I just finished up my 2 days of gluten testing on this allergy elimination diet. I have happy/sad news about gluten. On the happy side, I didn't have the typical digestive issues that one has when your body doesn't agree with something. The sad news, I had some serious bloating when I added gluten to my diet. The fact is, I probably have intestinal swelling, which looks a lot like belly bloat. It's kind of like having hives on your skin, but it all happens inside your body :(
The book that started me on this allergy elimination diet suggested that gluten plays a huge role in preventing the body from being able to keep an autoimmune disease at bay. I have actually been contemplating going gluten free for quite some time. About 18 months ago, we went gluten free for my youngest son. He was having awful issues with cavities, and his behavior was off the wall. If you follow my blog, you know that I do my research. I discovered that removing gluten from a diet can help heal cavities, AND it is also been very helpful in helping kids with ADD (which my son does NOT have) to be more focused. We took out gluten for several months, and can I just say his behavior improved SO MUCH!!! The cavities did not get any worse either. For me, I had more energy, and just felt better.
I truly believe that proper nutrition is the KEY to good health. I HATE using medication. I am all for changing your diet first, and then seeking medical help later. Of course, if you are having an emergency situation, get to the hospital!!! A heart attack will not heal itself with diet that quickly. However, if the doctor says that you have heart disease, or high cholesterol, then do your research, and CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE!! What is more important, eating the foods that you have grown to love, or having a body that functions properly, and allows you to be around and enjoy time with the important people in your life? In my opinion, it's ALL ABOUT QUALITY. Don't let the idea of changing your lifestyle make you feel deprived. Let it EMPOWER you. You are taking control of YOUR life, and of YOUR health. Now, I will step off my soapbox.
I have been toying with the idea of going gluten free for awhile now. I don't eat a lot of carbs that contain gluten. However, I probably do eat more than my fair share of gluten containing items. If you have never researched gluten, you probably don't know that gluten isn't just in bread, but it can be found in nearly any processed food. Many condiments contain small amounts of gluten. It is one of those things that just has a way of sneaking into your diet whether you want it to or not. Anyway, while going through the process of adding these allergy triggers back into my diet, I have made a decision to start going Paleo. I think for my overall health, Paleo is what my body needs. While I am going to embrace the Paleo experience, I am also going to follow an 80/20 plan with it. I still want to have the occasional slice of pizza. I want to add cheese to my taco salads, and I wand to enjoy the occasional treat while I am at a party, or gathering. I know deep down that my body NEEDS this sort of eating plan to keep my Epstein-Barr in check. I am a little scared of making such a change in my life, but I also know that I DESERVE this. I DESERVE to be healthy. I DESERVE to have energy to play with my kids. I DESERVE to feel good and be happy. So after I finish my allergy elimination over the weekend, I am going to start implementing a Paleo lifestyle. Don't worry, if you have no idea what I am talking about, I will be sharing more about Paleo in an upcoming blog post :)
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