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DEAR FACEBOOK: WHAT I EAT DOESN’T AFFECT YOU.
I have a friend who avoids pepperoni, another who gets terrified of sugar. My boyfriend and my best friend can’t tolerate dairy. I have acquaintances that are pissed off about GMOs, meat, and some that can’t eat corn. My body has an apparent dislike for gluten — though my taste buds may argue.
Until you have unexplainable and excruciating pain (I likened it to an alien child growing inside me), you may not know what it’s like to be poked and prodded by doctors with no clear answer except, “Yep. There’s some swelling and irritation.” With stomach pain it’s often a process of elimination — dairy, gluten, corn, soy, caffeine, etc. At the end of that elimination round a doctor may say, “We’re still developing tests to diagnose certain food sensitivities and allergies, but if you feel better without it I recommend not eating it.”
This is not a fun answer, and I personally decided to disobey the ruling for a while, but you know what… The pain started to come back! Over two years ago, I opted to stay gluten free for my own body, and guess what… No pain, no bloated belly (which I’d had most of my life, mind you), much rarer heartburn, and we won’t even talk bowels. Is it gluten or something we’ve chemically added to our food supply? Is it that being gluten free forces you to eat more from other healthy food groups — fruits, vegetables, dairy? Is it that certain grains just agitate other stomach or bowel conditions? Guess what? There are a ton of scientists and doctors working on that.
Going gluten free is not fun. I’ve learned not to complain, because really, what good does that do? But, do you assume I enjoy buying frozen bread with half the flavor as your delicious multi-grain oat bread? Do you think I like paying a dollar extra to get a hamburger bun or pizza that isn’t as flavorful as yours? Let’s not even mention what it’s like to be at parties and meetings where everyone else gets to enjoy a giant cookie or a piece of cake, while I nibble on berries and carrots. Get real!
That said, gluten free brownies are amazing, and we finally found a pizza crust mix that rocks! In fact, there are many products at this point that are comparable… and you know what? That’s because there are people who need them. My brother’s girlfriend has full-on celiac, and you ought to have seen her eyes light up when I found gluten free fig newtons! Explain to me why having these products is a bad thing? How is seeing a gluten free menu or gluten free product in the store hurting you?
I do not go on long rampages about diet soda, or soy products? I don’t scoff at egg-free or dairy-free products, and the fact is whether you “believe” in gluten allergies and intolerances or not, there are people with celiac who are rejoicing at being able to eat out, and enjoy foods that were otherwise unavailable to them. The fact is, some people do see major stomach, bowel, skin, and other conditions disappear or minimize when they remove gluten from their diet.
Do you know its celiac awareness month? Do you? Do you not find it questionable that certain “research” is appearing this month? Personally, I find it rude, and contrived.
Bottom line: What I eat or do not eat in no way affects most of you — sometimes my boyfriend, sometimes my family, and rarely, my friends. But, guess what? They don’t care! If you do not have a particular stomach problem I suggest you just go about minding what you yourself choose to eat or not eat, and leave me and my doctors to decide what I eat.
Thank you, and good afternoon.
