A Gluten-Free Year in Review

CC image from flickr compliments of somecanuckchickJust last week my brother-in-law recounted the cutest story about his niece asking Santa for a gluten-free dog for Christmas. You may choose to laugh at the innocent mistake of this young girl, but it is a response much larger feeling many with gluten intollerance, allergies, and celiacs disease can on some level understand.

When people ask me about being gluten-free I can sum it up in two words.

Life changing. 

As an adult, changing your behavoirs is incredibly difficult. No matter what age, remembering to investigate almost everything you put in and on your body can be exhausting. (Everything from salad dressing to shampoo).

As a child, showing restraint, being singled out, and understanding the importance of the impact of the decisions you make about what you're eating can seem all-consuming.

For me, I've been obsessed with photographing, documenting, and sharing information about gluten-free living. though I'm sure it affects each of us differently.

(I suppose this applies to adults, too.) 

No matter what your age, our choices impact our lives greatly. Its no wonder that many people, identify and differentiate ourselves as individuals from what we choose to eat. Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescetarian, Omnivore, Locavore, and all others that have chosen or prescribed dietary restrictions can find ourselves in the spotlight of conversations. Often educating others about what it is we're choosing to eat and why. There are so many very personal and political reasons for wanting to choose to eat this and not that. While I'm could drone on and on about food politics, that it for a different series of post.

For me, going first wheat-free and later gluten-free has changed many aspects of my life. My energy levels are at an all-time high, my sleep schedule is more normal, and I can feel the difference in my ability to focus and think clearly. I know that last one sounds like a jump, but I used to feel foggy brained in the morning, most people could equate this to the 2:30pm coffee zombie feeling. So looking back over the last year, I can empathize with a request for a gluten-free dog from Santa.

This year I count myself luckier than the last, healthier, happier, and more focused on envisioning things I'd like to accomplish in 2012. Keep a look out for more gluten-free recipes from "eat", art and movie reviews for the "see" section of the site, and some tech goodies for "surf". I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2012, Cheers!

Rethinking Holiday Traditions

When you grow up, leave the nest, and start life as an adult life inevitably changes. One thing that I have grown an appreciation for in the recent past as been reinventing holiday traditions. Some traditions can be started serendipitously while others are well planned. No matter how you get there; your family traditions are important to periodically re-evaluate. In the past three years, since graduating from college, my family has made a series of small changes that I feel have positively impacted everyone's stress levels and given way to enjoying simple pleasures.

This metamorphosis began accidentally, and what seemed like a disaster at the time bred a new tradition. Three years ago my sister Angie and her fiance (my now brother-in-law) Ryan purchased their first home. Excited to have us all up for thanksgiving, Angie went all out in buying groceries for the big day. Little did she know that her oven would be inconveniently uncooperative; the day before Thanksgiving she turned it on to heat up a batch of homemade mac-n-cheese only to find that her pilot light went out and needed to be replaced. With no time left we needed a new plan for where and what we were going to eat. Since Chinatown and Denny's seemed to be the only viable options we opted to go out for Vietnamese food. It was new to Ryan, but my family had always loved frequenting our favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Cali's, in Montreal's Chinatown. While strange at first, it helped us step back and think about the roles each of us play and if they led to a fulfilling holiday. Before this mini-drama we would head up to my parent's place in upstate NY and my mom would cook for the better part of two days. It was an exhausting affair and in the end it seemed more like work that play. Now, three years later we pile into the car and go out for Vietnamese, which makes the Thanksgiving much less stressful and  easier because of my sister's weight loss efforts and my gluten intolerance the whole day is more tummy friendly.

A tiny appliance blip was a blessing in disguise because it allowed us all to take a step back and simplify our family traditions. Now I feel empowered to say... "Hey, why don't we try..." and hopefully you will too. Afterall, the holidays should be about enjoying the company of your loved ones, rather than being a slave to the kitchen and even more so the leftovers and the clean-up. If you try this approach for yourself, let me know of your results in the comments below; I'd love to hear about your new traditions as I'm sure there are many worthy of adoption.