Hi, I'm Dr. Jean Layton. In diverse jobs from chef to doctor, I've used my analytical skills to address the ongoing goal, "There has to be a better way." When not seeing patients, I'm in the social media world, teaching people to thrive gluten-free.
Have you been feeling like October is a many armed amorphous blob, wiggling its way into every bit of your being?
Ok, so maybe it is just me.
October is one of my favorite months with tendrils of fog in the mornings, crisp leaves underfoot and the smell of sweet spices on winter squashes wafting from the kitchen. This one looks to be even more amazing than usual since the typical fall rains are holding off, leaving the colorful trees to be enjoyed just a bit longer.
Fall leaves
October is one of the saddest when I think of people I love who have gone.
My mothers birthday, she should have been 93. I wish she would be 93.
Wish she could have met my daughters, made butterscotch with them, reassure them that these crazy financial times have happened before and the country got through them. But the reality is that she passed on at 75 without ever having met them. I get to keep the butterscotch tradition alive, and tell lots of stories about her and my Dad.
My first husband died in October. His death is the reason that I am a doctor now, with a depth of knowledge about how to heal using whole foods that I happily share here.
That is what October is to me, a recognition of the influences and impacts that create each one of us as unique individuals.
And for the rest of the world, October is a powerful month as well. No, not just because of Halloween either.
Halloween Cupcakes from @GFDoctor and twins circa 2007
It is Celiac Awareness Month
It’s Non-GMO month
It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness month
and National Apple Month,
But most of all it is October Unprocessed.
October Unprocessed 2012 from @EatingRules http://www.eatingrules.com/October-unprocessed-2012/
Once again Andrew Wilder from Eating Rules is challenging us to eat for an entire month only those foods that aren’t highly processed.
I remember questioning Andrew in 2010 when he proposed the first blogger October Unprocessed.
Did freezing produce from our garden count as processing?
Did canning our own jam count?
Did making our own cheese count as processed?
Funny me, those are exactly the techniques he wants us to use. The ways that people have made a harvest last for millenia.
My past contributions to October Unprocessed have been my flour chart and a discussion of gums.
This year, I’ll be discussing why the number of gluten intolerant people has been rising so fast.
So click on through to Eating Rules, Pledge now to join us for October Unprocessed.
If you tweet, we’ll be using the #unprocessed tag.
Jean, so sorry to hear of your losses. What blessings have come from the loss of your first husband. You have honored him and your mom in such a beautiful way.
Thanks Stephanie.