If you follow me at all, either here or on my Instagram account (follow me to the right!) you will have seen me mention that Le fiancé and I have moved. This wasn’t a move to a cute little house, in a cute little neighborhood. Or to a sweet apartment in a trendy district. It was a move back. A move that has been called ‘smart’ by some, I have also heard, ‘I wish I could have/would have done that’. You probably guessed it by now, we moved back in with my parents. I say parents, but I really mean family. My little sister is currently still there, as she is in high school. And my other sister will be returning home soon as well, from her freshman year at Boston University. Thankfully my parents have done well and we have the space for all of these people to be under one roof. Because that is a LOT of people! Now hopefully we will be able to find that cute little house, in the cute little neighborhood soon enough as soon as possible. But for now, we are here. Able to save, save, save. For the wedding and future home.

The trouble won’t be with the people, or the space, it’s going to be around meals. My family has been there for me through all my illness(es), diagnosis and medication changes. But the one sticking point seems to be food. When I first went gluten free several years ago, it was trouble for them. I began to cook all my own food at this point, which made it somewhat easier, but I still felt like I got ‘looked down on’ within the family. When I eliminated gluten this time, it was because of the resources and research I had read about AIP. There was a lot to back me up! But alas, I still got negative comments. I remember telling my mom about the AIP for the first time, she had such a reaction! ‘What could you eat?!?, you couldn’t do that” I wasn’t on board with it myself yet either, but eventually I got there. And I am there.

My family is supportive, some more than others. And in some ways more than others too. My sisters are much better than my parents, my dad much better than my mom. I think it will take some education and cooking for me to show them that this isn’t a cardboard diet. I don’t eat only chicken and sawdust. Unfortunately that is what mainstream culture has made gluten free/paleo out to be. I am excited for the challenge, but I know when it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter what they think or believe. If this is making me feel better, then great, I’m going to stick with it.