Congratulations on discovering you should live gluten free!

You may wonder why all the positive excitement? Well let’s just say that it is better to figure this out now and make the simple changes in eating rather than suffer with life long chronic and nasty symptoms.  It is better to live gluten free and heal than go on untreated and chronically ill. 

Let’s take a look at celiac disease / gluten intolerance and simplify it so you understand what it means and we can move onto the good stuff – eating ;-) 

Gluten is a protein found in the grains wheat (durum, kamut, semolina, or spelt), rye, barley, and disputably oats.  Celiac disease/ gluten intolerance is when the immune system creates an allergic response to gluten in the small intestine.  It does this by producing a mucus which coats the tiny hair-like projections that line the intestine called villi .  The function of the villi is to absorb and assimilate all the vitamins and nutrients of your food so they can be used to nourish your body.  When the villi are coated or damaged then the body is not getting nourished.

The symptoms of gluten intolerance/celiac disease are many and as diverse as irritable bowl to anxiety or depression. When questioning if you may be gluten intolerant it is important to see your doctor and/or naturalpath/ nutritionist/dietician as there may be a different underlying disease or condition that has similar symptoms.  Over all a gluten free diet won’t hurt you but it is quite an extensive life decision that can be challenging at times so if you can get a confirmed diagnoses this may aid in keeping you in line and on the diet. 

How long will it take before I feel better after omitting gluten?

Each person is different.  It may be twenty four hours or it could be weeks, months or possibly years (although unlikely).  It all depends on how long you have been gluten intolerant and how much damage has been done to your intestine.  Most people will note improvement within a week or two and continue to improve each day.  Monitor your symptoms as they disappear and write them down.  You may think a symptom disappearing is your imagination but you would be surprised how many different symptoms disappear when you are strict on the gluten free diet.  The reverse is true when you re-introduce gluten after a being on a gluten free diet; your body will tell you with specific symptoms returning if you have accidentally ingested it.

Here is a list of some symptoms that can be associated with celiac disease/gluten intolerance. You may have one, some or none:

Migraine headaches , Mouth sores, Irritable bowl, Chronic fatigue, Painful joints, Deep pain in the bones, Weak muscles, Unexplained weight loss, Unexplained weight gain, Low iron count, Skin rashes (eczema, psoriasis) , Dermatitis Herpetiformis (very itchy burning rash with little blisters), Candida yeast overgrowth, Chronic infections (sinus, strep, bladder, yeast),Hair loss, Athsma, Irritability, Constipation, Diarrhea,Chronic colds/viruses, Poor dental enamel (Many fillings, extractions and/or discolored teeth), Very odorous soft oily stool, Bloating/gas, Poor circulation, Night blindness, Inability to focus or settle, Anxiety, Lower back pain, Extreme pms symptoms, Allergies, Nausea (with or without vomiting), Abnormal menses, Failure to thrive (children), Seizures, Infertility