Week One Down
My first gluten/dairy free week is over! A week ago, I was expecting to be writing about how awful it was. Really. But I was actually pretty surprised by many things. I'm going to start by saying that I did some research beforehand. I spent a great deal of time on Google searching for tips, and guidelines. The first thing that surprised me? The number of resources available for people with similar situations. I couldn't even begin to list them all! My favorite source is http://www.glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/. I would have skipped all of the others had I found this one first. It is incredible!
One thing I have learned over the past week is that in order to live this lifestyle, you have to be prepared. I cleaned out our kitchen cabinets and made a menu for the entire week before buying groceries. Since cooking this way is new to me, it took a little bit of time. I had to substitute butter, flour, bread, everything! I ended up spending 2 hours in the grocery store trying to locate what I needed, and scanning ingredient lists. I had to travel 30 minutes just to get to the grocery store (since our small town store has a very limited selection for people with food sensitivities.) Luckily, I was able to get almost everything I needed to start my week (with the exception of lactose free cheese, which I picked up at a specialty store.)
The first meal I made was breakfast; pancakes, eggs, bacon, and orange juice. I used a special baking mix, and substituted soy milk in the pancakes. Definately didn't cook up the same way as a "regular" pancake, but the end result was amazing. I actually liked the taste and texture of these pancakes better! My family approved of them as well, which made me feel really happy. Throughout the week, I continued trying different recipes and foods. I am happy to say that in no way did I feel deprived of anything. I found a dairy free bag of chocolate chips for my cookies, had awesome sandwhiches with gluten free bread, and managed to not have to make my meals separate from everyone elses. I will share some of the products I have found (and loved) in my next post on this page, but now it's time for the real question...
How did cutting out gluten and dairy make me feel after one week? AH-mAziNG! Each day I felt better and better. By Thursday, I felt like a normal person! Everything improved for me! One thing I am most excited about is sleeping better. For the first time in MONTHS, I was able to sleep through the WHOLE. ENTIRE. NIGHT. with out being medicated. I woke up and felt so rested, and had energy! Real energy! Not the caffeinated kind either!...Aside from that I have been symptom free (no pain or discomfort)! It is crazy because I am so used to feeling sick, that I have no idea how to handle feeling good! I know that their is a possibility that I could still have problems after making all of these changes, but for right now I am just enjoying the fact that I feel great! We will see what happens!
Big Changes
And so it begins...you know; the big change. I was hesitant to write about this topic because I didn't want this website to be crazy all over the place. However, it just so happens that my life has been crazy and all over the place lately. I'm sure their are some folks out there who may be dealing with similar situations, or maybe just want to know more about this type of lifestyle change. So I created this page, aside from others, because this is not fictional or dramatic or even creative in any way. It's just me, writing about what I am learning. Let me explain.
For years now, I have had all sorts of tummy/health issues off and on, but the past four or five months have been the worst. I have been consistently sick and missed out on alot of important things. It is so frustrating for something to be happening in your body that you cannot control, or even figure out what the underlying problem is. My doctors told me to take medications 4-5 times every single day to control symptoms, but could not tell me how to fix the problem. They were telling me 'your test results came back normal' and 'I'm afraid their is nothing more I can do for you,' but my symptoms never went away. Long story short; test after test, pill after pill, frustration after frustration, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started to read books, and search online for hours trying to get some kind of insite on how to handle the situation. After I did some digging, I chose to start by changing what was going into my body. I had been tested for food allergies , which I knew I didn't have, but scientific testing cannot determine whether you have intolerances or not. Since I suspected food intolerances to be a part of my problem, I did an elimination diet and kept a food diary. Literally everything I put in my mouth, was documented. I also wrote how I felt through out the day. After 4 days of going completely dairy free, I felt like a new person. When I reintroduced lactose to my body, I instantly felt horrible. Lactose intolerance? I'm not a genius or anything, but if eating lactose made me feel like crap, then it only makes sense to stay the heck away from it. Next I eliminated gluten. Same story!
Since I do not have any food allergies, I am not going to die if I eat a piece of cheese or toast. However, If I continue to eat these these things, I will continue to be sick and face more severe consequences later in life. I made a decision to do everything possible to be healthy again; for my family first, then for myself, hence this major lifestyle change. It is easy to say 'I won't eat dairy or gluten,' but it is a big change. I don't know, maybe I am just a fatty or something, but my life consists of a ton of food. My Granny cooked for us so much growing up, and our family holidays and get-togethers? All centered around food. Don't forget that I LOVE to cook and bake. I feel so wife-ly and motherly to have awesome food prepared when everyone gets home, and it really is fun and relaxing to me. I won't even get started about chocolate. Can't you tell this is kind of a big deal to me?!?!
I am on day 3 of no gluten or dairy. I feel alot better. Not 100%, but I am trusting that my body will heal itself over time. I have cooked a few meals and grocery shopped; all things I do regularly, but are now so new and unfamiliar. Some have been done successfully; others, not so much. I am surprisingly excited to be making this change, and learning along the way. I will share my experiences in this journey, whether good or bad. Hopefully, I am on the road to being HEALTHY again!
