Stress and My Gut

Before I post, I want to share the good news…our next issue is on press! It’s a really good one and all of our energies have been focused on print media for the past couple of weeks.

I’ve been preoccupied for a bit longer and can’t believe how much time has elapsed since my last post. I find that stress doesn’t do much for creativity.

I don’t recall a period of my life where I’ve been under so much pressure. When I look at the cost of college and I look at what happened to my college savings, when people all around me are getting laid off, when my advertising pages are off their usual numbers, when, as an “elected official” in my town, I am swept up in nasty small town politics…the stomach acid just flows. You know what I am craving? Saltines.

Saltines are those bland, sodium laden crackers that are just perfect for an acid gut and I can’t eat them. I’ve tried toast. I’ve tried plain cereals. I’ve tried a variety of rice crackers. Nothing is taking their place right now.

I always felt bad for my celiac son when the 24 hour flu bug hit the house. Everyone else eased back in to eating after a killer attack of the vomitrociousness with ginger ale and saltines. Of course, he’s been on a gluten-free diet for so long that he doesn’t know what he’s missing. He thinks plain toast is what you eat after you’ve been ill.

So in lieu of Saltines, I have been planning a reunion with my high school friends. I read in the paper this weekend about the benefits of life long friends and figured these ladies who knew me when I was a total lurch with buck teeth would quell the acid in my stomach far better than any food. But, if anyone has the perfect gluten-free answer to Saltines…by all means, let me know.

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