Topic for day 2 was to talk about something you know alot about or are really good at. I totally racked my brain. (Almost didn't do the challenge because of this one topic!) Finally I decided to settle on being gluten-free. It's something I know alot about, because I live it everyday.
Here's my backstory:
I suffer from severe IBS. It sucks, is painful and uncomfortable and annoying. But about 6 months ago, right after the wedding, I started noticing different symptoms. After each and every meal, I would get extremely bloated. I legit looked like I was 3 months pregnant. <so not a good look> It was bad. And on top of the bloating was the pain. I couldn't wear normal pants, couldn't button my jeans because my stomach had bloated out so far and was so painful. It got to the point where I was afraid to eat my next meal. After talking to a couple of friends who suffer from celiac disease, I decided to get tested. I made an appointment at Beth Israel in Boston, at their celiac center.
One of the only ways to determine if you have celiac, is through bloodowork. If bloodwork comes back positive, they will do a GI scope (a procedure I was really not looking forward to). During a GI scope, they look to see if there is any intestinal damage, which is another indicator of celiac.
Well, my bloodwork showed that I did not have celiac disease. However, based on my symptoms and how my body reacted after eating gluten he thought it likely that I had a gluten sensitivity.
What is non-celiac gluten sensitivity?
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity has been coined to describe those individuals who cannot tolerate gluten and experience symptoms similar to those with celiac disease but yet who lack the same antibodies and intestinal damage as seen in celiac disease. Early research suggests that non-celiac gluten sensitivity is an innate immune response, as opposed to an adaptive immune response (such as autoimmune) or allergic reaction.
Source
Basically, my body couldn't handle gluten in the same way someone with celiac can't. While I likely had minimal intestinal damage, continuing to eat the way I was, would only make my symptoms worse.
So I immediately cut gluten out of my diet. People think it's so simple -- just don't eat bread or pasta. It is SO much more complex than that. Here is a quick list of foods that contain gluten:
Not so simple is it? Pretty much everything we consumed on a daily basis was on this list. And I'll admit, I didn't always eat very healthy :( I always had veggies with dinner, but I rarely ate breakfast, and most lunches consisted of protein and carbs. Lots of subs, pastas, ect. I (we!) were in for a major overhaul.
Over the past few months, I've gotten really good at eating (what I now call) "clean". We eat a TON more fruits and veggies. We eat rice or potatoes for a "starchy" side. I'm much more careful about making my own sauces, marinades, seasonings, ect. And I read the labels on everything. I don't eat anything that's been processed, but honestly, processed food is CRAP. It's so bad for you on so many different levels! I try to make sure that everything I put in my body is good for me.
My results were almost instant. I've even noticed a difference in my IBS symptoms. While they haven't gone away completely, I think the better diet has drastically affected how my body processes food now. Some days I push the limit -- "will one bite of bread really hurt me??" (yes it does!) -- and it's hard to stick to eating what I know is good for me. Some days, you really just want a red velvet cupcake!!
Before I wrap up, here are my two cents on buying premade gluten-free items. There are tons of them out there. Tons of breads, cookies, pastas ect. Some taste great, some taste like cardboard :/ But all of them are ridiculously expensive. $5.99 for a loaf of bread?! So I've learned to not buy things just because it has a "gluten free" label. There is one type of bread I buy and I've learned to use it carefully, and not fly through one loaf in a couple of days. Basically, I've learned to live without these typical items in my diet and am doing just fine. It's much cheaper that way too :)
Pinterest is my best friend for gluten-free recipes and I've found some amazing recipe blogs as well. Also, most recipes can easily be adapted with gluten-free items. Some of my favorites are skinnymom.com, theglutenfreespouse.com, and realfoodallergyfree.com.
Here are a few links to some of my favorite gluten-free recipes!
Szechuan Green Beans and Ground Turkey Recipe
Skinny Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Gluten Free Lasagna Casserole
So there's my story of living and eating GF! If anyone has any gluten-free recipes or tips they want to share, please let me know! I'd love to hear them :)
Hi! I stumbled across you blog through the May Challenge. I am doing it too!
ReplyDeleteI recently have become gluten-free due to some health issues as well and it has been a big adjustment! So glad to hear someone else is going through this. Thanks for sharing!
http://bridgetmarjorie.blogspot.com
Thank you for stopping by! I will have to take a peek at your challenge posts!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this post helped you -- it's definitely a struggle, but I promise it's worth it! If you ever need someone to vent to, I'm here! :)