I recently decided to switch to a gluten free diet. To be clear, I do not have Celiacs Disease but I have enough other symptoms of a gluten intolerance that I (and my doctor) thought perhaps it was worth it to give a gluten-free diet a try. Please understand that this is not a “diet” in the sense of the word that many people automatically think. While it is entirely possible that weight-loss could occur while eating gluten-free I am eating this way for my health and well-being. I am eating this way because when I don’t – I don’t feel good. Here is my story.
The list of symptoms for gluten intolerance is long. Just looking at a few of the symptoms almost anyone could diagnose themselves as gluten intolerant. That’s why it is so important to work with your doctor.
Some of my specific symptoms include:
- Weight Gain
- Abdominal Pain and Cramping
- Diareha
- Constipation
- Declining Dental health (increase in cavities, broken teeth, abcesses)
- Reproductive System Issues (Irregular periods, endometriosis)
- Hair Loss
- Numbness in toes
- Skin problems (acne and rosecea)
- Joint Pain
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypothyrodism
A little over two years ago I finally joined a health club and hired a personal trainer. I started to get the idea that something else must be wrong with me when I was working out three times a week and had greatly reduced my caloric intake and NOTHING was changing. Sure I gained muscle but that was about it. Very few pounds were lost, my body shape wasnt changing and I really wasn’t feeling much better. My physical indicated that my blood pressure was fantastic (120/72) and I had absolutely no issues with cholestorol so why did I feel so bad? This was when I really began to realize that there had to be more to it than just being overweight.
My individual symptoms along with the length of time I had been suffering from them were evaluated and paired with tests run by my doctor determined that a gluten intolerance may be my problem. Most of these issues have been things I have dealt with for years which were seemingly unrelated to eachother and were often things I attributed to the fact that I was getting older, was overweight and was generally inactive. My family has always joked that I am a hyperchondriac. In reality I have always been a pretty healthy person but often I just didnt feel good and had no good reason not to. Many times I went looking for something to be wrong just so I had a reason to explain why I felt bad.
The term gluten-free has been a buzz word on the internet for quite some time now so a quick google search can yeild millions of results and can overwhelm you with information. I recently read two really great books that I would highly recommend if you think you have a gluten intolerance.
The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide by Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Celiac Disease (Revised and Updated Edition): A Hidden Epidemic by Rory Jones and Peter H. R. Green
What does it mean to be gluten-free?
People who follow a gluten-free diet have to eliminate all gluten from their diet. Gluten comes mainly from wheat, rye and barley so the first obvious thing to get rid of is bread and pasta. Unfortunaly gluten can be hidden in many things from spices, salad dressings and sauces. Often it is the hidden things you have to really watch out for. Fortunately for me, in recent years I have not been as big a bread or pasta fan as I used to be. Perhaps my mind already knew I needed to avoid these things! Also since there is such an increased media awareness of gulten intolerance many companies are clearly labeling their gluten free products and many are producing gluten-free alternatives. In my small town I have already found three great sources of gluten-free products including pasta and bread and the great part is that they actually taste good!
So what does that mean for Eggs and Herbs?
Plain and simple, I will keep bringing you lots of great recipes as I always have. Although most of my recipes will be gluten-free my goal is going to be to provide recipes that prevent you from having to buy strange ingredients like sorhgum flour, arrowroot, xantham gum and so on. There are pleanty of websites and cookbooks out there that will provide you instruction on how to do that if you are so inclined. My goal will be to provide recipes that are completely free of gluten and gluten substitutes. They will just be healthy gluten-free recipes.
But I’m not gluten-free, you say.
Don’t worry! My husband isn’t either and I will still occasionally bring you some gluten-laden recipes. Additionally my sister does a great series here on Eggs and Herbs called {Find it, Make it}. She and her family are not gluten-free and she always shares some delicious stuff!
Being gluten-free is still pretty new to me. I am only a few weeks in to my journey. Overall it hasnt been that difficult and the fact that I haven’t had to chew Tum’s or down Alka-seltzer on a daily basis is an early testament to the effect being gluten-free has on me. One setbeack and three slices of gluten-laden pizza later had me convinced this was the way to go.
