My post today is to answer a lot of questions.
A lot of people want to know more about my experience.
A lot of other people want to know if and how to go gluten free. So I have combined it all into this post. (although I believe in NAET and body talk and how it helped me, I also realize that there are a lot of people that just need to go gluten free and since I went through all the pain of figuring this stuff out on my own, I thought I would share the information with ya'll so maybe it would make someone's transition much easier)
Enjoy!
Answering questions:
So, a lot of people have asked me questions after hearing my story of overcoming celiac disease (if you missed the other posts, this is where you can find part I and part II) . Here are some of the main questions asked and their answers:
{why did it work?}
You know...I don't know exactly why. I do believe that energy has a lot to do with the way we all work. The way things were created and run. It has a lot to do with our moods and the way we think and feel. It has to do with how we interact with others
(check this out to see how energy can be seen in formation of ice crystals when speaking positive or negatively to them)
I think its a neat way to find out what is wrong. Without modern medicine, how did people do it back 2000 years ago? It could quite possibly be through energy!
{you referred to the body talk specialist saying that she resolved past conflict/trauma that happened. What caused this? Do we all have this? Why couldn't you remember the incident if it was so specific?}
Well, I am not sure how this all works. The body talk practitioner just said that I had been holding onto a memory that was deeply embedded that was causing all this turmoil down to even the cells of my body. But she also did say that my colon problems were caused by trying to have control, and it wasn't related to a specific event. (and that most people who try to have a lot of control also have colon/digestive problems). I don't know why I can't remember the memory she was referring to, but I am sure that a life time of those memories would def build up and cause me to live differently, and that by that different way of thinking and living that it would cause me to have different energy. I guess that energy just affected me more than I thought.
There are lots of ancient medicines that believe you have energy pathways, and if the energy gets stuck somewhere then it causes a lot of problems. Chinese medicine works a lot with it, and they use this medicine widely over there today.
Yes, i think to some degree all of us have these energy blockages. Now, does it affect everyone the same? i don't know. Why do some incidents cause people to have severe Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, and the same thing doesnt really affect someone else? I don't know. but that explains it..kinda
{Why do you think that there is such a widespread problem of people not "accepting" specifically gluten these days?}
This is a tricky one. I do have a strong opinion on this. I have much experience that shows that there are a lot of us 30 and under that are having intense problems. I rarely encounter someone who has the problem who is over 30 (albeit, it does happen), but it is booming in our generation. It also seems to happen to a lot of people when they turn about 18.
My theory is that something dramatic happened about 25 years ago that affected all of us as children. and that it takes about 10 years to get bad enough to show. (that is why we are all about 18-30 that its affecting). It could be through genetic modifications of our food that occured 25 years ago or a strain of antibiotics that came out then.
I know that genetically modified food is not the enemy, and that it has saved thousands and millions of lives. Here is an article on it. So, I will not protest it. I personally just think that it is linked to it. But I also think that antibiotics
are a common cause of gut problems. Doctors prescribe
them way too readily these days. So as of right now I feed my family organic non-GMO wheat as much as i can, and stay away from antibiotics if I can.
{Do you think your symptoms will come back?}
this is a tricky one. I def think they could come back because whatever caused me to have the problem in the first place is still out there. Since I don't know exaclty what it is, then it could come back. and yes, I would first go to a NAET dr and a body talk practitioner to try and fix the problem. The money is way way way worth feeling better. Plus, we save tons of money not having to eat gf right now.
{do you have to keep going back to those doctors?}
I asked that over and over again to the doctors because I was scared I couldn't be fixed. They kept telling me that only a few people ever come back after they are "healed." And a few of them just to get tune ups or fix other allergies they have developed. So i don't feel like i'll have to go in for tune ups, but if I do. I don't mind spending a few hundred every few years to feel good :)
{how did you even get courage to do that?}
I was so sick.
Let's restate it.
I was so so sick.
I was willing to try anything. Plus a few testimonials sure helped. I always say that if you are not willing to try these things, you are not sick enough then. Because we had no money. Like no money, but we budgeted and spent around $1500-$2000 on all the treatments before we were done to help me be healed. So money wasn't a barrier, it was just...what was I willing to try to feel better?
{would I recommend these treatments for people who were not as sick as you were?}
yes. I think that in our world of processed foods, chemicals, antibiotics, pollution, etc that so many "unnatural" things are affecting us that most of us have problems that could be resolved through NAET and body talk. I also think a lot of us live with problems that we don't realize are heavily affecting us, but once they are resolved we realize how much of a burden they were. (like headaches, low blood sugar, mild depression, pains, difficulty sleeping, etc). So I would recommend everyone going in and doing it to see how your life can be improved!
Sessions cost anywhere from $40-$100 depending on the experience of the practitioner.
{well, my doctor says I have IBS and so I'm sticking with that.}
Yes, you probably do have IBS. I had IBS! but I feel like IBS is a way to say "something makes you sick and we don't know what or how to help you." So you can live like that, like I did for years, or you can move forward with going gluten free or going to one of these practitioners to see if you could overcome that problem, and feel better.
{do you feel like everyone with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease will be healed by going to said doctors?}
I want to say yes. I would recommend everyone with these problems to go. But sadly, I don't think it will be 100% success rate. Just like NAET couldnt totally help me (it helped me overcome my seasonal allergies and sugar/nut problems.) but it couldnt figure out gluten. So, i think if you search long enough, you could find something that would work. But I also feel that most people could benefit from NAET or body talk just like I did. I would def try them first!!!
Here are questions people ask me about going gluten free:
How do I know if I should go gluten free??
Symptoms:
Here is a list of the typical symptoms that gluten could be causing
Here is another list of things that are most commonly seen
the trick is that it does different things to most people. So, the lists vary all over the place!
My symptoms were things that I never would have thought were connected to eating gluten, so I was treating them all individually, and when I went gf, and a lot of them resolved or went away and would come back when i was forced to eat gluten for the tests and such, then it was crazy to realize how gluten was affecting my body!
I had: bloating, alternating constipation and diarrhea, extreme tiredness/fatigue, high anxiety, constant need to eat (always felt like I was fasting, my arms would shake, but I was always bloated and full...it was weird), canker sores, receding gum lines/sensitive gums/enamel loss, depression/extreme mood swings, weight fluctuation (like 8 lbs difference day to day), weight gain, nausea, and more.
Seriously, it was way worth it to not eat gluten for me. But like I always say, if you are not willing to go gluten free to see if it will make you feel better, then you must not be feeling bad enough.
Why would I want to go gluten free??
Intense problems it could be causing:
So, there are a lot of other things that eating gluten can cause problems with.
Why?
Because it has to do with your digestive system and that has a lot to do with your hormones. Seriously, I could tell that my hormones were so much more regulated when I went totally gf. That's why if you are having a problem with Autism, Depression, Anxiety, Infertility, Arthritis, Headaches/migraines, Insomnia, Extreme Fatigue/Tiredness, or other things that doctors can't figure out what is causing the problem. I would say look into this. Try one of the options below to find out if gluten is causing you problems.
What are tests that can be done to know if I need to be going gf?
Well there are a few options.
1) go gluten free (like completely gluten free for 3-6 weeks, directions below) and see what difference it makes, or see what it feels like to add back in gluten
2) get tested
there are different tests you can do. Almost all of them require you to be eating gluten during the test, so if you are eventually going to do these tests I would recommend doing it before you go gluten free. The only thing about these tests is that many people might come back negative (stating that gluten is not the problem, BUT i know lots of people that the tests were negative but living gf makes them feel so much better. So they are not totally trustworthy, but they are helpful.)
You can get a blood test done
Get an endoscopy
Gene testing
(these 3 tests are explained
here, talk with your doctor about what would be best for you)
3) Go to a
NAET practitioner who can "test" you to see what foods are making you sick/causing different symptoms or long term problems. (I would recommend this just because they are able to do things much faster and much easier than all the blood work that only tells you if your body is rejecting gluten, but can't do anything about it. But what if you are also rejecting corn and milk? NAET helps there!) --for more info about NAET check out my other blog post about it
here
Ok, I realize I am ready to go gf, how should I do it?
It is important to do this right, you have to go completely gluten free to see a difference! Even a small bite of bread can throw this whole thing off!
the first time i didnt go totally gf so i couldnt tell a
difference!
The second time I went completely (like no sacrament no toast in a normal toaster), it worked much better! but even then it wasnt night and day, but i
felt 50% better after 3 weeks, then after a few months i felt 80% better. And
when i ate gluten again it wasnt immediately like "wow, that stuff hurts me." it takes my system 12-24 hrs to
react and start giving me pains and such.
You have to cut out all things with gluten:
anything with wheat, barley, rye, or oats (unless the oats say gf)
If you are like dying because the gf bread tastes bad then, you might have to cut it out for a few weeks and then add gf bread back in. i have seen studies that show that if you take
something out of your diet for about 3 weeks (like normal bread for example)
then bring it back in another way (like starting to eat gf bread) then you cant
tell the difference as much as if you immediately switched over. So if you hate gf pasta or crackers or bread, give it 2-3 weeks and see if you like
it later.
Here are two options for your food lists:
1- buy expensive gluten free food, so you can continue
eating the same meals as before (ie sub gf pasta in your casseroles, use gf bread, etc)
2- try to eat what you normally eat that is gluten free (ie
only cook meals you are used to that are already gf)
let me explain the difference. if you go with #1, then you
can still have your pasta casseroles and such, but use gf pasta and gf cream of
chicken soup, or you can use gf bread or flour to make pancakes or french
toast. Two problems with this: your family might not like the gf stuff (nate doesnt mind it, but since it
is so much more expensive, if we have pasta, i make 2 different kinds of pasta
and just make sure not to contaminate my gf pasta with the spoon that is used
in his pasta)...BUT with casseroles, that is hard, so if i make lasagna, we
just use gf pasta and nate says he cant tell the difference.
second problem with just switching
things out for gf stuff is that it tastes weird.
if you go with #2 then you might go crazy only eating the
few things that are in your original diet that are gluten free. (like salad,
chips and salsa, and rice). So your choice :)
Here are some links to help make the transition easier:
Here is a link to cleaning out your kitchen if you are dedicated to getting gluten out of your life!
Here is a link to a fun website that will help you see how "probable" that things are gluten free (this is a link to gummy bears...but I used this website to help me find out things that I could be getting contaminated with that didn't have the information on the package.)
I am still sick even with gf, what else could be causing the problem?
this is a super tricky question, because everyone is different,
BUT common things that I researched are:
-oats, carageenan (they put this in things to make it creamier
like sour cream, icecream, soymilk), msg, carmel coloring
-really, it could be anything. I would first try taking out gluten and milk. This is most common, soy next, then corn. (really it is difficult to tell, that is why I like NAET practitioners that can tell you what things your body is rejecting.)
-It also might be a problem with low probiotic growth in your gut,
so you could try taking probiotics and prebiotics
-It might also be an enzyme that is not working for you, there are different supplements that have enzymes that help you break down gluten, I never went this route, but had freinds that did and it worked for them. Talk with your doctor about this one, I guess :)
GF tastes weird, what are some good meals and brands that you recommend?
Here is a great link to help with eating out GF (since you know you'll be out and about and others will want to go places other than Costa Vida or Chick-fil-A)
gfoverflow.com is wonderful to find out which brand of things are gf
here are some meal ideas for you:
{Breakfast}
Cereal: the only cereals that are gf are the
ones in the gf section or Chex (not even off brand chex are gf ) and sometimes
rice krispies make gf cereal, but the only gf ones have a HUGE sign on the box
saying gf (normal ones arent gf bc they use malted barley in the rice crispies
so its not gf)
oatmeal: oats are not technically glutinous but they usually
share land with wheat and are severely contaminated, so you can buy gf oats and
gf granola (but watch out for normal granola bars that have oats in them, even
though the allergy statements do not say: contains wheat/gluten, it still is
not gf unless specified gf oats are used)
toast: use gf bread, but dont use your normal toaster, just
broil it in the oven and make sure to have your own butter that is not
contaminated with bread crumbs (this is important with all spreadable things. I
just have my own drawer in the fridge with my own pb, jam, butter, mayo, ect
and own shelf in the cupboard, plus i label everything gf so i know its my
peanut butter)
cottage cheese is ok
{Snacks}
crackers: glutino crackers are pretty good, or nut
thins
yogurt: most yoplait is ok, but still make sure it says
gluten free on the package because i have gotten home with some that arent ok
(just a side note, youll find that some brands always label gf, but some brands
are gf but dont label it, and some only label the allergens...thats why i use
gfoverflow to find out what brands are ok)
veggies: salads are good, just check out the dressing on
gfoverflow first
chips & salsa:
check out the salsa, sometimes they add wheat as thinning agents, so check on
gfoverflow for brands
{Lunch}
pasta: if you decide to use gf pasta i like the corn
pastas, but you can try the rice ones, sometimes they get mushy though
Sandwiches: this is tricky because it depends on what type
of bread you use. usually bread tastes better toasted or put in the microwave,
then i do open-faced because it is too dry to have a top and bottom peice of
bread. also make sure the meat is gf, sometimes with turkey and hams and such
they add broth that is not gf
{Dinner}
pancakes and french toast, obviously use your own
flour or bread, but make sure to cook yours first and not use the same pan or
flipper if you have touched the normal bread.
{Desserts}
chocolate (most chocolate is ok, just watch out if
it is processed on equipment that processes wheat)
pastries: this is
hard to find gluten free. try some cookies though. udi's cookies are good and
betty crocker gf mixes are good too. so go ahead and buy the gf cookie, brownie and cake mixes (they are way
easier then buying gf flour and substituting because then you have to add
xanthum gum and it almost never turns out the same, but the mixes have the
other ingredients altered to make it taste pretty good :)) I don't like "Bob's Red Mill" mixes because they use chickpea flour, its healthier but tastes kinda gross.
Here is picture of our "meals ideas" list that I had when we ate gf:
it might be different than you are used to because I also don't like eating meat, cheese, or creamy stuff. But at least there are some ideas :)
Other things I love that are gf (I would still eat these today!)
Honey Nut Chex
Rice Cakes/crackers (quaker brand, nabisco, or targets "simply delicious" brand are all good)
Snyders GF Pretzels
Places that have good gf sections:
All of sprouts and whole foods! great labels!
target just got a small gf section and so did walmart
smiths/king soopers always labeled it nicely
I hope you have enjoyed my journey of going gluten free and then going un-gluten free :)
let me know if you have any questions!
good luck on your journey ahead no matter it be gf or not!
