The first year is DEFINITELY the worst. I'm almost 3 years in now, and when I first started going gluten free, I remember wondering whether or not it was actually going to be worth it in the end, because accidental glutenings after trying to go gluten free were so much more painful than the constant state of general sickness on my old diet.

Sad truth, going completely and totally gluten-free is a lengthy process that involves a lot of trial and error. Even knowing what I know now, I won't eat processed or pre-packaged food unless it explicitly states that it was made in a dedicated gluten-free facility (Admittedly, I have a very acute sensitivity). If I could go back and give myself advice when I first got diagnosed, I'd advise to immediately replace EVERYTHING in the kitchen. Utensils, cutlery, pots and pans. EVERYTHING. It's costly and a total bummer, but it makes learning the gluten-free diet so much easier because you're starting with a blank canvas and it makes figuring out the foods you can eat easier when you know gluten isn't coming from your kitchen supplies. And in my first year, I ate almost nothing but fresh meat and produce, and kept it as bland as possible. And I mean very bland. Dinner was usually something along the lines of chicken breasts seasoned with just salt and pepper with steamed broccoli and rice, or steak and a baked potato. Avoid as many risks as possible while healing. It makes the healing process faster, and it just makes adapting to the diet easier too. Once you have staples like that, try adding one ingredient at a time to meals. This leaves little room for guesswork should anything bad happen ("Well, it definitely wasn't the chicken or this brand of rice, so it must be _____.") It's really depressing at first, but on the bright side, I've found that I have so much more appreciation for every individual ingredient I add back into my diet.

But it does get easier, and I'm surprised to find myself saying that. Early on, my whole day was centered around celiac and figuring out what I could eat and just getting through the day. Now, there's a lot of days when I don't even have to think about it. I wish I could say that you'll never have days where you get super depressed dreaming about having pizza and a beer, but it'll get better, and it'll get easier. With diligence, you get to come home every day to a kitchen fully stocked with foods you know are safe and you find new ways to get creative with cooking (Try checking out celiac/gluten-free stuff on Instagram. I've found all kinds of great ideas for food to make, and it's really therapeutic scrolling through post after post of food you can actually cook and eat) and it just becomes second nature. The gut will definitely heal and you WILL feel better, you just have to be strict and diligent in the beginning (And forever afterwards, but you get used to it!) Admittedly, I still can't do dairy... But I can do wine again, and how doesn't that make life easier?