As much as it pains me to say it...

I am trying to go gluten-free.

Anyone who knows me, knows this goes against everything I believe in, i.e. that the greatest thing since sliced bread is toast. I love gluten. But some people say gf can help with concussion recovery, so I’m giving it a shot.

So far, I've been at it since Monday lunchtime (I had rye toast for breakfast). Have I noticed a difference? No. But my understanding from the anti-gluten faction is you need to give it a solid two weeks to see results.

And this week, again, has had ups and downs. But I want to go from ups to upper-ups.

My up this week: going to the theatre for the first time in months. Went to see Company, my all-time favourite musical. And I was okay! What I think helped: I was well-fed beforehand (salade niçoise with a massive fresh yellowfin steak), and my friend drove and hovered around me in the lobby beforehand, we got seated early, and I avoided the lobby altogether at intermission.

My down this week: tried—failed!—to go to Mandarin for lunch on Saturday. It was kiddo’s birthday, so I made the effort, despite my concerns (crowds, chaos). What I think hindered: I was already a bit tired and headachey (theatre meant I was late getting home, and chatting with kiddo kept me up further past my bedtime), the TTC was its usual failure of a self, with cancelled and rescheduled buses, and subsequent punctuality anxiety. Also, the paving at Eglinton station is just off. Instead of regular rectangles, it’s irregular diamond-shapes that made it feel like things were sliding off to the side even if the ground may have been level. Bad lighting in the station, feeling disoriented when we reached the street, and then a huge crush of people at the heavily-ornamented restaurant. Nope. I didn’t even make it as far as the table before I said, “I’m sorry, I can’t do this.”

My next challenge: Friday I have tickets for Rachmaninoff at TSO. What I hope will help: being well-rested to start with, getting downtown early and having an early dinner so I’m relaxed and well-fed when I get to Roy Thomson Hall. I have a gift certificate for Earl’s, not normally my kinda restaurant, but being a chain it’s easy to suss out the gluten free options, so I can keep up the gf thing and still eat some good food (the gf dessert option is white chocolate crème brûlée!), and it’s a short stroll to the symphony from there. Do I dare to wear heels, which I have not since October? I guess the weather will decide that one.

30 grams of protein and no gluten