Yesterday was our 2 month GFree (gluten free) anniversary. To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I thought I might share some of the benefits I’ve seen in my health. To truly see the benefits, I’ll have to explain some of the symptoms I had before going Gluten Free (GFree). I will try my hardest to be delicate in explanations, however, when dealing with health issues (especially those dealing with the GI tract), it’s not always easy. If you’re squeamish, you might want to skim.
Pre-GFree Life:
- migraines up to 5 times a week; at least one a month was “debilitating” or I couldn’t move/function
- lack of energy all the time
- starving all the time
- eat and 20 minutes later using the restroom; often with painful cramps for hours
- Low/High insulin reaction type symptoms; eat and then feel dizzy or woozy. Once, I actually thought I was going to have to go to the ER.
- Bowels that were water
- For days I would just stay near the restroom because I was cramping/using it so often
- Inability to live and enjoy a “normal” life because I needed to know where a restroom was AT ALL TIMES
- Scared of food because I was only sick if I ate
- Unable to lose weight even though I wasn’t eating much and working out a lot
- Constantly nauseous
- bloating after eating
- easily confused/lack of concentration/lack of focus or desire to do things
- inability to eat fruits/veggies without cramps/loose bowels
What made me explore living Gluten Free? I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) in the spring of this year. IBS, from what I understand, is a syndrome for which doctors cannot find a cause. Most people find that it is related to stress. Some experience IBS with bloating/cramping/diarrhea. Others experience IBS with constipation. Most experience IBS with a swing of the two.
The FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) that first diagnosed me with IBS started me on a couple of different prescriptions. They worked for the most part, but I was still getting sick often. Finally, we started going to a different doctor and she just issued the same scripts. She also wanted me to go see an OB/GYN to get some things checked out. That’s when I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome). PCOS is going to be the topic of an entire blog post later, so I’ll just simply explain it as a syndrome which affects the reproductive system.
At that time, I was active in an online community and one of my good friends in that community is a Celiac. My friends were concerned about how sick I was and asking for updates. So, I started a thread on my diagnoses and people were giving me information all over the board. However, about five people kept telling me to get tested for Celiac. I’d read about Celiac disease and felt that I didn’t have it. I would live on ginger ale and saltines for weeks at a time, so I must not be too intolerant of gluten or the crackers would make me sick. Finally, my good friend just recommended that I google PCOS, IBS and gluten free. I found a lot of anecdotal evidence of people seeing relief from their symptoms with a gluten free menu. So, I decided to cut out obvious gluten-containing foods for a day or two at a time. When I did, I found that I felt better. So then, I upped it to a week. Finally, I talked with both the OB/GYN and my GP and told them I’d like to do a 6 month gluten free trial.
So what results have we found in month 2 of going GFree???
- Only one migraine in two months
- I eat and feel full very quickly
- I’m not starving all the time (except when on steroids for the bronchitis)
- Bowels are normal and regularly scheduled
- Lost 5lbs with little to no effort
- Not afraid of food any longer
- Eat without getting sick
- No more odd “insulin-like” symptoms
- Able to eat fruits and vegetables without being sick (I’ve eaten 6 salads in the past month…which is huge for me)
- Energy levels (when not sick with bronchitis) are higher
- Clearer thoughts/comprehension/focus
- No more nausea
Basically, with the exception of being a little gluten paranoid, I live a NORMAL life. Since college, I haven’t been able to eat without getting sick. And I’ve never been able to eat vegetables…my entire life! I now find that I like to eat soup and salad. For a long time the joke in our family was, “Free Spirit do you like X food?” and my parents would answer, “Is it green? Then, no!” Now I like to eat cucumbers and spinach. Some of the veggies are still a little tough on my system, but I am quite sure that with time, patience, and re-training my taste buds, I’ll be able to eat lots of veggies.
I’m pretty sure that I’m going to be GFree for the rest of my life…and that’s ok. It’s worth the cost, effort, and limited selection of foods to be able to have a full and wonderful life. Not to mention, so many people care about me and keep giving me cookbooks or sending me recipes that are GFree that I’m not missing out on much!
Hmmm…now to find an excellent GFree brownie recipe. I’ve been craving them for months. I like mine all fudgy and chewy (which is hard to do without gluten).
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