Summer holidays. Sun, sea, sex (or sleeping, if you have small children). And for coeliacs, the dark cloud of gluten following you around. So no surprise that I was glutened very recently – on a family trip to Fuerteventura. My Spanish is poor. What I do know I gleaned from working two summer seasons in […]
Clean eating is everywhere. Reminding us all how dirty we are. Of course it makes sense to sack off processed food and eat what nature intended. And I’m full of good intentions… but my willpower wobbles. I swing from banana to five-minute fries in the blink of an eye – the same mouthful, even. But […]
Tea. Have it with biscuits. Have it with sympathy. Have it with talking chimps. And, generally, have it with milk. Which is a bit of a problem when you’re cutting out dairy. I was on a five-a-day habit before I sacked off the semi-skimmed. I also mainline coffee but the move from lattes to Americanos […]
I come from a proud family of bargain hunters. My mother still can’t resist telling me exactly how much my birthday present cost and what was knocked off, even before I’ve unwrapped it. My dad can often be found roaming around Asda at 10pm in search of yellow stickered whole chickens and crusty cheese bread […]
I’ve got the jitters. The cheese jitters. I’ve come out in a cold sweat of crème fraiche and custard. My name is Kay and I’ve been dairy free for 37 hours. I’m generally hopeless at giving up things. Dry January was cut short at the first sniff of a party. Well, you can’t expect me […]
So we’re well into 2016… and still I am haunted by memories of my work Christmas party. Albeit hazy ones. Working from home in Yorkshire, my Christmas do is the one solitary time of year when I can meet with all my colleagues in London and show them I’m a face – not just a […]
Ever feel the world is out to get you? Here are my top six situations where being gluten-free is a living nightmare… 1. Train stations: Wall-to-wall pastry temptation. Croissants, cookies, burgers, baguettes, cookies. You name it, I can’t eat it. Oh well, there’s always an apricot Eat Natural bar from WH Smiths. (Exception to this […]
Like the vast majority of women, I wish there were less of me. My thinnest days are half a lifetime ago, when I danced around in high heels and fluffy bras on a diet of Smirnoff Ice and house music. I’m neither fat nor thin, just gently wobbling in the middle somewhere. Still, when I […]
Bodies are weird. All that blood pumping around, miles of intestine, bile, brain and hairy bits. Even the whole pregnancy business is like something out of a sci-fi film. I mean, growing arms, legs and a penis inside you? It doesn’t seem natural. So I live in awe of doctors who have dedicated their lives […]
I thought I had problems when I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. Then I had a baby. Who has since morphed into a greedy toddler. No noticeable problems with his tum, thank goodness – although there’s meant to be a one in 10 chance he will have it.
So, it’s Coeliac Awareness Week and we’re meant to be spreading the word to the wider public, right? Actually, I’ve found the hardest battles begin at home. I was diagnosed with coeliac disease seven years ago but my mum is still struggling to get her head around it. She can’t quite believe it is a […]