How Eliminating Gluten Positively Affected My Health

Dear Diary,

In the fall of last year, I considered going gluten-free, but I wasn't fully prepared. I needed to read and educate myself well enough to know which foods I'm required to give up and foods that I'm allowed to consume on a non-celiac gluten-free diet. Around that time, I discovered that I can eat everything else except for any products that contain wheat, rye and barley. I'm also avoiding any pastries, breads, pastas and cookies that contain gluten in them, and I don't regret not purchasing, eating and preserving them in my apartment. It took me two months to finally say to myself, "That's it! After everything I've read about and found out on Pinterest and other health websites, I will not eat or keep any wheat, rye, barley and any products that contain white flour".

The gluten-free diet journey began at the start of 2022. It was a tough few days, I'm going to admit that. I experienced excessive hunger, excessive thirst, mild depression and anxiety, increased sugar and junk food cravings, late night snacking and fatigue. These were all the side-effects I experienced during the gluten detox. I strongly disliked the side-effects I experienced and had to cope with, but it was all worth it. It was very challenging not eating any barley, rye, wheat and white flour however, I was also quite happy that I could eat all of my favourite carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, quinoa, oats, potatoes, french fries, peas, beans, corn, rice (brown, purple and white), amaranth, apples, bananas, and all the fruits that are out there! Non-starchy veggies, nutritional yeast, seafood, tofu, eggs, high-probiotic dairy products like kefir, plain yogurt, goat cheese and edam cheese, dark chocolate, coconut flakes, coconut milk, nut milk, nuts, seeds, nut butters, coconut oil, olive oil and all the healthy fats are allowed in my diet, so I'm grateful that it's not too restricted. I'm not missing out on too many things I enjoy making and eating.

I don't regret ridding myself of gluten, because going gluten-free has made a tremendous but positive impact on my mental and physical wellbeing. Now I feel less moody, my anxiety attacks have reduced, I experience less stomach aches, my gut is functioning better, I have even better brain power than before I started living the gluten-free lifestyle, my depression levels have dropped, and my energy levels are increasing. Increased energy levels and happiness encourage me to continue working out and doing my favourite physical activities like hiking, walking and dancing without experiencing fatigue. It's also helping me consume less calories (depending on the specific food product) and maintain my weight, as I promised myself that I will never gain anymore weight. My family and friends, my housing worker, my behaviour therapist and the restaurant workers I've met so far have been very supportive, respectful and kind to me. They know not to give me anything with gluten in it and they fully grasp that I'm living the gluten-free lifestyle to help with my mental health and Autism. It definitely has nothing to do with having Celiac disease, because I don't have Celiac disease. Thank god I don't have that to live with and be concerned about.

If you live with a mental health issue and/or autism, going gluten-free would be an amazing thing. You will feel physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and intellectual better. You will experience less stomach aches, panic attacks, crying matches, and other things that will mess you up mentally and physically. If you're not ready to cut out gluten yet, don't. I'm not trying to convince you, because everyone is responsible for their own health. I'm only speaking about how it's helped me and how I'll support you if you decide to go gluten-free one day. You'll have a difficult start, but it'll be all worth it!

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Sincerely,

Talia

IG Profile: @tdwrites24

FB: Talia Devora (I'm quite active on FB groups like Vocal Social Society and Saloon for Writers, so please connect with me there).

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Note: This diary entry is not intended to provide any medical advice to anyone who's reading this. I'm not a doctor, nurse, nutritionist, dietitian or any healthcare professional who's qualified to provide nutritional or medical advice of any kind. If you're desperately seeking special nutritional and/or medical support, please speak to your doctor, nurse, nutritionist, dietician, etc.