Needs

I have been so upset this week after my visit with the naturopath. I had held on to the hope that the gluten thing would be quickly overcome and I'd be on my way again. But I guess that's not the case. I still have some hope that it will be a temporary thing, but I'm having to accept the fact that I could be watching gluten for another year or more. (I really need to only look at it one day at a time at this point.)

Also, in the last few days I've done some more extensive research. I find if strange that a few months ago I researched and could only find a few things listing symptoms of gluten intolerance and the foods to watch out for. This time I found enough to know that as careful as I've been for the last two months I've still been eating gluten without knowing it. That has upset me even more because now I feel like the last two months was a total waste.

I've been so discouraged about the whole thing that I decided to throw in the towel and quit. So I ate some gluten filled things on purpose. I'm actually glad I did because I'm finally noticing what gluten does to my body. I never realized it before, but now that I've cut back as far as I have I do notice. And now that I notice, I remember times in the last 2 months when I was feeling somewhat the same. So, it will be a chore to identify all the foods that I need to stay away from and then I'll finally be ready to really hit it hard.

I've had two thoughts about the gluten thing. One is that by not eating gluten I am helping my body not be so stressed, which in turn helps my body heal the more critical areas...like my heart.

The other thought is that the gluten issue won't be resolved until the other more critical issues are resolved. My body is handling things on a priority basis, and my heart is the highest priority right now.

The purpose of my fast this month will be to have the right attitude about all this. I need to look at it as just the step to regaining my health, and that in the end it will be worth it. Not that it is a major pain and inconvenience in my life. I need to look at all the foods I can eat instead of all the foods I can't. And I need to be grateful that something can be done. I need to be grateful for the extra help this gives me toward weightloss. It basically removes many of the problem foods I've struggled with in years past.

Also, I'll need to learn a few things like: how to go to a restaurant and ask for foods that meet my needs. I've never been one to make a fuss about how the food was not cooked right or to demand that it be cooked special for me. There are enough people out there with this problem that restaurants are carrying more and more gluten-free products. I also need to learn that it's ok to always take my food to events. I did this at the ward pancake breakfast and the game group. No one even knew that it was gluten-free and ate it anyway.