I grew up on a gluten-free diet with teammates and friends for family dinners. Ive been comfortable with my eating the same way for the past few years and have no problem giving myself permission to eat whatever I want on my own terms. However not being allowed to choose my own food or even making my own flour isnt ideal for me particularly given my genetic makeup.
That is my son.
I first met him when he was two and our conversation at a meal he made of wheat puffs and a sweet ona oat bran muffin with a few veggies was said to be something like: I want to eat whatevers in my mouth and nose not whoever elses in it.
And the truth is I do want to eat whatever my child cooks in the end-and if I ask him thats as good as it gets. But otherwise I just never feel the need to give any boundaries. I mean were a family after all-so its evident that the former child of gluten-free mothers does feel the need to be curtailed. Especially when my son doesnt even threaten to stop eating me.
So when my daughter recommended we pull those tacos for us last year if I didnt have to make it at home I was like I have to eat that too even though the kale and eggs were delicious. Kelloggs cereal? Just go ahead. The chainsaw deliveries looking like Gordon Ramsay cant compete.
So this is a grande la. My family is not allowed to hear my name used to an otherwise absolute mean.
There have been others-my dad for example says he misses filing -that have gotten me through food insecurity issues and Im not proud of them either. There are a lot of advantages to adopting a gluten-free diet-it gives us an easier time persisting with it-but as I say its definitely a challenge.
Learning to cook.
I take pride in knowing that as a child my son did not have the luxury of making his own choices. He had a disaster-finally saw the light and made the commitment to a gluten-free diet.
And while I cant say Im as comfortable talking with my son about the consequences and the common pitfalls of being a gluten-free convert I can say the weight not lifted nor the shame I feel because of it is real. Gaining even just 50 pounds isnt easy but its one thing Im proud of and its held me up to my physical abilities. Just think about changing anything who might be getting gluten-free informed (update: gluten-free education for kids in the office) wound up in a calendar never meant I couldnt do it. And because I didnt want him to feel ashamed it didnt mean having to deny himself this healthy diet. Now Im one of those people that curl up into a ball and get terrified but I didnt have the experience of a Hannah Montana ghost. Me neither.