Ok. so you got me bread can’t really “die” per se, but in my life it has died a sudden violent death. In fact in the last few weeks, this chica has decided to go gluten free. Nothing but gluten free living for me.
What made me decide to go gluten free? There were a couple of reasons. First, I’d been having some really weird pains in my legs. Just this dull ache that never goes away. That and the fact my Achilles tendonitis is a constant pain in my foot.
I’ve seen so many doctors about my foot and now this weird leg pain, and no one could figure out why I have pain. It feels like this constant inflammation in my body. Having heard that gluten is a really inflammatory food, I figured I had nothing to lose buy eliminating gluten from my diet.
When I say this was a last resort, I mean a LAASTTTTT resort. This girl could eat her WEIGHT in bread. We served French bread at practically at every meal. Pasta, cakes, pies, tortillas, sandwiches were staples in my daily meals. The idea of getting rid of gluten was horrifying.
Nevertheless, I figured I would give it a whirl. Taking all the gluten laden goodies out of the house was definitely quite a feat. It never occurred to me just how much gluten I was eating on a daily basis. Well, I had a clue but didn’t realize just how much things had gluten in it other than just the obvious. Salad dressings, sauces, makeup, shampoo, and tons of other things.
Removing gluten from my life reminded me of learning how to read food labels for my daughter’s food allergies. It was super frustrating at first because it was so confusing. So many things wouldn’t have gluten products on the label, but also not say gluten free. Was it gluten free and they just didn’t label it, or was it not gluten free because of cross contamination? It was making my head spin.
The first thing I decided to do was eat as simply as possible. This made it easier for me to keep as much gluten out of my stomach as I could. Meals were lots of whole fruits and vegetables, rice, meats, and dairy. This actually made it so much easier to navigate food labels.
After getting my first week down, I moved onto trying some gluten free products. Glutino bagel chips and Van’s gluten free waffles are some of my god sends! Plus, I figured out how to make some gluten free biscuits that taste just like Red Lobster cheddar bay biscuits (watch out for that recipe). All these goodies helped me get through my second week in gluten free living.
It was after this second week that I began to realize the changes. Becoming gluten free was a last resort, and one that I honestly thought wouldnt’ have any effects. That’s why it was so shocking when I noticed my pain was a little lesser and the brain fog was gone.
The brain fog had gotten so bad that my doctor had put me on ADHD meds. After going gluten free, there was no more need for them. (Keep in mind this is just how my body responded. Doesn’t mean everyone’s body would react the same way) It was so nice not to be so damned foggy in the skull anymore. Sometimes hubby would wonder if I would remember my name. Yup, it was that bad.
It’s been six weeks now since going gluten free, and even though I am a die hard bread lover strangely it isn’t missed in my life. Focusing on all the awesome foods I can still have rather htan the ones t hat make me tired, yucky, or brain numb helps me get through the day.
My friend, Michelle, always told me that going gluten free was good for people. I always thought it was another diet fad, and you guys know how I feel about those. It was shocking to me that I actually did end up feeling better and not missing bread. Had you asked me six weeks ago if I would decide to go gluten free for life and be happy about it, I would’ve told you you were nuts.
Are you trying to get rid of gluten? Make sure to check out my gluten free recipes, and reviews on my favorite gluten free products. They can all be found in the gluten free section on Quirky Inspired
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