Let me just make it crystal clear: I never thought I would be one of those people with food sensitivities, especially after living in Italy and then India where an adaptable digestive system is the key to so much wonderful food and culture...
But man alive, after having to cut out nearly everything from my diet, and then add things back in one by one by one, I am SO happy to finally feel as though I'm getting on top of this thing.
Let me go back and tell you-- I have been meaning to write this post for a long time, but something has kept me from doing it. I'm kind of a private person when it comes to my health, and I think the not knowing what was going on, mixed with the shock of getting a few weird and unexpected test results back, and the general and enormous frustration of dealing with doctors and the medical labyrinth of the UW... it all just felt a bit overwhelming and discouraging.
Also, and this is a big one (and kind of a weird one)- I know from being a semi-vegetarian that the general public, but also family and friends, can be very put off and unreasonably judgmental toward those who are constantly changing the rules of what can and can't be in their diet.
It is definitely a popular thing right now to have very complex and unique dietary needs, but I'm starting to learn first hand that if someone is choosing to eliminate something as fabulous as cheese or croissants from their diet, they must have a damn good reason for doing so.
Anyway, it would be very easy to write pages and pages about how hard it has been to deal with all of this, but really I am starting to see a blazing bright side of this whole thing, which is of course the mere fact that I am feeling better.
Along with clearing up some of the major things that were going on with me, there have also been a lot of small wonderful side effects I've experienced from cutting out gluten and dairy. I know a lot of people who suffer from these seemingly minor discomforts, but they definitely add up and can be avoided with a tweak in what you eat.
1) I was having heartburn, almost daily, that would last hours. Now that I am gluten and dairy free, heartburn seems to be a thing of the past (knock on wood :)
2) My skin has changed. I don't seem to be breaking out quite as much anymore, and in general I just feel like it's been brighter.
3) Sleep. Oh, glorious sleep. I'm definitely sleeping better these days. Thank you thank you thank you.
4) Kind of related to sleep-- I'm just not as lethargic during the day. This is partially due to better night sleep, but I feel like my mind has been rid of all this clutter; it feels great and very open.
5) My mood swings, which had gotten completely out of hand again, have really, for the most part, leveled off. I think this has been the biggest one for me.
And there is more-- (too intimate for a blog)-- but I'm happy to talk with anyone about it one on one. I'm really interested in learning about your experience with diet-shifts too, and how they have changed your day to day life. Also-- dairy/gluten free winning recipes? Send then my way!!
One more thing: I have one VERY good doctor that I do highly recommend. She is not affiliated with any major hospital-- she's a bit of an independent.....
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