Everyone knows that old proverbial phrase, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." It's easily one of the most popular cliches in America; therefore, it's probably lost a lot of its meaning overtime. But this phrase has come to mean a lot in my life in the past year.
My stomach problems began when I was in 8th grade and I started having heart burn so bad I thought I was having a heart attack. The doctor prescribed some pill to make it better, and I was on my way. No more tomatoes, bacon, or orange juice for me! I thought that was the end of it. But my junior year of high school, I began having more problems. I went through a series of medical testing to check for every GI problem under the sun: Chrones, Celiac, hiatal hernia, lactose intolerance... the list goes on.
Every test came back negative, and despite my persisting symptoms I was given a clean bill of health and told my stomach problems were all stress induced. I began a round of counseling to try to ease my stress. Flash forward to freshmen year of college, and I reached an all time low. My stomach was upset after almost every meal I ate, I was constantly fatigued, my muscles ached profusely, and worst of all I had a raging rash all over my face with itchy inflamed red bumps. We spent the entire Christmas break trying to figure out what was wrong; this was no longer "just stress." After another round of various tests and visits to every doctor under the sun, we finally found a diagnosis after three years.
I am allergic to gluten and dairy.
How could I have not been diagnosed with these allergies until I was 19? It's actually not uncommon for allergies to appear in the late teens and early 20s. In fact, a few months after we found the allergy in me, my 23-year-old sister also discovered she's allergic to gluten and dairy as well.
I have been living gluten and dairy free since January 2016, so about 9 months. When I tell people about the allergy, the usual response is pity. I so often get asked, "So what can you eat then? Is it difficult to be gluten and dairy free?"
In all honesty, no. It's not difficult.
Recent studies have shown that one in five adults choose to live a gluten free lifestyle, whether it be for Celiac, an allergy or personal diet preference. Eighteen million adults suffer from a gluten allergy, and another 1.8 have Celiac disease. In addition, it's estimated that nearly 60 percent of adults cannot digest cow's milk (though not all of them are dairy free). Allergy rates appear to be on the rise.
Because of the increased rates of gluten allergies, the food industry has responded by offering gluten free options for so many products. Anything that you can eat that contains gluten, I can find a gluten free option for it. The same goes for dairy; however, I have yet to find a cheese substitute that satisfies me.
The only caveat is that gluten and dairy free items tend to cost more. When I go to an Italian restaurant and request for gluten free pasta, for example, there is usually an extra charge of about $1.00. However, I'm hopeful that the prices on these items will go down over time.
I'm happy with my new diet. Physically and emotionally, I feel immensely better than I did last year. I've enjoyed exploring my options and trying new foods. Of course, I do miss certain foods (pizza, you'll always have a special place in my heart), but I am so happy with my health now that it's worth the sacrifice.
