Surprise! You’re gluten-free

This is not how I wanted to start 2020, especially in the early months of an epidemic shutdown due to COVID-19. This should be the time to embrace the bread, all the bread, all the baked goods, right?

Please tell me this is a joke! (On a side note, thank goodness red wine is gluten-free, primarily. More on that later)

How it all started

I was noticing that I just wasn’t feeling right. Something was off. I was sluggish and my stomach always seemed to feel…uncomfortable. 

Time would pass and I would ignore it, file it away in the ‘figure it out later’ folder, as I had other things to focus on like family, work, and my son’s sports schedule HA!

I had also had Covid earlier and thought, maybe I was still feeling the after-effects since there was so much unknown about this virus.

One day, I was having a video coffee date with some girlfriends, since no one was allowed out of their houses. We were talking about our diets in general and about how certain foods make us feel. A friend said she did an elimination diet to see if she had reactions to certain foods since she recently found out she was allergic to dairy. 

To be honest, I never even considered food allergies. I’ve always been a food lover and lucky enough to be able to eat whatever I craved. I was lucky to select ‘No’ to all those allergy questions.

Wow, how things have changed.

Learning I was gluten-sensitive

I decided to go through somewhat of an elimination diet, by just removing dairy and gluten for two weeks. I was feeling great, with no issues and a bit more energy. That elimination diet ended when my husband kindly bought me my favorite coffee cake muffin from our local market. It was so delicious, so decadent and so all the things good. About 15 minutes later, I was feeling pains in my stomach. It also looked like I was having a baby all over again (6-7 months along all of a sudden) and I quickly felt very off. I had these muffins before with no problem, yet now it’s a crazy town in my belly.

I realized it could very well be dairy and/or gluten, but which one? So I had to jump back on the elimination of both, then slowly reintroduce dairy and see how things go. After another 2+ weeks, I reintroduced dairy. Hallelujah, no issues! YES, thank goodness cheese is still in my life!   

 

Now came the next test, gluten!

It was like getting your report card and knowing you were great in some subjects, but wondering if you really did well enough on that one last test.

I continued with the GF life for about another week when my sweetheart of a son made me breakfast in bed. It was one of my favorites, simple, and reminds me of childhood. It was a Thomas English Muffin, toasted, with some peanut butter on it melting into those perfect little nooks and crannies. 

Within about 10-15 minutes, I knew. What I was feeling after wasn’t Thomas & PB bliss, it was stomach issues and bloating so bad that again, I was 7 months pregnant almost instantly.

Note: I luckily enjoyed PB this entire time, so thank goodness that wasn’t the issue. 

Testing for gluten sensitivity

My elimination diet proved something was going on when eating gluten. Throughout the next few weeks and months, I tested that theory a few times, mostly accidentally when finding some of those sneaky gluten offenders. It was time to go to the doctor and explain to her what I was feeling, the process and approach I took, and learn a little bit more about what I needed to do to confirm if I was truly gluten-sensitive.

The challenge with getting tested for gluten sensitivity is you need to have gluten in your system to identify whether or not you have an allergy to it. Since I’ve primarily had it out of my system for the past few months, except for those little accidents, I didn’t really have any gluten in my system. So to do a proper test, I would have to eat gluten, which I already know is uncomfortable and is a painful way to learn whether or not this is even a problem.

My doctor actually recommended against testing me. She said you’ve already kind of figured it out and must have a sensitivity, so therefore why even go through that process? 

Should you test for gluten sensitivity?

The answer really is… Yes!

Although my doctor suggested not to test…and to be honest with you, I regretted it. I have regretted not going through official testing from the beginning of this journey and ensuring it was, in fact, gluten and not something else like celiac disease, for example, causing this reaction.

Now, you might be sure you’re gluten sensitive and have put yourself through all the personal testing, researched all the different pages throughout the entire internet, and watched all the YouTube videos and documentaries on gluten, but no one knows your body and what’s going on inside…like you do.

I highly recommend taking that test and doing it now to also ensure you don’t cause further damage because you’re treating the wrong problem or a similar problem in the wrong way.

So take that time to enjoy eating whatever you miss. Don’t go too crazy with the bread and cupcakes, and prepare yourself for some discomfort. Get that testing done and validate for yourself.

To help reduce the symptoms of gluten sensitivity after enjoying your treats, read this for some recommended remedies to ease the discomfort. Gluten Relief and Remedies

More on why you need to test coming soon…

Gluten Free Today

I am now going on over 4 years of being gluten-free. I’ve learned a lot along the way and my sensitivity or intolerance to gluten has morphed a bit since it’s been absent from my body for a while now. Although it isn’t always the easiest, I try to take it with a bit of humor and some preparation to make life easy. 

Below are some quick tips:

• Always have snacks
• Research ahead of time: Check restaurant menus in advance, sporting venues often have information on their main page, etc.
• When traveling, check airline and airport options (check here for airline info)
• Bring your GF app (I currently use Find Me Gluten Free) 
• Make it an adventure and try new foods, new recipes
• Try not to get frustrated, focus on what you have 

I guess gluten-free life is for me. Or better yet, what the heck…GF!