Living the healthy life

       Hello, my name is Alycia and I am allergic to gluten. Ugh it drives me crazy... There are so many things I can no longer eat, and while it's healthier to not eat it anyways... it's still a pain in the butt. About six months or so I started noticing how when I would eat certain foods I would start to feel sick- my stomach would twist itself in knots and I would start to feel this overwhelming sense of exhaustion. I tried not eating bread or things with gluten in them for a few weeks and wa-la- I felt just fine! However, I was too busy to be picky about what I was eating so I just ignored it, vowing to overcome this silly "gluten allergy." In fact, I used to make fun of people who ate gluten free. I thought it was some strange fad that all the naturalist, organic hippies invented. Um... I was wrong. Now I find myself perusing the grocery aisles scouring for the words "gluten free" on almost everything I buy. Did I mention how freaking expensive it is too?? Some days I feel like I would rather just power through it than spend the money on things that won't make me sick. I also cut vegetable oil out of my diet which has proved valuable as well. I use olive oil instead, which does not make my stomach hurt. I am trying to live as healthy as possible right now. I have been hiking, climbing, and exercising almost everyday, and I plan to take up running again too. I figure, I only have one body and it's mine for this life, so I want it to be the best that it can be. I love my body, don't get me wrong, but I know it can be even better, so that is what I am going to strive for. Plus I want to be prepared for all the things I plan on doing- like climbing mountains, traversing deserts, swimming across vast bodies of water... And, having chosen a career as an investigative journalist, I want to be able to always move quickly and be prepared for whatever physical challenge comes my way. Oh and there is also the fact that come 2016 women can try out for the Navy Seals, and I have always wanted to be a Seal, so...

        That's a BIG "maybe" on my part, but who knows. In any case, I want to be in good enough shape that if 2016 comes along and I make up my mind, I would have a chance. This post has been sort of a rant, but this whole gluten free thing is so new to me and at times terribly frustrating. There are far worse problems to have though, so I am done complaining. For now. Fairfarren all.