New beginning

Imagine having a job that you enjoyed so much that you didn't mind the crazy shift work or the parties you had to miss because you were working.  A job that was interesting, fufilling and made you feel good about yourself.  Now imagine a car accident that took all that away from you.  Devastating.  And it was.  And yes, I wallowed in self pity for a long time and gained a lot of weight.  My wonderful husband was so patient - he was my rock.  He noticed that I began to smile again when I talked about, or worked in my garden.  It was my sanctuary.  So he gently nudged me to take online horticultural courses at Guelph University.  And I began to thrive again.  Designing gardens for family and friends became a wonderful hobby.  I also started writing freelance gardening articles for some local magazines (Collingwood Life, Georgian Life, Body).  It didn't pay but it sure was fun - I found I loved to write.

Then I became sick, so sick that I couln't keep any food in me.  I had test after test, but they had no idea what was wrong.  I lost a lot of weight.....67 pounds.  Sure, I needed to lose weight, but not quite that much.  I looked and felt sick.  I finally went to see a naturopath and I found out what was wrong.  I had celiac.  Not only that but my poor body had become intolerant to eggs, soy, cow dairy (goat and sheep is okay), peanuts, almonds, pineapple, tomatoes and sweet peppers.

For those of you who don't know what celiac is -it is "a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by a substance called gluten. This results in an inability of the body to absorb nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for good health."  Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, triticale, barley, hydrolyzed vegetable/plant protein, malt, spelt, and kamut.  There is no cure, but it can be treated by following a gluten-free diet.

It's difficult but not impossible to follow a gluten-free diet.  What I found was so much harder, was avoiding all the things I had become intolerant to, especially eggs, soy and dairy.  You would be surprised how many things contain at least one of those 3 ingredients.  Intolerance is such a strange word.  When I usually tell people I can't eat those items, I tell them they are allergies as they take it much more seriously and understand it more readily.  But it is just as uncomfortable having an intolerance to food - I get stomach cramps, diarrhea, headaches, rashes - who wants that?  So for the past 20 months, I have tried to stay away from them.  It is difficult at times, because I have to read the labels on everything!  And there are so many "hidden" ingredients.  For the most part, it works for me. 

Going out for dinner is difficult.  You learn to ask a lot of questions, and it is best to talk to the chef if possible.  Because even cross contamination (using the same pan or spoon) can make you very sick.  Friends and family have been terrific - it was difficult for them at first too, but eventually they realized that the simpler the meal, the better.  Who doesn't like simple? And I have experimented with various recipes too.  I really love cooking now because I get to experiment with ingredients that I may never have used otherwise.

Due to the healthy diet and exercise, I am now at a healthy weight.  I feel healthier, stronger and have more energy than I have had in years.  The extra energy certainly helps me in the garden!  And it helps me to keep up with my grandchildren - four of them ranging from 3 to 6 years old.

Since I enjoy writing I thought a blog might be fun.  But I am a newbie at this, so bear with me. 

I hope you enjoy "just another day..".  It should be an interesting journey....