My family recently celebrated our 1 year anniversary of being gluten free! December 27th was one year since my sweet little girls first heard the words "Celiac Disease." We have experienced a lot of changes this year, as we learned about this condition and adjusted our lives accordingly. Our youngest daughter, now 3, made an astounding turnaround. When we think about the fear and sadness we felt last December as we watched our little one suffer with no answers...we are overwhelmed with gratitude and joy at her instant transformation once going gluten free. After only 2 days g-free she was her old self again; she smiled, she played, she slept! And in 4 weeks time she looked completely different, gaining back 4 much-needed pounds. She went from tired, uncomfortable, weak and frail to joyful, healthy, and full of life!
We never could have imagined the joy that this new journey would have brought us. To see our children become the picture of health is more than enough joy, but we have cause for even more. We have discovered how incredibly important nourishing our bodies truly is. We have changed the way we view food...it is an amazing gift. If we choose wisely, it can change and improve every aspect of our lives. The food we eat impacts our physical body, our emotions, our spirit, our everything. It is true, the saying "change your food, change your life." Throughout our year, we have learned that going gluten free is not always convenient, but always an adventure. It has opened us up to a whole new culinary world! It also pushed us to re-examine everything we eat and toward making the best choices possible, so that we can build our immune systems, heal our bodies, increase strength, and improve our lives. Eliminating gluten was the first step. Seeing food as a way to nurture ourselves, celebrate life, and bring out our creativity were the steps that changed everything. We do not do it all perfectly...we have so much to learn, and we give ourselves grace. But we realize that there is more to a meal than the taste, convenience and tradition. There is a new opportunity with each meal to do something good for ourselves, and to make a good decision that will reap fruit in our lives.
Nutrition, health and wellness has become a passion for our family. It has been a source of great joy and fulfillment. Using our experience to help others has been so much fun! It is my sincere hope that every person who reads this blog would take at least one step toward a healthier and more satisfying life. If one recipe idea or post would help someone else navigate their journey a little easier, than my joy becomes more complete! We all deserve to treat ourselves and our families with the best we can do. Nourish yourself and celebrate life!
With love and of course, JOY!
Lori
Great article, Lori!
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