My Gluten Journey- Why I Eat Gluten Free
The beginning of my gluten free journey. Obviously, I look normal. However, I felt like I was packing around a small ten pound weight around my tummy.
It came to my attention recently I haven’t fully shared my story and my journey about why I eat Gluten Free.
It wasn’t until my early 30’s that I started to realize I may or may not have had a serious digestive issue. For as long as I can remember, I suffered from painfully sensitive skin/eczema, hives, digestive discomfort (that I had deemed as normal), and depression. I had been seeing a dermatologist since I was probably in my early teens for my skin issues, I was always handed a bottle of steroid cream and sent on my way.
Around 5 years ago, we took off for a road trip to Idaho from Washington. My skin was so unbearably miserable, it would bleed when I moved. At this time, I had realized maybe it was time for some advice. I made myself an appointment at a Natural Path. We sat for an hour discussing my diet, my digestion, my health, etc. When she went to the exam she took a quick look at my skin and said, your allergic to gluten.
I’m sitting there, in dis-belief “No way”. I think subconsciously I believed her, but didn’t want to. I left, and made another appointment at a different clinic.
Onto the next Natural Path- We dived back into my health, here she wasn’t nearly as hyper focused on Gluten (per say), she was focusing on my horrible digestion that I had oddly deemed normal. At this time I had been emotionally struggling. As a woman who had been in recovery from her eating disorder for a few years, I had struggled with accepting I had put on some weight. Trying to accept my body was going to change as I was now in my 30’s now, things will look different, right? However, I had felt absolutely miserable. I had put on weight yes, those numbers however didn’t matter. It was how I felt when I put a shirt on, that the tightness would cling to my already miserably bloated tummy.
This doctor knew something was wrong, and when I told her everything I ate, sent me running to the bathroom. No rhyme, no reason. She, sent me home with a breath test, to test for SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth). Few weeks went by, my test was positive.
Here, I was left with some relief. YES!! This miserable feeling I had, wasn’t normal. Ok, so during this time through my SIBO treatment, I held strong to a low fodmap diet protocol for 6 months +/- to a year. Possibly having an occasional bite of bread, or a beer. I had felt incredibly better! But not, “great”.
Fast forward to our honeymoon, where we spent 8 days wandering the gorgeous French Island of Saint Martin. Where the pastries were in abundance. Here, at this time- I thought, heck I feel fine. I’m sure it won’t make a difference.
Dreamy right?
3 days into eating a small pastry for breakfast, I could barely make it out of our hotel room without needing to rush to a bathroom.
Again, I wanted to continue to shrug this off as something else. Not consciously, yet our connection with food is emotional. It’s hard to let go.
I went home and continued on. The hardest struggles, I realized weren’t when I was home, it was when we vacationed. Most restaurants don’t offer any gluten free options, and certainly don’t offer any certified gluten free. Eating what is available came easy for me, not to burden anyone with my digestive issues. This is an incredible reflection on what our relationship with food can look like, and not even really know.
Shortly after our honeymoon, I registered with the NTA to become a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. I had felt, the best I had in YEARS!! I was getting somewhat enough rest, wasn’t running as much as I would have liked, however I was working full time and had my head buried in books.
Until…. we took off for yet another road trip. This time, I had planned far ahead. Prepping most of my food and finding ways to heat it on the go. I think I caved into my husband’s buttery sourdough toast a few times, and probably ate out somewhere that was not gluten free. As once again, I got sick- and my tummy blew up like a balloon. None of which helped my self-love journey.
Upon getting home, I had been to the Natural Path for a follow up blood draw. Which came back with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver. As someone who drinks, but not much, rarely eats any processed foods. We were stumped.
During a class study session, I sat with a colleague about my struggles and my liver enzyme panel. She was quick to ask, “have you ever been tested for Celiac?” No, I said. Well, sure enough after discussing with her, and doing some of my own rabbit hole research. That can happen. So, I rushed to my ND, to get a Celiac test.
So, the frustrating thing here is, you have to be actively eating gluten for the tests to be accurate. I was not, absolutely not going to do that to myself. So, she recommended, I do the 23&Me genetic test to see, if my body had the markers for Celiac. Sure enough, I do!
That was over a 1 hour ago. Since, I haven’t felt this great in years. My eczema has been in remission (besides one flare this fall due to stress from moving), my skin is not nearly as sensitive, in fact! I seem to handle the sun so much better. My depression is at bay.
However, until 2 weeks ago, I got gluten-ed after eating out, at a restaurant that had been claimed gluten free with a dedicated space. Sharing more about this on my Instagram - in highlights. So, I am now, re-healing from that.
Ok, so to wrap this up. Here are some common symptoms of Gluten Intolernace:
If you are unsure if you might be intolerant to Gluten, or have further questions, please email me
Note: NOW, if you are wondering or have wondered, “Is eating Gluten Free healthier”? Honestly, it depends. If you are eating Gluten Free because of health reasons like myself. Then YES. If you are picking up gluten free products at the grocery store vs. a whole wheat product because well, it’s healthy. Probably not, often those “gluten free” products are loaded with sugar to taste better. So no, not always is gluten free healthier.
If eating gluten free makes you feel better do it!
Thank you for tuning in, and I sure hope this helps you find clarity on your gluten free journey!
In health,
Amanda
“We can not completely start to love ourselves, if we aren’t comfortable within our bodies ”