As many of you might have gathered from my whining on Twitter or my recent Instagram pictures, I have recently gone gluten-free. I've spent most of my life dealing with digestive problems that I never even knew were problems. It's amazing what you can learn about yourself when you chat about your daily eating routines with someone. Who knew having a stomach ache after you eat literally anything wasn't a good thing? In the past few years since I jetted off (down the street) to college they have gotten a lot worse. Basically, my GI tract and I haven't been the best of friends for a little while now. And the worst part is I couldn't figure out what in the world was causing it. I tried eliminating dairy. I cut out all spices. I gave up on Chinese food altogether (THAT. was. horrible.) I even said goodbye to green vegetables for awhile. Yeah, that was a bit weird but I was desperate. The only thing that seemed to stick was staying away from fried foods. I bought special yogurts and juices for digestive health. I tried out certain vitamins. It got to the point where I tried to just eat as little as possible. Needless to say, that just made me even more fatigued than I already was and a lot grumpier.
Last spring it was at its worst. I couldn't make it through dinner without having to leave restaurants and rush back home to be sick. Friends and family dealt with a lot of me screaming at them to drive home faster. Dessert was always out of the question. My refrigerator compiled a very large collection of to-go boxes. I definitely didn't drink alcohol and eating became the most dreaded part of my day.
Over the summer, my grandmother got extremely sick. She ended up in four different hospitals. It wasn't until the last one that anyone thought to test her for allergies. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, a gluten intolerance that had been slowly building up in her system with no symptoms until late spring of that year. Her symptoms = all the same as mine. Everything began to come together. Gluten was in all my favorite foods. I had sandwiches and/or pasta at least twice a day. Cereal, oatmeal, and granola bar breakfasts gave me reactions in the middle of class. Sandwiches and burgers for lunch got me sick at work. Bread at the beginning of dinner gave me reactions that sent me home early from the restaurants. It made even more sense that it got worse over time. As I cut out all the other foods, I overcompensated by eating more pasta and more bread. No wonder my intestines hated me so much.
Cutting out gluten has been one of the hardest dietary restrictions I've been through. The sole difference between this one and all the others is that this is the only one that works. I've slowly transitioned from cutting back on gluten to completely eliminating it from my life. It's been FAR from easy. I've had to stop eating all my favorite foods. I can't go to many of my favorite restaurants because even gluten-free food is contaminated. Even lightly contaminated food can give me a reaction. Gluten-free specialty food is a tad bit pricey. Alright, a lot bit. Without easy carbs I lack energy throughout the day and my bitchiness has only gotten worse. The worst part is trying to explain to my family why we can't go to their favorite restaurants or telling people that ordering pizza isn't a good option. My saint of a boyfriend goes out of his way to cook gluten-free meals but bears the brunt of my breakdowns, which have been many. If I have an accidental reaction they tend to be worse now that my body is used to not having it.
BUT, I know what the culprit is and I have a plan and that's the best I can ask for. It has come with many tears and empty stomachs and one very sad break up with Noodles & Company. But I have a new best friend in apple butter and a cabinet in the kitchen devoted to my gluten free snacks. Whole Foods is my church and above all, my boyfriend is my hero.
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By Chelsea Poole
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