Gluten-free. Those are the words you read on the labels that you usually either never pay attention to, or don't even look back at because..who would want anything gluten free? People only go gluten free if they have Celiac disease, right?
WRONG.
Celiac disease is a disease in which the immune system attacks a protein called gluten. This is mainly because this protein and certain people's immune systems just do not get along. However, what many of us don't know, is this protein isn't anyone's immune systems favorite thing, whether we realize it or not. Now don't get me wrong, a big majority of human beings can tolerate gluten. However, there are many of us who have what is called "gluten sensitivity," or an inverse reaction to gluten due to the immune system.
Having a sensitivity to gluten can cause many side-effects that you would not even link to being due to that sandwich you ate for lunch or that chicken cutlet you had for dinner.
Some weird side-effects include migraines, fatigue, random stomach aches, and mild depression. Sounds like it could be due to anything right?
Well, for all my life I have chowed down on pasta, and eaten anything bread related. However, I have always noticed that I would get abnormally full after such a small portion. I was able to eat a full bowl of rice, but barely get down a cup of pasta. After months of recently experiencing all these effects, and going to many doctor appointments, getting nothing resolved, I decided to try this "gluten free" thing.
6 months in and I can say that I am a proud, gluten-free girl. This wasn't for any dieting reasons, but rather to better how I FEEL. I went from napping 3 times a day, to waking up early every morning and having so much energy throughout the day. I went from getting weekly migraines to feeling as good as ever every day. And not to mention, I don't get daily stomach aches anymore.
The best part of becoming gluten free is actually ENJOYING more food. I used to stop eating after so little food, not because I was full (or so I thought), but because the bloat was no joke. I am able to eat much bigger portions of food and even enjoy bigger dishes of pasta (even if its made from rice flower).
Gluten sensitivity is not nearly as bad as Celiac disease, but after noticing such a huge difference in how my body feels, gluten free just isn't that bad.
