It’s oh so trendy to be vegan or gluten free, but I went on my gluten free adventure because I thought that I had a gluten intolerance. It all started when the Jewish holiday of Passover came alone and I was unable to eat any flour for a week. Prior to the holiday I had been feeling very bloated and heavy, despite eating smaller meals and monitoring portion sizes. I initially thought it had to do with the fact that I was eating too much and therefore my stomach couldn’t handle it. I was wrong.
Over the course of the week of Passover, my stomach had gone from bloated (that looked like I was four months pregnant) to almost flat. I was feeling better as well. I had less stomach trouble than before and felt lighter. It suddenly had me thinking I had gluten intolerance (and not celiac). After Passover was over, I decided to stick with the no gluten bit and what I learned was this:
It’s expensive. Eating gluten free means more meats and vegetables, which are more expensive than the other products I was used to buying. The gluten free products in the grocery were also highly overpriced and in my opinion were nothing short of extortion. I decided not to get as many gluten free substitutions but just remove flour from my diet and not replace it with tapioca or almond flour.
My doctor couldn’t tell. I went to my doctor to try and get some blood work done to confirm or deny my gluten theory. She then replied with the fact that unless it is celiac, there is no way to know if I am indeed intolerant, it’s a matter of elimination.
I was feeling really good. Like I said, my stomach was flatter and the overall feeling was a good one. I slept better, I walked around faster and I had more energy.
I was craving. The only thing that happened that was unfortunate and interesting was that my sweet tooth got much stronger. I am not the dessert type, but after a week of no gluten, I found myself craving more and more sugar. I then realized that the sugar I usually get from pasta and breads was being eliminated and my body was trying to find it elsewhere.
At the end of the day I lasted six months. Because my interference is tolerable, I found myself introducing gluten back into my diet for lack of funds and social situations. It is hard to be gluten free in a world where everything around you isn’t; while that is totally an excuse, I have still limited my gluten intake but reintroduced it into my life again.
