So, as you probably guessed from the title of this post, yesterday was supposed to be day one. Note the italics...
I learned a valuable lesson, which is that gluten is in many things aside from the obvious that resemble grains.
After excessively patting myself on the back for ordering my favorite sandwich from Bottino's (#11 - marinated eggplant, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and arugula on focaccia!) as a salad over arugula instead, I failed to realize that balsamic vinaigrette likely contains either thickeners or colorants which contain gluten. Greeeeat. Then, looking back I realize that the honey roasted peanuts I ate as a morning snack "may contain trace amounts of wheat" after consulting with the label. and THEN I notice that the random brand of cottage cheese I got at the bodega because I was too lazy and tired to go to Fairway after work yesterday contained "modified food starch" with a disclaimer at the bottom that it also "may contain trace amounts of wheat." Effffffffff.
Now, the prudent thing to do would have been to just be to accept that it will likely take time for my thinking to get in line with this new lifestyle, and that even though day one wasn't perfection, it was a vast improvement. But instead, I ordered Turkish for dinner on lavash bread... with baklava for dessert. Had to get that pissy attitude out of my system, I suppose.
But, I started going through labels in my pantry and learned that there is gluten in soy sauce (!), pretty much all of my favorite salad dressings and in many, many boxed/packaged goods. Thankfully, I had long ago pledged to have no more than one packaged item per day, in an effort to control sodium and reduce my exposure to processed shit that can also contain synthetic hormones. Plus, I've been dieting for years off and on to combat weight gain related to a hormonal disorder and love to cook/bake. So I'm better prepared than most would be diving into a lifestyle change of this magnitude. I am also blessed to live in NYC, within walking distance of Whole Foods and Fairway, which both have dedicated gluten free sections. Aaaaand my mother is a dietician, who will be amused by the many "CAN I EAT THIS?" phone calls that she will definitely be getting in the coming weeks and months during the big adjustment.
I can so do this.
I learned a valuable lesson, which is that gluten is in many things aside from the obvious that resemble grains.
After excessively patting myself on the back for ordering my favorite sandwich from Bottino's (#11 - marinated eggplant, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and arugula on focaccia!) as a salad over arugula instead, I failed to realize that balsamic vinaigrette likely contains either thickeners or colorants which contain gluten. Greeeeat. Then, looking back I realize that the honey roasted peanuts I ate as a morning snack "may contain trace amounts of wheat" after consulting with the label. and THEN I notice that the random brand of cottage cheese I got at the bodega because I was too lazy and tired to go to Fairway after work yesterday contained "modified food starch" with a disclaimer at the bottom that it also "may contain trace amounts of wheat." Effffffffff.
Now, the prudent thing to do would have been to just be to accept that it will likely take time for my thinking to get in line with this new lifestyle, and that even though day one wasn't perfection, it was a vast improvement. But instead, I ordered Turkish for dinner on lavash bread... with baklava for dessert. Had to get that pissy attitude out of my system, I suppose.
But, I started going through labels in my pantry and learned that there is gluten in soy sauce (!), pretty much all of my favorite salad dressings and in many, many boxed/packaged goods. Thankfully, I had long ago pledged to have no more than one packaged item per day, in an effort to control sodium and reduce my exposure to processed shit that can also contain synthetic hormones. Plus, I've been dieting for years off and on to combat weight gain related to a hormonal disorder and love to cook/bake. So I'm better prepared than most would be diving into a lifestyle change of this magnitude. I am also blessed to live in NYC, within walking distance of Whole Foods and Fairway, which both have dedicated gluten free sections. Aaaaand my mother is a dietician, who will be amused by the many "CAN I EAT THIS?" phone calls that she will definitely be getting in the coming weeks and months during the big adjustment.
I can so do this.
yes i am commenting as my fake name. such is life. point is, i love you and this is SO EXCITING!!
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