Over the past week I've had a few tests and one procedure done to start ruling out what all could be causing me to have such bad stomach problems for the past year. I was diagnosed with IBS or what I like to call DIMB (Demon In Mah Belly). That wasn't new news. I got that when I was a teen, but it had always just went in small phases. The constant feeling like crap is having me at my wit's end not to mention embarrassing at times. I have to cancel going out with friends or even going to the movies is sometimes a challenge.
I've been ruled out of colon polyps, cancerous colon options (THANK GOD!), Chrone's Disease, and Celiac's Disease. I still haven't gotten all my biopsy results back, but the more I researched, the more I convinced myself that going gluten free might be a good idea. I'm on Day 8 of being pretty much G-Free and I've noticed a BIG difference with how I've felt. I'm also taking a fiber supplement and having to buy that at the store made me feel like I'm 70 instead of 27.
The fallback to going G-Free is that it's kind of a pain in the butt especially for someone who lives in a very small town where one little section of the grocery store has about 20 items. I'm heading to Springfield in a few days with a cooler in my backseat just so I can go to Hy-Vee and stock up on grocery items. That's a 60 mile drive mind you, but if it makes me feel better than I am all for it. I also ordered a couple cookbooks from Amazon to help me adapt to this new lifestyle. It's crazy to think for the past 2 months my symptoms were a constant me wanting to curl in a ball and die and out of the 8 days, the past 3 of them I have felt normal again.
Here's where I'm reaching out to the interwebs and anyone who happens to read this half-arse blog of mine. Any recommendations on some good brand products to check out? I know some of that stuff taste like cardboard crap, and I do have a budget to maintain and this stuff ain't cheap. Or do you have some awesome websites that show some good recipes? I know quick and easy isn't going to be the best option. Since sometimes I always feel like I'm in a hurry having to spend more than 10 minutes in the kitchen is going to take some time getting used to. Not to mention the fact that I LOVE BREAD AND I CAN LONGER EAT IT!! So far most gluten-free bread taste like well...crap.
Any suggestions, advice, or whatever you can throw my way into getting into the new lifestyle would be GREATLY appreciated!
If you don't have Celiac I'd completely recommend dropping the gluten free diet ASAP ad just limit your carb in-take. Stick to whole grains, stone ground, nothing enriched or fortified. That worked for me. I went 10 years on a touchy stomach and it turns out I have chronic gastritis. Lovely. So I need to watch what I eat, which is everything.
ReplyDeleteGluten free is a total pain in the ass but if you're going to do it the Kinnikinnick line of food is pretty good. I liked their donuts and English muffins. I completely gave up on sandwich bread because I couldn't find a passable substitute that didn't double as a brick. Good luck with it but personally I'd much prefer to deal with a little bit of pain than go gluten free, it's that big of a pain in the ass. And I live accessible to a smorgasbord of gluten free products.
Not me. I've had to miss out on so much because of stomach issues this past year - concerts, parties, family stuff, even being able to eat dinner with friends. So this is VERY much worth it to me. Giving up sandwich bread is probably what I'm going to have to do. Irony is that I currently am a head baker at my job. I've never heard of the Kinnikinnick line so I'll have to check that out. Thanks!
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