You might remember that last week, I went in for a procedure to get some testing done for my stomach issues. The testing I had done was to check for things like H. Pylori, celiac disease, etc. While I am still awaiting a call back from the doctor, I decided to try going gluten-free. Obviously, if I do have celiac disease, I will have to do a gluten-free diet regardless. And when I looked at the symptoms of celiac, I could definitely relate to a lot of them. But, you don’t have to be celiac to have a reaction to gluten. So it could just be gluten sensitivity. Not trying to WebMD myself here, just trying to find something that gives me some relief!
Just to note… not everyone benefits from a gluten-free diet. It’s definitely not for everyone. But, the reason I decided to try this route? Back in 2013 or 2014, I saw a gastroenterologist who told me I had IBS and to just eat more fiber. Unfortunately, I was still having extreme stomach pain frequently. That’s when I decided to try gluten-free. I made the decision and got rid of everything in my house that had gluten. And I stuck with it for around 2 years or so! Guess what? My stomach issues were almost NON-EXISTENT while I was gluten-free. It was a miracle!
Why did I stop my gluten-free lifestyle? I’d read that some people have success with re-introducing it back into their system in small doses. And for a while, I was fine. But… over the years, I have had really bad flare-ups. I have yet to really pinpoint what I eat that triggers the issues. Because sometimes I can eat something and be completely fine. Other times, I’ll be extremely sick. It’s been frustrating.
I don’t really like having to medicate. I’d rather take more natural approaches to heal my gut, instead of putting a band-aid on the symptoms. So for now, I’m going to try the gluten-free route while waiting to get all the information from the doctor. I’m adding in probiotics and anything else that may help soothe and help.
Thankfully, gluten-free options and accommodations have become more prevalent since I last went this route! Just check out some of my favorite gluten-free Instagram pages and brands!