Rice flour, my new best friend

I was lost in a particular thought last week while savoring a most tender and delicious glazed donut from the Italian Bakery.  Over the past couple years I have followed the journals of I Ho Chuan members and received enlightenment when it came to challenges of the dietary order. Huge changes from giving up meat entirely, to increasing water consumption, to removing gluten.

Realistically though, how hard could a gluten free diet be? Seeing how well my 10 year old adapted to a dietary restricted way of life, made the whole process look fairly easy.  Over the past couple years, we have had our challenges, with a few minor arguments, and a bit of frustration.  All in all he is an amazing little guy that has adapted and taken on the responsibility like a champ.

I, as a father that is supposed to show empathy, especially in the early stages of the adaptation of my child to a gluten free diet, was a complete failure.  Recognizing that failure over a most wonderful and glutenous snack, I decided a dose of empathy was in order.  Perhaps a little rash, I decided this was the week that I would strike out on the same dietary restrictions as my son for the next seven days.

It isn’t just the constant reminder of the things you can’t have, like the smell of fresh bread in the morning bakery department, the oodles of garnishes and spices that are on the restricted list, the craving of rich thick homemade pasta.  That is the mind over matter part, which is acerbated by the warped and twisted physical response of my body.  A constant hunger, or at least the feeling of an empty tummy, an apparent loss of energy, change in sleep patterns and mood, a ravenous search to find a suitable substitute to fill the carbohydrate demand you left behind.

 

There are substitutes, and in a lot of cases more healthy ones.  It has meant more fruit and vegetables, more water consumption, alternatives to wheat flour carbs (most I would argue are an acquired taste).  I am not sure if this gets easier, or weather a week is even close to long enough to find out.  At the end of all this though, if nothing else, I will have a greater appreciation for what my son has accomplished, and is continually challenged with.