Today marks the day that I have been completely gluten-free for one and a half years. I wanted to talk about how much better I have felt and how to start a gluten-free diet. I originally started a gluten-free diet because I was getting stabbing pains in my stomach where I couldn't move for 30 minutes to an hour.
Going, gluten-free has recently become a huge trend to help cleanse your body by cutting out unnecessary carbs. A year and a half ago I was diagnosed as celiac, I knew that gluten-free was a trend but what I didn't realize was how hard it would be to find alternatives or order at a restaurant.
Before I knew what was wrong with me, I went through test after test to try to figure out why I had such severe cramps, nausea, fatigue, weight gain, and rashes. I could not find a solution for a very very very long time. I was sleeping upwards of 12 hours between napping after school and going to bed at 8. I couldn't find a way to fight my fatigue. for his, I got tested for
Anemia, mental health issues, thyroid, and sleeping disorders. Many of these problems have the same symptoms I was receiving form gluten.
My doctor had no clue what was happening to me and forced me to track my diet for 3 months and explain my pains, fatigue, nausea, all of it. Honestly, this was useless. My boyfriend was also suffering from lactose issues and a few other things, so he went to a nutritionist who tested skin ruction though a pole to the different allergens. When I went to my appointment, my results came back extremely high for wheat/gluten. As well as dairy, coke, and Splenda.
Understanding Gluten
Gluten is a protein that can be found in wheat, rye, and barley. For those who are allergic or intolerant, gluten damages the smaller intestine, not allowing our body to absorb the nutrients we are consuming daily.
Some Rules
1. It's okay to screw up
Sue me. I’m human. In the first week I drank vodka at a party before I was on my ass puking 10 minutes after. In the second week I has tacos, apparently all tacos aren't made from corn?
2. I was getting more vitamins/nutrients than before
I started eating more nuts, meat as well as more vegetables, and was definitely getting a more balanced diet and more vitamins and minerals than before.
3. I was coking more
Even living in residence I would come home and prepare a weeks worth of food prep, go to the grocery store more often, and learn healthy microwave recipes.
Hardest part about being gluten free?
For me, the hardest part is worrying about cross-contamination. In my residence and most residence, the deep fryer is shared for every food. Your gluten-free chicken fingers are going in the same oil as the regular chicken finger which will lead to an uncomfortable day/night. One of the foods I miss the most is just having a burger with a bun on it, or McDonald's nuggets.
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