I do want to put forward a short list of my own resolutions to help me continue on the road to improved health.

1. Be conscious of what I put in my body – It isn’t just gluten that is causing my issues.
2. Read the label! If I am unsure, put it back on the shelf.
3. Stop apologizing. If I hear myself say, “I am sorry, but I have to eat GLUTEN FREE and …” one more time, I will scream. Also, I have to stop saying gluten free like it is all caps!
4. Stop judging others food choices. I don’t like hearing that I am stupid for eating gluten free and I am sure that vegans hate me saying how delicious bacon is and how they are missing out.
5. Don’t succumb to social pressure at restaurants. Eating out is a necessary social and work activity, but being pressured to eat something I am not 100% sure of is not right. I have taken to going along and just having water and it has worked just fine.
6. Stop feeling sorry for myself and complaining. A lot of us do this, just check out the blog list on the right side of this page. “I didn’t choose this”, “GF – not by choice”, etc. Yes, having to think about every little thing I eat is difficult much of the time. But I do feel a hell of a lot better and when I feel bad, I usually know why. This is a huge improvement over the prior years of “Why do I feel like crap all the time?” Now this doesn’t mean I should say “Yeah, I didn’t want that cookie/cake/bread/cereal/whatever made from wheat anyway. Wheat based food tastes bad!” because that would be a horrible lie! It does mean that I can say that I am glad I know some of what is causing me problems and I don’t have to take some toxic medication to fix it.

I hope your 2013 sees you progressing on your journey to better health.

Happy New Year!

Dr. Schar Sponsors and Serves Up “The World’s Largest Gluten-Free Pizza”.

More pictures in the press release.

We talk a lot about whether a specific food hurts or helps us, but there is a lot more to your intestinal health that whether you have eaten some wheat accidentally.

Melissa has written a very educational piece about bacteria, medical ecology and tending our microbial garden. I have followed many of these same tips over the past few months and things have improved a lot for me.

(Picture (and another article about bacteria ) from Crasstalk.)

Survey – Do You Feel Safe When Dining Out With Food Allergies?

Be your own advocate & food researcher:  You are responsible for the food you put in your body and in doing so it’s in your best interest to know exactly what your consuming.

That is the actual lifestyle change you are making. You become aware of what you eat.

In my own practice, I find that by removing gluten from my patients’ diets, most patients feel better mentally and physically. I personally believe gluten reduction also leads to lower stress and more balanced emotional levels, both of which make a lasting difference in how people feel.

from an article called The Scoop on Gluten | Yahoo! Health by Dr. Maoshing Ni.

Thanks to @blackbirdbakes for tweeting the original link.

“Learn what foods are gluten-free and which foods and ingredients contain gluten, may contain hidden gluten or risk being cross-contaminated with gluten in this handy, two-page guide.”

You can get this two page PDF highlighting great information about being gluten free, including “Gluten Free made easy” and “be a Gluten detective” for free along with many other guides at Balanced Bites.

Immense Intestine + Appendix – Go With Your Gut! [PTin] – $20.00 : I Heart Guts, Love Your Insides.

However, you can do more for your health than solely eliminating gluten. Use your new-found label reading powers to look for these 8 ingredients: BHA, Parabens, Partially Hydrogenated Oil, Sodium Nitrite, Caramel Coloring, Castoreum, Food Dyes and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein. The article explains the reasons for omitting these items from your diet, like this explanation about Castoreum:

Castoreum is one of the many nebulous “natural ingredients” used to flavor food. Though it isn’t harmful, it is unsettling. Castoreum is a substance made from beavers’ castor sacs, or anal scent glands. These glands produce potent secretions that help the animals mark their territory in the wild. In the food industry, however, 1,000 pounds of the unsavory ingredient are used annually to imbue foods—usually vanilla or raspberry flavored—with a distinctive, musky flavor.

You’ll find it in: Potentially any food containing “natural ingredients”

YUMMY!