"How it all started"

I have been going strong on my new gluten free way of life for 1 solid year. And I can proclaim the wonders it has done for me and my digestive health. I am a BIG TIME bread eater. Before going gluten free, I ate bread soooo much! I never stopped to notice the many symptoms that I'd experience after eating it until I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease which is an autoimmune disorder where your body is attacking it's own thyroid hormone. I never knew of this problem until I started complaining to my doctor that I have been and have always since I could remember felt fatigued ALL the time. And I was always very slow acting and just overall not feeling lively. They found the problem and noticed my thyroid antibodies were in the 600's (which the normal range is under 30). I was so alarmed because with numbers high like this, my own hormones would eventually start tearing into my thyroid. My doctor then expressed that I will need to be monitored since my antibody levels were so high but medication wasn't needed as of yet since my thyroid levels were still intact and ultrasound testing showed my thyroid was still in good health. He said once my thyroid starts becoming attacked, I will need to be placed on medications. And if anyone knows about thyroid medications, those are taken for life. 

I'm a big natural remedy girl. So I went home and googled remedies to heal Hashimoto's. And behold, I came across this word gluten. And I read that gliadin, which is the actual protein in gluten, mimics the thyroid gland! When gluten is then swallowed and digested, the gluten flows in the bloodstream causing the body to initiate the warrior antibodies to attack and destroy the foreigner. Pretty crazy huh? I then made a commitment to myself to at least try a gluten free diet for a month to try and see if I can improve my levels by diet alone. I did get my antibody levels down by half and my thyroid levels were still normal. 

So far, eating gluten free did not only help with my Hashimoto's, it has also helped with my overall state of health. My body is less fatigued, my stomach has shrunk down from all the bloating, my goiter (enlargement in your neck) has also shrunk down to non existent, and my digestive system is back in order. Not to mention, I feel like my skin and complexion has thanked me as well. 

Although I didn't stop eating gluten because I was diagnosed with an intolerance, I know that my body was under attack due to the gluten I was eating. Eating anything that you are intolerant to will eventually catch up to you and cause dramatic damage to your body. And I've noticed, when I get glutenized (accidently eat something with gluten or traces of it), my body is on shut down for a few days trying to restore itself. The bloating, cramps, nausea, and overall pain comes back and I'm sick until it passes through my system. This reaction alone keeps my willpower strong. And you need that willpower to restore your life back. If I can do it, so can you!

Want to know what gluten is, check out another post on my blogs archive!

XoXo,

Rebecca