The why

I have a GFCF kid.

He has only ever had casein (the "C" in GFCF) as part of a milk challenge or by accidental ingestion (some swiped bites of cheesecake as a toddler and some GF cookies which had butter in them about six months ago after which he did not have his usual reaction).  Oh, he had plenty in utero and through my breast milk before I temporarily eliminated it from my own diet when he was a few weeks old (when he started to have bloody poops).

He used to like these wheat-free teething biscuits as a toddler.  Red Sox Daddy remembers us giving him these because they didn't have casein in them (not because they were wheat-free).  We didn't catch on to GFCF Kid's gluten issues until he was about 2 1/2 (by then he was enjoying pasta and baguettes on a regular basis).  

He was diagnosed with Celiac Disease shortly before turning 3.  His sigmoidoscopy biopsy came back inconclusive, but removing gluten from his diet showed fast, dramatic and positive results in his poops, mood and physical appearance/symptoms.  This was good enough for our team: him, us (Red Sox Daddy and me), and his pediatric GI doc at Boston Children's Hospital.

GFCF Kid has never looked back.  It is a no-brainer for him to be GFCF.

My relationship with GFCF has been more complicated.

GFCF Kid is almost 10.  I've learned a lot about cooking/eating GFCF and parenting a GFCF kid.  I have thought about going GFCF myself, first in solidarity, later on as a conscious health choice.  But, I never commited.

The reasons why now:

• I cannot consume casein foods in moderation.  I love cheese and ice cream in particular and when I eat these things, I eat a lot of it.  At 44, I think cutting casein out of my diet is a way in which I can care for my body and health, keeping an eye to the prize of physical longevity.

• I have long tossed this idea around in my mind.  I want to know what it's like to be GFCF Kid, at least in this aspect: what is it like to be GFCF in a gluten and casein filled world/culture?  If not now, when?  Synchronizing with the start of Spring feels good.  It's also a relatively new Moon...up in the sky and within my cycle.  (I've noticed that in the later part of my cycle I tend to crave casein foods.  Not a good time to start not eating them.)

• I have improved personal well-being in the last couple of years through traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).  I think going GFCF for a year will increase productivity in this area by increasing available Qi/energy, as well as, flow of Qi/energy.

• I have been trying, less successfully, to bring our household finances to order.  I am attempting to create more structure around time and money spent on food/food preparation.  My going GFCF will help me dig out of the money trap of getting take-out/eating out.

• Related to the above point, I want to strive towards preparing meals which hit upon the dietary needs/choices of our family in a balanced way and to minimize the amount of food I am preparing for a single meal (or Red Sox Daddy who cooks half of the family dinners).

• Related to the above point, I am energized and excited to check out some new-to-me blogs and search for new recipes.  I am planning to feature a new-to-me recipe once a week on this blog.

• By starting now, I am hoping to more fully engage with our CSA share when the fruits and veggies start rolling in right before the start of the summer.  I believe in CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) with all my heart and look forward to using more of the produce that comes and enticing the rest of the family to eat up what I make.

• My relationship with food is my elephant-in-the-room.  The one I don't talk about much, the one I have not been able to look deeply in the eye.  I love food, I love to eat, I come from a family of food lovers and eaters.  But, I also eat for comfort.  I am, most of the time, blind to the fact that I am not hungry.  I eat to satisfy my mind and my taste buds, not to nourish my body.  Nourishing my soul?  The jury's out on that one.  Because when I eat, it often feels like it is nourishing my soul.  That's intuitive in a way that I have felt comfortable with for a long time.  But, could there be more awareness around the intuition?  I think this is one way to find out.

I am going to treat this odyssey as a retreat of sorts.  Going GFCF for a year will simplify my eating life in an effort to create space which I aim to fill with awareness and clarity.  I am choosing to hit pause on the cycle of my eating.  I am escaping from the every day and visiting a place that is more quiet, more calm, and has some ground rules.

I'll let you know how it goes.