Do I HAVE to go gluten free?

If we’re really honest with ourselves, we know that at some level our diet does impact our health. Until I started having severe autoimmune problems, I simply wasn’t aware of how certain foods can be especially problematic.

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Prior to having autoimmune issues, I thought I was eating a pretty healthy diet - we cooked at home a lot, rarely ate packaged food, and loved trying new local restaurants. We were total foodies. Since my husband and his family are Italian-American, we ate pasta relatively frequently and there was typically some type of bread at most meals.

I never skipped breakfast, which usually consisted of a yogurt with some fruit and an english muffin with peanut butter. For lunch, I might eat leftovers from the previous night’s dinner or have a sandwich or salad. The truth was that even though I was eating plenty of “healthy whole grains” (usually gluten), I was also tired all of the time and I was at least 20 - 30 pounds overweight. Oh, and by the way, I was ALWAYS hungry, and we were also having fertility problems.

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I was heading towards an autoimmune cliff and I was completely unaware.

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My wakeup call came at work. I had just finished my lunch. I was typing on my computer and started to notice that part of my face felt...numb? I started to panic.  Was I having a stroke? Highly unlikely at the age of 33, but...then, the area around my mouth began to swell. One of my co-workers kindly offered me an antihistamine and I took it. Then, I booked it to Urgent Care.
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“You’re having an allergic reaction,” they said. “Oh, really?” I thought in a scared, sarcastic inner voice.
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In the weeks that followed, two different doctors gave me the same diagnosis: chronic, idiopathic angioedema and hives. Their recommendation: take lots of antihistamines. For life.
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One doctor literally told me, “Maybe it will go away on its own?” Spoiler alert - it didn’t.
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The angioedema reactions continued, often lasting multiple days at a time. They were so bad that I couldn’t leave the house - I looked like I was the victim of botched plastic surgery.

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I became concerned that I was going to have to quit my job because I was taking too many sick days.

I was terrified, and willing to try almost anything.

Fortunately, I had already been seeing a well-respected acupuncturist. When I told her about my symptoms, she mentioned that I may want to consider removing gluten and eventually dairy from my diet - common inflammatory foods for most people.

Initially, I didn’t exactly embrace these recommended dietary changes. However, a few days later, I had another particularly bad reaction.  I thought, “What the hell? I’ve got nothing to lose, so here we go.”
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Little did I know, that this was the first meaningful step I took in giving my gut some “Love”.

Within a week or so of removing gluten, I noticed that my autoimmune symptoms decreased by about half. An added bonus was that I had so much more energy, and that persistent bloating that I thought was normal? Gone.
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Excited by the progress I had made, I continued to eliminate other foods that were restricted in the AIP diet: dairy, corn, eggs, beans, grains, soy, and peanuts.  This was back in 2013, before the phrase “Gut Microbiome” became a common part of our vernacular.  

I focused on eating lots of vegetables - and experimented with different ways of preparing them. I also ate lean meats, fish, healthy fats and whatever fruits I could tolerate. I’ve eaten this way - gluten free, and basically dairy free for over six years.  

Now that my body is feeling significantly better, I’ve been able to add back the occasional butter, corn, eggs, beans, gluten free grains, soy, and peanuts. How do I define “occasional?” When we go out to eat - I’ll allow myself to enjoy one of these foods. If we’re at a great Mexican restaurant with gluten free corn chips - I’ll allow myself to indulge.  

I don’t eat all these “common offenders” at the same meal, and I don’t eat them every day. I’ve learned what works best for my body.
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If you're interested in learning more about how my relationship with food has evolved, and how I've been able to find balance navigating social settings without compromising my health, check out my self-guided course, The Autoimmune Reset.‍

Wishing you health and happiness,
Elisha