Gluten-Free Babe: My quest to live gluten-free for 30 days

Yesterday, I followed the frequent, smaller meals approach again, topped off with lazy gnoshing at an evening concert at Millennium Park, where my pal Natalie was singing. It was lovely! And because I had plenty of variety in what I brought, it didn’t make me crazy that I couldn’t eat the crackers and cookies that other folks had. And as usual, my very thoughtful pals also brought things they knew I could eat. They rock!

• A few observations after the first two weeks (lots of folks have asked what I’ve learned so far):
• I am learning how to spot hidden no-no ingredients, but I have so much more to learn.
• Meal planning (and shopping accordingly) is a must for success. (I think this follows for ANY diet, actually.)
• Smaller, more frequent meals are more fun, easier, and keep my energy consistent throughout the day.
• Having snacks around is key. Those should include cheese, nuts, fruit, veggies, rice crackers, etc. Those ridiculously good Pamela’s Products chocolate chip mini cookies are also…essential. 
• Restaurants are tricky, and I need to get more comfortable asking questions and pushing for more detailed answers. Overcoming shyness in this area is key.
• If going gluten-free really is going to reduce (or eliminate my PMS), then I think I’m sold for life.
• Because I’m not a celiac babe, I’m wondering if I can occasionally cheat a smidge - like at an upcoming wedding, where I’ll want to eat a bite or two of Steve’s slice of wedding cake. So I’m doing my homework. My guess is that it’s not a huge deal, but not something to make a habit of.
• When I am (or you are!) trying something new, it’s great to put it out there to the universe, and to friends and family. They’re mostly helpful, curious, and supportive - and that makes it so much easier.
• It doesn’t have to cost a ton more to eat this way. It costs more to eat healthy, which I wasn’t doing the best job of before, so yes - I’m spending more on groceries now. But I’m eating healthier overall and that’s a great thing.
• There is a wide spectrum of gluten-free babes and dudes, and their advice ranges from reasonable to wacky. I take every suggestion with a grain of salt, and I follow-up to check it out. So keep sending me your tips and advice and asking questions, but please don’t feel hurt if I don’t follow every piece of advice.  As a non-celiac babe, I’m approaching this first as an experiment, but starting to think of it more as a lifestyle shift toward better health, and I’m not obsessed with perfection (because the occasional slip-up isn’t going to make me really sick).
• You really can eat wonderful meals and baked goods. You just have to think about it a little bit more and plan ahead.
• Chipotle is my friend. I want to marry it.

Okay, those are the big things I’ve learned so far. Thanks for listening! Feel free to chime in with your thoughts and suggestions, for which I’m extremely grateful.