People sometimes explain to me about a viscous circle that they are in where they do not have enough time to make the lifestyle changes to reduce or eliminate their gluten intolerance symptoms and they also lose a great deal of their productivity managing through those symptoms.
There are major things that everyone with gluten intolerance symptoms should be doing, such as a full spring cleaning of your kitchen, as well as learning enough about cooking from scratch so that you will not be at the mercy of mystery products and the ‘order and pray’ mentality.
Even if you are having trouble focusing on your own wellness and building the habits necessary to eliminate gluten intolerance symptoms and pain, there are still tons of small things that you can do, or half measures, that will make a significant difference in the meantime. The important thing is that you do something other than ‘business as usual.’ Imagine if you had even less energy than you do now, or you had a fuzzy head more often, or your stomach was aching and bloated to an even greater extent. Big actions are essential, but even small actions will help if you are having trouble getting over the denial about your condition. That hoagie may not be okay once in a while.
There are lots of lunch recipes that take under ten minutes to prepare and will save you money, offer better nutrition, and give you a fighting chance to eliminate your gluten intolerance symptoms. Lunch is the most common meal that people will cheat on, I think, although the dinner and dessert ‘order and pray’ mentality in the restaurant is pretty huge with some people who want to live a gluten-free lifestyle.
What I recommend is that you stock up on whole grains and frozen fruit. It takes ten or 15 minutes in the morning to cook up some quinoa, or cream of rice, or millet grits, or creamy buckwheat cereal. Boil water, add a pinch of salt and a handful of frozen blueberries, for example and ten minutes later, you have breakfast. Far healthier than many other breakfast options.
For easy lunch recipes, you can buy gluten-free bread, or do like me and take 15 minutes and bake some biscuits. Put a banana or an apple in a bag, make a peanut butter and jam biscuit, and voila. Even if you only have three minutes before you have to leave, you can do that, so long as you pick up a loaf of gluten free bread from the supermarket or you bake some rolls or biscuits.
Tip: Keep in mind that there are tons of dishes and baked goods that you can make a big batch of and then freeze. I like to make a week or more worth of lunches and then freeze it in a to go container that is freezer and microwave safe. Then I know even if I feel sluggish in the morning, I will always have a lunch and I will never be forced to roll the dice with fast food at lunch time.
Dinner is trickier sometimes. Of course, the same rules apply if you are at home, but if you are at a restaurant you should know how to carefully talk to the server. What I do is I have a list of restaurants in the area that I know that I can eat something at. That way if I suggest the restaurant, everyone is spared the work and worry of having to focus on my dietary restriction. By the same logic, if there is going to be a get together at a friends house, be the first to suggest pot luck. Another option is to eat before you go out. Really fill up so that you won’t even be tempted. Who hasn’t just gotten hungry before and filled up early. No one will think too much of it, even if they are not aware of your condition. Remember that anywhere you go, you will always have beverage options at least, so there will be something for you to order, even if there is not an easy dessert choice on the menu and you will stand a much better chance of avoiding gluten intolerance symptoms.
