A bit about me, my story, and becoming gluten-free

Hello, my name is Eric. I study history at McGill University in Montreal. I enjoy studying (to some extent), reading, writing, playing and watching soccer, travelling, and although this is a somewhat recent development, cooking.

I have always loved food. My German mother instilled in me the value of a nutritious, home-cooked meal from a young age. Although I used to wallow in the lack of junk food present in my house, I’m now thankful for the presence of nutritious and delicious food there was in my house growing up. I enjoy all types of food, and there’s not really anything I won’t try (while on a trip to Cambodia, I ate both fried tarantula(s) and pig testicles).

After my first year ofcollege/university (not sure if I’m writing for an American or Canadian audience), when I barely survived eating at my school’s cafeteria, I was looking forward to my second year, where I was moving into an apartment and would be solely in charge of what I ate. However, there’s a catch.

During my first year, I got mono and what seemed to be chronic strep-throat (I was prescribed antibiotics five times). Although I eventually stopped getting strep, those months screwed up my immune system pretty badly, and I continued to feel shitty (constant fatigue, headaches, indigestion) months after. My regular doctor couldn’t find anything wrong with me, but a trip to an internal (ie. homeopathic) doctor, where I took an allergy test, showed that I had an “allergy,” or at least a high intolerance, to gluten and dairy, and sensitivities to soy, sesame, eggs, and a few other things enjoyed by people everywhere.

Being the foodie that I am, and because of the prevalence of bread and cheese in my diet (I could easily have that combination for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), this news devastated me. Nevertheless, after a semester of experimenting with this diet, I have realized that I need to continue being gluten and dairy free in order to feel better.

However, hopefully some good will come out of this, as I aim to share some gluten-free (and often vegan) meals and creations that will be easy, affordable, and delicious. Feel free to ask me any questions about me or my somewhat strange food intolerances. I hope my story can help other people with gluten allergies/intolerances, and that my creations can show people how not-that-bad being gluten free can be.

Email me at ehwhite93@gmail.com or find me on Twitter @ericwhiteyo