Gluten Free, again

About 5 years ago, when I was trying to conceive, I found out that I was gluten intolerant. The only time that I gave up gluten containing foods was just prior to getting pregnant with the boys and during my pregnancy (although I did cheat pretty often!). I have a few nagging health problems today--mostly just low energy and a need for a lot of sleep at night, never really waking refreshed. I also do worry that my mostly silent gluten intolerance may one day manifest as a serious condition. essentially, the inability to process gluten impairs our body's ability to utilize nutrients in the diet and rogue gluten proteins can also create other autoimmune conditions as well. I thought that once and for all, I will truly go gluten free and see if I feel any better.

For the past few years, I have avoided gluten as much as possible. The foods we eat revolve more around meats, dairy, veggies and fruits, and healthy oils. We eat rice pastas and gluten free oats, but I have used spelt and wheat for making breads, muffins, and pancakes. I do, however, properly prepare these by soaking, sprouting, or using a sourdough starter. While these methods neutralize many of the toxins found in grains, they also reduce the amount of gluten.

A few interesting articles to read on this subject would be www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/be_kind.html and www.westonaprice.org/moderndiseases/gluten-intolerance.html.

Gluten intolerance is a largely undiagnosed problem today. I guess I am writing this post mostly because if there is anyone out there plagued by any sort of health problem whether physical or psychological, I strongly suggest doing some research on gluten intolerance to see if your condition is connected to gluten.

I have seen gluten intolerance connected w/ infertility, miscaariage, thyroid disorders, migraines, all digestive complaints, autoimmune conditions, depression, bi-polar disorder, skin conditions, and cancer, just to name a few conditions off the top of my head.

Even after a few weeks of gluten free living, I am feeling that I have more energy when I wake up in the morning and will report back after several months of eating this way.

in the past, i could never manage this diet because i was so addicted to gluten grains. now it seems much more manageable. the foods i have a weakness for are homemade baked goods and pizza, but before i undertook this diet again, i made sure i had a gluten free recipe for these. at some point i will post the recipes.i also have a hard time while eating out, but since we are on a serious budget these days, we don't eat out anymore.

by the way, the best way to test for gluten sensitivity is to order the test from entero lab at www.finerhealth.com. blood tests are not reliable indicators.