I Found a Food

Inspirational song: Love Means Never Having to Say You're Hungry (Charlie Robison)

One good thing about my radical dietary changes is that I have completely lost the blood sugar roller coaster effect. I used to have more dramatic ups and downs than an AM radio signal. I could never find the right kind and amount of food for a steady, normal head or heart. And when I crashed, I took bystanders down with me. These days, not so much. When I got home at four this afternoon, I realized I had gone the entire day on a cup of coffee and a carrot. I was understandably hungry, but I wasn't panicking. I had a little snack while I started a pot of chili, and was feeling just fine until it was done a couple hours later. Now, I admit I have been craving sweet things today, and it's rough knowing there's still a half a carton of ice cream in my freezer that has been taunting me for days. I have to remind myself how severe and immediate was my upset stomach the last time I caved in and had a few bites of it. Maybe it was a bad idea not to buy any fruit the last time I went shopping. Poor planning on my part. Still, I think I'm miles ahead of where I was a year or two ago. My attitude is even so good that I can belly laugh at jokes at the gluten-free crowd's expense. I know how most people eating this way sound pretentious or ill-informed. I can't imagine how stepped up the taunting would be if I tried to explain that going completely grain-free is even better. Maybe moving back to Boulder where I could blend into the crowd isn't such a bad idea after all.

There are two spoiled doggies who are taking advantage of my whole food epiphany. For a few cycles, I was feeling tight on cash, and put them back on grocery store dog food. That was unwise. They acted like they didn't feel very well, and both of them developed very annoying compulsive paw-licking habits. So first we went back to the high-end dry dog food, and as of today, we are cutting it with some "stew" I made just for them, with things like chicken, sweet potatoes, and carrots. I even garnished it this morning with a dollop of cottage cheese. I have never seen such well-behaved pups as the two who sat instantly and were absolutely silent, waiting for those bowls to drop. They usually eat at six in the evenings, and at five forty-five, they were side by side on the rug, trying to out-cute each other, dancing every time I so much as twitched. It's all too new to tell whether their paw-licking will stop, or whether I'll see improvements in their coats or breath or other scents. But already, the change in attitude is entertaining.