I grew up in the 1980’s in a household where two members were diagnosed with coeliac disease. This was in the days when no one knew what “gluten free” meant so eating out was virtually impossible, there was only one bread mix to choose from (forget pre made GF breads!) and people thought we were… well… a bit weird. I wasn’t coeliac however. I could eat anything I wanted (or so I thought…). So imagine my shock and dismay when, in my 20’s, I realized that my chronic asthma, hayfever, eczema, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and general poor immunity were all symptoms of food intolerances! Yep, I was feeling ripped off.
When I thought about it, things started to all make sense. The foods which we are intolerant to are often the ones we crave the most, and I can recall on several occasions sitting down with a loaf of white bread, and eating it all, slice by glutinous slice, with butter and honey (actually it was the 80’s so it was probably some hideous margarine!). I would do the same with packets of processed cheese slices. It turns out I’m mildly dairy intolerant too.
I’ve never been one to do things by halves, so when I’d finally had a gutful (no pun intended!) of being sick, I embarked on an 8 week anti-candida diet. No gluten, dairy, sugar, processed food of any kind, alcohol or caffeine for 8 weeks. The results were phenomenal. It wasn’t just my immune system that got better. My permanently runny nose dried up. My stomach wasn’t bloated anymore. I lost weight. Cellulite disappeared. My mood improved. I could concentrate. It was a miracle… except it wasn’t really. It was simple nutrition. I had taken out the foods that my body had trouble digesting and I replaced them with ones that had a high nutritional value. I ate fish and salad, meat and veggies, stir-fries, gluten free whole grains, nuts, seeds and dairy free yoghurt. I drank vegetable juices, herbal teas and water, water, water. I was pumping my body with the vitamins and minerals it had been craving for so long, and I felt amazing.
After the 8 weeks on the anti-candida diet, I began slowly introducing foods back into my diet one by one. The day I ate bread which contained gluten… OMG! Runny nose, foggy brain, headaches… had I really felt like this every day? It’s interesting what we can get used to living with if we have been doing it day in, day out, for a very long time. After a while, it just becomes “normal” to be bloated, or snotty, or tired all the time.
I am happy to say that since changing my diet I’ve never felt better. Yes, I have the occasional “slip-ups” but I pay attention to how my body feels afterwards so that I am motivated to stick to my eating plan in the future. I like to think of my body as a car, and I always put premium fuel in my car, so why should I treat myself any differently? And I now use my own story to help motivate others to clean up their diets and experience how awesome they can feel.
A lot has changed since the 80’s. Most people now know what gluten is. Gluten free products are everywhere, not just in health food shops, but in restaurants and supermarkets. I am no longer considered weird for avoiding certain foods, and I’ve learned that you don’t have to be coeliac in order to benefit from a gluten free diet. Some people just feel a whole lot better when they avoid the stuff. Why don’t you give it a go and see what it can do for you?
By Jules Galloway
Hi, my name is Jules Galloway and I’m a qualified naturopath, food and wine lover, beginner surfer and recent seachanger, living just 10 minutes from Byron Bay. My goal is to educate and motivate you to explore a variety of foods, to help you to make small, achievable changes to increase your wellbeing, and to spread the word that it’s easier than you think to feel awesome again! Connect with Jules on Facebook, Twitter or her website.
