Woes

The problem with joining a sorority lies in two categories: food and drink.
Gluten isn't something most groups worry about, especially in the food loving state of Dallas.
When we go out to Mexican food for Chapter dinner, I'm pretty sure every food allergy is buttered up with a side of tortilla and guacamole.
Resisting such food, I have learned, is beyond my control.
Out of sight, or in my mouth.
The huge boxes we recieved from our bigs contained a high percentage of candy. (yay!) but, my favorites are all chocolate, which, yes, I'm allergic to (boo!).
The way I stuffed my face with that heavenly dish, was 1)disgusting and 2) foolish.
I was sick, swollen, and now, chubby from my divulging.
The symptoms are ten-fold for the average chocolate-craving teenager
Although I realize I only have one more year to say "teenager", and use it as an excuse, as well.

The drink, is another problem.
Although my school is "up-scale" to say the least, beer and vodka distilled from grain, is a current trend.
I'm left to wine, tequila, and hard liquor.
Not that this is high on my list, but the comsumption does increase as a new member of a sorority. The social events just supply it, whether or not you partake.
Either way, the temptation is brutal.

And, when have I had time to detox???
the Sandy "beach" detox diet with resume tomorrow.
Oh lovely.

Detox

The package has finally arrived!
Three huge bottles of my gluten-solution: detox.
Well, pure medical food that tastes like sand.
Gingerbread, cardboard, crunchy, wet, sand.
Two scoops, twice a day, for as long as it lasts. Which, by looking at the bottles, could be awhile.
I like this idea, as stuffing my face with chocolate the last week with sorority stuff and Valentine's Day is getting to me. But, after my initial taste, even my poochy belly couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Bleh, why couldn't it be better, and yummy?
Cheers to fixing my "leaky-gut".

On a side note- do you know how hard it is to ignore gluten.
Do you really???
Every day, wherever I am, some sweet treat looks at me. Not only will that sweet treat be BETTER, and sweeter than mine, but its also something I'm allergic to.
The muffins and the cookies- I can't bare to go to the dining hall anymore.
I find myself saying "screw it" and stuffing my face, but then the acidic puking repercussions, and the scientific background I know, scares me all the more.
It really does kill my throat, stomach, and mostly- intestines.
Not something I want to mess with.
But on this campus, everyday is a struggle.
I mean BEER, has gluten.
Not that I would drink it anyways...

Valentine.

Giving away cupcakes for Valentine's day is such a joy.
Maybe I should have named this the cupcake log.

past the little cuppys-
Jimmy John's unwichs- healthy gluten free, amazzzzing.
Add some Vito meat mix (salami) and avocado spread.
297 cals of amazing ness

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Yes, Valentine's Day is here. With two great weekend suprises-
Dallas snow flurries turned the Sprinkles Cupcake Word of the Day temptation into a delightful delicacy for me!
Free cupcake of choice for the first 100 people to say "snow day!"
Yes, I did run through those doors saying Gluten Free Snow Day :) It was delightful.
Until...
the frosting came along.
On top of that gorgeous guiltless creature, 500 calories of dairy filled frosted had been placed for my personal abuse.
My day- slightly ruined. Bittersweet :)
And ironically, the Vegan cupcake has dairy-free frosting, but apparently they assumed that since the Celiacs are missing out on Gluten, they wanted EXTRA dairy.
I have yet to meet such a Celiac, but....apparently that's how it goes.


And secondly-
My family sent me a box of cupcakes, all Gluten Free, which I have now conveniently scraped all the frosting off of, sans the "G" lettering...which I am hoping won't affect me, 1 mm in size!

I am blessed to have a family that cares so much.

Now to the dispersing of the other 6 wheat filled devils.
Ah my valentine, you are surely a red hot red velvet :)

Dedication

Let me not be rude. Pamela Nickell, roommate, sister, fellow Dallas diva, made this blog all possible.
I usually just relayed my daily food discovery to her everyday.
"you do realize you come home everyday with a new food idea, right?"
And then it hit me- why not type it out.
Don't worry- she still gets it too. She follows me on here!

Love you- baby. Without your support (and car), I wouldn't get gluten free cookies, cupcakes, thai food, and sushi! And your added "DO NOT EAT THAT, you WILL GET SICK!" when I'm struggling :)

Then there was the Naturopathic way; (not to say I have a bias, but these people were so much more helpful. Yet, they are never covered by insurance. Everything good comes with a price, I assume. Regardless, I am a Pre-Med major, looking to study medicine in the same way they see it. Access the problem, not the symptom. No anti-biotics, natural if possible!)

The Blood Panel Test-
Antibodies which are built up are measured, showing which foods are being "fought" against by the body.
This revealed my proposed allergies.

Accupuncture-
to promote digestion, relaxation, and healing with the body and the "chi".

Detox-
Medicine is currently being shipped to me, relocation did through a HUGE glitch into the system.
A powder food replacement which allows my body and the folds on my stomach to heal, as the rejected foods are causing a military war fare on the inside.
Although, as the exploratory surgery found, I do not have "celiac disease" as my stomach is not damaged yet. (They won't treat it if you're not already hurt, duh.) And the bacteria A-piloria, or something of that sort, was not present either.

The real problem I find is not that I have these problems, but how to deal with them.
How to be a normal individual, a normal teenager.
An occasional junk-foodie.
Living, like the rest of the population.
Why me? Why now?

The Problematic Past

I wish I could remember all the tests which I had, but seeing as how my Nutrition book deems me the poster child for Chapter 2- Are We What We Eat?, I must explain.

I have been diagnosed with "food allergies", although my doctor said that "food intolerances" is a better word at times. Although the ND (naturopathic doctor) says that it is an "auto-immune disease". So, needless to say, I have issues with food.
After a blood panel test, detox, and reintroduction-
These American favorites have decided to make my life a living hell:

WHEAT- GLUTEN, BARLEY, WHEY, Beer.... I prefer to ignore Oats, as I'm addicted to Oatmeal.
CORN- high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, corn starch, corn on the cob. Gummi bears....
BEEF- I now live in Texas... Whattaburger, Burger House, Goff's. A casual date, football and BBQ's? Not going to happen.
DAIRY- I've known this for awhile. Although I tried to ignore it, I would always get sick after the summer day milkshake in Eastern Washington. My whole family is allergic- Grandpa has chronic allergies, Mom is in slight denial over it, and Step-Dad decides its just "too good to pass up".
That eliminates the rest of the world, really.

P.S.
Gluten free beer- Horrible, malty, and dark.
Almond milk- Amazing.
Rice noodles- so yummy.

As Western Medicine MD's and ND's see the world differently, I've been poked, prodded, fasted, and examined all too many times and ways this year.

I've done Acid Reflux tests (here, swallow Sodium Carbonate poprocks! You know the formula, and you know it tastes like crap, so when you feel like you're going to throw up- don't. Otherwise, we'll have to start over. And yes, you are in a backless gown with male nurses. It'll only take 90 minutes!)
I've had GI exploratory surgery- (This huge tube will go into your throat, stomach, down to your large intestine. You'll be partially out-of-it, but when you wake up, see a snake coiling down your throat, with the innards of your stomach on a wide-screen, DO NOT FREAK. The IV in your hand won't leave a mark although it took the old male nurse 30 minutes to put it in, blood and tears, totally normal.)
I've had digestion tests- (Here, eat this radioactive eggsalad sandwich. Oh? You're allergic to wheat? Oh, okay, since I only went to school for 9 months and don't really understand what I'm doing, just eat the eggsalad. That way- I can get back to texting my boyfriend while you stand in front of a huge camera for 2 hours! The trashy rap music you hear in the room next door, no no, its not mine. This is NOT a professional hospital.)

Dallas Day One

Good Morning Dallas.
Snow here, snow there, snow everywhere but home- Seattle.
I've already recieved a phone call- "Will the library be closing early today?!"
No sir, its just a few inches, oh Texas.

Girls- short shorts, vests, and Uggs will not sustain you in this weather. I promise, it will fail!


As my title pertains to none of this, let us steer in the RIGHT direction.
Gluten, Dallas - Synonymous? Work well together? I think not.
Seattle and Gluten- much, much easier.