I had a friend on a recent girls' trip ask me if food has become an obsession of mine since going gluten free. I have been thinking about this question for months now, not knowing exactly how to answer that question. Now, this is a wonderful, dear friend of mine who asked. She meant no malice by the question but was rather really curious about my gluten-free life. I was not prepared, however, to answer that question---it's not an easy question to answer. But I think it's something important to address.
I am not gluten free because I choose to be. I am gluten free because I was sick. I have celiac disease for which there is no cure. The only acceptable treatment for celiac disease is a life-long, strict, gluten-free diet. Not adhering to that diet can lead to a multitude of health problems including malnutrition, osteoporosis, cancer, lactose intolerance, neurological and psychiatric complications (such as depression, anxiety, ataxia, balance problems, neuropathy, seizures and headaches), and miscarriage and congenital malformation (neural tube defects in unborn children). The scary part is it may not take much exposure to start a snow-ball effect.
Whether a person with celiac disease feels bad or not after eating gluten (as there are varying degrees of severity), gluten is still hurting them! Gluten is still causing internal chaos whether an individual "feels" sick or not. So, cheating is not an option. I have had individuals, including close friends, encourage me to "cheat." Again, I assume no malice on their part, but questions like, "Oh, can't you just have one bite?" or "What's the worse that can happen if you were to try it?" are not exactly supportive. It's not a diet where I can have a piece of cake every now and then and feel guilty about it the morning. It's a lifestyle change where strict adherence is mandatory-it's not an option.
So, when think about an obsession as something that dominates one's thoughts or feelings, then yes, perhaps living a gluten free life is an obsession. But it's an obsession by necessity. Do I think it qualifies me for the reality show, My Strange Obsession? Absolutely not. Do I think that it is a prevailing theme in my life? Yes, I do.
My son and I are both gluten free for medical reasons, therefore, eating out in restaurants, traveling and holidays do become very tricky. There is much planning involved any time a meal is eaten outside the home. But, let me tell you something, if this obsession keeps me and, especially, my son healthy, then so be it. I would not be able to forgive myself if something I ate while pregnant or something I gave my son to eat caused him pain and discomfort at best, or more serious complications at worst. I will do everything in my power to keep him healthy and happy and this is just one way I am doing just that. We have to be our own health advocates and we have to be the advocates for our children.
The sad part to me is that I have never heard someone ask a diabetic if they are "obsessed" with watching what they eat. Are you obsessed with checking your blood sugar? No, it's not an obsession, it's a medical necessity. So, why is my lifestyle any different?
Perhaps I do get really excited when I find places, towns, or restaurants that are gluten-free friendly. I live in a place where gluten-free is difficult to find, so traveling for me provides an opportunity to try new things, and I value those opportunities. So, while I may be obsessed with my gluten-free lifestyle, is not an obsession I embraced easily or eagerly. I went kicking and screaming and complained about it every single day (still do), but I do it because I have to---for my sake and my son's.
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