Living life on a gluten free diet is an adventure for sure. I've been gluten free for almost 3 years now, or something like that. It changed my life for the better, it took away 85% of my belly problems. Who wouldn't want to feel better? I don't do it for the fad or for the "that looks cool", I do it to just feel better. I actually find it extremely frustrating when someone tells me, "i think I'm gonna try gluten free too, that sounds healthy". It may sound healthy, and it probably is, but I don't do it to look cool or fit in with the social world.
As I look closely at the labels of the food I eat, ponder at what to eat at restaurants and selectively pick what I make at home - I am amazed that changing my diet 3 or so years ago has impacted my life this much. Like I said, being gluten free has taken away 85%, I have continued to struggle on and off with something that just pisses my stomach off. There's a good chance that I do have some weird functional bowel issue or just a belly that gets pissed randomly about normal foods I eat. But - no one should have to deal with unexplained bloating that last for hours. And that is where a revolution has occurred. I post this story with the chance that someone that I may or may not know may read my blog and connect with this issue. I post this story with the understanding that it may just be my body that acts like this and that I have a belly that just sometimes gets pissed. But I also post this story to let readers know that you don't always know what is going on in someone's life.
The revolution that I have recently had and I will be continuing to research it. After eating a meal cooked at home that I enjoy dearly, 15 bean soup, I quickly developed a extremely bloated stomach. After trying every trick I knew and just waiting it out, many hours later I had relief. Through the pain, I began to research what I could have eaten that pissed my stomach off. I had no luck, until the next day as I was reading it again and read 'soy protein' - this is when I remembered that I had received the same reaction after consuming body vi smoothie mix....and what do you know 'soy protein' is an ingredient. Pain is not something I wish on anyone, especially pain that has no rhyme or reason. So now begins my adventure of adding 'soy protein' on the list of foods I do not eat.... the joys of reading food labels.
Learn how to Read Labels
Being gluten free or being allergic or intolerant to specfic foods should be the only reason you read labels. Check out that list.. this label is for pancake syrup. There is so much in there, things I can and cannot pronounce. This for example would be something I stay away from because of the 'caramel color'. No technical gluten, but something I have on my 'DO NOT EAT' list.
This label is more likely what you think about when someone says, "Did you read the label?". This is also very important to understand. It is important to know what we are eating and putting in our bodies. Our bodies are highly impacted by what we choose to feed it, and we make that decision. Next time you are shopping in the store take time to notice what you are buying. I am by no means trying to chance how you choose to eat, or encourage you to stop eating something, I just think everyone should be aware of what they are eating and filling their bodies with. Gluten free and Soy protein free is how I choose to live my life so that I can feel better and live pain free. Live your life so that you can be healthy, if that means making food changes than do so to make you feel better!
Gluten free life is for me. Know your food. Be aware that what we feed ourselves controls how our bodies acts, headaches, stomach pains, and more.
Dear Heavenly Father, because you created us all individually we all have different ways that we must live our lives. Some people cannot have milk while I cannot have gluten. You made us all different so that we can be interesting and not be like everyone else. Thank you for creating me to be unique. In Jesus name, AMEN>
