-Don’t just substitute gluten free baked goods for normal baked goods. Pre-made gluten free products tend to contain more sugar in their mixes and therefore you will be increasing your sugar content if you just simply replace your normal baked goods with gf baked goods. This means you very well may gain weight!!!
- Increase the amount of fresh produce you eat. You know that colourful area in the grocery store that a lot of people walk straight past? The one with the products you actually have to cut, slice, cook yourself rather than just heat up in a microwave? I’m talking about that stuff!
- Do make sure you have lots of gf snacks on hand at all times. You can no longer eat most granola bars and finding a quick snack that does not contain gluten will be extremely difficult. Keep snacks (like nuts, Larabars, gf crackers etc) on you so that when you do get peckish and there’s nothing around, you at least have something to hold you until you get a full meal.
- Don’t cheat - come on….is it really worth it? Think of the result of eating gluten – the cramps, embarrassing odours and sounds, the hours in the washroom…..is it worth it? If you can answer yes, then go ahead and cheat…..but I’ve found there’s not much, if anything that is worth it.
- You are the only person who can get yourself out of this. If you think that your mother/brother/sister/aunty/uncle/father is going to fix this you are wrong. They can all help you along the process, but YOU are the one who has to make up your mind – and try not to abuse the people around you – you know when you do it. If you do it – make sure and apologize…..
- You have to take every bit of willpower you have to get yourself out that door everyday and to do your everyday routine. This will be hard, sometimes you won’t make it, but force yourself to do what you need to do. The more you let the depression keep you down, the more down you will get.
- Keep yourself busy. The more people around you and the more activity you do, the less time you have to feel down and depressed. Don’t know what you’re interested in? Try things you used to do when you were younger – draw, photograph, journal, play tennis, join a gym..whatever…get involved in something again.
-Get rid of all the negativity around you. You may think that that other depressed person is the only one who understands you. That “friend” who takes advantage of you is helping you learn to help others or those books or the music you are reading is helping support you because it sounds exactly the way you feel. That’s why they’re wrong. You need to cut them out of your life immediately – surround yourself with people who are happy and hardworking, friends who truly care and music/literature that is uplifting. What you surround yourself with is what you will become……