The date is set

August 26. There it is. August 26. The eight weeks start then. It gives me a week of the holiday and then a seven week half term to survive the elimination phase. I have decided that between now and then I'm not going to worry about what I eat. I am planning. I am going to write some recipes and I have been researching appropriate alternatives for gluten etc but I am going to eat. And I will eat what I want. Who knows, after the reintroduction phase, I might never eat some of this stuff again. It's a "goodbye tour" if you will.  I think this is about to become one my favourite logo!  Sainbury's seems to be pretty good at this stuff too - I even found a gluten free chocolate starts cereal.  Awesome!


I know it sounds like I'm doing a lot of complaining and, I also know, that in the grand scheme of things IBS is far from the work digestive/food disorder I could have. Ultimately I am lucky in that nothing I eat will ever kill me; my best friend with the chronic nut allergy isn't so lucky. So why am I bothering?

Well, a couple of stories to remind me, if noone else, why I am doing this.

1) I once went out to lunch wearing my normal UK size 10 skinny jeans. After lunch I bloated so badly I had to go and buy a skirt with an elastic waistband. It was a size 14. Could do without having to do that again.

2) The "incident" at the National Theatre. I had a RFTL (rush for the loo) emergency in central London. Not good. Well, the National was closest. I accidently left something on the cistern and returned a little while later for it. As the lady was leaving the cubical she said to me "sorry dear, it's awful in there but it's not me!". I was embarrassed - she had no idea it was me - and mumbled something about drains, to which she replied - "oh heaven's - legionnaires disease". Great stuff. Excellent. Well that was mortifying. Could do without that again.

So with due deference to those with "real" issues these are my reasons. Serious discomfort. And very bad smells in public places. But I do have one question. I can find loads of stuff in supermarkets but where on earth do people eat when they have to give up gluten/wheat/dairy?

Restaurants are really not accessible are they?  I don't think I can eat out in my home city during the elimination phase.