The emails that my readers send me tend to go through spurts. Sometimes all of the emails are very encouraging. Sometimes they are filled with questions from the curious. At other times, the emails are filled with whiny complaints and excuses. We’re in one of those phases right now, so here’s some tough love. If you don’t need it right now, it will be hear when you do.
If you’re struggling with any of the following 10 issues, then learn how to love your gluten free life by reading my e-book. I really do want to help you, not just virtually scold you =)
10. You haven’t seen any improvements in your symptoms. At first glance it would seem reasonable to stop the gluten free diet if you’re symptoms are not improving. But, let’s ask a couple of questions first.
First, how long have you been gluten free? Some people see improvement in their symptoms within days. For others it takes months. Give yourself time to heal, especially if your symptoms indicated that there was a lot of inflammation in your body.
Second, have you really taken this gluten free diet seriously? Have you really been gluten free. There is a steep learning curve when you go gluten free. It can take a while to find all the sources of gluten in your diet. Have you been super careful about reading lables and avoiding foods that could have been contaminated with gluten? Have you been sure to use cookware that’s not contaminated with traces of gluten? If you’re not certain that you’ve been 100% gluten free, then it’s not time to stop the diet due to lack of improvement. read more
9. You don’t think that a little bit of gluten will hurt. If you believe this and you have celiac, then you’re lying to yourself. When you have celiac disease you’re body attacks the gluten when you eat it (or sometimes when you just touch it). That hurts your body, so don’t play around and have even a pinch of a slice of cake that’s made from wheat flour.
But perhaps you just have a wheat allergy….or gluten doesn’t seem to agree with you but you’ve not actually been diagnosed with celiac disease. You shouldn’t be playing around with gluten either!
If you have a wheat allergy then your body probably experiences some sort of inflammation when you eat wheat. Inflammation is NOT good for your body. And that gluten intolerance…..how do you know that’s not going to turn into something serious down the road. I’ve had way too many readers tell me that their ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraines, etc cleared up with they stopped eating gluten. You may not have those symptoms now….and you don’t want to. So stop sneaking the gluten when no one is watching!
8. You’re not paying attention to labels. This one is sneaky. Reading labels is boring and tedious and no one’s description of fun. But it’s absolutely necessary if you’re going to stay gluten free all the time. You have to be vigilant and suspicious and alert if you’re going to stay gluten free while eating manufactured foods. Companies change their ingredients all the time…and they process foods that should be gluten free on or near equipment that processes wheat, barley and rye.
7. You don’t have any willpower. I’m as guilty of this as anyone. If there is something that I’m not supposed to eat in the house, then I’m going to eat it. It may not be today, and it might not be tomorrow, but as soon as I get frustrated or discouraged, or tired I will eat that food like it’s the last edible food on this plant.
I’m not about to tell you to have more willpower. Gluttony (which this is, if we’re honest with ourselves) is listed as one of the deadly sins, and I’d be a fool to tell you to just have more willpower. Instead, get the gluten out of the house. If you don’t have willpower, then no one in your house should be allowed to eat food that you can’t eat. You’re health is too important. If the food’s not in the house, then you don’t have to have willpower to stay away, so the problem is solved.
6. You think a GF diet is too expensive. A gluten free diet can be expensive, but if you’re using that as an excuse to not stay on it, then you’re only thinking about the short-term. Is the price of gluten free groceries more than the price of treating stomach or colon cancer in 15 years? Is it more expensive than the lost productivity from having daily bouts of diarrhea, and bloating? Is it more expensive than emergency room trips for migraines, and all of the prescriptions that aren’t doing any good at actually curing what’s wrong with you?
You can find a way to eat a gluten free diet on your budget. You may have to spend more time working on your shopping skills. You may have to cut other costs so that you have more money for groceries. You may not be able to eat gluten free baked goods, which are the most expensive part of a gluten free diet. You many need to to apply for food stamps ask for charitable help that you’re pride is otherwise keeping you from doing. But you can find a way to eat a GF diet if you decide that you’re going to do that.
5. You can’t find GF ingredients You’re wrong. Gluten free ingredients are all around you. Check the produce section and the freshly butchered meats.
Now, you may not be able to find gluten free flours at your local grocery (I’m not),and I know how frustrating that can be, especially if you’re used to the convenience. But you can drive to a larger town or order them on the internet. For those of you who are thinking, “But, I can’t order them on the internet because I don’t buy things on the internet,” I’m not accepting that as an excuse. The gluten free ingredients are there, you’ve just made a choice not to buy them. So, drive over to the big city or circle your cart back to the produce and meat section.
4. You’re not planning ahead. This one’s tough. Planning ahead for every food eventuality is not something that we’re used to, at least not in the United States. But, if you’re going to stay gluten free you need to plan for the times you’re going to be hungry. That means having gluten free food stashes at the office, in your purse, or in the car. That means planning your meals and going grocery shopping so that there is food in the house that you can (and want) to eat. And it means calling the restaurant or checking their website beforehand to make sure that they can feed you. I know you’re busy, but take care of yourself and plan ahead so that you won’t be tempted to cheat.
3. You’re proud. So, you just ate a wilted iceburg lettuce salad with mealy, pink tomatoes while everyone around you enjoyed a delicious meal. Congratulations, you stayed gluten free but you’re not going to be gluten free for long.
Nobody wants to eat disgusting gluten free food. Make sure this doesn’t happen. You’re important. If your friends are going to a restaurant that won’t have food for you, speak up. If you’re traveling and the restaurants don’t have good options for you (It’s tough to find anything but fried foods and hamburgers in rural areas), then make everyone stop at the grocery store so that you can get some food. A meal of grapes, nuts, and cheese would be better than a wilted iceburg salad.
Stop worrying about inconveniencing everyone and stop worrying about what they think. You need food, and you need food that won’t hurt your body and that’s delicious. Because if it’s not delicious then you’re not going to stick with it.
2. You’re not trying. Are you losing weight on a gluten free diet because you’ve been eating the same three foods over and over again, and have actually stopped eating because you’re tired of those foods. There are plenty, PLENTY, of naturally gluten free foods. Go figure out what they are and start eating again.
Oh wait, there’s a hand in the back. Oh, you can’t eat gluten and x, and y, and z, and a, and b, and c, and d? I understand that’s difficult, (really, I do!) but please stop whining about it and start focusing on what you can eat. Stop getting all emotionally wrapped up in a pity party and start looking for some recipes that will work for you. Google will not hurt you….start searching for recipes now.
1. You’re afraid. Here’s the biggie. Some of you are not sticking to a gluten free diet, because you are afraid to stay on a gluten free diet. You may be afraid of change. You may be afraid of what it would mean for your life if you started feeling better.
You may be afraid of what life would be like if you couldn’t eat your favorite (gluten-filled) foods. You’re afraid of cooking. You’re afraid of baking. You’re afraid of failure.
Fear will come of with many things for you to be afraid of, and the fears are all illusions. If you can pinpoint a fear that’s keeping you from staying gluten free, then please, please, please start working on that area of your life. Figure out what you’re afraid and do something about. Don’t let fear stop you from being a vibrant, healthy person.
You are right and I know you are right but it is hard to live in a family (I am the mother) and I am the only one that needs a gluten free diet. My kids hate everything I have tried – to be honest they are right it does taste better with gluten. I just need to be reminded. I know you know this but it it hard to make these changes. I am trying.
You and your kids are wrong- GF goods can taste just as good as the ones with wheat in them. You just know how to make them, and when to eat them. I got lucky and my husband is a professional chef and the GF switch has been easier for me than others but there are some good books out there on how to cook good gf food, and you may have to do a bit of your own researching and tweaking of recipes to make them turn out just as good or better than wheat foods BUT it IS possible.
This is a great list. I know of at least 5 people who would really benefit from reading this. Thanks for posting!
Hello,
I must tell you, right ,now that #1 of Reasons You’re Not Staying on a GF Diet brought tears from my heart that I didn’t know existed. I’m hoping that by asking myself questions about fear will bring some answers my way. I’m feeling more hopeful about this GF journey right now.
Thank you,
Pamela
There is also an 11th reason, except this one isn’t triggered by numbers 1 through 10–sabotage by family and friends. It can be deliberate or unintentional, but it still causes problems.
Examples include: Someone eats a piece of pizza, doesn’t brush teeth or rinse out mouth and gives you a big whopping kiss. Or, they use your toaster for their toast and didn’t mention it. Or, they wipe their hands on your hand towel instead of theirs.
I had to ban all gluten containing foods from my house because of the above.
Thanks for the tough love, Mary Frances. I read it because I knew I needed it. I had a yard sale in 104 degree weather last weekend without making sure I had the food I needed for dinner. Restaurant and take-out for two nights, with a cursory attempt to stay mostly gluten-free, but mainly not wanting to cook or cry from hunger and exhaustion. Poor planning. I was all foggy brained when I met my new college students yesterday and was goofy when I spoke with them for the first time…poor choice on my part. Thanks for the “talkin’to”…I feel ready to get organized for the school year and to be more vigilant!
Wonderful post. So helpful.
Tough love and being straight with people (in love) is good at times.
Bless you :).
Once I’d made up my mind to go gluten-free, I just got on with it! I made some mistakes in the beginning and I paid the price (health-wise) for those mistakes because when I stick to a gluten-free diet, I definitely feel better and have more energy. No-one said that it would be easy! The problem today is that we have become an ease-seeking generation that wants everything handed to us on a plate. We don’t like having to take personal responsibility and we make excuses for our lack of resolve.
I totally agree! I had to ban non GF foods from my house. It just wasn’t worth the risk that hubby would leave gluten bread crumbs on the counter that could make me sick (And it did, believe me). He complained, whined and got angry, but now he is used to it. If he wants something dangerous to me, he eats out. IT stays out of the kitchen and I stay healthy.
Yes, I realize eating in a houseful of people that don’t have to eat GF is hard. Switching everyone over to GF is harder. But only in the short-term. They will whine, yell and complain. Your health is worth it. Tell them you get sick. If they still complain, guilt-trip them. Yeah, it is low, but so are they for eating things that make you sick in your general vicinity. I don’t want cancer, and i know my hubby doesn’t want me to get cancer. He is good on my GF foods now, I just had to get creative and spend a little more time in the kitchen. Now he loves it (most of the time)!
Thanks for the tough love, I know a few people who really need this!
Not staying GF? Really? #1 Afraid is the reason I STAY GF. I’m AFRAID of how sick I will be if I eat anything NOT GF! I really don’t care what others think, I will bring GF cereal in a baggie to a friends home or restaurant and eat it there rather than try to appease anyone elses non-informed opinion. They aren’t the one who WILL suffer. It’s only 1 day or 1 meal, I can eat later. Where your health is concerned, the decisions are up to you. Make em, and decide to enjoy life. Listen to Mary Frances; the information is there, bet you searched for a cake or candy you could eat. Thought so.
@Linda Fields I say brovo to you for what you just said, cause it is so true. When we fear what others will think we are paying the price not them. I have been sick for 4 days now cause I did not take the time and see if something was gluten free I just ate it & thought it was, then the next day had some because at this restaurant someone had a cookies n cream shake before me I was to scared to tell them to clean it so I had a shake without the cookies & still got sick. The shake was gluten free by the way. It is a horrible feeling when you eat gluten & don’t mean to. reading everyone’s comments has made me feel a lot stronger, because sometimes I feel all alone with this intolerance that I have.
Please do not feel so all alone. You are not, we are all in this together
and sticking with this G/F diet we will all be healthier. I have been G/F for almost
3 years now and I feel like every day is a new beginning.
I totally agree with all these reasons!!!!! I wish there was some way I could completely eliminate all gluten foods from my house. I live with my grandmother and she is so picky about the food she eats that we rarely eat together because she just won’t try new food. Does anyone have any suggestions of how I can eliminate gluten from the house, while still keeping her happy?
Thanks!
Very Good Article Mary! It is definitely hard. But I happen to live near a great health food supermarket! And it was about the time that I read about celiac disease (actually I was reading about it not for me but for my hubby because he has really bad eczema, and in the process figured being a type 1 diabetic I needed this just as bad as he did) that this supermarket opened. I think that was a blessing and a sign from God that this was possible.
And now I am finding out that we both have had sinus inflammation for some time and are now on a healing diet which means no grains until we really see our bodies lose this infection.
But I know fear and doubt play a big part in not sticking with something for me. And you are so right about how the days you are tired or emotionally broken, you just begin to question whether what you are doing good for yourself is necessary. But I believe once you have been shown wisdom in this life, and you choose to look the other way, you are choosing to hurt yourself.
The only thing I miss at times is Dominoes pizza. But I am missing that less and less because of all the great things I have found eating gluten free!
Jenny
Something else just came to mind. I have family member who I share with them about being having gluten allergies. And they will say, “OOOh I am so glad I don’t have that because I love bread.” And even though I have tried to share that if a couple of us have it and we are blood related it would probably be a good idea for you to watch gluten for yourself….they don’t get it. I know I heard somewhere that 1 in 4 of family members related to a celiac person will have it also. I don’t agree with that statistic. I think it is higher. And it is not because I want others to be in my boat…but because I can see, or I know things about their health that really point to the need to get off of wheat… But, at least I will be there as a help when they get the news from their doctor someday.
This list of 10 reasons are great. When I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease I had no clue what it was. The doctor told me to see a nutritionist to help me with my diet change, that I was no longer to eat any wheat,rye,barley, or at times oats..Good grief that was a huge part of my diet..trying to eat healthy when in reality it was actually killing me. To the best my wife and I can figure I have had the disease at least 15 years before being diagnosed..After some trial and error and Great support from my wife I have been gluten free for over 1 year. Have gained weight back to my normal weight (had lost over 35 lbs), and the anemia is gone.
It scares me to cheat on the diet because I remember how bad I felt. It is hard to be in a group where no one understands the problem, and you do have to plan ahead a lot of times, but it is still better than the alternative.
It has taken some work to find good gluten free foods, as some of the breads out there taste worse than cardboard. however, my wife has taken the challenge and is now baking most of my favorite things gluten free, and they taste good.
I guess if one has to have a disease, this would be the one, as there is no dangerous medication, or treatments. Just eat correctly.
Lance
Number four is definitely a hard one for me. I really miss being able to take advantage of convenience food. While gluten-free options are becoming more available, it is still slim pickins. Great article. Jennifer at GlutenFreeJacksonville.com
I totally agree with this! I have a difficult time finding gluten free items. The variety is just so limited where I live. Any pointers are where to find gluten free cooking items? I would love to ban all non-GF foods from the house but the selection is so limited.
Thanks so much for this! I have struggled with all of these in the past two months (since I started my GF journey). I feel like I’m in a really good place now and am really enjoying the benefits of eating gluten-free. The worst is my pride (and I’m really glad you phrased it like you did). I have a hard time speaking up when we’re invited to a friend’s house for dinner, and it’s hard to double check everything with a waitress when I’m on a date with my husband, but I need to speak up and just get over myself! Thanks for the encouragement!
Where to buy GF foods? Glutenfreeda.com, Food Allergy Network has links, and, the old standby, Amazon.com. There are other sites as well, just be sure to compare prices and reputation. Believe it or not, a number of the supermarkets have GF sections, or intersperse GF foods within their regular stock: Walmart, Fry’s/Krogers, Safeway, Hannaford’s, and Price Chopper, to name a few. Ask at the desk. You can also order some foods directly from the manufacturer. I live in the boonies, and was delighted to find that many excellent products are available online.
I was diagnosed as a Celiac, with allergies to soy, sulfites, and strawberries 27 years ago. GF breads and cereals tasted like cardboard back then, so we did without. Did learn that rice flour makes an excellent gravy and thickener.
Can’t let pride keep you from being GF–you are too precious to play roulette with your health, plus you’ll feel much better in the long run!
Do I miss any gluten foods? You betcha! Especially baking powder biscuits.
I forgot! an excellent magazine is “Living Without.” My wedding cake was made from a recipe found within its pages and our guests were none the wiser. In fact, they inhaled it! The magazine has a website with links: http://www.livingwithout.com
What about additives that contain gluten or products that contain gluten that’s not “declared” or listed on the packaging? I find that if something has maltodextrin or is “made with barley”, but supposedly the barley is cooked out of it, I find myself craving glutinous things.
Proud? Not paying attention? No willpower?
I’m not sure if you’re aware of this (apparently not, since it’s not listed her), but also involved in celiac or gluten intolerance is an opiate-like addiction to wheat. ..
I find this article very judgemental.
oh – and no, I do not cheat on my gf diet. Because I’m aware of the addictiveness of gluten, and avoid it as a main ingredient as well as a preservative.
Did you know maltodextrin is added to foods in hospitals (and just about every junk food) as a food stimulant?
Maybe you should know a little bit more before approaching this topic with such a judgemental attitude.
Great article! I think a lot of people with gluten sensitivity (myself included) end up at a restaurant and do not ask enough questions to the waiter/waitress and end up getting a dish with gluten in it. Once you get going on a gluten-free diet for the first time, it really does become quite easy to follow.
I have tried to get doctors to take blood tests to see if I have a gluten allergy or sensitivity. I have gotten so frustrated, I have recently been checking into gluten free foods. Boy, I’ve been on alot of diets in my life, but this diet is practically impossible to follow. The gluten free breads, wraps and muffins fall apart. It is so frustrating. I think eating cardboard would taste better! I can’t imagine this diet will last. It is also very expensive to purchase gluten free foods, and dining out is also a very tough thing. I have also checked out gluten free websites for food items, and I’m hoping the different items I find taste better than the few things I have found in the local stores.
Hey Irma,
You do have to try around for different gluten free foods that are prepared to find ones that you like.
One of the things I tell myself before trying a gluten free item is: This is something new. It will taste different than what the item counter part taste like. It just helped me to realize that I had to through out my expectations. Example: Before gluten free stuff, I ate biscuits a lot… So, this was the big test for me. There is a brand of gluten free English muffins out there by George (comes in a yellow w/black lettering package in the freezer section). They were supposed to be like English Muffins. But I would have called them biscuits. I learned that I had to microwave them a certain way. First I would microwave them for 20 seconds. Then cut it in half (It was cooler to handle instead of waiting until after toasting to cut it in half). Then I would toast it for about 5 minutes. It definitely did not taste like a biscuit. But I began to actually like it and get used to the new taste that all gluten free products have.
Summary: Throw out your expectations…by deciding in advance this will not taste like a wheat pizza, pie, muffin, biscuit or bread.
Mary has a great recipe for making home made bread. I also, when in a hurry, get Bob’s Red Mill Wonderful Bread and prepare it in my bread machine (i was really glad I did not have to give this home appliance up). I use 4 egss in it instead of 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites. We love the taste. It taste world’s better than wheat white bread, and I like it better than Udi’s. But Udi’s is also a great prepared bread. But, I have to toast it to get the “fresh” taste back.
Stick to it. It is more expensive. But so is getting sick, stomach cancer and a lot of the other complications you might get from eating wheat if you are allergic.
Mary really encourages eating more fresh food too. Like more fresh produce, fruits and prepare your own meat when you want a meat for your protein.
But, I understand. It is tough to do this. It seemed like the time I started to need this a new health store opened up locally here. It was a heaven sent thing!
I nearly sobbed when my dr told me that I have celiac disease. Blood tests had been negative, but the colonoscopy biopsy confirmed it. In the past 5 years, I have had to have surgery for a complete hysterectomy, to have a tooth removed and the socket cleaned (I’m allergic to antibiotics so they couldn’t treat it that way), I had a liver biopsy that showed that I have an autoimmune liver disease, I’ve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and have been told I am hypertensive. Celiac was a diagnosis I just didn’t want to hear. Trying to create a diabetic/celiac diet has been very difficult. I can’t eat a lot of the baked goods…the starches required make it too high for my diabetes. (I can’t use any drugs for the diabetes due to the liver disease, it’s all diet controlled.)
It’s been nearly 2 weeks since the diagnosis, and I’ve eaten a lot of salads, lol. My poor husband is trying, but so far isn’t getting it..the other day, he bought smokies because he thought I could eat them (and a steak for himself, because he thought I couldn’t have it!) and the smokies had toasted wheat crumb in them. His response ” But the wheat crumbs are toasted!” uh, no.
Yes, I’m doing the whining, but it’s still new to me. I did learn one thing on this site, however, if I do want to eat the occassional slice of toast made from GF bread, I need a toaster all to myself! LOL He’s really going to understand that!
Sign me….Overwhelmed
I’m new to the gluten diet world. I read these replies and I’m thinking “oh boy, that’s gonna be me in a few weeks!” The one thing I have to admit though is that I thought gluten free (and dairy free in our case) would be disgusting and ridiculously priced. That can be true. I know I’m going to spend more money on food than I want too and if I ate only salads, I’d be repulsed by them. However, I have been pleasantly surprised at the food choices that are around. I got a sample from a nearby store of all the gluten free goodies and I liked many of them. Some of them were more bland than others, but overall, I was impressed. Now, I can’t afford buying pre-packaged everything so I’m looking at becoming way more of a cook than I ever was before. I got a bread machine and hope to make things and freeze them, like gluten free homemade chicken nuggets for the boy who will only eat chicken nuggets. Also, what frustrates me probably the most about this diet is the label reading. Sometimes the box will say gluten free or dairy free, but I’ll look at the ingredients and realize it isn’t! This is maddening. Honestly though, I can’t go back to eating how I have been because in my case, knowledge is power. I stuck my head in the sand for far too long and I need to change. But will that hold me over in the hard times? I’m not sure. It’s good to know that people make mistakes on this diet, but also good to know that we can pick ourselves up and do the right thing. Thankfully my whole family is doing this diet or I think I’d quit. Thanks for the encouragement to start and I’ll book mark this for when I feel like giving up!
I would love to know how many others of you have coworkers and relatives who willfully do NOT get it. I can’t tell you how many “holiday dinners’, office parties, cater “reward for performance dinners of dressing, pie, cake, pasta, pizza, cookies and so on we have been given, and how many times I’ve been asked “But you can eat salad, can’t you?” I was literally offered a dry spinach “salad of dry spinach l;eaves and 1 cherry tomato–and oh–oops! somebody got the last of the dressing, which wasn’t GF anyway–and they suggested I “borrow” some from the coworkers’ break room fridge! All this while they were chowing down on 4 kinds of pizza, a huge chocolate layer cake and 2 kinds of ice cream in thanks form the boss for a good quarterly performance I contributed to as well.. Many many times this has happened in the last 7 years, and I do mean even on my blanking birthday we had pizza and cake and, “But you can eat the salad, can’t you?” I’d think they hated me at this job, except that it has happened elsewhere, too. And when I just go get whatever I bought for lunch, sin ce it’s a team meeting/dinner, I’m accused of missing part of our pig-out–er, I mean meeting! I know it IS used as passive aggression sometimes, though, because when my team leader got ticked at me for accidently stealing her thunder one time–ONCE–she stopped offering anything but the salad and made a point of asking if I could eat the generic salad, and if we could borrow my GF dressings from the fridge. FINALLY this year when the entire office was given a holiday meal at a fancy restaurant, they offered me GF, which was touching til I found out it was a slice of turkey and grilled veggies, followed by a HUGE top-dollar dessert bar with all the cakes, pies, etc, you could want. I try to be gracious, take the day off, etc., but just when I think I’ve seen it all there’s another dry salad waiting for me. Ideas, comments, anyone else thoroughly ticked? My family isn’t much different on holidays so I just don’t go…invited them to my house but it’s too far sin ce they have kids, and besides the GF is bound to be icky, ya know?
Thanks this article has really helped me! I know I gotta do this for me. so I can be healthy!!!!!
Question for you folks.
I am a 31 year old male and my main symptoms are joint/muscle pain. I feel considerably better when I am gluten free, but not perfect. When I do accidentally consume it I first get stomach rumblings/pain, then my joints flare up 12 hours later. That appears to be it, I do not suffer from any other digestive/bloating/brain fog type issues. Is that possible? Or do I have something else?
If you’re noticing that symptoms go away when you’re gluten free and come back when you’re not, then I think it’s safe to say that gluten is an issue for you. It may not meet the clinical definition of celiac….but might be gluten intolerance or a wheat allergy. Either way, I’d stay away from gluten because that’s working for you.
Guilt triping your family? Forcing gluten free foods on people who do not need to be on this diet? Absurd. Look, this is your health situation…own it and take the measures you need to in order to feel and be more healthy. But, do not think you can become a ‘food dictator’ and everyone else should fall in line to appease you.
Restaurants and office parties are not hospital kitchens with a clinical dietician on hand to be of assistance for us. We are the people who need to make and stick to our own informed choices with regards to the kinds of food we eat and the way we prepare them. Don’t beat yourself up on making mistakes. There are plenty of people who still smoke, still drink in excess and maybe pop way too many pills despite of; or perhaps inspite of the various diagnosis they have been given. Live your life, know that things are not perfect, do the best you can and you may just find that this diet will become easier once it becomes second nature to you. You don’t have to wait (or demand) for the rest of society to catch up. Good luck, be healthy and hang in there in the most realistic way you can.