For as long as I can remember, over twenty years now, I have felt sick practically every day of my life. I never understood why.
Actually, to tell you the truth, I never realized that I felt bad practically every day. My husband (we’ve been married for 16 years) got pretty tired of it. He’s the one that pointed out to me that I was “sick” more days out of the year than the days that I wasn’t “sick”. He thought I was just using it as a excuse to get out of cleaning the house.
Two months ago, things started to get really bad. I don’t know if my body just had enough or if it was something more, but things were not good. I went from my usual sick feeling to feeling like I was going to die. A month later, I was wishing that I would die!
Then something amazing happened. I was talking to my daughter’s teacher from last year. She had been quite ill at the end of the school year and we were very concerned for her. When school started back up this year, she was all better. When we asked what changed, the commented that it was her DIET! She had severe food allergies that were causing severe head aches and back aches. Once she figured it out and changed her diet, her body got better.
I went home and started to do research on the diet that she told me about. I didn’t know if I had the same food allergies as she did, or if what was wrong with me was even food allergies… but at this point, I was willing to try ANYTHING!!!
I began by eliminating certain foods from my diet. My plan was to detox, then add things back in. I know, I really should have just gone to the doctor… but I hate going to the doctor and it was easy enough for me to do at home.
Once I eliminated carbs from my diet, things started to get better, but not great. Then I stumbled across a website that mentioned gluten and the all the symptoms that you could have from being allergic to gluten. WELL… I had quite a bit of those symptoms.
The more I read, the more it seemed like that was my problem. I went into the process of eliminating all gluten from my diet. By the end of the week, I FELT GREAT!!! After years of feeling sick, I finally knew what it was like to feel GOOD.
Then the real test came. We went out to eat for dinner… and I forgot! I ate a tortilla. One tortilla. (OK, it was a rather large tortilla, but still…) I was so sick!!! After that, I was certain that it was a gluten allergy.
I tested it again last night (total accident) when I ate some chili that wasn’t gluten free. I didn’t read the label close enough… so I spent all night and part of today feeling sick.
This afternoon, I went to the store and stocked up on a bunch of gluten free foods. It cost me a FORTUNE!!! But I should have enough to last me most of the month. I’ll have to continue to buy meat throughout the month, but I have all the dry goods and canned goods that I need.
Now I just need to find me a good cook book.
This is not going to be an easy road for me to travel on. I’m used to things being easy! But to feel like dying just because I ate food… That is not acceptable!
I’ll keep you posted on my journey through gluten free living.
Wish me luck!!!
Eatnomore's Blog 