We celebrated birthdays at my Grandma’s house the other day. Celebrations always seem to involve food. Dinner is fairly easy to make gluten free. Provide a meat, veggie, and potato and you’re all set. Dessert is a whole other story. I felt a little sad when my mom’s favorite carrot cake came out and I knew I couldn’t have any. My grandma had gone to the trouble to make me a gluten-free cherry cobbler. It was nice to have something for dessert, but I find that gluten-free desserts tend to lodge in your stomach like a lead brick where they linger for hours.
Some days it’s hard to know that there are things you just can’t eat. Occasionally I drive by Dunkin Donuts and I just want to grab something quick. It feels like the rest of the world (or at least the rest of New England) can do it. I tell myself that it’s probably better this way. There is not benefit or reason for me to need anything Dunkin Donuts has to offer. Even if I wasn’t gluten-free I should make a healthy choice to stay away from D&D.
I’m surprised that over eight months on a G-free diet and it hasn’t started to feel more normal yet. I’m amazed the draw and the power food can have over us. Even today I have a hankering for one of my two favorite cereals, but I know that’s not an option. Food surrounds us and it’s part of our culture so it’s very hard to ignore. Still, I’m holding strong.
