The Five Days of Giving Thanks - Day #3 - Food

So, we're are down to Day 3 of the Thanksgiving countdown and it is getting tougher to decide just what to post about. Not because there aren't enough things to be grateful for, but rather because there are so many things that I appreciate and don't want to leave out. But, for certain their is one thing that I have always been grateful for and that is FOOD!

Don't get me wrong, I don't just mean the obsession I had for candy when I was little girl, nor the sheer joy I experienced in sharing a Newport Creamery Jimmie roll with my good friend Steve. I'm not even talking about the pure dedication of my friends Amy and Kate who would walk a mile with me to the closest Shaw's in our little college town so that we could get a bag of cheese puffs. These food experiences were all great and I remember them fondly, but they are not at all what I feel when I express my appreciation for food today.

Ever since learning I was gluten intolerant over 3 years ago, my relationship with food has been a total roller coaster ride. For the first year or so I even lived in fear of everything I ate because so many meals left me feeling nauseous and fatigued. Imagine your best friend suddenly turns on you and nothing you do or say can make them stop - that's what having a food intolerance feels like. I could be mad at my friend turned foe, or I could move on to establish healthy relationships with friends who treat me well. And, that is exactly what I did.

Now my love of food is more of an homage to how eating healthy foods that are right for my body makes me feel - which on most days is pretty darn good.  Following a gluten free diet is really challenging, but it truly teaches you to respect your body more and gives you a genuine appreciation for the importance of nutrition (a somewhat ironic lesson for a dietitian like me). Furthermore, when you can't eat so many things, it makes you really appreciate what you CAN eat. My husband spent a small fortune on the custom ice cream cake pictured (which I could eat because it doesn't have any crunchies like a Carvel cake) and that was by far the best birthday present I had gotten in years! :)