Why I chose to go gluten-free and why I want my family to be gluten-free

You might be wondering why I decided to try going gluten-free since I’m a self-professed sugar addict.  It was for a number of reasons.  First reason:  sugar and gluten are together in nearly everything.  Think about it.  Breads, cereals, cookies, cakes, crackers, sauces, salad dressings, and a million other products are loaded with sugar and, of course, gluten.  You really can’t have gluten without sugar. 

Another reason is my mother and cousin are gluten sensitive.  They had been suffering for years with different symptoms.  My cousin had been to doctors trying to get some relief from her symptoms for years.  She had bloating, swelling, headaches, skin rashes, chronic back pain, muscle pain, chronic fatigue and a few other symptoms.  No prescriptions took her symptoms away.  She suffered for years until she got her own Aha moment.  She had gone away on business to Asia for a few weeks and felt better there than she had in years.  Her symptoms went away completely and she felt relief from the chronic pain she had been suffering from for years.  When she came back to the U.S. her symptoms resurfaced within hours.  Her first meal back on U.S. soil was pasta.  Her headaches, the bloating, the pain in her back and her exhaustion were back in full force.  She quickly realized that it was because of the food.  When she was in Asia there was no gluten.  She ate rice, fish, fruits and vegetables for two straight weeks.  There were no pancakes, cereals, breads, pastas, etc…  She didn’t need a doctor to do some expensive and invasive testing that day to tell her what she already knew just by what her body felt like.  She did go for genetic testing about a year ago and she has the genetic marker for celiac disease.  It is a genetic disease and runs in families.  My mum hasn’t been tested for the genetic marker, but she had the same symptoms as her niece.  If she even gets a trace amount of gluten in her system, she becomes highly bloated and sick to her stomach.  She, too, feels immensely better when she eats a gluten-free diet. 

In the book The Gluten Connection, Shari Lieberman talks about the statistics of gluten sensitivity.  You don’t need to be medically diagnosed with Celiac Disease to be sensitive to gluten, neither do any of your relatives.  She states that as many as 29 percent of the U.S. population – almost 3 out of 10 people – are gluten sensitive.  And approximately 81 percent of Americans have a genetic disposition toward gluten sensitivity.  (Page 6 Lieberman).  So, I don’t feel the need to go for medical testing to find out if I’m gluten sensitive.  I have relatives who have proven through personal experience and through genetic testing that they are most definitely gluten intolerant (my cousin only). 

Another reason why I’ve gone gluten-free is because the wheat today is NOT the same wheat from 100 years ago.  Shari Lieberman talks about the evolution of agriculture and the roll it took in changing wheat from what it was in the “old days” to the wheat of today.  Did you know that “Food manufacturers add “vital gluten” (gluten that is specifically processed from high-gluten-containing wheat) to wheat flour to give it more binding power.” (page 9 Lieberman).   She also writes, “Gluten is used in the manufacturing of virtually all boxed, packaged, and canned processed foods to create textures that are more palatable to our taste buds.” (page 9).   And this final exert is completely disturbing to me: “Even if you were consuming the same amount of grain today as you did last year or 10 years ago, you would be ingesting more gluten.  That is because bioengineers continually work to “improve” gluten and make it a larger and more potent part of edible grain.  It is estimated that today’s wheat contains nearly 90 percent more gluten than wheat did from a century ago!” (page 9). 

I don’t know about you, but I’m all set with that crap.  Scientists and bioengineers need to stop messing with our food!!!!  We are a sicker, fatter world today than ever before.  Diabetes, high blood pressure, cancers, you name it are far worse today than ever before.  I won’t bore you with more statistics and such.  If you want to find out just how much these diseases have grown exponentially, I can refer you to some of my books and online resources that I have read.  But, it’s out of control.  I know I was heading down a dark path keeping gluten in my diet and my kids diet.  Why would we feed our kids crap that we know is being engineered to make foods more palatable?  Seriously?  I’m all set. 

I found this quick list of symptoms of gluten intolerance.  Here is the link to it.  I have responded to each of these symptoms.  Because of time and the length of this article already, I’m not reflecting on the experiences of my children and husband today.  I’ll do that another day, but rest assured they, too, are seeing improvements on so many levels, that could very well be related to eating gluten-free.  You may want to do some research into it yourself.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-7482/10-signs-youre-gluten-intolerant.html

If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance:

1. Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten. (Tiff’s reflection:  I definitely have had issues with gas, bloating, and constipation.  My poor husband, children, friends, and co-workers have all experienced my gas.  I swear I could easily clear a room.  It’s like an H-Bomb.  Just when I thought it was safe to release a bomb in my empty classroom, a coworker will come in to ask me a question and I have to warn them to keep 10 feet away.  It’s wicked embarrassing, but was a daily occurrence before I went GF.  I have very little gas now and it’s nowhere near as eye watering and gag inducing.  As for bloating, I have NO BLOAT at all!  That muffin top I described in a previous blog is almost entirely gone.  I don’t feel like I’m wearing a corset any longer.  I’ve never had any real issues with diarrhea.  However, I definitely, suffered from constipation.  It would come and go every few days, but it was torturous at times.  Since being GF I have had regular normal bowel movements.  Aren’t you happy I’m so reflective J)

2. Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as 'chicken skin' on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut. (Tiff’s response:  I don’t have any signs of this, but my kids do.  I’ll reflect in depth on them at a later time).

3. Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten. (Tiff’s reflection:  ABSOLUTELY!  I don’t know if it’s a gluten issue, a sugar issue or both, but I do know that I don’t have the fatigue or brain fog like I use to.  It was a serious issue.  I use to be tired all day.  The worst was if I sat down for 5 minutes.  I’d be snoring in no time.  I also suffered from severe brain fog.  I have been known to drive to town (a 30 minute drive) to go to Target to get an essential item, but once I’d get there I’d have NO FREAKING CLUE what I came all the way into town for.  Seriously, it’s a freaking real issue.  Again, it might just be absentmindedness, but it could absolutely be food / gluten related as well.)

4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.  (Tiff’s reflection:  no such diagnoses here)

5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance. (Tiff’s reflection:  I absolutely have had major issues in the past with dizziness.  I also have major problems with motion sickness.  I haven’t noticed a difference, but I’ll pay closer attention to see if there is a difference.)

6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.  (Tiff’s reflection:  I had a difficult time getting pregnant with Bennett.  We tried for over a year and nothing happened.  My doctor put me on Clomid (I think that’s it) and I go pregnant on the first round.)

7. Migraine headaches. (Tiff’s reflection:  I don’t know if I really had migraine headaches, but I definitely had headaches quite a lot.  I took ibuprofen regularly because of them.   I haven’t had a headache or needed to take ibuprofen in 4 ½ weeks.)

8. Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.  (Tiff’s reflection:  I haven’t been diagnosed with either one of these conditions, but I definitely suffered from unexplained pain throughout my body 90 percent of the time for years.  Since going GF and SF I have zero – ZERO – pain!)

9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.  (Tiff’s reflection:  I definitely had inflammation and swelling in my fingers, knees and hips.  My fingers would be swollen and my rings would be difficult to put on and take off.  Now, my wedding band and other rings practically fall off my fingers.  I noticed a HUGE difference within days of going gluten-free, sugar-free.  My right knee always made this clicking noise when I walked up the stairs.  It scared the crap out of me because I thought my knee was crapping the bed.  I just tested it out and my knee clicks aren’t nearly as loud and noticeable as it was before.  It’s still there, but honestly, I could barely hear it at first.  The way it used to click before, someone else walking up the stairs could hear my knee click.  This was barely noticeable to me.  At first I thought it was totally gone, but recognized the click a few steps up.  My hips are completely pain free.  This hasn’t been the case in years.  Literally.)

10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.  (Tiff’s reflection:  I have always had major anxiety issues.  I don’t seem as anxious before.  For example, when Joe would be away, I couldn’t fall asleep until I heard from him.  I’d toss and turn all night worrying if he was okay.  Now, I don’t stay awake worrying anymore.  I sleep soundly and sleep all the way through the night.  The first thoughts are some doomsday prediction like they use to be.  I seem more rational and less anxious.  As far as depression, I don’t know if I have ever really suffered from depression.  I haven’t been formally diagnosed with it in the past.  I think I was a bit depressed in the fall, but that was because my body was killing me.  And, I was disappointed in myself for gaining all that weight back, but I wouldn’t actually call this depression.  As far as mood swings, I was definitely moody.  I would be easily annoyed and irritated at the slightest things.  Unfortunately, my kids would witness this more than anyone else.  They’d argue with each other and I’d scream at them like a lunatic.  Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m the first one to admit this.  It was terrible.  I feel way more even-keeled these days.  A co-worker actually asked Molly last week how things are going since we have gone on this new life-style and Molly’s first response was, “Momma doesn’t yell at us like she used to.”  Wow!  Now, if that wasn’t self-reflective and motivating I don’t know what is.  I actually wanted to cry when she said this.  I’ve always beaten myself up about my short fuse with my kids.  Maybe if I had gone GF and SF years ago, I wouldn’t have yelled at them nearly as much.  Maybe I would have had more patience.  And, finally ADD.  I’m a self-diagnosed ADHD person.  My mother will absolutely support this 100% having raised a child with the nickname, “Cave woman.”  Honestly, that was my name growing up.  I’m definitely a lot less hyper and have been far more focused in recent weeks.  I’ve mellowed out a lot.  My kids and my students have all noticed a dramatic change in me over the past month.)

So, out of the 10 symptoms listed above, I have 8 of them and there has been a noticeable improvement in 7 of them.  As for as the dizziness and motion sickness, I haven’t paid enough attention to know if it’s improved.  Regardless, I’ll stick to being gluten-free.  There might obviously be a connection with the sugar as well, but even if my symptoms aren’t related to gluten and are only from sugar, I’ll stick to being gluten-free.  The statistics and the information about gluten are frightening, seeing my symptoms decrease 10 fold, and knowing that my cousin has the genetic marker for Celiac disease, is enough for me to stick clear away from gluten products.