For the past week and a half there has only been one thing on my mind: FOOD.
It started when I went with my husband to get the results from his lab tests. The doctor informed us that she believed he had Celiac Disease and wanted him to go see a GI specialist to be sure. Celiac Disease? What in the world is that?
First thing I did when I got home was look it up. I won’t go into the details, but I will say the only way to control it is a gluten-free diet. Gluten-free? Seriously?
On to looking up what gluten-free means and what meals/menus look like. This led to the website for Whole30.
Now, I’m not sure how it happened, but looking all this stuff up for my husband turned into a challenge for me.
The Whole30 is program to help us break our bad relationships with foods and allow our bodies to heal by cutting out added sugar, dairy, grains, legumes, and white potatoes. After reading about the Whole30 program, I bought the book by the founders and read it in 2 days! It was fascinating. And not only that, but I really liked how they included the science-y stuff along with their experience, both of their own and of others, but they still emphasized seeing what works for you (at the end of the Whole30 when you add back in foods).
Another big perk the program has hundreds of testimonies on is that many found relief from many of their ailments/diseases–to include type 2 diabetes, asthma, allergies (seasonal and food), celiac disease (ding!), migraines, IBS…the list goes on. Everything that I suffer from was on that list. (Read: This is not what it guarentees, just what they found happened through many of the testimonies.)
The following Monday (last Monday, actually), my MIL and I both began the program. My husband opted to wait until after he sees the GI specialist, but he plans to jump in as well. In fact, the paleo program is recommended for kids as well, so we plan to do that as well.
We’ve only been on it a week, but both my MIL and I have noticed some changes. My MIL has lost 4 lbs. so far, and my blood sugars are at an all-time low and still dropping. And that’s week 1! I’ve spent a lot of time looking for recipes this past week. I actually made my own sausage this weekend–did a pretty good job if I do say so myself. Also made mashed potatoes, but with cauliflower–different texture, same taste. Mmm… I’m anxious to see what the next three weeks brings–and just in time for the ACFW conference, too!
See, I told you I had food on the brain.
The New Authors Fellowship 
Ralene,
There are certain food allergies that can mimic celiac disease (one of my uncles has such an allergy. When he stopped irritating it, the gluten intolerance went away). There are also certain nutrients that aren’t typically in our diets as Americans because our soils lack them. Zinc; magnesium; not sure what else. It’s my understanding that inadequate magnesium intake/utilization will also cause the symptoms of celiac disease, and that people who have been diagnosed with it have bounced back to symptom-free using the right forms of magnesium supplementation.
I’d really encourage you to find a reputable naturopath (if you need the name of a naturopath that I can highly recommend, I’d be happy to share his name with you), and look into further testing to be sure you’re not overlooking a treatment less drastic than going completely gluten-free.
Thanks, Krysti. I’ll talk to my husband about that, but we’re pretty limited on budget and have to rely on the med ins the military provides. 🙂