Happy New Year 2014

January is a time for people to make changes and the perfect opportunity for me to help anyone who wants to go gluten free.  The most common question I am asked is "How do you go gluten free?" This month I'll share with you how our family did it.  Our story...

The day I saw my blood test results confirming wheat was making me sick was the last day I ate anything intentionally with gluten.  My emotions were wild, and my whole life passed by me...a life that had been filled with delicious food and unlimited choices. How could this be?  I looked at the test results over and over again in disbelief.  

What was I going to eat?  I immediately knew my daughter probably had the same problem as this is genetic.  The panic button pushed even deeper. That night I dreamt I was at the grocery store when suddenly all the lights went out.  I felt irrationally terrified.  I couldn't see anything, and I couldn't find my way.  My dream said it all.  

The next day my survival instinct took charge, and I ruthlessly emptied my pantry and refrigerator.  I'll share how I did this in tomorrow's post.  

I got glutened!

Picture this...we arrive at our dear friend's home for Christmas dinner, turkey is ready to carve, and all precautions have been graciously taken to accommodate our family's need for a gluten-free meal.  And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a box of chicken stock used to moisten that gloriously golden bird.  I looked at the ingredients and didn't see anything suspicious (except it didn't say gluten free).  I made an immediate decision to risk it.  After all, we were guests surrounded by our closest friends, and I felt as if there were a forcefield of love protecting me.

Fast forward to 1:15am and I realize that I've been glutened.  I'm violently throwing up. Ugh!  I'm frustrated, exhausted, and angry at being weak to this vile substance.

It has now been 36 hours since I was glutened.  Today I have the energy to share with you.  Beware of unqualified chicken stock.  

The photo above represents the "gluten puzzle."  Gluten intolerance is a multi-dimensional syndrome or disease.  I will keep sharing my experiences in hopes that the puzzle is solved for others.

Gluten and Brain Fog

Brain Fog is a new phrase to me. Remarkably, three weeks after I stopped eating gluten/wheat, I noticed that my brain was different.  I was thinking clearly and able to read through paragraphs with ease.  I used to feel pressure in the front of my head when I had to "think." This was gone! Each day got brighter and brighter. The sun was starting to burn off the fog. Summers in Maine can produce a solid week of murky weather: boats are "socked in" and vacationers are grumbling.  Well, I've spent 44 years feeling "socked in" and trying to cover up for my brain fog.  

Now, I proudly read the New York Times each morning.  I’ve read more books in the last months than I’ve read in my entire life.  All those years in school trying to get by and reading just the cliff notes (sorry to all my teachers).  I don’t know how I survived academia.....I truly slipped through the cracks and got by on being nice.  I felt like the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz ..... If I Only Had a Brain....well, now I do!  It is one of the greatest gifts.  

Brain Fog is a common symptom of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Studies have shown there is a lack of blood flow to the frontal portion of the brain. That certainly explains how my brain used to feel.  I always wondered if I had a learning disability that was never uncovered.  Actually, I did, and it was caused by gluten.  I love foggy Maine weather but not Brain Fog.

What are your experiences with gluten and brain fog?  Leave a comment below to share with us.

Gluten, Congestion, and Sinus Infections

I have spent my entire life with a stuffy nose.  My parents and pediatrician put their minds together questing for an allergen.  I was eight at the time.  They tried eliminating foods, and unfortunately wheat wasn’t one of them.  The conclusion:  I was allergic to the filling in my stuffed animals as well as down and feathers.  The adults agreed that taking away my stuffed animals would be emotionally upsetting, so I lived without down pillows. My congestion never disappeared despite the sleuthing efforts.  

The constant congestion was great opportunity for painful sinus infections to fester.  I took countless antibiotics to battle the persistent sinus flareups.  I dreaded getting a cold because I always ended up with a sinus infection, which meant more trips to the doctor for antibiotics, more money, and more pain.  I was in a terrible cycle with no end.

There is a happy ending to this story.  Forty-five years later...three days after I stopped eating gluten, my nasal passages were clear.  I could feel cold air on my throat when I breathed in.  I was amazed!  This was an entirely new sensation for me.  I went about sniffing in over and over again for the next few days.  My nose was as clear as the arrival of crisp fall Maine air.  How could this be?!!!  

The simple answer is that my immune system no longer spends time fighting gluten.  When I ate gluten, my body produced antibodies that would result in inflammation causing swollen nasal passages, congestion, and sinus infections.  Now congestion and sinus infections are symptoms of the past.  Aaaahhhh!  

Gluten and Eczema

I had dreadful eczema on my legs as a child.  I remember the stinging, itching, and raw sensations.  The ultimate relief was dipping into a cool Maine lake but that remedy was only possible during the summer.  I felt embarrassed by the large red spots.  I was a cheerleader and so self-conscious.  The only medical treatment back then was dabbing mineral oil on the sores.  Little did we know that if I stopped eating the “healthy” wheatgerm and homemade whole wheat bread, the eczema would vanish.

As an adult I had recurrent eczema on my eyelid and then on my hands.  The doctors misdiagnosed it as a staph infection.  When the antibiotics didn’t work, the conclusion was eczema...again.  The treatment was topical steroids to heal the angry wounds.  

Well, it has been one year without eating gluten/wheat, and my skin is clear and soft for the first time in my life...no more blotches of flaring sores.  The explanation from my physicians over the years was that I just had sensitive skin.  I now know it was because my insides were inflamed as my immune system fought off the gluten/wheat.

If you suffer from eczema, consider gluten a possible culprit.