I have been gluten free (GF, in the parlance) for 1 week now.  Last week I was scared to death.  This week I ate rather well, thankyouverymuch.

I made 2 loaves of bread, one fair, on good.  The second, good, loaf is gone.  Yup, that good.  I made GF pancakes from scratch twice–and my daughter has declared these (almond flour based) breakfast delights “…the BEST, YUMMIEST pancakes EVER!”  We had yogurt, sandwiches, and hummus for lunches, and baked chicken, fish and a delicious beef stew for dinners.

I think I’m gonna be okay!

I did have some challenges, which led to 1) more prior planning, and 2) more research.  I was running errands on Tuesday with my daughter when she proclaimed, “I need a snack!”  Sure enough, it was lunch time.  Being 30 minutes from home, an eternity to a toddler, I panicked about where we could go in a pinch and be GF for me.  Look there, on the horizon, it’s Boston Market!  I realized that luck was with me, and resolved to be more on top of things in the future.  So Friday, I packed a lunch before heading to a conference downtown.  Sure enough, none of the “included” lunches were GF, so my bag of yummy foods saved the day. I went out to eat that night with friends, and asked about GF options on the menu.  Not only did the server know EXACTLY what gluten is, he gave me several options–nice!  My fish was pan seared separate from the menu listed grilled variety, and was melt-in-your-mouth tender.

With the help of Living Gluten Free for Dummies and google, I did more research on eating-out options.  I have not cruised a lot of the Celiac disease sites, since I presumptively diagnosed myself based on having a long history of compatible symptoms and Hashimoto’s disease.  It turns out there are a lot of food management resources on the web (here and here), even local ones!  While I’m not much of a chain restaurant aficionado, when one travels with a youngster, one occasionally must visit a restaurant more fit for kids–both for their palate AND to spare the poor patrons.  I learned that there are several popular chains out there that actually have a GF menu if you ask, including regular dishes on the menu, and some with minor modifications.

But the best news is that this week I have been feeling pretty good.  I have that biannual post-allergy season sinus thing, and the normal tiredness, but I also feel, well, energized.  Optimistic, even.  What?  ME?  It could be just euphoria from this tiny victory (mostly mental) transitioning to being GF.  Or maybe my body really does feel better.  Time will tell, and for now, I’ll take it!