I'm like a one eyed cat peepin' in a seafood store (Big Joe Turner)

Okay - confession time - I've always considered the Gluten Free aisles of the food market to be the ones the trendy poseurs go for.

I've built up a stereotype in my teeny tiny brain of the tree hugging mung bean brigade making up the clientele for the Gluten Free products.

Wrong wrong wrong!

Such ignorance!! Unbelievable!!

They aren't alternative types looking for a healthy option. Gluten (and the removal of it) doesn't work like that.

What is Gluten anyway? Well children: Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye apparently).

Why do I know this and why is it confession time?

Because I have joined the ranks of the Gluten Free. Not because I've been diagnosed with celiac disease but because I wanted to see if I have a non-celiac gluten sensitivity/ intolerance to Gluten (means I feel bloated after eating 'normal' meals which over time has increased my weight into 12 stone territory for the first time - scary). 

This has been going on for years. SWMBO knows this. She has told me about this stuff. Before. Apparently.

Why have I finally listened to her? Well, you see, I have a pair of trousers that I would love to get into again. I bought them while I was working in the Middle East. I was thinner then because of the diet there (mainly caused by the heat - I didn't have big meals but ate dates and Arabic coffee on a daily basis).

The me I want to be

Anyway since returning from the sandpit in 2012 I haven't been able to get near them (the trousers? Yes the trousers). I try them on from time to time but denial takes over. Like a David Crosby style crack addict who needs to bottom out completely before they change their ways, it's taken me a while to realize that - der - something must change for me to get into that pair of trousers.

It's been three weeks so far and so early days but I feel better already. I have GF cereal for breakfast, a GF lunch at school (Woodford House caters for all sorts) and I've been trying to keep to as much of a GF evening meal as I can. I'm avoiding things I love - potato chips, fish and chips, chocolate and sugary drinks as much as I can.

Here's a list of stuff that doesn't contain that nasty protein:

• Beans, seeds, nuts in their natural, unprocessed form
• Fresh eggs
• Fresh meats, fish and poultry (not breaded, batter-coated or marinated)
• Fruits and vegetables
• Most dairy products

Other stuff I'm aiming to avoid:

• Barley (malt, malt flavoring and malt vinegar are usually made from barley)
• Rye
• Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)
• Wheat

Wish me luck and look forward to seeing me in that pair of trousers soon! I tried them on this morning and - yes - progress has been made!

Love and peace - Wozza