Fast forward one year later and light years ahead for me physically,mentally and emotionally. Last Tuesday I celebrated one full year of being gluten free! Oddly enough, I almost forgot about the anniversary! I guess this shows how into the grove of my new life I am. If anything, I wish I had taken a before and after picture. There are subtle differences that make me look much healthier. My skin is brighter, my hair is thicker and more shiny, my eyes are no longer dull black holes and I don’t carry what I would call ‘starvation’ weight. My mind is sharp, not dulled by an invisible fog I couldn’t see through and frantic thoughts. My mood is more stable, minus that wonderful PMS that some of us get, which makes my relationships fuller and happier. All in all, the changes needed to adapt to this diet went easy for me. While I still think about gluten free food, like Little Vincent’s pizza after a night on the town, I have not once cheated just to ‘remember how good it felt to feel bad’. I want to love and nurture my body, not continue to torture it. I have become a stronger and more creative individual because of this disorder, making me all the better for a role in the field of social work as someone who will be able to stand up for those who have difficulty doing so for themselves. 

Of course, this diet doesn’t come without it’s prices. Not having a job now, I am finding it increasingly difficult to find food that is with in my price range. I am not suffering, I am just finding myself to be more creative. Not all of my health issues have healed either, as I supposed they would. Going gluten free isn’t a cure all, it’s a change. I still have my other oral allergies and occasional digestive issues to attend to. To top it off, not eating grains, a good source of carbohydrates which slowly break down into sugar and keep your blood sugar stable, I am also developing blood sugar issues. This will require more changes to my diet which I will soon be addressing.