Skip to main content

Restaurant Servers & Gluten Free Eating, Human Nature & The Search for Answers

I read a blog this week of a server who wrote of her anger and disdain of restaurant goers who have food allergies. She specifically addressed gluten-free dieters and asked them to not eat at her restaurant. She said all gluten free folks should not attend a restaurant that serves bread or pasta just like those allergic to peanuts "don't go to a Thai restaurant".

I felt bad for her because she is probably young, probably angry that she has to be a server and may have received a few bad tips for her bad attitude. That blog may follow her the rest of her life.

Sad that we have to go through the hard times to appreciate people and their feelings. Stories of other's hardships often build compassion in us as humans, especially hardship of those to whom we are are close. Experience is how we as humans learn.

The great thing is that we are problem solvers. It is our nature to search and keep searching until we find an answer to a problem. We know the answer is out there we just have to find it.

This journey of discovering healthy delicious foods and trying to solve my health issues has come to an impasse. There is no easy solution to my health issues. No food, no vitamin, no juicing, no prescription will solve them.

I have been diagnosed with Chiari syndrome. It is a brain malformation where your brain stem or (cerebellum tonsils) literally spills over into your spinal column. I'd like to think that I was born so intelligent with such a big brain that my skull was not big enough to contain it. I often tell people that I may not look smart on the outside, but I sure am smart on the inside.

You see Chiari malformation causes many symptoms. One is constant stomach issues. Another is what my friend so lovingly called it, a brain fog. You easily forget things, can't find the right words to say, etc. I thought that was because of the migraine headaches I often have, but the headaches are also a symptom of the Chiari. What I have been told by a neurologist is that I have two types of headaches. One is a symptom of Chiari and one is hormonal. The hormonal seem to be the migraine headaches to me. Here is the kicker. The Chiari effects the hormones. What a hot mess, right?

P.S. Other symptoms of Chiari are moodiness, tendinitis, dizziness and loosing your balance.I will not list other symptoms here. It is too scary to mention for me yet.

In the diagnosing doctor's office, the assistant said.."You can not die from Chiari". I know she was probably saying that as one of her standard lines she shares with people to calm them from their devastating diagnosis. What she didn't say and I know to be true from my research is that you can die from the problems Chiari malformation causes in your body.

So, at least I know I don't have Alzheimer's which I thought I might be getting. I don't have a heart issue from my heart racing so fast I almost called an ambulance a month ago. The pains in my heart and my slurred words are all from the Chiari.

Now, how I wish it was only a stomach problem, right? I will continue this blog, because the stomach issues are not going away. Summer is coming and summer food. Can't wait to write about something I love. Veggies.  And..I just got my first gluten free cookbook. Yeah!

Have a Happy Healthy Day

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

O-M-Goodness! Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (75% Sugar-Free)

This so sooo amazing! Of course, I had to tweek it to my dietary needs.  You are going to fall out of your chair at how easy and surprisingly delicious this is. Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie Dairy-Free -  Gluten-Free -  Sugar-Free -  High in fiber and protein -  Low in fat -  250 calories   Ingredients: 3 Cups of Prepared Garbanzo aka Chickpeas (Or 2 cans Garbanzos that have been drained and well rinsed. I used Bush's brand.) 1 cup Quaker Oats Gluten-Free Quick Oats 1/4 cup Unsweetened Applesauce 3 tbsp Coconut Oil 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 2 tsp Baking Powder 1/2 tsp Salt (Finely ground sea salt from Sunshine Nutrition Center http://sunshinehealthy.com) 1 1/3 cups Truvia Brown Sugar with Stevia for baking (75% Sugar-Free) 1 Tbs. Molasses 1 cup Semisweet Carob Chips (http://sunshinehealthy.com) Directions:   Preheat Oven to 350     ˚F Combine all ingredients (except the...
Post a Comment
Read more

The December Adventure to Find a Delicious & Simple Gluten-Free Bread Recipe

Oh my goodness. I have tried a GF bread mix, GF flour, a mix of GF flour and rice flour all...yuck. Still the best GF bread recipe I have is cornbread. In fact, last week we turned it into a jalapeno cornbread. Now we are going to try a jalapeno & cheese cornbread. Amazing!! Add some beans on top and some GF chicken broth on top. Yummy. The Adventure 1. The GF recipe said, put all the dough in ONE bread pan and let rise to the rim and bake. Since I have baked homemade bread in the past, I thought, "Hmm. This sure is alot of dough for only one bread pan." And...it was. As it baked, it rose five inches above the bread pan itself. It browned on the outside and cooked the appropriate time, I took it out and it was not cooked on the inside. I laid it on a cooling rack like instructed, the bread collapsed. Very bizarre. I think the directions on the GF bread back need to be changed. LOL 2. I took an old recipe from my Grandfather and adapted it, adding GF baking flour an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Make Ahead & Freeze Gluten Free Recipes.

After 8 months of gluten free eating my husband is on board to cook gluten free meals for me. He is an amazing cook. He is creative, follows the recipe and adds his own flair to make the recipe all his own. He even came in 2nd at a huge chili cook off at our church. He has created two new home recipes for me. Both are make ahead recipes. Both are freezable. In our household we like to cook twice a week. Enough to be evening staple meals for two or three days. With only two of us it makes it easier than most families of 4 or more. With these new freezable recipes we have been trying, we can cook on Sunday and have meals for a month if we choose. These recipes can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months. Pizza Tot Casserole 1 1/2lbs ground beef                                     ...
Post a Comment
Read more