Reading labels

I've never been a food-label reader, except for that one crazy stint on the Atkins diet where carbs were kryptonite, but now I'm a reluctant label fiend.

I went to see a doctor when I first got to Austin to try to figure out why I've been feeling so physically and mentally sluggish. The conclusion: hypoglycemia and a gluten allergy. Fair enough. What that means for food is nothing high in sugar and nothing with wheat, barley, rye, or oats. For other reasons, I'm avoiding chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol.

Bottom line: There's an intergalactic ton of stuff I'd normally eat that is now off limits, and figuring it out is not straight forward.

Eating out is a bitch. Most sauces include flour. Ixnay on the akedbay oodsgayy. Happy hour is not so happy. Even rice and corn-based products frequently include malt as a flavoring. Where does malt come from? Mmm hm. And half the food that's got no gluten has way too much sugar!

Wheat and sugar are cheap, plentiful, and taste good. That's why people like them. Hell, that's why I like them. I sometimes want to cry over all the stuff I can't have ... or maybe because all my comfort foods were yanked out from under me (mixed metaphor, sorry) and I'm in a situation where I could really use some comfort.