Saturday, February 2, 2013

Gluten/Dairy Free: My Before & After Story

I'm going to take you back to the first 22 years of my eating life. I loved all things pasta, pizza, bread, pretzels, cookies, crackers, cheese, butter, yogurt, and ice cream. My mom taught us healthier eating habits when I was younger, so I knew the nutritional value of wheat over white bread, but that didn't stop me from eating two Wonderbread grilled cheese sandwiches with creamy Campbell's tomato soup when I talked my Grandma or dad into getting white bread at the store, or went to a friend's house. If I was sick, chicken noodle soup and Saltine crackers made me think I felt better. Peanut butter and jelly/honey sandwiches were my lunches 4 or 5 days out of the week. When I got back from swim practice, I would ravenously devour a big plate of spaghetti with meat sauce.

Can you guess which one is me? :)

As I got older, continued to swim and started working, I would take my staple lunches to the pool: crackers and cheese, PB& J,  pretzels, fish crackers, granola bars, the occasional fast food hamburger (because the chicken had always been revolting), fruit and baby carrots. Sometimes I would get wild and order a sub from a local restaurant. I know, look out. Needless to say, I ate foods that were both nostalgic, at the time delicious, and very much mimicked the standard American diet.

                                                           
Racing with Stevens High Team at State, 2004


And I was sick. All the time. When I was younger, this translated into stomach aches, headaches, and a depleted immune system that gave me ear infections as an infant and left me susceptible to illness growing up. I would like to point out that anxiety issues had a lot to do with somatic symptoms, but I firmly believe that this was only part of the cause.  



 In my high school and college years, I had a feeling of almost "heaviness" in my body (though I never had a weight problem), a fuzzy head and nearly continuous issues with my digestive health. Probably the worst outward symptom that something was wrong inside my body was my moderate to severe acne that plagued my face beginning when I was 11 years old. 5 years of antibiotic treatments only suppressed the problem, and wrecked my immune system even further (acute bronchitis four times in a year is not normal for a 20 year old). I spent a ridiculous amount of money using prescription and over-the-counter products for my acne. Nothing worked.

Then one day, something amazing happened. My husband (then boyfriend) gave me a trip to the spa for my 23rd birthday! During my first ever facial, the esthetician commented on the placement of my most inflamed acne. I will never forget her words, "See this infammation around your mouth and chin? That's from a food allergy." I had never heard of such a thing! We talked about the most common food allergens, and I definitely knew casein (the protein in dairy products) was one. So I thought I would try cutting out one of the next likely causes: gluten.

But what is gluten and casein, and what are they in? They are the proteins in grain and dairy products, respectively. Gluten is what holds baked goods together. Come to find out, gluten and dairy are in almost every packaged/processed food. I set out researching all I could about gluten/casein sensitivity and intolerance (I had already been ruled out for Celiac Sprue, but testing for food allergies requires getting onto a specialist's lengthy waiting list and is not always reliable).  So, I did it the old-fashion way. Cut it out completely! I was so desperate to get better, I hardly cared that I wouldn't be able to go to a restaurant and order spaghetti or lasagna again (until some restaurants offered GF/DF options). It did throw me for a loop a little when I realized I would never be able to have the full experience of an all-American hamburger again, but I was convinced it was worth it.

Why????

And it was.

I recently read the quote by Kevin Trudeau, "Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel."   This was true for me. I thought the fuzziness, digestive issues, and acne was just how it was. I was so wrong.

My gluten and dairy-free (GF and DF or CF for casein-free) journey began. It involved finding out that packaged and processed gluten and dairy-free options were not much healthier, if at all, than their gluteny and caseiny counterparts because of the preservatives and additives that go into them. My journey involved finding out how great I felt if I ate naturally gluten-free and dairy-free foods like sweet potatoes, brown rice, almond milk and flour, etc. I really learned to read labels! I also learned how awful I feel after accidentally ingesting gluten or casein. When I don't, I feel great! Lots more energy, good digestive health, and only an expected mild breakout here and there.

                   


I wanted to share this part of my life to continue to bring awareness to food intolerance and allergies (this awareness has greatly increased even over the last 3 years!), and to provide a backdrop to my discovered passion of green living, toxin-chemical free, chronic illnesses, holistic and natural medicine, the effects of food on the body and mind, and bringing awareness to the dangerous messages food companies are and are not saying. I want to share this knowledge for people who need support in beginning or continuing a gluten/dairy-free lifestyle, or a more natural, healthy lifestyle.

You can find copious amount of knowledge on Pinterest, including my own boards on healthy food and lifestyle choices including Eating Gluten and Dairy FreeLiving Gluten and Diary FreeHealthinessNatural Solutions and Natural Healing. There is a ton of information on the internet and in books. For just starting out gluten-free or allergen-free, I found a couple of helpful books:

       

I am an open book about my own eating habits, lifestyle and the knowledge I have accrued on food allergies/intolerance and healthy living, so don't hesitate! My goal is to write another blog detailing guidelines of gluten/dairy-free eating and symptoms of food intolerance to supplement this post.  For now, be mindful. Pay attention to how you feel and what you put in your body. It could be life changing! 



16 comments:

  1. Very well written!! I am so thankful that through sheer determination to be well and hours of research, you have determined what caused your physical problems, and then had the will power to make the necessary dietary and life style changes to make you as healthy and fit as you now are. Thanks, Jill, you inspire me. Love you :)

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad I am able to share my knowledge. Love you too :)

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  2. Well done! You sound happy and look happy!

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  3. I wanted to add a comment that someone posted on Facebook regarding this post that brings up a good point.

    "Gluten isn't harmful unless you suffer from celiac disease or have an allergy."

    My reply:

    "(Name omitted) that's true. Overexposure to gluten as it is in a lot of processed food coupled with the toxins, additives, preservatives and other chemicals in our food decreases our immune system's ability to correctly process gluten. If you aren't intolerant, the best is mostly whole goods and everything in moderation!"

    I do not want to leave the impression that I am strictly anti-gluten and dairy. I am anti-toxin, anti-fad diets (which could include GF/DF if it is used only for weight loss, etc), chemicals, chemical preservative, additives, and anything else that is damaging to our bodies. My hope is that at the very least, people become aware of the food they are consuming and the effect it has on their body and mind.

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  4. If you are ever looking for some great "Kid" or comfort food check out the Autism Cookbook ( http://www.amazon.com/Kid-Friendly-Autism-Cookbook-Updated-Revised/dp/1592334725 )
    It is truly amazing the difference food can make!

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    1. Thank you, Meg! I agree that it can make a huge difference. It breaks my heart to watch the kids I work with continue to suffer from mental/emotional/behavioral issues that could be so improved by just changing diet alone! I am frustrated with the food that both the parents and the place I work for serves the kids. I will be taking a look!

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  5. A great post! I did some major behavioral and dietary overhauling about a year and a half ago (with a lot of help) and the results have been completely extraordinary. Thanks for being so open about your journey!!

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  6. Heather, I am so glad that you have found your own great path! Thank you :)

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  7. Definitely some things I need to look into....second child on the acne med. train....very scary. Thank you for sharing.

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  8. I would suggest that possibly additives might contribute more to "problems" associated with food intake. "Gluten fee" seems to be the new diet fad, just as "fat free" was 15 years ago. Possibly a sensible diet, leaving out processed foods, is something to consider. Gluten and dairy are not everyone's enemy. Not to say that there are not true gluten and/or dairy sensitive people out there, just not 90% of the population.

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    1. I'm glad you've brought up that point! I agree that the food additives and processed foods (in which dairy and gluten are almost always present) are the main source of digestive/health issues and increase susceptibility to food sensitivities. I also agree that fad diets are are destructive to a person's health and that the ideal "diet" is a whole foods, non-processed one. GF/DF should not be a method of weight loss. They are definitely not everyone's enemy. I know many people who have had switched to raw milk and whole grains and have had symptoms disappear, so individuals should explore many options that come down to a non-processed diet. I think there are more people with food sensitivities that are unaware, and it would be interesting to determine how many of those truly have a food sensitivity or whose health is destroyed by the Standard American Diet. It's a very complex issue!

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  9. I'm a huge fan of this! I have read a bunch on kids, in general, about reducing their gluten intake. Many researchers believe that when you reduce a child's gluten intake by half their behavior and attention will improve. From a special education perspective, I wish more people would see the importance of reducing their gluten intake!

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  10. I have just started my gluten/dairy free journey. And it is certainly heartening to hear about other's who have had positive experiences from cutting out gluten and dairy. I stumbled across your blog from the Dairy-Free Community on Google+ and I'm so happy I did! Thank you for sharing!

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  11. Welcome! I'm so glad you found it! I hope that your journey is successful :)

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  12. I had a very similar experience! When I was having a free facial at Ulta, shoe told me that my dark under eye circles and breakouts around the mouth were the result of a food allergy.

    I have been off and on about fully committing to a GF/DF lifestyle. I know for certain that I feel better, however I am scared of the stigma of demanding extra care. It seems as though for some it is a novelty or passing trend.

    Your story was very encouraging, and I like your take of being open about your eating lifestyle. I think that being confident that you know your own body better than anyone else is a good way to be. Thank you!

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