“What happens when you are doing laundry, talking on the phone, cooking on the stove and feeding the dog all at the same time? The dog gets uncooked rice, the laundry gets wrinkled, and you accidentally hang up on your mom. (okay, maybe that last bit is just me.) When you try to do too much, nothing gets done properly.”

Did I catch your attention? I know this line grabbed mine.  It is the proverbial riddle to my days and it is how Erin Elberson, of Gluten Free Fitness and Wellness, starts her new E-Book  “7 Quick Start Tips for Living a Healthy Gluten Free Fit Life – Without Making Yourself Nuts in the Process”.

I think this is the conundrum that most of us face today.  We sabotage our success by taking on too much. We cannot do anything to the best of our potential because we are going in too many directions.  It applies to our work, our family life, and yes… to our diets and our health.

Erin addresses this right up front.  Altering a pattern of eating habits that have been established over a lifetime  cannot just be un-done with the flipping of a switch.   How can we expect ourselves to change them overnight?  The gluten free diet is not a “quick fix”.  It takes time to implement the changes gradually. It takes consistent effort to follow through and have them become in-grained as our new eating habits.

Hmmm… no wonder my husband resented me so much when I flipped his switch to the “Off” position and his gluten-filled world became a big black room.  I (humorously) thought my husband would be ecstatic to embrace the world of gluten-free eating and would see the light with this new lifestyle.  I am not sure why, but I expected him to be as excited for his newly Celiac-diagnosed self as I was for him.  Big. Mistake.

He started cheating on me. No. Not with another woman.  With gluten. My kids even ratted him out.  After one evening, when a particularly offending odor sent my 3 year old running from the room, my 6 year old (who actually equates the dangers of eating gluten with the dangers of smoking cigarettes) proclaimed “Mom, no wonder Dad has gas… he ate a bun on his hamburger at lunch.” Busted. Never did I think my boys would be my spies.

If I had had Erin’s book from the beginning, it would have dawned on me that the gentle approach would have been the right way to go.  Making a plan and taking it one step at a time would have made the world of difference for my husband.  My son and I had already been gluten free for years.  I thought this way of nourishing our bodies was a breeze.

After all, once you get the hang of it it is easy, right?  Unfortunately, I took that mentality with my husband. I should have known better.  The gluten-free lifestyle can seem daunting and overwhelming, even for those who have been eating this way for a while.

Erin lays it out from the beginning with her tips.  She makes it clear that this will not happen overnight.   She provides worksheets and tips on how to include the entire family in the plan.  She writes as if she were in the room with you having a conversation (although she very well could be, since she also offers personal consultations by Skype or Phone for one-on-one support).  You feel as if she has written this book just for you.  You walk away knowing “I can do this!” There is no uncertainty about it. She gives you the courage and the know-how.  She shows you how to get away from the habit of purchasing boxed processed convenience gluten-free foods. Instead, she gives you the resources to eat delicious real whole foods that are naturally gluten free.

She also includes:

* Bonus- Gluten Free Grocery List

* Bonus – Cheat Sheet about Hidden Grains

* Bonus – Gluten Free Resource Guide

* Bonus – Tips for a Gluten Free Kitchen

* Bonus –  Tips for Healthy Gluten Free Cooking

* The 7 Tips on Audio (mp3 file)

* Gluten Free Cooking Tips on Audio (mp3 file)

I am not going to tell you what the “7 Tips” are.  That would be no fun now, would it?  Instead, I hope I have teased you enough to go buy this book NOW! You do not even have to wait for it.  It will be delivered to your email right away.  You can get started on, or just enhance, your gluten free lifestyle  immediately.  Erin will grab your attention and give you the confidence you need to Live a Healthy Gluten Free Life, Without Making Your Self Nuts in the Process.

Side comment: I read this book out loud to my husband on a long car-ride.  His book report: “That’s it.  That is how I would have not been tempted to cheat.  Stripping me of all things gluten was like telling a child he/she could never have candy again. Of course there will be cheating, by way of deprivation”

Success: My husband finally got the hang of the gluten-free lifestyle and even had one of those “Aha” moments when he realized how good he felt without any gluten. He now has been gluten free for almost a year and he has NEVER felt better.  He no longer feels foggy-headed all of the time. He also now knows immediately when he has been “glutened”. He gets major brain fog and feels off for days.  He has lost over 15 pounds by staying gluten free. Lucky guy.

Okay, GIVEAWAY time!!

I am giving away one copy of this book.  I will use a Random Number Generator on Tuesday, August 24th to determine a winner.

You can be eligible by doing one (or all) of the following. Each one you do earns you an extra entry.

1. Leave a comment here.

2. Follow Erin Elberson on Facebook.

3. Follow ME on Facebook.

4. Follow Erin Elberson on Twitter.

5. Follow ME on Twitter.

6. Share this giveaway through Facebook or Twitter.

Just make sure to leave a comment here for each thing that you did, so I can enter you the correct number of times.

Okay…ready, set, GO!

If you like what you see here and do not want to miss a post, don’t forget to subscribe to my feed or have my recipes delivered directly to your inbox (you can enter your email address at the top of the page).