Gluten Allergy Discovered!
The struggle is real! My daughter was in 4th grade and she suffered all the time from migraine headaches, stomach aches, post nasal drip, brain fog and the list goes on. My mom had a wheat allergy but never did anything about it. In the back of my mind I had a feeling Meghan had a problem with gluten (wheat) but I was in denial. I didn’t want her to have a food allergy not to mention what did that mean for the family? Making multiple meals for everyone’s needs? Ugg!! That sounded awful!
Side note, I too had horrible stomach issues. I knew where every public bathroom was in the tri state area. My list of symptoms was ridiculous. Here’s a glimpse: Rosacea (bright red face), crippling joint pain, dry eye, post nasal drip, headaches, migraine headaches every month , diarrhea, lethargy that made me feel like I was drugged , bloating, lactose intolerance , Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and the list goes on , for real. I was a mess and getting worse.
So, one day Meghan was literally lying on the kitchen floor writhing in stomach pain when I said that’s it. It was New Year’s Day 8 years ago and I decided Meg needed to try being Gluten free just to see if it would help her symptoms. I felt bad for her and I didn’t want her to have to do this alone so I decided to do it with her for a month or so just to keep her company and encourage her. It’s not an easy thing to do when you are young and no one else is Gluten free.
Well, guess what? Approximately 4 days after I went Gluten free my whole life changed. I know this may be unusual but 90% of all my symptoms went away in 4 days. I was liberated! Joint pain went away, bloating went away (went down a size in my clothing just because I wasn’t bloated anymore). Dry eye, post nasal drip, RLS and so on, all went away, even my lactose intolerance! For the first time in years I ate cheese with confidence, everyone should eat cheese with confidence!!!!
I was on the road to recovery after 30 years of suffering. My body was not in attack mode any more. I can’t say it hasn’t been hard, I still crave things I can’t have anymore but it’s worth it. My energy level and overall health increased beyond measure. Meghan too, her symptoms went away and her quality of life dramatically improved. Neither of us have turned back , honestly we can’t turn back. We will never go back to feeling that sick again.
For the family, I decided that I was not going to make multiple meals. I cook Gluten free for everyone and you would never know it. I have learned to substitute ingredients and cook with confidence keeping myself and my family healthy without breaking the bank. You see, I am very frugal. I was not going to buy all those expensive gluten free products and ingredients. I figured out where to spend the money and on what. I also figured out what is tasty and what is not. In the beginning when you go to the grocery store you have to read every label. It took me 2 hours to get through the first shop. I read EVERY label. You have to, soon enough you will get to know what is gluten and what is not and it becomes a much quicker process. Here is my list for beginners to shop smart at the grocery store when buying GF products. Gluten free food list-Favorites
Please check out “Gluten Free Living for Dummies” great reference book if you feel you have a Gluten sensitivity or intolerance. Easy to read and understand. Best book for starting out.
The link to the book is an Amazon affiliate link, meaning if you click on the link to buy the book Feather and Sprig receives a percentage of the sale… at no extra cost to you. Amazon pays me!!
“Gluten Free Living for Dummies”
One day at a time.
GF forever!
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Thank you !
XOXO
Martha
