC more than just about anything. And I know from my dad's experience that there are nasties hiding in unexpected places (ie., Soy Lecithin), and I need help!! And a reason to stay accountable!!

SO, there's me in a nutshell.

Current Diet (On weekdays - weekends consist of coffee dates and cake and pizza and all sorts of gluteny deliciousness)

Breakfast: Gluten free squeezy yoghurt, two coffees, a piece of fruit

Lunch: Canned tuna, with corn or chickpeas, on gluten free crackers. More coffee

Dinner: (My downfall) Gluten free pasta with lots of veggies and meat

Symptoms

- INTENSE hunger after eating foods with gluten

- Low energy

- Grumpy

- Weight gain

- Acne

- Irregular cycle