the first week of eating dangerously

Day 7 of my new un-diet, featuring the return of... gluten!

Well, after early stomach uneasiness following my pizza and pasta meals, I decided to try something a little less gluten-intense for the next treat.

During a visit to Prahran market on Saturday morning, I stopped at a bakery where the lady sells almond croissants (but only on Saturdays!) Too good to pass up! I bought just one, and packed it in my bag for later.

At the supermarket, I picked up a loaf of spelt bread. Spelt is an ancient grain which can be tolerated by some coeliacs, though I had never tried it before. I thought it might be a good way to try something a little easier to digest than 'normal' wheat bread.

When I got home from the market, I made a cup of (gluten-free) soup for lunch, and then attacked the croissant for dessert! OMG It was fantastic! The butter pastry melted in my mouth; the almond flavour was rich and sensuous; the icing sugar coated my face! Once again, a gluten-filled treat had whisked me off to food-heaven! But it was filling. I could only manage about half; the rest, I packed away for later.

No apparent after-effects from this treat.

That evening, after a gluten-free dinner, I buttered a slice of spelt bread and smothered it in a light coating of Vegemite. The bread was soft to the touch, so unlike gluten-free bread, and just like real bread! I ate it slowly, savouring each mouthful. When I was done, I buttered another slice, and spread it with strawberry jam. Bewdi-ful!

That night, I once again felt some stomach discomfort, but nothing too serious.

On Sunday, I had spelt bread sandwiches for lunch - buttered, with fresh slices of corned beef from the deli. That night, I made two rounds of sandwiches for my lunch the next day, and packed them in the fridge for the night. So much easier and quicker and cheaper than the gluten-free lunches I used to have to make!

I had sandwiches again for lunch Monday and Tuesday, and finished the loaf today. I made people watch me eat them, just to prove that I, too, could eat 'normal' lunches :-)

Since I was late getting home tonight, after stopping to see a movie, I bought fish and chips en route home. Usually, I throw away the complementary potato cakes and peel the batter from the fish before I eat it. Old habits die hard. I couldn't bring myself to eat the potato cakes, and I still peeled off most of the batter from the fish, but I did a eat a few mouthfuls of it.

Maybe that was a few too much... tonight, I have more severe stomach pains and a touch of the runs. Perhaps I'll try a gluten-free day tomorrow, and give my insides more chance to adapt.