Why Live Gluten Free?

Because life without gluten is the only kind of life for us. 

Because life without gluten is better. 

Because living gluten free will not stop you from living the life you choose to live.

We have chosen not to live to eat, but we eat so that we can LIVE. 

 You can eat out, you can travel, you can visit friends and family for meals, you can do anything you want,

because there’s always a way.

Summer, 2005

No one ever forgets the day you find out your child has a genetic, life-long, life changing autoimmune disorder. 

Alex, now a healthy, beautiful, vibrant 11 year old, was once a non-thriving, somewhat depressed, shy and often sick child.  When it all started, we really are not sure.  She entered the world on Leap Day as a bubbly almost ten pound baby with hair you could almost braid.  Looking back now, there seem to be several instances that were somewhat unusual; she was a colicky baby; the projectile vomiting in the ER in Iowa one Thanksgiving; the pot belly stomach; the not too infrequent "blah ness" when other children were running, laughing, exploring and having fun.  Whenever the subtle signs started, by the time Alex hit third grade her illness became more serious. 

Addicted to Pepto Bismal, she would drink it like it was chocolate milk (attributed to school-related stress).  Stomach aches that keep her from playing on her basketball team (we thought it was nerves).   And then the flu-like symptoms began.  Every two months she would get what seemed like the flu and vomit for four to five days.  We took her to the doctor who would run your standard blood tests.  They would all come back normal, not even anemic.   The doctors answered our questions with "it is just the flu; it has been a bad season."  The almost ten pound baby was now so thin and dehydrated you could count her ribs and she had to have IV's to be re hydrated.

Finally, when she had the "flu" for five days in June, it was time to go to the doctor and not leave until we had some kind of an answer.  They did stomach x-rays and ran additional blood tests.  As an afterthought, the doctor threw in "celiac" - a word we would soon get to know very well. 

Not wanting anything serious.  Down on my knees praying for an easy answer.  Somewhat relieved when the initial tests came back normal.  But still that nagging feeling that not all was well. 

Then the call that answered the nagging feeling - one of the tests, something called celiac was positive.  Silly what?  How do you spell it?  Autoimmune? Gluten what?? 

Thanks largely to the internet; all of our questions were soon answered.  Even while we waited through the tests that summer, more blood draws, the endoscopy at Children's Hospital . . . I did not want to believe it but deep down I knew that Alex had celiac disease.   And finally we received the news (on the day that Alex also fell and broke her arm).  The endoscopy was conclusive for celiac disease. 

As a parent, my prayer every night was for my children to be healthy and happy.  So, why God, was my child not healthy?  How could it be that my daughter had a genetic, life long, life changing disorder?  Why did she have to live a life that would now be "different" and more difficult?

Yes, what parent would not be relieved to know why their child had been sick.  Even better yet, the illness was completely treatable by something as natural as a change in diet.  But oh, what a change.  

It sounded simple enough; just eliminate gluten from your diet.  Ha!  While no longer eating wheat flour was challenging enough for an elementary aged child, determining what we could eat in this gluten-laden world was a monstrous task.  Eating out at restaurants was soon to become a rarity for our family.  It initially took hours of research to determine just what we could put on that gluten free bread, on the gluten free pancakes.  So much more than a diet change, going gluten free is a lifestyle change! 

Even though I ached inside for a pizza delivery van on Friday night, I made the commitment to be as positive as possible on the outside so that Alex could accept her new diet and life style.  A new diet and lifestyle she would have to life with forever. 

Summer, 2007

Two years later, the changes have all been made - our lives redesigned by things beyond our control as life usually happens.  Our new life style has been accepted by all.  Even though hours are still spent searching for safe food and even more hours are spent in the aisles of my local grocery stores (I say stores because anyone who cooks gluten free has at least three grocery/health food stores they shop at), I can breathe again. 

Since so much effort is put into what we eat, we have decided to all travel down the gluten free path that leads to a healthier diet made up of more fresh everything.  Our family is definitely closer together - family dinners are the norm, not a novelty at our house.

The best reward of all - that running, laughing, exploring, fun-loving child that was hidden beneath the illness in my wonderful daughter's inner soul has fully and physically emerged! 

One of the first changes noticed was the color of Alex's skin.  She had always been so pale.  Two months into the diet in the middle of the rainy season in Seattle, my daughter had a tan!  I could not figure out where it came from.  Then shock at realizing it was because she was healing.  Then came the spontaneous dancing, the little skip across the family room for no apparent reason.  Finally bigger changes, five inches of growth in a year!  The point guard on her basketball team! 

And so in the end, the realization came that God had answered my prayers.  God took me on a different path than expected but I did finally have the happy and healthy child that I prayed for every night.

January, 2008

The Silver Lining … in Celiac Disease

My daughter and I share a mutual love of cooking that has been one of the greatest blessings… yes blessings… of celiac disease. 

On a quiet afternoon or evening when we have a few hours between soccer games and guitar lessons,  you can often find my daughter and me in the kitchen, the TV turned on to the Food Network,  hammering out the ingredients for our latest and greatest gluten free, casein free food concoction.  No matter what our mood when we start, at the end of it we both fall blissfully (yet somewhat exhausted from all the finger licking) onto the stools at the kitchen counter to sample our latest endeavor.  

Of course the end result is almost always a reward in and of itself.  Like the “Better than the Original Gluten Free, Casein Free Samoa's” or  our Gluten Free, Casein Free Chocolate Fondue.  But we have had a few flops as well, such as the tomato soup that tasted more like thick and hearty pasta sauce.  In fact, we ended up using it as pasta sauce.

Even more than the food, it’s the time we spend together doing something we both love that is the greatest reward.  This is when my daughter shares her feelings about her friends, her dream of visiting Venice, her struggles with how hard it is to eat gluten free when her friends are eating birthday cake, or even worse, Krispy Kreme donuts.  But this is also when she learns how long to sauté onions or whip up a gluten free treat that will please any picky eaters.  Skills that will last a lifetime.  Skills she will need for a lifetime.  And this is the silver lining in celiac disease. 

There have been many, many silver linings in dealing with celiac disease. 

What a blessing that the running, laughing, exploring, fun-loving, beautiful soul of my child, for so long hidden beneath the illness, has emerged and thrived. 

The growing closeness of our entire family as we regularly gather around the table for family meals. 

What a blessing that I feel better than I have my entire life.  The healthier lifestyle that we all live (we have not had fast food in almost three years). 

And, one of the greatest blessings of all, the bond that my daughter and I have sealed in the kitchen. 

My daughter says she wants to grow up and study cooking in Paris and be a chef.  She is only eleven so there are many years for her life dreams to change.  But one thing is certain – I know she will never forget the hours we spend in the kitchen, flour flying, creating our latest and greatest gluten free meals.

Published in the Arico Newsletter, Winter 2008.  Arico Foods.com.  Sign up to receive this newsletter at Arico Foods Newsletter

From One Gluten Free Mom to Another

I receive so many great emails from all ranges in ages and literally all over the world.  I am so thankful for my gluten free friends to share this journey with.

The comment that is most frequent is how "great it is to feel like you are not alone."  To know there are other individuals, and especially Mom's, who are facing the same struggles and reaping the same rewards that you are.  To let you know that you really are not alone, I've decided to post the following.  Even the heading "From One Gluten Free Mom to Another" came in one of these emails:

From Nikki a new "Gluten Free Mom"

Your experience sounds somewhat similar to mine (and I guess to many moms of celiac kids), but I prayed every night on my knees for my child to be healthy, to be healed. We went through the cystic fibrosis scare and then came down to a quick answer afterward with the diagnosis of celiac disease, and I I believe God is answering my prayer as well. We are only a week into the diet, and I have so much to learn, but already my 3-year-old boy is gaining a little energy.

One of the challenges is educating my husband--I don't think he realizes the critical importance of completely cutting out the gluten and avoiding cross-contamination, etc.

Anyway, I am writing down your tips and suggestions for food items to help us get started with this new life for our little guy. (I ordered a couple of recommended books but am still waiting on them).

Best wishes to your family and thanks again for your beautiful web site.

A new "Gluten Free Mom"

From Libby in Iowa

I stumbled upon your Gluten Free Mom website early in the year and have felt as though I have a fellow companion along the gf road.  Having read your bio and other info, I have to say our track is surprisingly similar:  our oldest daughter -- now almost 11 -- was diagnosed with celiac disease at the end of first grade after nearly three years of the usual miseries. 

I was prompted to finally sit down and write after you posted the piece about your daughter's recent illness.  My daughter (who recently wrote your daughter :-) had just been diagnosed with strep, which presented with a sore throat and a three-day long stomach ache.  Oh, it brought us back to the days!  Then I read your piece about Alex's more serious bout with a kidney infection and I said out loud that this must be a God thing.  We, too, were having late night discussions of the unfairness of it all, dipping a little lower on the self-pity scale than we'd like to be.  Our favorite cousin has Type I diabetes, so we try to steer her away from the unfairness angle, but there are days (for all of us!) when we really wish it were not so.  (Just 10 minutes ago, we were trying to figure out the kitchen amenities of a potential 2009 spring break destination in Arizona -- does it have a cooktop or just a microwave?!   Can we make a nice, toasty grilled cheese for lunches, or will it be microwaved quesadillas all week?!  The planning really never ends ;-) 

 Managing celiac disease certainly throws a whole different layer of complexity onto parenting (which is already a pretty complex job, I think) -- it requires so much bolstering and sympathizing and rearranging and experimenting and strategizing!  Frankly it can be tiring, and we can use all the help we can get :-) 

Anyway, I do thank you for your positive, upbeat website with yummy recipes and a pantry list that is a virtual reflection of ours.  It always helps to know you are not going it alone (I think that's especially true for kids -- I think my daughter sees Alex as someone pretty much like her, right down to the Abercrombie wardrobe.

From Melanie in New York

My daughter just turned 5, and has been on a gluten free diet for a little less than a year. She was diagnosed 'gluten intolerant' based on blood work , she had chronic loose bowels and constant eczema, and lots of behavioral issues (delayed language, social anxiety, sensory issues, etc). After struggling for a little while trying to figure out how to navigate the life of a rambunctious pre-schooler with this new diet, I'm happy to say we've adjusted and found great foods... but it's so great to get some new ideas and recipes! She is starting camp this summer and I'll have to pack her lunch every day, so your site was very helpful to me.

p.s. I didn't notice anything about Pamela's products on your site, in case you've never tried them, they are terrific!

From Norma in Arizona

I am 82 years old and six months ago I found out what was causing my osteoporosis.  It is the gluten in wheat, rye and barley.  Since going GF, I can do things I hadn't been able to do in years--like turn over in bed easily, put on and remove shoes and socks easily, put on seat belt, shift with one hand instead of two, etc. etc.

At first I pooh-poohed the idea that flour could hurt my bones but after research, that is what has happened.

I am on my soap box here in Sierra Vista, AZ to educate the public about gluten.  We have to go 75 miles to Tucson to find stores that sell GF food.  We are trying to get a co-op food store open here and that will have GF food--but it will take months yet.

Send us your gluten free stories and we will happily add them.  You are not alone! Email me.