“I can’t have that??” has now been replaced in my vocabulary with “I don’t want that” and man does it feel good.
I heard these phrases written by one of my fellow tweeters (@Paleo_Nosh) and it really resonated with me. It is a complete eating mentality shift that has taken place that has brought so much peace (and health) to my life and if you can make the adjustment, it will to yours too.
When I was diagnosed with celiac disease, and for several years afterwards, my entire focus was always on what I couldn’t eat. I was in mourning for the loss of so many foods that I enjoyed.
“No beer?”
“No pasta?”
“Seriously, no beer??”
And, hey, it’s ok to mourn. For a bit. But after a certain point, it is completely self-defeating.
Not only are the foods you must give up making you sick, but many of them were most likely not too healthy in the first place. Why would you want to go back to that previous life?
I am currently in the best shape of my life. Yes, I exercise. Yes, I was blessed with skinny genes. But if I didn’t have celiac disease and I was still eating the foods I used to eat, I’m sure the story would be quite different.
So stop dwelling on what you can’t have.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself.
You’ve been given the gift of celiac disease.
What you do with that gift is up to you.
I adore your blog! I’m a biopsy-diagnosed Celiac (at age 29) and your posts are terrific. Thanks so much! – Amanda
P.S. I’m 35 now — and pretty thankful they found the Celiac, that’s for sure!!
Thanks for the kind words. Hoping to reach and help as many people as possible; one celiac at a time 🙂
Mind over matter…that is all it is.