Like the slow and building rumble of an approaching storm, celiac disease and gluten allergies are gaining attention and growing to a loud roar. This past week my brother discovered his digestion problems, sporadic headaches, frequent congestion, and thickened blood have now been attributed to food allergies including a gluten intolerance.

My brother explained that his last trip to the grocery store was eye-opening. He read the labels on everything and discovered how entwined wheat is to so many products. He couldn’t even leave the grocery store with a box of cereal. The hardest part of finding out you have one of these conditions is re-learning how and what to eat. I felt as though I should have more information but I’ve only casually understood the issue and know little of the solution.

As if by fate, yesterday the UPS truck pulled up in front of my house and I heard a big thud as a package dropped on my porch. Still in my boxers and desperately clutching my morning cup of coffee, I staggered out and hauled in my delivery. I opened it and found 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes in my hands. I cracked the book open in wonderment and quickly flipped through it. I knew immediately that this contained the answers to so many questions and felt as though I were Tom Hanks unraveling the Da Vinci Code.
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