gluten

Growing up my parents baked their own bread to help round out the household budget and keep us hungry kids fed throughout the week. It’s one of my favorite memories, the heavenly scent of freshly baked bread filling the house every Sunday afternoon, my siblings and I gathering excitedly in the kitchen to sample a still doughy slice piping hot straight from the oven, melting butter dripping down our fingers.

A much less pleasant memory is suffering years of crippling stomach cramps and debilitating abdominal bloat that was only ever loosely diagnosed as “growing pains” and “female issues”. The gluten free movement hadn’t reached today’s critical mass and the idea that all that lovingly homemade bread could be the cause was inconceivable.

I love all things wheat, grains and gluten (home baked goods pretty much defined my childhood!) but I don’t love the effect they have on my health. Like for so many of us, being 100% grain and gluten free is essential for my well-being but it’s challenging too. The emotional bond we have to certain foods and what they represent runs deep. With bread, I sometimes feel I’ve lost a dear friend! Whether you’re keto or paleo or AIP or Fodmap, etc, you might feel a lot better avoiding the foods that impair your health but that doesn’t mean you don’t miss them. These days I know my demons, and although I can’t console myself with a yummy slice of homemade bread, I wouldn’t wish those excruciating stomach cramps on any little girl.