it's been 6 months since you looked at me

Gluten that is...

I can’t believe it’s been 6 months already since I cut gluten out of my diet. So, I’ve decided to use this post as an informational tool of symptoms I had, what I’ve done since and the next steps. Perhaps this post may help you or someone you know who hasn’t been feeling themselves lately or even for a long time. I must say that I started this gluten free diet NOT as a method of losing weight (which was a by-product of it) but as a method of getting back to health and well-being. Check and check…
First, gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. So anything with traditional flour is off limits: bread, cake, pizza, crackers, most cereals, pasta to name a few. There are less obvious items with gluten too: most broths, soy sauce, stuff with malt flavoring which comes from barley, and canned soups. Sounds like I can’t eat anything, doesn’t it?

There are several options out there using alternative flours: tapioca, rice, sorghum, potato are a few I’ve been using. And there are also all-purpose gluten free baking mixes you can get. Corn based or rice based pastas and wheat free alternatives for soups, broths and soy sauce are also out there. You just have to read the ingredients and find other options. Yes, it can be a pain sometimes but believe you me, it’s worth the time and effort. Check out the symptoms I had before I went gluten-free and you’ll discover why I really don’t mind the extra work.

MB’s Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance/Sensitivities
(this is not a comprehensive list-just my experience)

 Feeling better on an empty stomach, feeling worse after I’ve eaten
 Completely puffy and bloated all the time
 Feeling like I never get enough sleep, the morning is my enemy (this can also show it’s ugly self with a newborn and/or children in general which is why I didn’t discover it right away)
 Major digestion issues, one extreme or the other
 Sluggish and unmotivated no matter how well your intentions may be
 Stomach/intestinal cramps most of the time resulting in…
 The sensation of a pit in your stomach which just won’t go away
 Feeling heavy like gravity is pulling you down more than it used to


Sounds miserable, right? Pretty much. So where did this come from since I didn’t have this problem forever? Well, the jury is still out on this. Gluten issues can be hereditary but some believe as do I, that it can show up from a traumatic event to the body. Ie. Surgery, accidents like a car accident, pregnancy and/or miscarriage. I have experienced 3 of the 4 listed in the past 2 ½ years. So I think it started on a minor scale back in the fall of 2005 and grew exponentially after Emma was born last year, a pregnancy and a c-section. Basically the body identifies gluten a toxin and therefore tries to "kill" it during digestion and therefore "kills" any nutrients along with it instead of absorbing it properly.

I’ve been asked if I think I’ll have this the rest of my life. I really don’t know. But please, don’t feel bad for me. Thank the Lord like I do that the problem I was having has a solution. And frankly, it’s an easy one, changing my diet by changing ingredients. No major life changes or expensive medications. I am very grateful.
Yeah, sometimes I just want a pizza, a regular crust pizza but I think of my past symptoms and forget it, no thanks!

What’s next? Well I’m currently collecting various flours so I can put together my own baking mixes from a gluten free cookbook I have. They’re expensive but I’m in no rush. There are also 2 gluten free places I really want to check out in my area. One is a bakery. Are you kidding? A gluten free bakery? I haven’t gone yet because well, I know I'll spend too much $$. AND, just recently a gluten free café/take out place opened up in our area. Yeah, I can’t believe it either and yes, same reason why I haven’t gone yet. I’ve got to pace myself. (:

Little recap:
January 08-before gluten free


July 08- 6 months gluten free


Hey Miss January 08, nice knowin' ya, good riddance! (: