There is a lot to be said for living gluten free:

  My gluten free food is relatively expensive, but I am paying for excellent food rather than for pills. My celiac disease involves no medications, very few doctor visits, and no surgeries. If a person must have a chronic disease — and apparently I must — celiac disease is certainly an inexpensive affliction.

  I feel much better than I did prior to my celiac diagnosis and my life expectancy is significantly longer. I know that that is not the same thing as being cured, but it feels like it. The opportunities for gluten free dining are increasing daily, gluten free food tastes so much better than it did ten years when I was diagnosed, and I now have a fairly good understanding of the gluten free diet. Therefore, I do not regard myself as a person with a disease.

  I have severe reactions to gluten. I know that that does not seem like good news, but it really is. I am not tempted to cheat! I make mistakes and have angry why-me-God moments, but I am not about to intentionally inflict that much pain on myself. My wife and children and others who know me in the days prior to my diagnosis will do whatever it takes to keep me “honest”.

  At the recent Gluten Intolerance Group national conference, I learned another reason for calling my celiac disease a blessing. The speaker’s key phrase was “use gluten free as an excuse to eat better”. We are used to reading every ingredients label carefully and making decisions about all the food we consume. She urged us to do more than determine that a food is gluten free. We should think about fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals the use of preservatives, and perhaps most of all calories.

 I haven’t had the opportunity to implement this strategy yet. Putting this idea in writing will certain help get me started. I’d appreciate your e-mails or comments. I believe that the visitors of this blog will also be eager to consider them.I will publish your ideas, omitting names and private details, of course.

Published 06/12/09