This morning, when I woke up at 9am after not having a sub call, I threw myself into cleaning my house, pausing in the middle to make GLUTEN FREE Chicken Fried Steak. Now, here's the question - Who really craves Chicken Fried Steak? Answer: Me. Not that I have always craved fried foods. There's just something about not being able to HAVE a food that makes you want it all the more. So... I made a gravy with Tapioca Flour and some Sausage (yum), then went to work on the steak, battering it with tapioca flour, cornmeal and egg instead of regular flour. And you know what?! It was crispy, fatty and delicious, and now that I know how to fry things gluten-free, I think the cravings will subside. I certainly am set on Chicken Fried steak for a while, and made enough gravy to freeze some extra. Maybe I'll put it on some toasted rice bread one of these days. Mmmm.
People often ask me how I cope with such a major diet change at the age of twenty-seven after a lifetime of eating breads. My answer is that I feel SO much better now, without those foods, that I rarely ever crave them. And the honest truth is, too, that I can make almost all of the foods I miss at home. If I'm having a craving bad enough, I'll figure out how to make it. Like the cinnamon rolls I made over the holidays - they were delicious and gooey. Amazing! So really, I'm okay. And my body is SOOOO much happier. I weigh the same and fit my clothes the same, but my body has leaned out - I look like I've lost twenty pounds. The depression I struggled with for five years is long gone, the circulation in my hands and feet is improving, the acne has improved, and I don't struggle with chronic exhaustion anymore.
Plus, I have an amazing boyfriend who is willing to try any gluten free food at least once. :)
All told, I consider today a success!
YUMMY!!! I'm so proud of you cooking and taking some Erin time instead of focusing your good energy on crazy work. :)
ReplyDeleteI think you're a success. :) Good job and great post. You're such a writer!
ReplyDeleteThank you! A friend called to talk to me about my gluten free lifestyle after reading my post today. How great is that?! Blogging is a wonderful thing!
ReplyDeleteSo, why did you decide to go gluten free, Erin? Was there a Celiac's diagnosis?
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't a celiac diagnosis, mostly because a celiac diagnosis can lead to really increased insurance rates, and can make getting life insurance really tough in the long run. I was exhibiting some MAJOR symptoms of Celiac... every source I read came back to the same set of symptoms, and mine were getting increasingly severe. I decided to try an experiment and went off of gluten for a week. Within 48 hours I felt like a completely different person. I hadn't even realized that I'd been living in a fog for ten years. Then as the lactose intolerance (ten years of that!) completely disappeared, and all of the other changes started to gradually happen I became convinced I'd done the right thing. After about three months of being gluten free I had an accidental gluten ingestion. I lost the sight in my left eye for a few hours (terrifying), was violently ill for 48 hours (my digestive system went bonkers - it was awful) and decided at that time that I was totally FINISHED. It's now been seven months and I couldn't be happier! Hope that helps answer any questions!
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