Top ten...

Here is a "top ten" list...that is ever-evolving:
The Top Ten things I have learned in the past 3.4 months (in no particular order!):

10. Hard boiled eggs are a wonderful protein-rich "staple" to have on hand in the refrigerator. Of course it can't hurt if they are organic/free-range eggs ;). I figured if I was eating more eggs, I should probably cough up the little extra to be sure I wasn't getting extra hormones and crap during the day.
9. Larabars are fantastic...and come in a variety of delicious flavors! Minimally processed, just a few ingredients (nuts! fruit!) in each...obviously gluten free, also non GMO, Kosher....many reasons to love them! My personal favorites are Cashew Cookie, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Key Lime Pie...and Jeremy loves the Cherry Pie ones (and I love that he eats them with me...instead of getting all of that nasty high fructose corn syrup in his old standby, Quaker granola bars!). I think the cheapest place here in Bloomington to find them is at Kroger on College ($1.49 a bar), but you can also get them at Naturally Yours and Meijer (they are around $1.69 at both of those places). In addition, you can also buy them in bulk at Amazon.com!
8. Favorite gluten-free and EASY breakfast...Stoneybrook Farms gluten-free low-fat vanilla yogurt with frozen berries on top. I buy the large containers and divide it into four servings and sprinkle frozen blueberries/raspberries/strawberries/blackberries on top. I send one serving with Jeremy when he leaves for work in the morning and I take one for myself. Sometimes we sprinkle nuts on top. Delicious...and healthy!
7. a gluten free grocery shopping guide is a necessity. The two that I own are available online:
Cecilia's Marketplace and
Triumph Dining
6. Don't make any assumptions. Don't assume things are gluten free without researching it(I made this mistake with a mocha at a deli...and paid for it later that morning in a small airplane bathroom). Don't assume people know what Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance is.
5. Be prepared for unsolicited advice (from people who have no idea what you are going through or what it is like or what the best thing to do in your situation is....as well-intentioned as they may be!)...and do your best to smile, nod (and ignore! HA!). They aren't being evil, they are trying to help...
4. Finding a polite way to explain your dietary restrictions in restaurants to waiters/waitresses is a must. It is SO uncomfortable for me to discuss these things and to be "different" or "difficult"...that I (as Jeremy informed me recently) sound really forced and rude. I am making an effort to make it a more light-hearted polite conversation....practice makes perfect!
3. The Gluten Free Bible by Jax Peters Lowell is a fabulous resource...and my favorite Celiac book I own so far! I love love LOVE it! She covers everything...from diet, to doctors, to dining out, to cooking/baking, to (yes, truly!) sex and fertility. She tackles all of these topics and more with a great sense of humor...she's a lady I would love to have a glass of wine with!
2. Jeremy told me tonight at dinner (after another conversation about something random screwing with fertility issues...my latest obsession)..."you need to stop worrying and start living"...I need to adopt that mantra and go forward with my life! The more I try to control everything in my life, the more I realize that I am not in control at all. After all, why are we really here at all...but to live?!
1. Life is good :). I have wonderful friends and family...and a husband who is more than I ever dreamed a husband could be, really. I have so many friends/family members who have gone out of their way to prepare gluten-free meals/snacks for me and to make sure I don't feel ostracised at get-togethers. It means the world to me, it really does. For some reason, in the midst of this craziness God is still good :).