Okay, this little episode in my life is too important not to
share. Early in January I was at Sprouts Market, a “healthy” food store here
in California, and spied a magazine about eating gluten free. I’ve always been
curious about gluten and purchased the magazine.
There were several great articles in it and one that gave me
enough of a clue about gluten intolerance and Celiac disease that I wanted to
know more. So, of course I went online.
Here’s what I found on the Celiac Disease Foundation's website –
CLASSIC SYMPTOMS MAY INCLUDE
·
Abdominal cramping, intestinal gas
·
Distention and bloating of the stomach
·
Chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both)
·
Steatorrhea – fatty stools
·
Anemia – unexplained, due to folic acid, B12 or
iron deficiency (or all)
·
Unexplained weight loss with large appetite or
weight gain
OTHER SYMPTOMS
·
Dental enamel defects
·
Osteopenia, osteoporosis
·
Bone or joint pain
·
Fatigue, weakness and lack of energy
·
Infertility – male/female
·
Depression
·
Mouth ulcers
·
Delayed puberty
·
Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
·
Migraine headaches
Without
being too personal, I had 10 of these symptoms. Now, I have no idea if I have
celiac disease or just gluten intolerance, but it doesn’t really matter because
the treatment is the same – quit eating gluten.
I’ve done that since Jan. 8th and all 10 of the symptoms have
disappeared. The one symptom that truly troubled me the most was persistent
fatigue. Long daily naps were a constant in my life. No longer. I’ve taken two short
naps since the 10th of January and I don’t feel as life has conquered
me anymore.
What it
takes to go gluten-free isn’t all that arduous. It’s too much to explain here,
but all the resources are online anyway.
If you’re
experiencing quite a few of these symptoms, I urge you to give it a try. I’m
also a diabetic so it had become a mental refrain “it’s the diabetes”. Well, in
this case, it wasn’t, and I'm so glad I gave it a shot.
Best news –
Blood Marys are gluten-free! Red’s a happy camper.
I am glad to hear that going gluten free is working for you. We (my roomie and I) did the gluten free thing back in the 90s. It was a lot harder to go gluten free back then. It is much more convenient now.
ReplyDeleteI wish that going gluten free had been "the magic bullet" for us. I'd be glad to be gluten free for life just to feel better.
I am always happy for people who find that by changing their diet that they are healthier and that nasty symptoms subside. It gives me hope.
I wish you well with your gluten free lifestyle and hope that you feel better with every passing day.
Cheers,
Ardee-ann
It is so much easier than I thought it would be. My local CHEAP grocery store surprised me by having big bright tags on things that were gluten-free. I was so amazed to start feeling better after just three days. All my pains, arthritic and otherwise - GONE. I have so much more energy than I had before and my brain fog has lifted. I would never have guessed this could be it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, buddy. I'm always happy to see your face and name. Gotta get back to your blog. Going right now!
So glad to hear you figured it out and are feeling better! I'm on an elimination diet right now to try and figure out my food allergies and am going to get the blood tests done tomorrow. Something tells me dairy is going to be the one I kiss goodbye...
ReplyDeleteOh - good for you! Dairy gives me some problems as well, but nothing like the gluten. Life is a whole new thing now. Here's hoping your list is short!
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