Yesterday I said goodbye to the old diet and today I welcome the new diet – AT LAST!
There’s no doubt that the old diet helped – I felt soooo much better within a week of starting it. But I think I could be doing even better than I already am. And on top of that, I can bring back a whole lot of foods that I love (pasta sauce! popcorn!) and sure I have to give up a lot of foods I really enjoy (peanuts, broccoli, quinoa) but at least now I know that I’m on the right track. Ok, sure, the tests aren’t 100% accurate, but it should be pretty damn close!
No, this won’t be easy, but what the hell is? It’s WORTH IT! I think that’s something that “healthy” people don’t understand. A few have said to my face “Oh, I could never be gluten-free.” To them, the option is to eat foods they love or to give up those foods. To me, the option is to suffer nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramping, and fatigue on a regular basis, or to give up some foods that aren’t necessary for my survival. When you look at it that way, it’s not much of a choice, is it? So now I’ll give up a few dozen foods on top of gluten. Some will be temporary and some will be permanent and I really don’t care – I’m just so glad to have a plan!
By the way, for anyone who’s wondering, the mold and herb tests came back with a few minor reactions but nothing much, and I only have one strong chemical reaction, so I’ll be checking all of my cleansers and nail polish (luckily I don’t wear makeup!) to make sure I’m not getting exposed that way. For me, the big results were all in the food categories, which was really no surprise.
So now I want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me. My parents have been the most amazing, supportive people I could hope for. Several incredible friends stood by my side offering advice and comfort. My grandfather generously paid for the test when insurance wouldn’t cover it. My naturopath suggested the test and went out of her way to get me a discount. And so many readers have emailed, commented, and tweeted with advice and support. Thank you everyone! Let’s face it, in the CI world celebrations can be a bit too rare, so I’m thrilled to have a good reason to celebrate today. This is only one step in the journey, but it’s a big one!
Chronic Rants 
[…] to help me. I started doing my own research, searching out new doctors and other practitioners, and changing my diet. I’ve already seen huge improvement, but I also have a long way to go. Sure, I don’t […]