The moment I tell someone I can't eat gluten, the immediate and very confused response is, "
why?". I'll admit: I was confused too. But, the more I learn about gluten and the longer I've been gluten free, the more I understand why this is what I need to do. Still, how do you answer that kind of question? The short answer is: I am
gluten intolerant (which is similar to an allergy but not quite as severe).
The long answer is a lot more complicated.
I was recently diagnosed (after years and years of digestion issues) with
irritable bowel syndrome and
interstitial cystitis. My doctor felt bad diagnosing me, even though it was true, because both are very hard to treat and difficult to live with. But, at that point, I was so sick of the constant digestion issues, I wanted to do whatever it took to feel better, no matter how hard it was. The first step was to start probiotics. I started with
Florajen, but recently switched to
Align, because it is a stronger probiotic that seems to help a little better. I noticed a difference when I forgot to take it a few days in a row, because my digestive issues were worse again.
But, probiotics alone still wasn't enough. So, I decided to do my research. I started finding blogs and comments on forums about how diet is really the best way to treat all my symptoms. The funny thing is, a few nights before my doctor appointment I had a dream that I had to start eating gluten free. I remember telling Ted about it and we both thought, "
that's weird". But the more I researched, the more people said eating gluten free made a HUGE difference in their symptoms. I also found several people that mentioned going dairy free as well.
I decided to start out with an
elimination diet, cutting out all the possible trigger foods: sugar, caffeine, chocolate, citrus, tomatoes, broccoli, beans, gluten, and dairy. The first few days, I thought I would starve, because I kept focusing on what I
couldn't eat instead of enjoying all the things I
could eat. I was also learning just how hard gluten and dairy are to eliminate from your diet. I started checking labels and learning some of the hidden ways
gluten and
dairy could be found in foods. And, less than a week after starting the elimination diet I realized I was finally able to go to bed at night without horrible indigestion that would keep me up or wake me up in the middle of the night. I had forgotten what that felt like and I started to realize this was probably going to be a lifelong commitment for me.
After about four weeks, I tried to add some of the trigger foods back into my diet one by one. I found that small amounts of sugar, caffeine, and tomatoes were okay...but the moment I had my first taste of dairy again, my stomach was in pain. The first taste of gluten made me feel even worse and then it took several days before I felt well again. I determined that, no matter how hard it was to cut out gluten and dairy permanently from my diet, it was worth it to be feeling better again.
There have still been many obstacles along the way. Eating out or simply going to a family gathering or party that involves food presents a huge dilemma for me. I've had to learn to pack my own food or ask the host/hostess exactly what is being served (which is really hard for me to do, because I feel like a burden or a nuisance...but if I won't stand up for my health, how can I expect anyone to?). I pretty much avoid all processed foods too, because, besides being filled with preservatives and food dyes, they are filled with hidden sources of gluten and dairy. I've learned to make a lot of things from scratch, because even canned foods that make cooking easier can cause problems for me.
The way something is cooked can trigger my symptoms all over again too, because if it's even a little bit greasy or fried, I can't handle it. Several weeks ago, I ate some meat at my dad's work party. I wasn't completely sure how it was cooked, but I figured it was the safest option for me that day besides the fresh fruit. The next morning I was wide awake at 4 am with horrible stomach pain. I missed my husband's bike race and spent most of the day in bed. It took a few days before I felt 100% again.
Gluten can also be found in the most unlikely places, like soy sauce or baking powder (
who knew?). When I initially thought about a gluten free diet, I thought I would only have to eliminate bread and baked goods, but it is so much more than that. Wheat can often be disguised as semolina, durum, spelt, kamut, triticale, or einkorn. Potato bread, which used to be one of my favorite breads, still has wheat in it. Foods that include dextrin as a thickening agent also contain gluten. And, I've only begun to research the ways gluten can be found in medications, household products, makeup, and other toiletries.
People often ask me, "what is gluten?". Gluten is basically protein used in breads as a bonding agent and in other foods as a thickening agent. Because it is such a commonly used ingredient, I have to be super cautious about ingredients, but even then gluten can be hidden without my knowledge. Foods that are processed in the same facilities as wheat products can be cross contaminated and, depending on a person's intolerance level, can also cause symptoms to flare up.
My husband asked me once, "
but you've been eating gluten and dairy all your life...how come all of a sudden you can't eat gluten?" In reality, I've been gluten and dairy intolerant all my life, but I never knew it for what it was. I can remember, as early as middle school, feeling bloated or having indigestion after eating greasy foods like pizza or movie theater popcorn. I stopped drinking soda in high school and in college I would have stomach aches for days that I could never quite pinpoint the cause of. Eventually, it became so unbearable because the gluten and dairy products I had eaten all my life had wreaked havoc on my digestive system.
My husband's biking friend talked to me recently about why he went gluten free too. He said he never really felt like he recovered after a long bike ride, because he would come home and eat a big dish of carbohydrates like pasta or bread and always felt like his stomach hurt no matter what he did. He started researching gluten free diets and started slowly changing his diet. But, after a while, he added a little bit of gluten back into his diet and, before he knew it, it was wreaking havoc on his digestive system. He went in for a colonoscopy and the doctor's discovered that the villi in his stomach lining were completely flat. So, even though he was mostly gluten free, his stomach was still so damaged by all the gluten he had consumed over the years that it would be a long process of eating 100% gluten free in order to reverse the damage.
He also explained that most dairy intolerance are actually a result of an intolerance to the protein casein found in most dairy products. Gluten and casein sensitivity are so closely linked, because they are often found together. I came across
this blog recently and have started to wonder if I really have a problem with casein in milk rather than lactose, because I can't even tolerate a small spoonful of yogurt or ice cream without feeling miserable afterward. I still have a lot to learn, but I am even more confident that making the necessary changes in the way I eat and the foods I eat will have a lifelong effect on my health.
