The Gluten Experiment

I've been eating a gluten free diet now for nearly 7 years, with the last 4 years being in strict compliance. My entire life I had suffered debilitating migraine headaches that disappeared when I went gluten free, and the memories I had of being in the pain and misery of a full-fledged migraine was enough to scare me off wheat flour and baked goods for life. Recently though, I've been struck with a bizarre urge to try a little bit of an experiment.

Of all the time I have eaten gluten free, and especially since I have owned and operated my own gluten free baking company, I have never felt that my eating habits were restrictive. So I was interested when the urge to eat gluten-laced breads struck me out of the blue, after years of making peace with the ideas I'd never have a decent bagel, croissant, or dark rye ever again. The notion came a few weeks ago, but I was afraid to try anything, since I couldn't forget those migraines. Plus, if I didn't have to eat gluten free anymore, what would I do with myself? What would I do with my company?!?

While I visited my brother in Madison a few weeks ago, I brought him fresh donuts from our home cider mill (no, not that sell-out faker Uncle John's- a real cider mill called The Country Mill in Charlotte- look them up and go there!) and the whole house was noshing on these donuts, drinnking cider, and having Fall merriment. I looked at the donuts, and I took a bite.

It was all pretty anticlimactic, because nothing happened to me. I experimented again later the following week with some fresh-baked still-warm pita bread from The Jerusalem Bakery on Michigan Ave, and a migraine just might have been worth that little pocket of heaven- but no migraine came. Huh. I'm stumped, after eating my first slice of real rye bread in close to a decade, and feeling nothing noteworthy as I type this entry. I'll keep you posted.

Comments

[Alan Berg]

I found this very helpful. I'm learning to cope with the Celiac Disease ie; gluten intolerance.