Gluten free foods seem to be all the craze these days. If you would have asked me about gluten 2 years ago I wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about. But now you see it everywhere you go.
Celebrities have been known to openly express their issues with gluten and are now gluten free. Just to name a few; Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, and Gwyneth Paltrow all have publicly announced their gluten free lifestyles.
Realization
I have had stomach problems for at least 6 years now. I've been to doctors and I've had my fair share of tests done to pinpoint the problem. They'd always say something like "Well you could improve your diet, take this medication, exercise, etc., etc." I think you get it. So I would do all of that and the medicines would work for a little while and I'd be relieved that I have finally found the problem. But then it would always come back. Eventually I just gave up on the doctor visits due to frustration and annoyance that I always had the same problems.
About 6 months ago I began to read up on gluten sensitivity. I researched it for a while and came across the symptoms of it. I couldn't believe what I was reading so I checked out a few different websites just to make sure they were accurate.
Just to name a few:
Digestive problems: Check Neurological issues: Check Keratosis Pilaris: Check Mood swings: Check Exhaustion: Check
After seeing the shocking list of symptoms that I could relate to I became more interested in reducing gluten from my diet.
So I continued my research and then decided that removing gluten from my diet completely would be the best decision for me.
Removing Gluten From Your Diet
I am 4 days into a gluten free lifestyle right now and I honestly feel a lot better. I miss graham crackers and Ezekiel Bread, but hey I'll live.
This won't be an easy process for me, especially since I live with three other people who live very gluten filled lives. I'm sure I'll run into cross contamination at some point in this journey, but I'm trying my best here.
The hardest thing for me so far is questioning what is and what isn't gluten free. Some things you wouldn't even guess would contain gluten, definitely do!
So this is the beginning of my journey to transition into a gluten free lifestyle. I don't expect it to be easy. But I do expect it to be worth it. I'll be sharing with you guys some new gluten free (and not gluten free) recipes soon and I'll be updating you all on how I feel overall as each day without gluten comes along.
Are you living a gluten free diet? How has the transition stage been for you?
If you have any stories or to share with me about gluten free diets, please send me an email or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you and any little bit of advice helps!