GF

Ok, this may seem like a bunch of bologna (what a weird expression) to some of you, but just hear me out. I've been more-or-less gluten-free for two weeks now. I say more-or-less because I'm sure I've gotten sneaky bits in when not expecting it. For example, I recently learned that there may be gluten in my coffee machine dispenser at school. Well, I drink those things daily, so... yeah.

Regardless, I've cut out the flour/oats/malt/barley/etc to the best of my ability. I have invested in non-wheat flours, and have even made some reasonably successful bread-alternatives. As a side note, I had an easier time living GF in London than I do in Paris, but that's thanks to Fresh and Wild more than anything else. Still, I manage to get by here as well, I just spend a lot of time in Asian supermarkets.

Anyway. My point. I'm bad at getting to it quickly, I know.

The end of the story is that - and this may sound crazy - but I actually think it's working. I'm not going to get too personal here, but I would like to state that I haven't been nauseous or sick to my stomach in two whole weeks. I think that might be a record. And? And? Even The Boy, who thinks that this is all healthy-freaky-new age hubjub, had to agree with me that I have clearly been feeling better than usual. He knows, you know, because you can't hide much when living in thirty square meters with another person.

The thought occured to me today while on the train: oh my God. I haven't thought about my stomach in a long time. Weird. It's been, well, behaving.

At first, I'll be honest, I felt pretty shitty. I think it was just a question of reorganizing my diet. Lots of people say that gluten-sensitive people are actually gluten-addicted, and judging by my love affair with bread, I would say I met the criteria. So maybe those first days were just withdrawal from my drug of choice.

But now, really, I'm feeling good. The fact that the change is actually noticeable is sort of wild to me. But the difference is so remarkable that I'm actually rather shocked. Most incredible is that I no longer get cramping after I eat food. Until very recently, I referred to this cramping as "digestion." I thought that's just how one felt after eating a meal. I suppose I didn't know that you weren't supposed to really feel (in)digestion... and it's really nice to be able to eat without feeling some sort of discomfort afterwards.

When they gave me the gluten-intolerant thumbs up, I mentally said to myself, "Ok, whatever... I'll try the diet but I doubt it will really change anything." Kinda super cool to be proven wrong, and I am shocked at my own body's reaction.

I also learned that raccoon eyes tend to improve after six months GF. How cool would that be?