- New year, new diet, but it’s not for healthy-eating reasons, although that’s a happy consequence. It’s an attempt to relieve recent indigestion and abdominal pains after eating. I visited a gastroenterologist who advised me to try a low FODMAP diet, meaning no wheat, milk, onions, garlic, apples and other delicious food.
- I’m hoping the diet proves unnecessary. There are plenty of gluten-free alternatives available these days, but they’re more expensive and just not as tasty. I have further blood test results and scans to come, but in the meantime I’m carefully sticking to the rules.
- I’m also doing Dry January. It’s a cold, dark, miserable month, but because (normal) beer has gluten I thought I may as well go all-in and join others in cutting out the booze. The first week has been easy. Let’s see how I go.
- My Christmas break ended and I went back to work. Well, back to my garden office. Many of my team had taken off a few extra days so I enjoyed some uninterrupted time to focus on some projects.
- After many failed ballot attempts I finally succeeded in buying Arsenal tickets for oldest son, H, and me. Sunday’s FA Cup third round tie against Liverpool was his first Arsenal match. It was good to be back at The Emirates for the first time this season. Sadly we lost a frustrating match 2-0, but he loved the rest of his day: seeing Gabriel Martinelli play, singing the songs, hearing the stadium roar and especially eating his prematch hotdog.
