Before we start, no, this isn’t another rant about gluten and how bad it is for you, or why you should stop eating it.
But this one today, is close to my heart.
If you’ve been around a while, you may have noticed that I don’t label Simply Real Health as gluten free blog or business, or even call myself as a gluten free person.
Even though I am. I have been for more than 4 years, actually.
Until this point.
If I’m being completely and totally honest with you, I’ve wanted to keep my gluten-freeness sort of low-profile and in the “my-personal-life” box, and let the absence of it in my recipes speak for itself.
That there are so many other amazing , nutrient-dense real foods out there that are much better for all of us, even if we don’t have a sensitivity or allergy, on a daily level.
After all, I have built my entire business around the mission that real food is good food, and that trendy fads and diets can lead us down a scary path AND give us more negative relationships to our food.
Which I guess is the first problem I want to clarify.
That being gluten-free is not a fad. It’s real. And legitimate, if you’d done any research into the modern production and processing of grains in this country, especially wheat [see Wheat Belly and Grain Brain if you are curious about this topic].
And just because some people use it as a fad or way to lose weight, or marketing companies are capitalizing on it the way they did with the low-fat movement, doesn’t mean that it’s not serious and doesn’t have huge impacts on people’s quality of life.
The second problem with me being under the radar on this, when it’s changed my life completely?
It’s selfish of me not to tell my story, because it’s such a highly debated and emotional topic for people.
Because even if one of you lovely readers feels frustrated and stuck and blah in your own body right now, and you read this story (or your friend reads it and tells you about it), and it inspires you or encourages you to make some changes or do some more research, that is more than worth it for me.
I’m ready to let you all in. On why I stopped eating gluten, and why I’ll never go back.
4 years ago, I was in a stressful place. Not from the outside stressful, but a lot of inner turmoil that I almost couldn’t fully see at the time. You know how you look back and can see it so clearly? It was one of those times.
The job I was in wasn’t fulfilling or inspiring anymore. The relationship I was in, with a nice guy, ditto. A little of that soul connection missing, just like in my job.
My living situation at the time, was also a little stressful. Where was I going? What was I doing? What kind of person did I want to marry? You know, all of life’s big questions, all just floating around in my head- popping out to scare me often when I thought about it.
For the most part, I did a pretty good job of just powering through these things as they would arise. Or, so I told myself. Until I started to notice that I didn’t feel as great as usual. It was the end of the summer, and I just assumed that I’d been drinking too much wine/eating too much (organic full fat) ice cream as I mourned the encroaching Fall, as I always do.
I started to feel extra tired, like I wanted to sleep in most days. My hair started to break a little bit. I’d lose a lot of it in the shower. My skin was dull. My digestion was slowing. Energy, way slower than it use to be. I drank more coffee to keep up. I started to gain a few pounds and felt a little more puffy. So, I did what any “healthy” twenty-something year old did to get myself back on track: I did a cleanse, assuming all my problems would be cleared with a little reset.
Until I weighed myself at the end of the 7 days and I was up a pound. Within 3 weeks, I was up 7 pounds! Cue the freak out. Working out even harder and confused. Being really clean with my food. And still, I felt worse.
I went to the doctor. A naturopath first, who ran some blood tests said my thyroid was off. But not in the classic way. We tried the natural supplement route until my symptoms got worse, not better.
I went to my general practice doc. Another test. Hyperthyroidism, they called it. I was happy to have it called something so we could “fix” it and get on with it. On the heavy hitting medications I go. And there I stayed, for a year, while they drew my blood every month and upped and lowered my dose. Nothing moved.
I was up 10 pounds at that point- with an almost sleeping metabolism, with none of my clothes fitting, advising others how to lose weight and get healthier. Have that picture clear in your head?
It felt like I was living a lie. But with so much effort and stress and time trying to beat the odds and find the one thing that would get me back to normal again.
All the things stressful in my life, because more so, because when you don’t feel like yourself, you lose your confidence, your sass, your motivation and spunk. After my 12th blood draw, I started getting mad. Why wasn’t this working? People had hypothyroid all the time and the meds worked for them, even though they were lifers.
But more so disturbing for me- why did this happen to begin with? I was a healthy person. I cared. I made the effort. I ate good quality food. I worked out every day. I think I even counted calories for a short time, which is crazy if you know me.
Why was my body betraying me? What was wrong with it? Would I just have to be this way forever?
I went into my crazy mode, googling all night, for all the obscure “natural” books I could on thyroid. I got to the 12th page in and found some ah hem, non-mainstream articles (aka, very alternative).
Well, nothing else was working, so why not? I booked myself an urgent appointment with a very non mainstream doctor and kept reading. Until the night before my appointment, when I saw this. And I am no doctor, but this is what I remember from all of that time:
The thyroid molecule is very very similar to the gluten molecule. Your body can confuse them.
Of course, in my year at the doctor’s offices, I had been tested for celiac. And they came back negative. And for gluten sensitivity. Zero.
My hippie doc (lovingly called, of course), felt my elbows during the exam. They’re dry and have bumps on them, he said. I said- well yeah, aren’t everyone’s? He said, no. It is usually a sign your body is sensitive to something you’re eating. Dairy, maybe. But gluten, most likely.
I looked him right in the eye and said- really? Ok. I’ll do anything. Can I stop taking these dumb meds? Let me try it. He said ok, but to give it 3 months.
Easy, I thought. I barely eat gluten it anyways. Maybe once a week for a really good pizza or flakey little scone on the weekend. Or a healthy barley bowl, as I was trained from all my years as a vegetarian and vegan.
So, it turns out, I was totally wrong. I had no idea how much gluten I was eating until I had to look for it. And that it didn’t matter the amount- any amount would cause inflammation in my body, which would take at least a week to heal and start over.
Long story short. Within 3 weeks I noticed I didn’t feel like I still had my whole dinner left in my stomach when I got up in the morning.
I started to get a little more energy back. My hair fell out less. My digestion was starting to come back. I didn’t crave sugar as much, and the foods that I thought I couldn’t live without, became things I didn’t even think about, compared to the feeling of getting my normal self back.
Those last 5 pounds just kind of melted off, the same 5 pounds I’d been killing myself at the gym for, taking double classes.
Fast forward.
3 months later, I was BACK. To my normal size, attitude, and even more convinced that our bodies are always giving us signs and messages.
That I personally feel so strongly that daily medications just cover up the real thing that’s happening. That stress can really affect you, even if you think you’re ignoring it. And that the food we eat is powerful and influences so much of our lives.
4 years later, my infrequent migraines even went away. I tell all of my clients that suffer from thyroid stuff or autoimmune stuff or migraines or have trouble with fertility, get labeled as having IBS or are just fatigued as a general state of being, my story.
And guess what? I still have amazing joys in my life, food wise, so don’t feel bad for me or lament about how you could never give up your bread. You could. Because there is still wine, cheese, chocolate, great desserts and so many growing options if you did want something gluten-free (like pizza) once in a while.
So, let’s be clear. I’m not saying going gluten-free is the end-all, be-all solution for everyone.
We are all different, and in all different phases of our lives.
It’s that our bodies change with stress, with years and over time. What worked for you a year ago, may not be working for you now.
And if you’re not feeling 95 % everyday, there’s probably something more foundational that might be off- be it sleep, or something in your food, or water or energy or something else. That operating on a lower grade most days of your life is not normal. Or encouraged.
And so, for me, what would have helped me in that beginning stage, were earlier signs I was out of tune with my body. Things I thought were just kind of normal. Things like this:
>> digestion problems
>> migraines
>> inflammation going on anywhere in your body (auto-immune, joints, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes)
>> fatigue most days
>> sugar cravings
>> bloated + puffy even though you eat healthy and work out
>> Stuffy nose/ allergies that won’t go away
>> dry skin/ eczema
>> fertility issues
>> getting sick often
>> brain fog
>> heavy reliance on caffeine to get you through the day
And so, I ask you this- how are you going to give to the people around you? To love people deeper, and to live fuller?
How are you going to make this world better if you’re always feeling so-so with any of those above things going on daily?
It could be as simple as identifying the one food that’s giving you problems, or it could be a little bit of a soulful journey to learn yourself better and be completely honest about how you feel, and if it could be better. And what that impact would be on the quality of your life.
Either way, life is going to happen and the time will pass by. So you might as well make it the best it can be.
Now, it’s your turn. Do you have a story like this? Please share it in the comments below. It helps others hear your story!
Love this post? You’d love the cookbook then too. And be sure to check out the seasonal meal plans (or the new easy DINNER ONLY plan)! Wanna know more about this real-food lifestyle made simple I always talk about? Be sure to check out this little podcast workshop I created for you, called: Simply Real FOOD: Real food, finally explained. Check it out here!
Photos by Carina Skrobecki
Thank you for your story. I appreciate your honesty.
Thanks Amy, so glad you read it 🙂
Thank you so much for your post. I’ve just recently gone gluten free to test the effects on PCOS symptoms. After crazy withdraw sickness (I had no idea you could have) I’m feeling much better in life. I know it effects everyone very differently, some not at all, and modern medicine isn’t exactly sure how but I thank you for your blog, I’m sure that it will help many people.
Thank you Jules- that’s so great to know. PCOS has a huge tie to gluten just like thyroid stuff. Come to think of it, most hormone stuff does. Thank you for sharing your story too!
Thank you Sarah, I really appreciate your story. I am considering going gluten free as I suffer from almost all of those symptoms and nothing seems to help. Do you have a doctor or clinic to recommend? Where you finally were able to get answers about your gluten intolerance?
Alexis
Do it, lexi! <3
You go girl – thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading and letting me know!!
Hi Sarah, great post. I have been gluten free for about 18 months now and still deal with a lot of the symptoms you mention. Mainly tired and various forms of inflammation. What would you recommend as next steps? I also don’t do eggs, limit dairy and try to avoid soy.
Thanks!
Hi Lindsay! Thanks for saying hi 🙂 Yes, I’m not a doctor, so finding a great naturopath would be great for you. It could be SIBO/fermented/high FODMAP foods or could be something totally unrelated but something you have almost daily (like coffee). You can experiment a lot, or get someone great on your team to help guide you!
Hi Sarah,
Thank you so much for sharing! I was recently diagnosed as hypothyroid and had been attributing all those symptoms that you so succinctly describe to a post-partum slump and lack of sleep (nothing like running after two kids all the time and still not being able to fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans!). I started doing my own research after several less than satisfying experiences with mainstream medicine, and finally found an amazing osteopath to treat all my issues. Her foremost recommendation was to give up the gluten. I’ve been gluten-free for two weeks and am already feeling a little more energetic. I will keep your perspective in mind whenever I’m tempted to cave: that there are so many other, delicious, nutrient dense foods to choose from. And that feeling better is well worth forgoing a slice of sourdough!
Yes! Mary my dear, this just made it worth me writing the post. Thank you so much for commenting and sharing where you are at too. I bet a lot of people feel the exact same that might read these words. You can do it!
Great post, Sarah! This one hits close to home for me too. Growing up, I watched my little sister suffer though illness since I could remember. She would get a cold, like all kids, but the cold would turn into the flu. A sniffle into bronchitis. Feeling tired into mono. She got a fever and they told my mom she pneumonia. She had constant problems with asthma. She had it all.
This went on for years and years, she missed a ton of school – she fell behind and had to drop her social activities because of either sickness or school work. She tested negative for celiac as well. Every time my mom brought her to the doctor, they prescribed her an antibiotic. It always worked, but the sickness always came back.
FINALLY – someone recommended my mom take her to a naturopath. They asked her everything: how much she exercised, what she ate, how she slept, etc. Based on her answers (almost everything you described above from the headaches to tiredness to obvious ongoing illnesses) she gave up gluten – and in her case also dairy.
She’s been gluten free for over 8 years now – and visits the doctor less than once every two years. She gets the common every day cold, but now she’s able to fight off on her own. She has an extremely weak immune system, we’ve come to learn, and the gluten was only hurting it further.
I’m so thankful for stories like yours that get the word out in the way it did. My body doesn’t react to gluten the way my sisters does (although I work hard to cut it out as much as possible), but its an important reminder that if the problem isn’t going away, there’s probably a better solution – and it will always have to do with treating your body the way its begging for you to.
Keep up the good work!! 🙂
Ah, this is such a amazing story too. Thank you so much for reading and for your encouragement to share it- it’s scary to do, but if it could help someone else, it’s all worth it. So happy for your sis too, what a better life!
I totally get your reluctance to share your gluten restrictions because people are so negative and tend to have strong opinions on this “fad”. My journey was the same as yours only I gained 20 pounds in 6 months, had chronic stomach aches, and was always asked when I was due! I’ve been gluten free for two years now and I’m back to being me.
No one knows your body but you and if you know gluten makes you feel bad then do what it takes t feel better. Thanks for sharing this post!
Thanks for sharing your story too Rachel! That’s so awesome, and you’re right. Your own body is never wrong 🙂
I enjoy your recipes and appreciate you sharing your story. As a medical student, I just want to point out that while many conditions can be treated through diet and exercise, many cannot. There is an appropriate place for medication; the real question is what is right for a particular patient at a particular time. I just feel the need to point this out given that I have had patients tell me they feel guilty for needing medication and not being able to control their health entirely through diet and exercise. I don’t think anyone should feel guilty for doing what is right for their health and for some patients that means daily medication.
Great post Sarah! After years of debilitating migraines 4-5 times a week I wanted to go off my medication. For about 6 months now of eating clean, real food and cutting out gluten, preservatives etc. I haven’t had ONE migraine. And now I’m perusing my beautiful new Simply Real Health cookbook for dinner for tonight…thanks!!
Amazing post Sarah! I too went through a similar situation (almost four years ago) and have never looked back and feel so much better for it. I really believe sharing this story with others will encourage them to try something new if they aren’t feeling their best in order to optimize health and happiness.
I am so tired of having to explain to people why I don’t eat gluten–especially my own family. I wish they could just trust me and believe me when I say that I am doing it for medical reasons. I wish they would understand how difficult it is, that they often make me feel bad for trying to keep my thyroid in check. And that sometimes I cheat because it makes things easier, in the moment, for me–not for them. But I shouldn’t have to justify or explain or do any of those things. I am just trying to be the best me. I am grateful for the gluten free market place, and I hate it as well. It lumps me into a category that I don’t want to be a part of. If I could eat gluten with not complications maybe I would, but that is no one’s business but mine. Thank you for this! I hope that is brings some emotional healing to others like it just did for me.
I love your thoughtful and balanced approach. Thank you for being bold enough to write this!
This is really helpful to hear and for others to hear right now…it feels like there’s been a gluten-free backlash lately. I went off gluten a few years ago too and it was HUGE for me. No more daily headaches, far less slugishness–for lack of a better word, I felt *clear,* where before I felt cloudy. I never realized I could actually feel so good! But even though I know gluten is something I legitimately need to stay away from, lately I’ve found myself embarassed to have to bring it up (in contexts where it’s necessary) because there *is* that belief that it’s just a trend–what “low-fat” was to the 90’s. This post was a good reminder that it is NOT a trend. Migranes–or the lack thereof–do not lie. I’ll go ahead and stop feeling embarassed now. 🙂
Beautifully written, thank you for sharing your story. I am in the “middling” category of people who don’t have a full-blown allergy but who feel better and less foggy without gluten. It’s harder for this group to see how gluten might be affecting them. The tide is turning, I’m glad to see the whole-wheat-is-healthy bandwagon slowing down.
Thank you for sharing Sarah! Since I became aware of your blog a few years ago, I have loved reading all your blogs and making your recipes! I can totally relate to you and you are an inspiration! I lead a healthy lifestyle very similar to yours, but I feel there is something I must be eating (even though it is a healthy food) that my body is not responding well to. I have wanted to go to a naturopath to find out what I might be allergic to and wanted to know who you go to and/or who you would recommend? Also, what is PCOS, SIBO and FODMAP? Thanks!
Thank you Sarah for telling your story. I don’t have a gluten allergy and I thought I was eating healthy. After reading your story, I bought the book, “Wheat Belly”. I had no idea how wheat affects the body. My husband and I have now decided to go wheat free and gluten free as much as possible. We both need to some lose weight. We both take blood pressure medicine and cholesterol medicine. I’m hoping going wheat free will improve all the issues. It can’t hurt! I bought your cookbook and the winter meal plan, both of which are helping me cook gluten free.
Amen! Gluten-free is not a fad for some of us! For some of us, it actually makes us feel like crap-and beyond the crap you feel like after going on a sugar bender. Like the insane bloating, migraines, lack of energy, etc. The more of us out there that let people know this is a real thing-again, for some of us-the better! Thanks for sharing!
This is, indeed, a very informative article. I was a ‘whole wheat fan’. I used to eat whole wheat bread many times a day, thinking it is good for my health. I was wrong!
Then I started having urgent and frequent need to urinate, night and days. The problem was so annoying that I did not want to go out, even to church. While during research on Youtube one day, I stumbled on the “Wheat Belly” video; I was shocked. I have eliminated wheat, corn, and others and consume mostly quinoa, nuts, and seeds. Problem Solved!
In my opinion, anyone who wants to have or maintain health urinary tract (UT) he needs to avoid whole grains.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. I’m so glad I’m not alone! I will happily share my story! It’s nice to find a place to do this! Thank you!!!
About 7 years ago I became very sick with chronic tummy aches that didn’t always allow me to stand. This did not sit well with my retail job at the Apple store! I actually had to leave my manager position because my symptoms were so bad.
I saw doctors. Many doctors. I saw my obgyn, my primary care doctor, went to the ER for the pain, and even a GI doctor. For a while they thought I might have a tumor, maybe bowel cancer since my bowels hardly worked- gross I know!
Everyone just told me “eat more fiber”, “exercise”, “drink water”. If anyone knows me I do all this and more! But I was feeling hopeless, fat, and depressed. I had gained 20 pounds in a year and I dudny know why. So frustrating for someone with a history of body image issues!
But all that changed when I went to the UW medicine health expo held at the stadium exhibition center. There I wandered around. After a few minutes my eyes caught the attention of a sign for a lecturer that said ” Are you bloated? Gassy? Constipated? Overweight? You might have food allergies.”
The doctor speaking was an IBS specialist and changed my world. I made an appointment to see him immediately. After my tests, I learned that every food item I was putting into my body was hurting me. Eggs, dairy, even meat was hard for me to digest.
After that moment I became vegan. Within 8 weeks I dropped the extra 20 pounds. I felt like me again. I was able to work out more without pain of judgment or tummy aches!
After that discovery I have run 7 full marathons, danced professionally, and gained my self esteem back. But recently I started not to feel right again.
I know after 7 years of not eating eggs, I can have them now- pain free (dairy is still a big NO- pizza will murder me!) But I still have major sensitivities.
Thankfully last year at my gym (I go to pure barre religiously) they were doing an 8 week challenge. Part of the challenge was to take class 5 times a week, do 30 min of cardio each week, and eat no gluten what so ever. It was during this challenge that I started feeling better. I didn’t feel full all the time. I didn’t think it was possibly to feel that good- like even after my food allergy discovery.
I still try to be as GF as I can, but occasionally I slip and pay for it. But I am happy for this discovery. It is so much better to feel good than take part in something that makes you feel awful. Just because otger people eat that way doesn’t mean that you have to too. I learned about making good choices for ME, not anyone else. If anything it was a journey of self discovery and what is important to me, and that is my health. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.
Totally with you on this! I originally had the same type of anxiety about running a “paleo” and “gluten-free” food blog. There’s this sort of judge-y connotation that comes with those terms and those communities. At the end of the day, my own blog is about good food that happens to not include certain ingredients most of the time.
But of course I still feel obligated to label everything paleo and gluten-free for SEO purposes. C’est la Internet. 🙂
Thank you for sharing your gluten story. I have a similar story and it just shows that you really have to listen to your body and be your own advocate. A lot of people have misconceptions about our food and the health of it. It is not as healthy as when our forefathers were producing their food. Food is medicine.
I appreciate your honest sharing, Sarah. We recently purchased your amazing cook book and I’ve already made about a dozen of your recipes. (LOVE IT!) I wondered about your personal story and what led you to the GF world of cooking and finding alternatives to gluten. Thank you for opening up and being vulnerable here on your web site. I have travelled a similar path, seeking healing from nearly every symptom you list and a couple others. It’s incredible, isn’t it, that what we put in our mouth affects all our body’s systems and we don’t know it until something feels broken? It’s so so so so hard to make good choices about WHAT we put in our mouth when there are so many flavorful foods (and pseudo-foods) in our kitchen, restaurants, and surroundings. I want to learn more about your work here in Seattle and plan to dig a little deeper. I’m so glad we found you through your cookbook!
I am so glad that I found this article. I am hypothyriod and have been struggling with all those things that come with it. I went gluten free a week ago and Im feeling light in the stomach and head. Brain fog is almost gone. Im not sure if one week of gluten free diet could do this but today i felt so good through out the day. I am not sure if im gluten sensitive as I have been eating it my whole life and I dont have any bumps on my elbows but my stomach is light and happy. I hope it continues to be happy.
Thank you for this article !! 🙂
Xoxo
I am so glad that I found this article. I am hypothyriod and have been struggling with all those things that come with it. I went gluten free a week ago and Im feeling light in the stomach and head. Brain fog is almost gone. Im not sure if one week of gluten free diet could do this but today i felt so good through out the day. I am not sure if im gluten sensitive as I have been eating it my whole life and I dont have any bumps on my elbows but my stomach is light and happy. I hope it continues to be happy.
Thank you for this article !! ????
Xoxo
I feel like I am struggling with the exact same thing right now! I have an appointment to get my thyroid checked with my primary care doctor but was curious if you could recommend the natropath or doctor you went to that finally helped you get to the root of the problem? I live in Queen Anne but I am not sure where to start when it comes to finding a good “hippie” doctor and I definitely need one 🙂
Thank you!
Yes! Feel free to email me at hello@simplyrealhealth.com!