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| Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional by any means, these are purely my personal experiences. |
This has been a highly requested blog post that I will admit, has taken me quite some time to write due to the fact that it is somewhat of a sensitive subject for me. Even though it is a touchy subject, I’m not here asking for a pity party but rather am excited to let you guys in on a little part of my life and answer some common questions that I get. Sometimes it can be frustrating explaining why I made the lifestyle change because people who do not quite understand like to poke fun because over the years it has become such a popular health trend. In short, eating gluten free literally saved my life.
Why did you go gluten free?
For a couple of reasons actually, but I will share more below! I have always been extremely low on the growth percentile and have always had a lot of stomach pain and nausea after eating foods that still had gluten in it. When I was still eating gluten, I went to get some lab work done, and one of the things that I was unintentionally tested for that came back positive was Celiac Disease. If I were to get tested for it now, it would come back negative since I don’t eat gluten anymore.
What is Celiac Disease?
Essentially, Celiac Disease is an auto-immune disease causes your immune system to “freak out” when you eat gluten. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, barley, and rye. The only way that I can make sure that I don’t have a flare-up/reaction is to live a gluten free lifestyle. If I were to eat gluten, my small intestine would flare up and become inflamed. Overtime, constant inflammation could seriously damage my small intestines and cause a lot of other scary things like MS, osteoporosis, seizures, heart disease, intestinal cancer, and fertility issues.
How long have you been eating gluten free?
I have strictly been eating gluten free since I was about 17 years old, so almost 6 years. When I lived on campus my freshman year of college, my school cafeteria had little to no gluten free options, my dorm only had a communal oven (that was probably never cleaned). I made some really stupid decisions that I still regret to this day and just ate about whatever which resulted in me getting extremely sick the Spring Semester of my freshman year of college.
What things are off limits?
Anything that has wheat, barley, or rye in it I can not eat. Basically, the “regular” form of everything such as pasta, bread, cookies, pastries, flour tortillas, pizza, sandwiches, fried foods, beer, etc. It can also be found in items like cheese, processed meats, seasonings, and even french fries. It has become such a common additive that sometimes eating out can be a pain so I am always sure to either look at the menu beforehand or ask the waiter a lot of questions. Another thing that is off limits is sharing appliances that are difficult to clean. For example, to avoid cross contamination, at home I have my own toaster separate from everyone else.
What things can you eat?
I can eat all those same items above as long as they are labeled Gluten Free and are made out of any of the following: rice flour, corn, cassava flour, quinoa, cauliflower, etc. I check the labels on everything I eat just to make sure and be safe.
What were some of the symptoms that you experienced pre diagnosis?
I had so many that at the time I did not know that they all were correlated. Genetics do play a large factor in it that I struggled to put on weight, but it was still something to be concerned about. Shoutout to all my fellow EnSure Kids! Stomach Aches also became the norm for me. I would always feel sick to my stomach and in some cases I would get sick. Looking back, I would always try to eat Subway and all this time I thought that I was getting food poisoning. My body would always get super inflamed and swollen and I felt like I had the flu. As I got older, my migraines got progressively worse and I also developed psoriasis that started on my elbows and spread all over my body.
What was your result post diagnosis after switching to eating gluten free ?
I gained 20 pounds! Before, I was eating gluten and my body wasn’t any of absorbing the nutrients. Now I am finally able to process and absorb the nutrients. I’ve also had less migraines, and less stomach issues. I only experience flare-ups if I am accidentally exposed through cross contamination. My psoriasis has also cleared up immensely! My only tricky area is still my elbows. I can tell if I ate something that I wasn’t supposed to because my elbows will start to flare up.
What was the hardest change?
Gluten Free Food is very expensive! Groceries are ridiculous and and some restaurants will uncharge you for making modifications to your meal. Aside from that, eating out is difficult for me. A lot of restaurants are getting better at providing options other than a salad, which I definitely appreciate. However, even though more options are presented it does not always mean that they are the safest options. I have learned that I have to steer clear of pizza and burgers even if they offer a gluten free crust or bun because I still find myself getting sick due to the cross-contamination in restaurant kitchens. Another thing that has been difficult for me is the change in texture and sometimes the taste! I have always been a huge pasta eater and so I found it easy to adapt to eating pasta that is a corn and rice mixture. I learned quickly that I don’t like brown rice pasta. Lastly, this is not really a “change” but some people who are uneducated like to tease you about eating gluten free and don’t understand how something like a small piece of bread can make you sick. It sounds silly but it doesn’t help that I am already naturally thin, so I am sure you could imagine some of the comments. I learned to develop thick skin and stand up for myself on multiple occasions.
What has been the easiest change?
I have always been a clean eater and have rarely ever ate fast food other than Chick-fil-a, so I like that I am able to make healthier eating choices. A lot of people who are uneducated about what being gluten free consists of automatically assume that all I eat are salads. Wrong! Don’t get me wrong, I love vegetables, but I find salads to be boring no matter how much you jazz them up. I eat a lot of home-cooked meals rather than eating out so learning and experimenting with new foods and recipes has been fun! My friends and family are also very supportive and accommodating and are always looking out for me, scope out the menu beforehand at restaurants, etc. Lastly, I also have to ensure that I drink a lot of water, which is something that I have always done a great job with. A lot of gluten free foods have a lot of extra salt and sugar to make it taste good.
Is there any non-gluten free food that you miss the most?
Don’t laugh at me, but I really miss the Spicy Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-a! As I mentioned above, Chick-fil-a is the only fast-food place that I ever really ate and still eat. Their fries are my weaknesses! Now when I go there I order the 8 Count Grilled Chicken Nuggets Meal and douse them in Buffalo and Polynesian Sauce.
What are some common misconceptions about having a gluten free lifestyle?
A lot of people get it confused with having a gluten sensitivity or gluten allergy. I would equate a gluten sensitivity to being lactose intolerant and a gluten allergy to a normal food allergy. Celiac is more than that as it affects your entire immune system for days on end. Also, being gluten free has become a “trend” that a lot of people who don’t actually need to eat gluten free do because they think it’s healthier. In reality, it’s actually not because there are a lot more added calories, sodium, and sugars to make it taste better.
