Gluten Intolerance

So I just called Gluten Escape (a gluten free bakery not too far from us) to find out how much a double layer 8-inch round cake would be... $35. Yeah, I think I will save $20 and just make it myself.

When Robbie and I first met and he told me he was gluten intolerant, I didn't even know what gluten was. Basically it's a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye that some people's bodies have a hard time processing. There are different types of gluten-related health issues, but the most well known is Celiac Disease where the consumption of gluten triggers an immune response in the body, especially in the lining of the small intestine. Some people with CD are so sensitive that if gluten even touches their skin they will break out in a rash! Here's a snippet from the Celiac Sprue Foundation's website about symptoms:

Common Complaints Include

Abdominal cramping/bloating Anemia Constipation Diarrhea Energy loss Fatigue Infertility

Irritable bowel Joint Pain Mouth sores or cracks in the corners Tooth enamel defects Weakness Weight loss

Common Nutrient Deficiencies in Celiacs

Minerals Calcium Copper Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Selenium Zinc

Vitamins Vitamin A, D, E, K Folic Acid Vitamin B 1,2, 3, 6, 9, 12 Vitamin C

I just thought it might be good to share this information because it is estimated that 1 in 133 people have Celiac Disease. Around 2 million people in the U.S. have it but don't even know because they've never been diagnosed!

Robbie has a different kind of gluten intolerance which was diagnosed back when he was in high school. His is neuropathic meaning that it affects his nervous system. When he has gluten (which is rare because we are so careful to check ingredients on EVERYTHING), it makes him feel lethargic, foggy headed, irritable, unable to focus, and impatient (all things that are not his personality at all!). When he was having gluten regularly before he was diagnosed, it made him feel depressed. After getting off gluten he felt hundreds of times better and his grades improved.

We know that there is a genetic component to it because his sister and her two sons are gluten intolerant (and we suspect his dad is too but he's too ornery to be diagnosed or change his eating habits haha). It's possible that our children will be gluten intolerant as well and sometimes I wonder how we will handle situations when our children will be exposed to gluten (ie. birthday parties, eating dinner at a friend's house, school lunches, etc). Understanding about gluten intolerance is on the rise and more and more stores/restaurants are offering gluten free alternatives of everyday foods.

One good thing that has come from Robbie's gluten intolerance is that it helps us to eat better. I hardly ever have junky snack foods around the house because so many of them have gluten in them. We eat a lot of brown rice, beans, veggies, fruits, etc. When we are wanting a sweet treat, the main flours I bake with are brown rice flour and almond meal.

Here's a link to my gluten free blog. I haven't added much to it but there are a few of my favorite recipes on there for you to check out!

Colds and Kitties

Don't you hate that feeling when a cold is first starting to rear its ugly virus head at you? 99% of my colds start as a sore throat, then move to a stuffy head, then move to a chest cough, and then I'm usually good after 4-5 days. But this cold is a little bit confused. It started two nights ago with just one side of my nose being stuffy for several hours (something about the asymmetry drives me nuts! Why can't my whole nose be stuffy or not at all!?). Then when I woke up yesterday morning, my nose was running like crazy. It was so not my typical cold-like symptoms that I was beginning to wonder if I had developed allergies for the first time in my life.

I found the secret combination of Ibuprofin, a 12 hour Sudafed, a Chlortab (for the runny nose), and a melatonin made me sleep like a husband last night (that's right, like a husband, not a baby). I even woke up a little early today feeling super refreshed and ready to clean things so I did some laundry, the dishes, and cleaned the kitty litter box. Look at me go! And Robbie's not even awake yet! I do have a slight scratchiness in my throat today but I still am not sure if it's a cold or allergies.


Speaking of cleaning the litter box, I haven't written about our precious kitty yet! Her name is Riesling but we call her Riesy. We adopted her from the humane society a little over 2 years ago. She was rescued from a hoarding situation where a lady had 30 cats and 10 dogs in a trailer (YIKES!). She absolutely loves human affection but hates other animals. If I was stuck in a trailer with that many animals for four years of my life I would probably hate them, too. 

Anyways, she is my little buddy during the day while Robbie's at school. When I'm not playing with her, she likes to sleep. Everywhere.

My lap while I was trying to work on the laptop

 

The fruit-basket-turned-mail-holder










 


A cardboard box


  










 


The couch

 



My lap while I'm at the kitchen table