Step Away From The Wheat!

Wheat. If you know me at all you know that wheat is my enemy. My Darth Vader. It's sort of like an addiction, I crave it, but it makes me incredibly ill. I used to be able to eat wheat in small quantities and be okay. But wheat is like Crystal Meth. One day I'm indulging as a treat when I go out on the town. And then one day I'm a strung out junkie curled up on the bathroom floor at 4am wanting to die.

One week ago I decided that going home sick from work or laying on the couch all day is no way to live. I want to be like everyone else and eat bread at a restaurant, or eat my favorite foods and not suffer for it. I hate going to a restaurant and being the centre of attention. "Can you eat anything here?" Nothing makes me feel more like a circus freak.

After a particularly bad wheat binge, I did a little re-evaluation. Why am I doing this to myself? I need to be Wheat free. I have been reading a lot about Celiac disease lately. I suspect that's what wrong with me (and what's been wrong with me for the last 7 years). Celiacs can't eat gluten (wheat-spelt/kamut, rye or barley) it causes the body to attack itself and destroys the intestines. I have been tested and am waiting for the results. In the meantime, I have been living the gluten-free lifestyle. I don't remember feeling so good ever in my life. It's been years since I actually slept through the night (I've slept through the last 7 in a row!!) Either way the test results come out, I have learned that gluten is not good for me. It's like I'm sober now, and I can see what the drug was doing to me.

I know that my blog is never this personal, but I wanted to remember the day that I started to feel good, normal, and maybe even healthy. So, April 30th 2008 was a big day. It was the last day I was sick.