I is for Immune system

Our family spends a significant amount thinking about our immune systems and intestines for that matter, since I'm on the letter I. It's been six years now that I've been living with Celiac and my 2 1/2 year old son, Matthew shows a strong intolerance to gluten as well. There's been ample time since diagnosis spent on education with food labeling , shopping, ordering in restaurants and cooking at home. That doesn't include navigating the social complications when eating in other's home such as for our weekly bible study small groups. We do have a fabulous group who not only also has other food issues of their own, so we don't feel like complete weirdos but also is so incredibly accommodating. They email, call or text often about foods they plan to bring. We also make the decisions as a whole group with all of our food issues in mind. We've been introduced to words like contamination, manufactured in a faculty, thickeners, binders and 4 syllable words I didn't know existed prior to living with Celiac.

We do make the best of it and I -along with my supportive and detailed husband- continue to learn new recipes, seek to minimize the after effects of accidental ingestion and discover new ways to care for mine and my son's bodies with the knowledge of a mixed up immune system. A gluten free diet for us is essential for us to function. In ways it's healthier just because of less processed foods in our diet. I eat more natural foods to their original source like fruits and vegetables. It's definitely been an eye opening experience while learning what all is in our food. It's convicting knowing what I was, with out thought placing in my body. I can cook something at home with 5 ingredients that once mass manufactured has 20 or more ingredients to keep it shelf stable. Due to this new found knowledge, we have begun avoiding ingredients that have nothing to do with gluten content but are just healthier for us to exclude such as high fructose corn syrup as well as foods high in salt, sugar and fat. We eat out once a week at the most. While it was an adjustment at first, in the long run, it's more wise financially and healthier for all of us. Yet, in other ways it's more work in that I have to watch our vitamin levels and make decisions on what's best for our overall immune and intestinal heath. Our grocery bill is higher than the average folks and I spend more time preparing meals. In order for us to deviate from the known safe foods, ingredient labels must be read and when still in doubt due to long words or vague descriptions, manufacturers are contacted.

There are other auto immune conditions on my maternal side including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. There are three other family members with Celiac as well. We are thankful to have a condition that's completely controlled by the dietary choices we make.  The initial change was inconvenient and confusing at best also, helpless and frustrating at times as the entire picture of what gluten means and what all it includes. There was a mourning for the lost foods at first too, which is a direct reflection of  our American cultural tendency to associate feelings with eating.  On the scale of the greater harms that could be attacking our bodies that we see our other loved ones struggle with, this is completely manageable and controllable.

Slow cooked lamb, with mashed potatoes and
steamed asparagus was our family Easter dinner

A typical grocery trip last month. 

Eating out