More Gluten Info

This is what I have found out about gluten over the past year.
Basically, the body does not treat the gluten protein as food. For those who are tolerant, it just passes through. For those who are sensitive, it irritates, and for those who have celiac, the body thinks gluten is an invader and attacks!

Anyone with Native American Indian blood is most likely to be gluten intolerant and/or celiac.

Gluten is now shown to be a cause in a LOT of psychiatric disorders, as the leaky gut allows the gluten to get into the blood stream, and then lodge in the brain. Bipolarism and schizophrenia both improve greatly on a gluten-free diet, as well as any type of depressive disorder, as well as autistic disorders.

Gluten is basically not really good for anyone, and I highly encourage you to avoid it, especially your children. Gluten is not tolerated AT ALL by anyone under 28 months and is one of the leading factors in toddler tooth decay and ear infections.

No Junk Food

Its also been very hard to overcome my crappy addiction to these junk foods that were introduced to me in my childhood (pizza, fried foods, burgers, etc). So I definitely don't want my child to have to overcome the same addiction. We are trying to eat whole foods as much as possible, and of course, we are gluten free. 
In this journey, it absolutely amazes me how much I am judged for not giving my child junk food. In America, we are brainwashed to think it is almost child abuse to not give children pizza, burgers, ice cream, candy, cookies, crackers, cheerios, sugary foods of all kinds. These types of foods completely shuts down a child's immune system as well as the digestive system. Even I have to say to myself "No, Melissa, he is not missing out if I don't give him this unhealthy food". It can sometimes be really hard! 

It just hurts my heart as a person with severe digestive problems that have almost killed me (from a lifetime of eating food most people think is "acceptable") to see children mess up their digestive systems. That's all. My main complaint though is that I would like the restaurant establishment to offer just one healthy option, instead of all fried foods, mac n cheese, burgers etc, so that I can feed my child. And yes, I do take my own foods in for Aidan, but I know that won't last long before he'll want his own plate of food. Hopefully, we'll have the money by then to just order the adult plate for him with the healthy option. I just wish that was available in a smaller size on the kid's menu.