OK guys I will confess, I went on holiday and I wasn’t gluten free (gasp). Yes I am the nutritionalist and I know the rules –
Gluten can stay in your body for 2 months and can cause havoc in your immune system
Gluten makes me more fatigued
Gluten can contribute to gut health
Gluten can exacerbate my symptoms
But I thought I’m going to Dubai they have the most amazing falafel and pittas, we had lovely meals in gorgeous hotels and I couldn’t be bothered to ask that little questions “Please can you tell me which dishes don’t have gluten in them” (I am only human).
Well I was stupid. Within a mere few days my joint pain on one side of my jaw was back in full force and yes, every day I was back having a cutting sore throat. Now I am back in the UK and not eating gluten it will take about a week for those symptoms to go away, plus I know my body will not be thanking me for some time to come.
Was it worth it? Erm… well the pitta and hummus was amazing. However, is it worth this joint pain and sore throats for 2 weeks for abit of pitta? Probably not.
I love to experiment when I have symptoms and until cutting out gluten I didn’t know it could help the sore throats I had every day, the joint pain I suffered with. You know those niggly little symptoms that otherwise you wouldn’t go to the doctors with they are just kind of, there. However since being 100% gluten free I have:
More energy
Less groggy
Sore throats gone
Joint pain gone
Better digestion
Less cravings
But I need to be so clear on this next point so listen up… You cannot be gluten free ‘some of the time’. I can tell you now, it doesn’t mean anything you may aswell eat gluten all day long.
(Here comes the science), you see one tiny inch of gluten in your body will cross react with your immune system for approximately 2 months. So in another 2 months, your body is still dealing with that cheeky slice of cake you had the other day [1]. Why bother? In my personal experience, clinical experience and after reading all the science, if you want to see results you have to kick gluten 100% all together to see any results. Just to be clear, I am not coeliac. I suffer with a non coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) meaning I am sensitive to gluten and my body just does not run well on it. Do you think you’re the same?
I am the perfect guinea pig, I gave in, ate abit of pitta and hummus and boom my symptoms are back and it’s not fun.
In the future, even if I go to Italy, the home of pasta and pizza, I will be staying gluten free.
I did have a wonderful holiday though 🙂
For more info visit: Dr Tom – All About Gluten