Gluten-Free (And Thankful!) For Five Years

Five years and going strong!

This week marks five years since my celiac diagnosis. I’ve been gluten-free for five whole years. I can hardly believe it’s been that long. Although, I can barely remember my gluten-eating life. I really don’t miss it.

This year has been a huge one for me. I became a gluten-free mama almost eight months ago and my whole world has changed in the most magical of ways. From navigating pregnancy (and travel!) without gluten to deciding if and when to introduce gluten to my baby girl (Still not there yet but planning to in the next week or so!) there has been a lot going on in my world.

I think everyone should celebrate their gluten-free birthday. It may have been a time when you had to stop eating some of your very favourite foods. It was probably also a time when you finally started to feel better. It was definitely a time when you finally learned what on earth what going on. This is something worth celebrating.

To celebrate my five year gluten-free birthday, I want to highlight five amazing gluten-free wins from this past year. I will celebrate with a large slice of delicious gluten-free cake from Mariposa Bakery in San Francisco.

1) Thank you New Zealand for all of your AMAZING gluten-free options. I was 3 months pregnant when we visited the North Island of this absolutely beautiful country for three weeks and from fish n chips to lasagna to cakes, I couldn’t have asked for a better selection from one of the most celiac friendly countries I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. You can read about my travels in New Zealand here.

2) Thank you California Pacific Medical Centre (CPMC) for your safe, gluten-free options. I spent five days in hospital after my daughter was born and I was able to eat tasty, gluten-free meals every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They took my dietary requirements as seriously as they need to be taken and I am very thankful for that. You can read more about the gluten-free options at CPMC here.

3) During pregnancy and since becoming a mama, I’ve made a whole bunch of new friends and I want to thank them for being so supportive and considerate to their new gluten-free friend. These lovely ladies meet me for lunch in restaurants I feel comfortable eating at, they understand why I bring my own food rather than allow them to cook for me and they have taken the time to learn about and understand the challenges that come with being celiac. A couple of them have even read my post on How To Cook For A Celiac and with my slightly nervous supervision, have cooked me a delicious, safe, gluten-free meal.

4) Thank you FDA for finally getting your act together on gluten-free labeling legislation. As of this month (August, 2104) companies labeling their products as “gluten free” must be in compliance with this rule. For more information on this ruling and what it really means for the gluten-free community, check out the FDA’s Q&A on this.

5) As always, thank you to my supportive husband for cooking me all sorts of tasty gluten-free food, particularly when I was pregnant, sick and very fussy!

These last five years have definitely had their challenging moments but I’m happy to say that I forget that I’m celiac a lot more these days than I used to. Here’s to many more gluten-free years! Unless they find a cure of course…

How long have you been gluten-free? What’s this past year been like for you? Have a piece of cake to celebrate!