1 Month Gluten Free!

Well it's been 1 months since I've gone gluten free. I'm starting to really feel like myself again, but I'm starting to think I still have vitamin deficiencies and maybe other food intolerance's. BOO ON THAT!

Making meals that are gluten free has become second nature for me, so that's great! I've also even had some luck with dining out.

I've lost 10 pounds and have a lot less joint pain. My colour has improved, and I no longer look sick every day.

Without getting too graphic, my bathroom visits have been greatly reduced.

I've only been glutened a handful of times, and usually not because of my own error, but due to my husband. (The poor man is only home 8 days a month, and when he is home, he REALLY tries to help out, but he just doesn't have the education on gluten that I do)

I'm hoping by the 2 month mark that my energy levels are back to my 'normal', that I have my husband well educated so the amount of gluten that enters my body is ZERO, and that I have some of my vitamin deficiencies under control. I'm still looking for a great gluten free multi-vitamin, so with the addition of that to my diet, I think I'll be well on my way to feeling like me again!

Celiac Disease Symptoms

Other than people asking what I eat, the next most popular question I get is:

"What were your symptoms?"

When I convinced my doctor to test me for Celiac Disease, I was most concerned with my bowel issues, my exhaustion, my anemia, and my migraines. After doing some research, I had SO MANY  symptoms:

• tooth enamel erosion 
• breast tenderness
• frequent miscarriages
• painful/heavy periods
• acid reflux
• bloating
• diarrhea
• bad gas
• stomach pain
• vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• ataxia
• joint pain/swelling
• leg cramps
• muscle cramps
• swelling in the hands and feet
• brain fog
• depression
• irritability
• loss of interest in activities/hobbies
• mood swings
• short temper
• acne
• brittle nails
• bruising
• dark circles under eyes
• pale skin
• dermatitis
• blurred vision
• sinus pressure
• migraines
• sleeping issues

I have a a vast improvement in all my symptoms since I've started eating gluten free. So, instead of being upset about having an auto-immune disease that when undetected for so long,  I am thankful that a diet change is all it is taking to make me feel so much better!

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What do you eat?

I've been getting a lot of questions from friends and family about how my journey is going, but the most frequent question is:

"What do you eat?".

I try to explain it to people, but for some reason, they just don't understand what I'm saying. As if I'm speaking a foreign language, they look at me with bewilderment on their faces. So, I've started taking some pictures of my particularly yummy meals to show people. A picture seems to work better than and explanation (even though I don't think I'm eating anything that is that odd). I thought I'd share some of my pictures. Maybe soon I'll start sharing some of my recipes as well!

 This was a super yummy supper: a baked sweet potato, a spinach salad, a bowl of chili  a bottle of water, and a glass of 'Berry Splash" V8 juice.

 A very filling breakfast: two rice cakes topped with natural peanut butter, honeydew, key lime Greek yogurt, a bottle of water, and a glass of 'summer berry' SunRype juice.

 A quick meal: extra lean ground beef, cubed baby potatoes, mixed sweet peppers. This is comfort food! I served this with a spinach salad, a bottle of water, and 'raspberry-orange' SunRype juice.

My favorite food - INDIAN!!: Yellow dhal with sweet peppers and carrots, masala chickpea beef, coconut brown rice and 'Strawberry Lemon-babe' Crystal Lite. SO YUMMY!

12 Days In!

YAY! I'm so getting the hang of this Gluten Free thing! Making meals is so simple now that the fridge and cupboards are filled with my new celiac staples.

I even got brave and attempted some Gluten Free baking!

Each day it gets easier and I feel better. It's a journey, but it's so worth it.

5 Days Gluten Free

Well today I've been 5 days gluten free, and I'm starting to feel so much better. To be honest, I noticed a difference the first day! I don't have to wake up through the night to use the bathroom anymore and I'm not using the bathroom multiple times a day. There have been a few times where I've eaten gluten unintentionally,  and now I know why I can't eat it. It hasn't been as hard to go gluten free as I thought, but it has been expensive. I've spent $100 since Friday on groceries just for me, when I usually spend $150 for myself and the two kids. But in the long run, my health is worth the expense!

Grocery Store Frustration

The biggest issue Celiac sufferers face is 'What can I eat?". Most foods we love can't be enjoyed anymore.  In many towns and cities, the 'healh food' section of the grocery store is where Celiac's get most of their groceries. In larger centres that are bakeries, restaurants, and whole sections of store devoted to gluten free items. I think that is GREAT! Unfortunately, I live in a small town in rural area. I don't have that available to me.

Where I live,  There are two grocery stores.  Both of them have about 4 small shelves where they keep their gluten free options. The section isn't great. One store sells vacuum packed bead that you can't even get the pieces apart. Also, they have their organic foods mixed in with the gluten free items. I unknowingly bought gluten filled crackers because they were right next to the gluten free cookies. SO frustrating.The other grocery store has a better section of items, (YAY FOR UDI'S BREAD!!) but it's right across from their baking supplies. HUGE bags of flour are right next to items that are supposed to be gluten free. I found a bag of pasta that had holes in it, and I explained to the cashier I couldn't it. She couldn't understand why, "the  holes aren't that big, I'm sure the pasta is fine". I had to explain that the flour across the isle (which is VERY narrow) likely contaminated the pasta, and that would make me very sick. Well, the cashier looked at me like I had 5 heads.

I understand that most people won't know the in's and out's of Celiac disease, but I expect a cashier to understand that if I am buying gluten free foods, I'm doing it for a reason. This isn't me trying to trendy or cool. This is me trying to be healthy!

My Bumpy Road To Diagnosis

As with most people affected by Celiac Disease, coming to a diagnosis took a long time. Looking back on my life, I probably always had this disease, and all my symptoms just never got added up.

I had Colic as a baby.

I've always had bowel issues

I've had diagnosed anemia since I've been 12 years old.

I've had B12 deficiencies off and on my whole adult life.

I've suffered 4 miscarriages.

I've always bruised easy and have clotting issues.

I've had dermatitis and skin issues my whole 

I've had severe migraines since I've been 16.

I've had joint pain and tingling in my limbs since I've been a child.

I had so many classic Celiac symptoms, but doctor's always had an excuse for them all. Colic was brushed off as me being a nervous baby. My bowel problems were explained by the fact that my Dad's side of the family was riddled with Chron's disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. My anemia and B12 deficiency was blamed on heavy periods. My miscarriages couldn't be explained, but I was told not to worry about it, because "it happens". Bruising and clotting problems were blamed on my Mom's side of the family. My skin problems were blamed on me using chemical filled products. Migraines were blamed on my stressful life. My joint pain and tingling in my limbs was first blamed on me being an over active child, and then as an adult, was blamed on being overweight. Always an excuse, and I believed it. They were the doctor, they should know, right?

Well over the last month, my heath issues came to a front. 26 years in the making, my body was throwing an all out revolt!

I've been exhausted. And by that, I mean more than usual. I'm a stay at home mom of two children under 5. My husband is only home 8 days a month. I provide childcare for a toddler 5 days a week. I run a small business, and provide art classes and sewing lessons to children. I'm familiar with exhaustion, but this was something different. I had to drag myself out of bed. I had the hardest time starting my day. It would take 3 cups of coffee to get my eyes to open. I'd put my kids for a nap, and I would fall asleep on the couch. Despite having a nap, I'd be ready for bed fr the night by 7. I didn't have energy to clean my house of keep up with laundry. I couldn't play with my kids like I used to. It was bad.

I was having migraines at least once a week.I had awful brain fog.

But worst of all, I was having HUGE stomach issues. I was in the bathroom any time I ate something, several times during the night, and first thing in the morning. I was spending about half my time in the bathroom. It was bad. SO bad.

On one episode in the bathroom, I had my cell phone with me and googled my symptoms. (Thank goodness for wifi!!) I know Web MD-ing yourself is a bad thing to do, but when I came across my results, I was shocked.

CELIAC DISEASE!

It was there, right in front of me, a reason to have all my problems! Everything explained in a neat little package. I called and made an appointment with my doctor, and after telling the secretary my symptoms, my doctor actually called me at home. She looked through my file, and she thought I had one of three things: Celiac Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or Chron's disease. She agreed with me that I had too many symptoms to ignore. Being over weight, having heavy periods, or having family history of problems wasn't explaining why I was having so many issues.

When my bloodwork came back, my doctor called me. It showed I had anemia, a B12 deficiency, a vitamin K deficiency, and gluten sensitivity. It all added up to Celiac Disease. I decided to opt out of the intestinal biopsy, which is considered the 'deal sealer' when it comes to Celiac Disease, because for me, the bloodwork said it all.

Being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease is a scary thing, but if I HAD to be sick, this is one of the best things to have. It's treatable by diet alone! I don't have to take special medication, just change my diet. While changing my diet won't be easy, it's much better than what other auto-immune disease sufferers have to deal with. I count myself to be very lucky!

So I finally have a diagnosis, and a plan to get my health back on track! 26 years of problems, and some bloodwork figures it all out. It almost seems silly. My journey to wellness won't be an easy one, but my health is worth it!