LUNA is graciously sponsoring this Gluten-Free LUNA Protein Bars Giveaway through my website/Facebook page! You can enter to win 3 boxes (36 bars) of your favorite flavors shipped directly to your door!
ENTER NOW.

Also, you can enter to win a stocked vending machine in your office loaded with LUNA Protein bars (for 6 months!!) over on their Facebook page here.

Food. It can bring people together. Or, it can set them apart. In my case, it was the latter.

Last December, I accepted a position with a PR firm in downtown Sacramento. It was one of the happiest days of my professional life. I had dreamed of working there for such a long time. Finally, it seemed I would be able to make decent money, pay my parents the remainder of what they loaned me a few years ago, pay down credit cards, pay off my school loan and most of all, fix up my condominium which despite being livable, was still quite dilapidated from being flooded two summers ago.

I hit the ground running, working on formatting a proposal that would be a key factor in the company’s win of a bid to do business with a certain Department of the State of California. I was in the office quite a lot (leading up to and right after Christmas) working 9-10 hours a day, making sure my work was accurate and completed by the designated deadlines.

To meet my deadlines and take time to check my work, I would often work through standard lunchtimes (when everyone else would go out to eat). I did this for many reasons: 1. I didn’t eat out for lunch because it saved me a ton of money. 2. I got a lot more work done when there were fewer interruptions and less noise. 3. I don’t really eat lunch, so why would I start going out for lunch?

Of course, just to be social and to get to know my coworkers a little more, I made it a point (especially in the beginning) to go with “the team” for lunch once a week (usually on Fridays, despite the fact I really couldn’t afford the extra $50-60 a month to do so). It was then I discovered I got along better with the guys on my “team”. It seemed like I was always sitting across from the women in my department. Still, I tried to be friendly towards them (despite my almost painful shyness), and I tried not to think about it too much. I just wanted to fit in.

I’m not sure what happened after the holiday, other than when I was asked about my diet, I responded that I had cut out flour, sugar, and most daily since March of 2011. I have to also say that other than on this website, I really don’t talk about Paleo that much (unless I am asked). I really don’t care what anyone else eats. Really, I don’t. Like any normal office setting, (especially a PR company) it was typical for the break room to be wallpapered with bagels, muffins, donuts, cookies, et cetera (if it had wheat in it was on the table). There was always an excuse for constant eating. And pressure to eat constantly. It was always someone’s birthday or anniversary, or a client that was coming in (so we had to have food for them), or a client that brought something in for us.

I was not there to eat, I was there to work. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE to eat. I just like to eat after my work is done. And, I would rather eat with my loved one. I don’t like to cram in errands and a sandwich in my mush in a hour time frame. In January, I treated my coworkers with some fun food samples from the Fancy Food Show, and again in February, I brought in a slue more from the Gluten Free Expo. And, I wasn’t really there to make friends, though I did respect my colleagues and definitely wanted them to like me. But, again, I was there to work and make money.

The donut and cake food frenzy continued past the holidays and I would always say “No, thank you.” or “None for me, thanks.” Maybe it was just too weird for people in the office. I could feel the awkwardness at times, but tried to overlook it. Besides, I thought I was safe because the HR department had set an appointment with me to receive benefits, and they had just placed me in the Business Journal’s People on the Move Section on January 24th! I was a PART of this company! I felt comfortable enough to wear some different hairstyles around the office, and I finally let my condition (alopecia) be known to a few people in the office. So, looking back, I’m not sure if it was my diet or my baldness that did me in…

Or maybe it was the day I went down to the second floor to get information on choosing medical, eye and dental insurance as well as other benefits in the human resources office, and I was accidentally handed a spreadsheet with a list of all the company employees (including the partners) and their salaries on it. I have to admit I stared at the sheet a few minutes before I even realized what it was… then I handed the paper back to the HR person and said, “I don’t think you intended for me to have this.” Yes, I am sure that didn’t help my cause either.

Then, on Valentine’s Day, Andy sent me a card about the size of Vermont, and a dozen red roses from Relles. I don’t think it helped my popularity either, but it sure did make me feel special. It’s so important in life to have a supportive partner. Especially when eating a certain way. And, especially when I lost a job I loved and worked so hard for, just short of three months after it started. On the day after Valentine’s Day, I was called down to the Human Resources office around mid-morning. My department director and the HR director were seated in her office. Within minutes, I was being escorted out. I was shocked and scared. Most of all, I didn’t know how I was going to tell Andy. I didn’t want him to be disappointed in me or think ill of me. My heart ached for explanation, and all they would tell me was, “It just wasn’t a good fit.” They must’ve really wanted rid of me because she practically walked me through how I could apply for unemployment that very morning and “it would be no problem” getting it. Huh?

So, I’ll never really know what it was. I am pretty certain one of the women in my department had it out for me (simply because she didn’t like me) and complained until I was gone. But I do know this: I was judged by my lifestyle and rubbed out. And maybe it was just everything combined about me that made me an outcast. And, sometimes people just suck.

I was never going to write about any of this because I was too embarrassed and to be honest, it’s still rather painful to think about (and actually pretty messed up that something like this could happen). That being said, I believe everything happens for a reason…LOL, though I am still trying to figure out what The Man upstairs has in store for me next. When LUNA contacted me about their latest promotion and the gluten-free bars, telling my latest debacle became somewhat dutiful.

Since gluten free snacking at work can be such a challenge (especially if people think you’re a freak for not eating wheat), LUNA wants to help you practice healthy workplace snacking with the “Feed Your Strength…At Work!” Facebook contest. Through June 30th, visit LUNA’s Facebook page and share how your office practices healthy habits and you’ll be entered to win a stocked vending machine full of delicious LUNA snacks including LUNA Protein- a great gluten free snack option that comes in five delicious flavors (Chocolate, Chocolate Cherry Almond, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cookie Dough and Mint Chocolate Chip) and has 12 grams of filling protein per serving so that you can do your best at work. The bars are quite delicious, however, they do not protect you from a knife in your back! My favorite is the Cookie Dough, as I have been on quite the cookie dough crack habit lately.

Two winners will receive:
1. A vending machine at their workplace stocked with LUNA bars for six months.
2. Six nutrition sessions with a LUNA nutritionist.

Enter by June 30th, 5pm EST. You can visit the LUNA Facebook page here and follow them on twitter here.

This week, you can enter to win 3 boxes of LUNA Protein bars, any flavor of your choice. Click here to enter the giveaway!!

Note: I realize that LUNA Protein bars are not Paleo, but I support healthier gluten-free products that would be of particular interest to athletes (especially runners).