You know that scene from “Braveheart” where Mel Gibson is rallying up the troops:
They can take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!
Yeah, well replace the last word “freedom” with “bread” and you’ve got a line my wife would probably use. Don’t get me wrong, I love my wife, but she is a grain-o-holic.
Going No-Grain solo can be challenging. Convincing family to be No-Grain Converts can be even more challenging. By family, I am mostly referring to spouse/significant other – but children, parents, and siblings all fit this criteria as well. There are a few ways others can be approach to show them the light.
OK, lets say you decided to go No-Grain - congratulations. You are skeptical at first, of course, and you go through about 2 weeks of Gain-Withdrawal, but once you get past that you feel great. So far, so good. Now its time to tell your significant other that its time for them to get their act together and get on board. The first reaction is to beg, plead, scream, or yell at them. You have no idea why they won’t listen to you. You get frustrated and storm off. This probably happens several more times before you wave the white flag and give up – your family member is hopeless. You’ve forgotten the addictive powers of grains.
Another approach is more indirect. Go No-Grain, get past the grain-withdrawal, then use every opportunity to show off your new-found energy and brag about the weight that has come off. Rub it in their face, show them what they’re really missing. This may serve to make them so envious that they cave-in and join you, or it could backfire and lead to a bigger rift between you.
The best approach is patience and subtlety. Announce to your family that you’re going No-Grain (for which their response will either be horrified or a polite “that’s nice, honey”). Make a brief proposal to your family on how you came to see the light and how you plan to go about it. Then don’t bring it up again. Let the results speak for themselves. When they are ready to make the change, they will approach you for more information (don’t forget to tell them about this site!).
For me, it was the increased energy and 30lb weight-loss that “wowed” my family. I managed to convert my sister (though she is not fully committed yet, but its a start) and my mom is seriously considering the prospect. My wife still needs a little work. When she converts (not if, when) you’ll hear about it here.
Good luck and be sure to share your conversion story in the comments section.
My journey started in early July of 2010. I had been listening to my cousin sing the praises of the grain free life for close to a year. My family has had a myriad of health problems ranging from mildly inconvenient to life threatening which my dear cousin was attributing lock, stock and barrel to an inherited intolerance she surmised we all shared! Now my cousins, their mom and I did seem to have very similar symptoms and she and her daughters were claiming to feel renewed, rejuvenated, etc. but I could not wrap my mind around gluten/ grain removal from the diet being such a panacea! After all I’d worked in the medical field for 30yrs! My grandfather was a physician, my mom a pharmacist, my uncle a funeral director. I just knew my poor cousin had succumbed to the silver tongue of some flim fam quacky medicine man! So I decided I would show her the error of her deluded thinking by following her diet instructions for a while and in the process get her to hush about her precious gluten free diet! I had no intention of losing weight and honestly did not think it would make one iota of difference. About a week into the diet I noticed my IBS symptoms going away. Then I bent over to tie my shoe one day and noticed my rock hard abdomen seemed to have deflated. Over the next weeks and months my joints became less stiff and painful, including an ankle with MRI proven severe degenerative changes. Itchy dry skin and rashes improved. Even the texture of my hair improved. My energy levels, sleep patterns, moods, so many things continue to change for the better. I have lost wt. (about 80 lbs.) but that was not my intention and is not what I consider the most life changing part of being gluten/grain free for me. Many friends and family members have noticed and are “coming around”. Some quicker than others. Some that were skinny and scrawny have gained wt. finally. My little grandson is showing much improvement with his Bipolar Disorder, ADHD and OCD. His sister’s eczema, headaches and tummy aches are abating. We all notice how badly we feel now when we accidentally eat any grain containing food and I think that is what has helped our friends and loved ones support us. My friends and family loved me dearly even when I was fat, and I am confident they would continue to love me if I gained back every pound. They do not however want to see me lose any ground on the giant steps I am taking in my general health nor do I want to see the one’s that have embraced this lifestyle lose what they have gained. I have more “vim and vigor” and zest for life now that I am in my mid 50′s than I did in my 30′s. I personally do not know if gluten induces, triggers, contributes to or mimics the myriad of conditions and symptoms but while all the research is deservedly carried out I’ll just stay away from it and feel better, thank you very much!