Hello friends! So it has been just over a year since I made the decision to go gluten-free, and it’s definitely been one of the best decisions I’ve made in this life! I’ve learned that there is a vast and delicious world on the other side of wheat, and one that alleviates many chronic problems. In the past year I have not had one episode of itchy, swollen eyes that plagued me the two years prior, and I stopped getting hives on my legs that had also cropped up at the same time. And since I have been a little girl I have gotten ulcers in my mouth, behind my gums, or in the deep crease of the lower lip and gum line, but I am thankful to say that the only time that has happened to me this year is when I insisted on eating a piece of my mother’s Kentucky Butter cake at Christmas. Lesson learned.
One of the biggest things I have learned this year though is just how common Celiac disease and gluten/wheat sensitivities really are. Every single time I have told someone new that I have a gluten intolerance, not a single person didn’t know what I meant. In fact, almost every single person I’ve told for the first time has quipped back, “oh my cousin/friend/aunt/etc. has that too!” It is just that common. Restaurants and chefs are being much better educated on the matter, and many offer gluten-free menus or have a protocol to follow when a diner mentions the allergy. It’s amazing.
I’ve also heard stories recently about suspected cases of celiac disease finally being considered after years of thinking friends had some other disease or just couldn’t figure out what was going on.
Case in point: remember my friend with the acid reflux I got all enraged about when her doctor told her food didn’t have anything to do with what was going on with her? Just a few weeks ago he mentioned the possibility that she might have Celiac disease! After having umpteen biopsies of her esophagus taken just to have him say “nothing is wrong with you” and NOW he’s suggesting what I told her to consider all along? Drive me nuts! She had to have a colonoscopy where they found benign polyps, blood work done where they found antibodies that might suggest that she have lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (both of which can be misdiagnosed when gluten is the actual culprit), and a slew of other relatively minor symptoms when taken one at a time, but when added together drastically point towards a gluten issue. And speaking of theumatoid arthritis, I learned about an old co-worker of mine who was diagnosed with RA as a child and is now on a gluten-(and I believe dairy-)free diet. She is also medication and symptom free. Can I be any more emphatic here as to how little the medical world truly knows about what our food is potentially doing to our bodies?
I even had a client on my massage table a few weeks ago describe a story about white patches on her tongue that she’s had since childhood that no doctor could ever give her an explanation for. She also suffered from small mouth ulcers here and there as well, and has a history of dealing with bloating and minor GI issues. To try to shed a few pounds, she went on a carb-free diet and after just a few days her tongue looked like a normal tongue, and she lost the bloat! She went on vacation and tossed the diet out the window, and immediately got the white spots and an ulcer in her mouth. I of course told her it sounded like a wheat or gluten issue, and she had an epiphony when I told her some other types of symptoms, because she’s dealt with them all. She’s been experimenting with her diet now, and is finally realizing what’s been plaguing her all along!
So I urge anyone and everyone out there to do your own experiments with gluten and wheat. Celiac disease isn’t simply having horrible stomach pains and diarrhea after a meal. The signs and symptoms can be extremely subtle. Diseases that are currently linked to gluten intolerance include any auto-immune diseases like RA and lupus, and things like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and depression, skin conditions, and infertility. Mood swings, terrible PMS, hives, eczema, psoriasis, are often times improved or reversed entirely on gluten-free diets. Infertility is gaining a lot of momentum right now in its correlation to Celiac disease, so anyone who’s been having trouble getting pregnant or suffering from miscarriages should consider it. That goes for men and sperm production as well!
Obviously, going gluten-free is not a cure all for everything. Many conditions are based on a complex equation of nutrient deficiencies, genetics, food intolerances, chemical intolerances, Candida overload, etc. However, gluten sensitivities are increasing rapidly and if you suffer from any chronic complaints, it’s worth trying out.
It should be noted that many people who are sensitive to gluten are also sensitive to dairy (specifically casein, the protein in milk), which is why many people are on both diets, like myself. There is also much evidence to support a GFCF diet will improve children on the autistic spectrum. Many are so benefitted by the diet that they are no longer considered to be autistic, but they must adhere to the diet or symptoms could return.
Let it also be known that while the signs and symptoms are very similar, Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease that can be triggered at any stage in life and is different from gluten or wheat allergies or sensitivities, which can be overcome with careful dietary planning and intestinal fortification. Celiac disease is also hereditary, so if anyone in your family has been diagnosed, you should be checked as well. It is the most common in north western European blood-lines. In fact, almost everyone I’ve met with Celiac disease has been Irish or has mixed northern European ancestries, but that doesn’t mean they are the only ones!
After decades of minor health problems that never seemed to pose any real threats, I finally feel healthy and in control of my body. I know what will happen when I consume certain foods and in certain combinations, and I know how to reverse any ill effects when I’ve crossed the line. I have to say…that’s a pretty powerful feeling!
So here’s to being gluten-free for one year, and many more to come!
