Imagine all of your favorite foods…is it pizza? Pasta? Fried shrimp? And then imagine the joy it brings you bite after bite after bite. Then 15 minutes later you have a headache, your stomach hurts and your hands feel weak. That’s what I felt before I was diagnosed with gluten sensitivity.
Sure, there are tons of replacement products you can buy from the big-name brands in the gluten free world such as Udi’s or Glutino. You can fill your cabinet with temporary desires or you can eat to nourish your body. I chose the latter. Because even though there were replacement gluten free products, it didn’t change how I was getting nutrients into my body. It never changed the fact that I should be paying attention to what I eat.
“You can fill your cabinet with temporary desires or you can eat to nourish your body.”
Many people are under the impression that gluten sensitivity is made up or that it’s a trend that will go out of style like bell bottoms. But, if you know fashion and you know your body, they both come back and with a vengeance. I ignored lots of the symptoms that something was wrong – abdominal pain, nausea, joint pain, feeling weak or having a foggy mind. I thought maybe it was just one of those days. But days became weeks and weeks became months. I was getting sick and had bronchitis which turned into pneumonia. I probably took every antibiotic a doctor could prescribe until my gastroenterologist said enough is enough. Eventually, I saw a dietitian who asked me to keep a food diary for a month – essentially, detailed notes of everything I was eating. To be honest, I was a little embarrassed at first to be writing down all my snacks and details of my meals down to the grain. But I can tell you, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.
As we were reviewing week 1, I realized that I was eating a lot of pasta. I was also eating plenty of sandwiches and pizza. I also was adding bread to meals that would have otherwise been healthy. This made me stop and think about the amount of gluten that was in my diet. I also had notes about how I felt after each meal – most of my notes were negative. It was in that moment that my dietitian and I concluded that gluten was the problem. Of course, we took the proper steps to rule out celiac disease, and I took an intestinal biopsy which turned up negative. After that, the real work began.
I started to try different recipes sans gluten. Slowly, I learned more about food and what nutrients they could provide. I learned how many ways black beans, quinoa, and other vegetables could be incorporated into my diet (which is countless). Through all of this, I learned three big things:
Stay in the Kitchen
It’s hard to know exactly what you’re eating unless you’re making it yourself. Find recipes on the internet, buy the ingredients and make them at home. I promise you’ll feel better knowing exactly what’s in your food since you made it. It’s equally as important to get familiar with foods before they have been cooked. Try picking up a squash, eggplant or organic chicken. Learn how to care for and prepare food.
Listen to Your Body
Once you start eating more at home, you’ll know exactly which foods you made you feel good and which ones made you feel sick. If you want, start like I did and keep a food diary. If I start to notice symptoms after I eat something, I go back and review all the foods that were prepared in the meal. Sometimes for that entire day. It’s important to be in tune with how you feel as it could help lead to a diagnosis or just improve your overall wellness.
Try Something New
Don’t be afraid to find new foods that can be a source of protein. Before I started meal prepping and making all my meals, I only thought of chicken and black beans as protein. I introduced other proteins such as almond butter and quinoa. Just when you think you’re bored with your food options, there’s always something else you haven’t discovered. Try it.
If you follow at least one of these things I listed, then you might start to notice an improvement in your overall health and wellness. Either way, listening to your body is a useful tool that I otherwise may not have discovered if it weren’t for my gluten sensitivity. Find what works for you and then stick to it.
Guest Post by Kamilah Howard
Kamilah is a Washington, D.C. based health and wellness blogger who enjoys being active indoors and outdoors. You can find her at Whole Foods or a local farmer’s market picking out food or spinning at her favorite studio. You can follow her on her blog, anchoredinhealth.com or on Instagram, @anchoredinhealth.