A few months ago I had the worst abdominal pain ever. I was dying. The Boyf even had to examine me. He isn't a very good doctor when I am the patient and always thinks I am overreacting. I went to writhe alone in pain in the sanctity of the spare room. I eventually had a scope, which was normal. The specialist gave me the pain-can-be-stress-related peptalk. I know that talk. I invented that talk. For patients who have nothing wrong with them.
So I decided to try cutting out different food groups and see if that helped. I decided I would do gluten, then dairy, then wheat. In that order.
I never got past gluten. After eating gluten free for a week, I felt like a new person.
I shit you not. I know it sounds crazy, but it really made the world of difference. I used to have a bloated, sluggish, tummy ache for most of each day. It was gone! I used to get a headache nearly everyday and never go anywhere without my mini pharmacy in my handbag. The headaches were gone! I always felt tired. That was gone too.
My life had changed, but unfortunately so did every meal, going to dinner at friends.....and my one true love pizza. Many things contain gluten. Gluten is found in all flours, maizes, most cereals, breads, cakes, ALL Woolies pre made meals :( soya sauce and about a hundred other things. Eating gluten now is totally not worth it. If I do, it feels like an alien is eating away at the inside of my stomach and is about 10 times worse than my initial pain.
I have found various ways to still eat the things I love. Gluten free pizza bases. Colcacchio have them and so do some shops for making your own. Gluten free bread, gluten free flour (at most Pick n Pays in the health/nut section)and quinoa as a substitute for couscous (did I mention no couscous, sad I know).
This is one of my weekly meals now, homemade pizza and it doesn't taste bad at all!
Trust me you should at least try being gluten free for a few days.
LMM
xoxo
