Like many people that end up trying a gluten free diet, I am having some symptoms that have caused me to do some research. GI issues, fatigue, headaches (I’ve had these for awhile) and some areas of itchy skin. I definitely don’t think I have full blown Celiac disease, but I am thinking there might be a sensitivity or an intolerance going on.

I decided to go ahead and cut out gluten for 30 days (I started 6/1) to see if I feel any better. Right now, I am reading this to learn more:

So far, I am on the third chapter, and think that there is a definite possibility that I will feel better after 30 days. I am intrigued by the science behind this. It makes sense to me, and blows my mind that something like this has been a problem for so many people for so long, but is jut now really having light shed on it.

I got this book for a colleague in 2008 whose granddaughter was going through diagnosis for celiac disease. A lot has changed since then. There are a lot more gluten free foods available, and a lot more resources to help patients and their families.

One thing that was discussed in this book that makes perfect sense is the fact that the disease is not treatable pharmaceutically. Due to the treatment being dietary, there aren’t any large pharmaceutical companies willing to fund research for it. There just isn’t a place in the industry for them to make money, so they don’t even address it. This is sad. Yes, I am a pharmacist, so you would think that I would be “all drugs all the time,” but I’m really not. The more I learn about nutrition and healthy living, the more I realize that we need to take diet into consideration a lot more than we do in our practice. Medications serve a purpose, but with proper lifestyle modifications, their use can be minimized in many people, and even eliminated in some.

All of this insight is going to help me be a more well-rounded practitioner, and will hopefully benefit my patients.

All of these dietary changes I am making will hopefully benefit me, as well! I will definitely keep you guys posted on my progress, and post some of the recipes I am using along the way.

I really want to hear from you! Have you ever cut out gluten? Are you a Celiac disease patient? What are your favorite things to eat? Do you have any tricks up your sleeve? Any tips or words of wisdom you would like to share?? Please leave me some love below!

Have an awesome week! ‘Til next time….

Happy Trails!

Stacey