My family has recently made the switch to be gluten free. I have been learning so much through this experience, and I wanted to share it all with you today, as I know many others who are in the process of cutting gluten from their diet!
I’ll be honest – we didn’t initially set out to go gluten free. It came about after some health complications my husband experienced from being on strong antibiotics. (That’s another story for another time. I only mention the reason why because during our initial research it seemed to be a common thread.)
My husband’s doctors couldn’t identify why he was all of a sudden having gut problems. They told him he’d soon “get over it” or “grow out of it.” It has been over a year now and his issues remain. Anyway.
After independent research, my husband found a lot of different people’s accounts of similar situations. As it turns out, eliminating gluten from their diets seemed to make a big difference. They were feeling much better. My husband figured it was worth a shot, and we quickly began to cut gluten out of our meals.
Fast forward to today, where my husband is still having some other health issues, but cutting gluten from his diet has helped tremendously. He is scheduled for an endoscopy and hopes to confirm that he does have a gluten allergy, but this unofficial switch has improved his health thus far.
I decided that I would try cutting gluten as well, even though I wasn’t having the health issues my husband was. After lots of research, it seems that gluten does nothing good for your body and there’s no reason to eat it (other than things that contain gluten tend to be delicious). In fact, I used to get horrible back pain anytime I ate a soft pretzel. As it turns out, one soft pretzel is the equivalent of six slices of white bread! No wonder it made me feel awful.
I noticed after a week or two of going gluten free that I actually felt much better. I no longer felt bloated or sluggish. That alone was motivating to keep going! After a few months, I no longer crave gluten foods. It’s different for me, though – I can eat it and not get sick (like my husband). So, if we’re at a family dinner for example, I can eat the pasta and bread they are serving. Except I have been usually choosing not to, because it makes me feel gross!
My kids are young enough that they don’t seem to notice the gluten free swaps we’ve been introducing. Admittedly, I do still serve them traditional foods when they want them, but over time I hope to switch them, too. I’m walking that fine line, but with time I’m hopeful we can get to a 100% gluten free household.
Truthfully, the switch wasn’t as hard as I expected it to be. There are so many gluten free options at our local grocery stores. I also feel like we are eating healthier in general because if I can’t find a gluten free swap, we’ve just stopped eating it.
So, that’s where we’re at right now. My husband is able to keep most of his gut issues in check by avoiding gluten, and I usually avoid all gluten because it’s been helping my bloat. I am not as strict as my husband because it isn’t effecting my health like it is to him.
Have you tried cutting gluten out of your diet? Did it work for you? Share your experience in the comments!