And now for something more serious...

I got a call yesterday from the doctor's office telling me that my bloodwork came back positive for Celiac's disease. My initial reaction was depression: I can no longer eat regular pizza, Oreos, sourdough bread, even regular soy sauce... However, I am pleased to report that I can still eat popcorn, most chocolate, and diet soda.

On the positive side, having this diagnosis explains a lot of the other chronic problems that have plagued me: the headaches, anemia, joint pain, etc. If I can take care of this one medical issue, a lot of the other symptoms I am experiencing may ease up. And, of course, I thought that you, friends, might be interested in periodic progress reports on how my new diet is affecting me, and reviews of some of the fun (and not so fun) foods that I am now incorporating into my diet.

So, here it is, the first FULL day of me eliminating gluten from my diet. Me and fresh fruits and vegetables are going to become very good friends really fast. Nectarines, bananas, carrots, strawberries, etc. are all healthy snacks that will be replacing unhealthy snacks in my diet. Again, this is good news; eating healthier is just, well, healthier! Also, I suppose I should be grateful that I have Celiac's and not cancer. A cancer patient can't get rid of cancerous cells and symptoms merely by changing what they eat.

I started the day with gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread with a little butter on it, which was surprisingly good . The sandwich bread, on the other hand, was highly disturbing, thus prompting me to call my mother immediately after lunch to ask if she would be willing to give me the bread maker for an extended period of time. Yes, I think anything I make will taste better than the $7.50/loaf cardboard that Glutino is trying to pass off as bread. I will eat the whole loaf, however, again, because it cost so much.

I can't wait to try cooking with gluten-free products, of which there are plenty. Just about everything available with gluten is available without, including pancake mix, pasta, cereal (including one which is named Leapin' Lemurs Chocolate and Peanut Butter Puffs), and of course, bread. I will keep you informed of successes, failures, and amusing incidents in the days and weeks ahead.