Who can we trust to keep us healthy?

Hi everyone.

You may have noticed I've remained rather silent the past few months.  It's a combination of working a lot, many personal and professional commitments, etc.  But there is also a lot of soul-searching I've had to do about what I am doing here, with this blog, and how to do it best.

When I set out to start a blog about my experiences living gluten-free, I came with great excitement to my computer keyboard, full of the ideas that are working for me in my life, and wanting to inspire others that it IS possible to live a full life that is gluten-free.  To live a life that doesn't feel like something is missing.

That's still what I believe, and still what I'd like to do.

However, some of my faith has been shaken.  In the past year or so, it's really come to light that you cannot trust every product, you cannot trust every company, and we do not have stringent enough food safety and labeling regulations in this country to ensure that not all "gluten free" products can be trusted.  While I don't think it should be like this, I have to face reality.

Last time our celiac group here in Raleigh toured the Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse, I remember that they were telling us that they test every single ingredient that comes in, and some have tested positive for gluten.  And they refuse to use, return these ingredients to sender and won't use their company in the future.  I applaud and am relieved by their diligence.

One of the earth-shaking experiences I've had in the last year or so was being duped by the gluten-free claims of Paul Seelig, who is on trial this week in Raleigh.  I was quite ill for some time, after eating wheat bread sold by this man as "gluten-free."  It is unfathomable to me that anyone would do such a thing, but the overall lesson from this might be that the world is still the world--some people are looking out for themselves, no matter what the cost to others.

So who can we trust?  Good question.  I don't have the answers.  I'm navigating through just the same as everyone else.  Quite frankly, though, I do not like the reality that it might be better for me to expect the worst, until proven otherwise.  For example, I'm so glad I can feel pretty confident about the Whole Foods Bakehouse items.  But I haven't toured every gluten-free facility and do not have that assurance from other companies.  So I guess a skepticism is healthy for my body.

Even more reason to keep eating the naturally gluten free foods--your vegetables, fruits, meats, rice, nuts, etc.  The outside aisles of the grocery store, as they say.  It's fairly unlikely that someone's gonna pour flour all over broccoli by accident...but I guess, you know, never say never...