gluten free for 32 days!

On January 1 I decided to stop eating gluten. I wanted to see if I had an allergy or intolerance to it. I have been struggling with my weight since I had Pibs despite trying all kinds of diets and doing regular exercise. I have spent an astonishing amount of money on trying to get my old body back to no avail. Food allergies can accompany gallbladder issues and this struggle began when my gallbladder went bad. I also had mystery inflammation after the gallbladder removal that they thought was either RA or Lupus but turned out to be neither. They never bothered to find out where it was coming from--maybe a gluten intolerance?

So I decided to stop eating gluten. I skipped the blood test because I am completely frustrated with doctors who refuse to listen to me or try to help me. They just told me to eat less and move more. And when I said that wasn't working they thought I was lying.

The first two weeks were the worst. Seriously, my body craves carbs like nothing else! But I stuck to it pretty closely. There were a few times when I just decided to eat the gluten despite the consequences. But the further I get down this gluten free path, the worse the payback when I do eat gluten!

After the first three days, I noticed a MAJOR mood change. I felt like this fog that has been over me for the past four years lifted. I started to really enjoy my kids for the first time in a long time. I started to parent creatively again instead of just going through the motions. I always felt so beat and exhausted that I could do the bare minimum but that was it. I used to take at least 6 Advil a day--I've taken 2 in the last 32 days. My body just doesn't hurt the way it used to.

So now when I do eat the gluten, I know that I will hardly be able to walk the next morning due to the pain that shows up in my ankles. I know that my brain will feel fuzzy and I will feel so tired. I know that my tolerance for children will be diminished. It is to the point now where those feelings are starting to outweigh my desire for pizza! Never thought that would happen.

My food cravings have all but disappeared. I eat almost no processed food anymore. My one indulgence is gluten free tortilla chips--they are so tasty!! I eat a lot of fruit and veggies, nuts, chicken, brown rice, quinoa and greek yogurt. I haven't really tried to replace the gluten filled items with gluten free ones. I do have a loaf of gluten free bread but it really only tastes good when it is toasted so I save it for the panini press. Plus, it is $5 for a very small loaf so I try to make it last!

I've read some criticism of eating gluten free. I think that if you just replace gluten crackers with gluten free crackers or eat gluten free brownies, you really aren't catching the point of this. I am doing this because it makes me feel so much better and I realize I don't need all those empty carbs that come with gluten. I'm trying to eat as little processed foods as possible instead of eating gluten free processed foods.

I didn't have to worry about any of this until I was pregnant with Pibs--I've never had a food allergy before. But even if I did a blood test and it showed no allergy I would continue eating this way because I think the way I feel now is totally worth. Never discount the power of food to heal your body!

And the best part? (TMI alert) I haven't had diarrhea since I started! That is the longest I have gone without it since I had Pibs!