Becoming Gluten Free - My Journey

My journey began my freshman year of college - three years ago. I moved away, lived in a dorm, attended classes, made new friends; life was good. Unfortunately, my health was not. All throughout high school I was very health conscious. Running mile after mile, day after day. I participated in a total of 4 different sports and played year round. Basically, I was always active.

Once I went off to college my routine changed. I was less active, I chose not to play a sport and I was stressed. The stress took its toll on me. I developed a serious and painful case of GOUT or Acid Reflux. I could hardly eat anything. I was nauseous and dizzy all the time. I finally went to an allopathic doctor and they saw me for 5 minutes, asked me what my symptoms were and instantly prescribed me Omeprazole - a proton pump inhibitor drug used for gastric ailments. I dutifully took this pill every morning for two months. Sure, it relieved my symptoms after a week, however, in the end it only made my stomach worse. Within several months my stomach began acting up again. This time it was undeniably nausea and not acid reflux. I had no idea why I was nauseous. It was EVERY DAY. I switched up my diet, ate more healthy fats and protein and less complex carbohydrates. This helped some, but was not the relief I was looking for. I chose not to go back to the doctors because I didn't want to be pushed onto another pill. I must've known that it was something more than a quick fix.

I suffered with indescribable bouts of nausea. Every day for two years I felt sick. I could hardly eat a full meal, as the outcome would only fuel the nausea. I drank so much ginger and peppermint tea - SO MUCH. After a meal I would have a cup (or several). Peppermint if my symptoms were mild. Ginger if I was in unbearable discomfort. After dinner I found that I would have up to 5 cups of tea. I also sought relief in ginger chews. Trader Joe's sells pouches of these sweet ginger treats from The Ginger People. I would stock up and if I was running low I would pay a visit to amazon to order a 1 lb bag. They were (and still are) a lifesaver. After growing sick (no pun intended) of being sick all the time, I finally sought out a doctor. This time I chose to go to a Naturopathic Doctor as opposed to an allopathic. I couldn't have someone say that a few weeks on a drug would fix it - it just wouldn't settle my mind if that was the case. Fast forward to October of 2016, I went to the doctor's office and had a proper visit. An hour later I had worked out the details of trying the elimination diet. The first step was to eliminate all gluten from my diet for 6 weeks. By the end of the 6 weeks I was to return to the doctor's office and report back on my symptoms.

This 6 week elimination diet changed my life. Though it took longer for my stomach to heal and recover from the damage that this allergy wreaked, I found that within the month and a half I had already felt a change; a shift in my wellbeing. I was prescribed a gut healing powder to consume up to 2 times a day - best when mixed into smoothies - and a gut healing chewable supplement. I also kept a food journal where I documented every food I ate at every meal, how I felt after each meal, and how I felt by the end of the day. Needless to say, I religiously drank smoothies and kept tabs on my symptoms, praying that this would work - and it did. I reported back to my doctor that I was feeling better. I was hardly nauseous, I felt lighter, happier, less stressed and certainly less anxious. I was monitored for several months afterward and my doctor and I both found that this was the answer. This was the "quick fix" that no drug could've cured. Eliminating gluten was the best thing that I could've done for myself.

Fast forward to 8 months on this gluten free diet. I am feeling better than I ever thought was possible as of a year ago. I certainly have had my ups and downs, though I am going strong and remaining persistent. Gluten free is not easy. It is not cheap. It is, however, life-altering. I can go days without feeling the need to drink copious amounts of ginger or peppermint tea, or even eat a ginger chew. I can go weeks without feeling utterly nauseous and sick (something that I NEVER could imagine or thought possible). I am thriving on this lifestyle change and I am thankful that I took the time to listen to my body and followed the healing process, no matter the length of time it took. Finding out that I have a gluten allergy was the first step to a happier and healthier life. My journey doesn't end here though, no, it is only just beginning.

-Abbie