Alone with the Heavens, Nature and God: G is For Gluten and Gluten's Not For Me

Gluten, nuts, honey, coconut, all grains, eggs, veggies and fruits with too much fiber all not for me. The first four are allergies. The last four equal debilitating stomach aches. What does that leave for me to eat?

Meat, black beans, great northern beans, green, yellow & red peppers, berries, apples, & cheese.

Not much variety huh? Soup and smoothies are my staples. And they taste delicious!

Three years ago when I finally figured out the gluten part, I got a fast education about food labeling and what goes into food. It was horrifying to discover what is allowed in food. We made the decision to go all organic. It definitely hurt the pocketbook but the taste difference was incredible. Our taste buds came alive to how things should and could taste. After my diagnosis of my heart condition a year ago, my health has come back and the food bill doesn't hurt so much because I am able to cook again and not rely on packaged food. Meaning I was able to cut the monthly expense in half.

We don't eat out namely because my fear of being poisoned and the expense of food that just doesn't taste that good. Nuts, honey and coconut all make my throat close up. But that's it. If I get glutened, I am sick for seven days. Even just a miniscule amount takes that long to work through the body. Brain fog, headache, dizziness, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, painful stomach cramps, & bloating are some of the issues experienced. But it also damages the small intestine and causes the body not to absorb nutrients. There are levels of tolerance and not everyone has the same level of sensitivity to gluten. The point I am making is that it isn't something that just bothers you for an hour and is to be taken seriously.

Two weeks ago I went off all grains. I was only eating rice and occasionally potatoes, but my stomach was hurting constantly. No grains = no pain. My heart condition causes some of my food problems. It is recommended that people with my condition follow a low carb & gluten free diet and only eat fruits and veggies with little fiber. Low carb wasn't cutting it for me, I need no carb. There are also studies being done to connect celiac with my heart condition.

I also have a contact allergy to gluten. Meaning if I touch it, my skin burns. Gluten is in everything because it is a binding agent. So the challenge is finding shampoo and condition, lotion, sunscreen, hair products, makeup, & cleaning products without gluten in them. Not just without gluten but made in a gluten free facility and say certified gluten free. That goes for my food too because the food labeling gluten free doesn't necessarily mean it is completely gluten free. Having the internet as a resource is fabulous because it makes the research easier to find out what is safe in an industry that doesn't have to label products or disclose what is in the product.

Resources I find extremely helpful:

Elisabeth Hasselbecks' The G Free Diet. It was the first thing I read that gave me the information I needed to exist gf in a very gluten rich world.
http://deliciouslyorganic.net/ Carrie Vitt suffered from servere migraines until she went organic. She has gluten free and paleo recipes for free. She is a great resource for eating organic on a budget.

While most areas of my life are affected by my allergies, it is not something by which I want to be defined. I have a system that works well and my family (namely my husband) has had to adjust his life around it. We've made peace with the new lifestyle with it's pluses and minuses. It just gets troubling in social situations when food is involved and people are uncomfortable that I cannot eat and enjoy the feast. Or at a salon when the whole place is full of gluten. Fortunately, my hairdresser understands my allergy as his family also has allergies and cuts my hair dry and doesn't use product in my hair. And doesn't give me a pity party about it. It's fabulous! And for social food situations, I eat before I go. It is no one's responsibility to meet my food needs except my me & my hubby. Please don't get your feelings hurt that I cannot eat the food or think that I feel that I am missing out on anything. I'm too scared to eat it anyway and you are doing a fantastic job as host even if I don't eat.

Products I Use that are chemical free and certified gluten free. I have extremely dry skin and hair. The companies have products for other skin types. Why did I put all this together? It took me years of trial and error to find products that work. It's a lot of money and emotional frustration when figuring all this out. Most stuff I have tried, I didn't like. It costs a ton of money for the products and takes hours of time researching ingredients and reading labels to find products. May this help someone out there!

Shampoo & Conditioner

Surface Bassu Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner

All Surface products are 100% gluten free.

http://www.surfacehair.com

I get it off Amazon.