My Ethical Food Disclaimer

Anyone who reads this page knows something about me: I am an amateur. I don't cook or write for a living, I get most of my inspiration web surfing, and I don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen (read: lazy). At the same time, I try to eat whole foods, limit sugar, and keep the carbs to a minimum. Consequently, I frequently browse other more well managed sites like nomnompaleo.com, and Mark's Daily Apple, and quite often run into rants in one place or another.

Rants designed to promote eating grass fed, organic, locally sourced, free range EVERYTHING. I stumble across links with torture scenes worthy of PETA, and guilt trips for buying a conventionally raised chicken.

I get it. I know that feed lots are evil, and laying hens are abused. I know, and I care. I wish I could change it. (If you are unfamiliar with the subject of animal cruelty in the food industry, educate yourself here.)

But the bottom line is, I can't. I am an average upper-lower class American mom with finite funds and more than one priority. I cannot afford to feed a family of five exclusively out of Whole Foods and still expect to keep a roof over our heads. I can buy 2 dozen brown organic AWESOME eggs, or I can buy 5 dozen conventional white ones. For me that is no contest. Yes, the brown eggs taste phenomenal, and bite of cruelty free meat I have ever eaten has been without compare. That doesn't change the fact that it is out of my budget.

I have to make a choice. I can feed my family mountains processed crap from the freezer section and lots of boxes labeled 'helper', or I can give them skimpy portions of local, organic, free rage grass fed eggs and beef. Or there is option three: somewhere in the middle, with healthy sized plates of the best meats and vegetables I can manage. I can't help the fact that those meals will include animal antibiotics or a chicken in a cramped box.

This isn't to say that the food industry doesn't need to change, a lot. Quite frankly the infrastructure of most major American industries need a major overhaul. But my having my kids starve is not a price I am willing to pay for that change. (Wanna help make change? Start here.)

So, What IS Gluten?

      I wanted to start at the beginning this time around. Most people who read this blog probably found it via similar resources and have an understanding about the dangers of gluten, but you never know. While I was recovering from my appendectomy I had a dietary nurse come in to my room and ask me why I needed a special diet, because gluten is in everything, right? He was thinking glucose, but I gave him 'the speech' anyway, because he seemed confused.

 

      Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barely, spelt, and rye. It is what gives French bread that delicious chewiness, and what gives doughs their stretch. It is an excellent binder, and is why baking is so versatile. It is also indigestible by a large portion of the United States. For those with gluten intolerance, ingestion means a seriously upset stomach complete with cramps, bloating, and diarrhea, perhaps for days. For someone with Celiac's disease, even skin contact or breathing it in can cause anaphylactic shock, and even death.

I really need to get myself a camera so this blog isn't so blah!

      According to celiac.com, as many as 1 in 133 people have Celiac's disease or some other form of gluten intolerance. That might not sound like a lot, but think about it like this: You are tasked with providing lunch for a conference of 500 people. Chances are, 4 of them cannot ingest gluten without the threat of serious illness, so a mass pizza order or a sandwich station isn't gonna cut it for them. It is just as serious as a shellfish or peanut allergy, and much harder to avoid. Wheat and wheat products can be found in everything from soy sauce to salad dressing, and cross contamination with food prepared in the same kitchen can cause a reaction. 

      Gluten is everywhere, and avoiding is lifestyle. So many people are being diagnosed it is almost a revolution, and the lifestyle is becoming more than a challenge and bordering on an art. We CAN live without gluten!

      If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Celiac's or gluten intolerance, I urge you to educate yourself further. This is a complex and dangerous issue, and this post is just the barest glimpse into it. There are so many resources to turn to beyond your doctor, including books and websites. Here is a handful to get you started:

Celiac Disease Foundation

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Mayo Clinic

Well, this is embarrassing

June was my last post. That is a long time. Unintentional, of course, and there is one good thing about my absence: plenty of stories to tell!

There have been many rumors and tales about gluten intolerance, one of them being that a person can grow out of it, or at least reduce the symptoms. The intestines renew themselves after six months, replacing damage and scarring from difficult digestions. The theory is that after six months with no fresh damage, i.e. no gluten, the intestines will once again be healthy and therefore able to process the devil's protein. July marked my six months clean, and as hard as I had tried to accept a gluten free lifestyle, the thought of being able to order a decent pizza again and chase it with Fig Newtons was too tempting to resist.

I broke diet, and for a time, I had no adverse reactions to gluten. As far as I was concerned, it was a miracle. It was like I had never been intolerant. I assumed it would last years, and was sure that another purge would rid me of future reactions. After a while I started to think that maybe the whole thing had been in my head. Stress and all, right? The blog fell by the wayside, the grain mill went unused.

About two months in, the gas started. The bloating kicked in, sporadically at first, and then it was a constant thing. I was hit with reality, and grudgingly took up a gluten free life again. Just like before, I struggled to get back in the band wagon, but it has been four days clean, and I think I am alright. The bloating is down, my pantry is stocked with the right stuff again. My family is eating conventionally, but family meals are safe and shared. I am back on the wagon and will be posting again soon.

Round 2 has arrived.