Why I Am Gluten-Free
It's been awhile my friends! Quick update on life...
1. Trey and I moved to Austin!
2. I am now a full-time Health Coach and yoga instructor. I wake up everyday feeling blessed.
3. I'm now 100% gluten, dairy, and soy free (with the exception of goat cheese on the occasion). And for the next few months I'll be back on the Candida Diet (my hell).
Before moving to Austin, I dabbled around with the idea of going completely gluten-free. I wasn't fully committed, mainly because of my love for donuts, but I did know that it messed with my stomach quite a bit. Also, I already was dairy free because I am lactose intolerant so living a dairy free AND gluten free lifestyle sounded like the death of me... and my social life. However, anytime I had a beer or something made with gluten, I would struggle with constipation (sorry), terrible bloating, lower GI pains, and felt like I was hungover the next day... especially when I drank beer. I've ALWAYS struggled with digestion problems so it didn't seem far fetched that gluten could be a culprit.
Anyway, when I moved to Austin I got sick. I was so ill that I pretty much blacked out for an entire month... and not because of tequila. Maybe I'll write about this another day but essentially I was told that I had Candida (a gut infection) and should go on the Candida Diet. That seemed simple enough! I researched the diet and it involved cutting out all sugars, alcohol, dairy, vinegars, fungus and GLUTEN. So I did... and I started to get a little better! But my problems didn't go away.
After being on this hellish diet for a month, I found out I not only had Candida but also several other hormonal, gut, and thyroid issues, including hypothyroidism. I was lucky enough to be working for one of the best functional medicine doctors in the nation who pointed me in the right direction. Her first and most important piece of advice was to completely cut gluten from my diet. Here's why:
It can cause leaky gut if you are sensitive to gluten. Leaky gut can cause a host of different issues in the body including nutrient deficiencies, autoimmune disease, allergies, autism, and several other not so fun problems.
When gluten passes through your gut and blood stream, it is tagged with antibodies so it can be destroyed. Your immune system can mistake the thyroid for gluten and attack one of the most important parts of your body causing thyroid disfunction.
It is inflammatory!
It's been over 9 months since I last had anything with gluten. I can't say it's been the most fun transition but I can say it has helped my recovery process tremendously. I've been exposed to gluten a couple of times at restaurants and the next day felt like someone hit me with a truck. Your body becomes more sensitive to allergens after cutting them out for a while which is why my body reacts in such a dramatic way now.
If you are interested in learning more about cutting gluten out of your diet, hit me up! I can help you with the do's and don'ts, help you come up with a plan, and give you some of my favorite substitutes.
xo
Megan