The last few years have been a real learning experience. How I wish that when I first got sick I could of known half of what I know now about gluten free and Celiac. Because I did not have that luxury, does not mean that others suffering from the "villain" gluten, should have to go on the overwhelming and difficult road I am walking. So, without further ado, I have come up with a list of items that I am currently using now that I know to be as safe as possible. A lot of the products listed are Certified by The Celiac Sprue Association which has the highest availably testing for the presence of gluten. A mere 5ppm, which is a lot better than normal testing. Still a harmful amount for Celiac's, but your chances are much better. I recommend, if possible, to find products that are CSA certified. Note that everyone's body reacts differently to different things. What works for me might not work for you. Foods:
Chebe - Love having bread! It had been way to long. Chebe, makes lovely bread mixes that do not taste or feel like a dough ball. Chebe is also Celiac Sprue Certified!
Crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside!
Gerbs - Has an assortment of seeds, seed butters and fruits. Is Celiac Sprue Certified!
Just Almonds - Just Almonds is well, just almonds! And very tasty almonds, taboot! Redmond - Pure mineral salt. No icky lab enhancements for me! Artisana - Coconut oil, nut butter's and spreads. Great to have on hand!
Jennie-O - Delicious turkey! It is pretty much the only meat I enjoy.
Beauty Products:
Hugo Naturals - I cannot express how much I love Hugo Naturals. I recommend all of their skincare and hair products. And they are also Celiac Sprue Certified!
Simply heavenly.
Afterglow Cosmetics - Wonderful makeup! I don't know how I ever survived without it! It has excellent coverage and really gives you that flawless, glowy skin that every girl wants to have. And, it's all natural! Really love that!
Ahh the power of makeup.
Red Apple Lipstick - Creamy, fun, sophisticated and luscious lipsticks. Great for any girl who wants a little color in her life.
Earthpaste - Natural, pure and extra pure toothpaste! Say goodbye to killer chemicals! Hope you enjoy these products as much as I do!
In a typical day, I feel like I “start over” at least a dozen times. Now, I’m not talking about starting over with my attitude, (even though I definitely do that!) I’m talking about my forever journey of being gluten free. Every day it seems like we are finding out something new. I’ll call it, “The many different layers of being Gluten Free”. Well, the newest layer is that their is gluten in my gluten free products. I have one thing to say about that...
Sacrilege!
Okay, that may seem a little overdramatic to some of you, but that's how I feel.
I have to make sure anything I use is not only naturally gluten free but:
It is not grown or harvested around gluten containing grains;
It is not shipped or stored with gluten items;
The facility where it is made/processed is completely gluten free;
and that it is certified gluten free.
I knew some of this before, but not all the "ins and outs" that is vital for a Celiac. Sometimes, I think I’m going completely mad! I can practically hear my brain saying “Warning: System Overload. System Overload.” over and over again. Obviously, I do not want to be ignorant to the things that will help me get my health back. In fact, I’m very grateful about new things I have learned. But it can be very overwhelming. For instance, today was pretty lousy. I found out the makeup I use is most likely cross-contaminated. Not my Makeup! To a girl who does not wear makeup, this probably won’t seem bad at all. But if you do wear it and enjoy it, like I do, then, I’m sure you will understand. Needless to say, I spent a good portion of today, with most likely, a wild look on my face, trying to research gluten free makeup.
Having Celiac, the way I have it, is hard. Just when you think you are getting somewhere and doing the right thing, you realise that you were getting nowhere and you’re doing it wrong. Most days I feel just like this picture.
Okay, I guess I better bring some positivity into this post. He-He. It can be very easy to get overwhelmed and I can make it worse. I can be my own worst enemy. A lot of times I need to just relax and trust that Jesus has it all under control. There are things that I cannot control or fix, and to totally stress myself out is the last thing I need to be doing! I will be honest and say that I don't do very well at not being stressed. I’m pretty sure that my stress has stress.
Nothing in my world of trying to be 100% gluten free is ever a sure thing. That is very frightening! Focusing on the fact that I live in a world “infested” (yes, infested!) with gluten is only causing stress and anxiety, etc. etc. But thankfully, I never have to worry about God changing! So even if things are getting to heavy to carry or I don’t know who to trust or believe, I can trust Jesus! 1 Peter 5:7 says to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” What a great verse to remember! We don’t have to walk around with this mountain of worry! God will carry it for us! Better yet, He will get rid of it!
I am going to try and get myself in a habit of bringing my troubles to Jesus before my “breakdown”. When I feel like things are getting to be to much, I’m going to try and sit back and say “You got this, Lord!”
