Gluten and Dairy Free lifestyle has been in our family for many years now. My kids had either eczema, mucous and drainage in the ears, ear infections, ear tubes, stomach issues, you name it, they had it while they were little. I had read enough over the years that food oftentimes is the culprit for these kinds of side-effects and so we made an appointment to get them all tested for celiac disease. Bloodwork showed they had the genetic marker for celiac disease but that didn’t mean they necessarily had it. What it did mean was that their chances of getting it were very, very high.
This test result along with their symptoms lead us to go completely gluten free. Skin cleared up and most of the stomach symptoms went away. About 3 years ago, my daughter was still always getting ear infections and clearing her throat constantly. We did a trial of going dairy free and it all cleared up immediately. She has had maybe 1 ear infection since as apposed to multiple a year.
My other daughter was getting more sever stomach pains as well as using the restroom frequently. We took her off dairy and she is so much healthier because of it.
These symptoms and sever eczema were very much just like my own childhood. Add in Strep throat way too often and you have a sickly child that I was.
Now, in my thirties, I had enough. My hands get not just really dry, but crack and bleed as well as getting raw skin from scratching at night. I also clear my throat a lot and the drainage at night became so awful that I felt dizzy upon standing.
When the dizziness started, I started going dairy and gluten free the very next day as this was no way to live. Most of my symptoms are gone, thankfully. I still want to look into more healing of my gut but I am just proud I have been consistently dairy and gluten free for almost 3 months and have found great relief!
I must note, plenty of people who have found much relief in going gluten free (or dairy free, etc.) have tested negative for an allergy. So, sometimes, if you feel a certain food is triggering less than ideal symptoms, a trial diet is highly recommended. This just means, strictly (yes, very strictly or it will not work) take out that specific food for a month-3 months (3 months ideally to get it out of your system) and slowly reintroduce it to see if you have a negative reaction. Also, write down your symptoms before you do the trial so you don’t forget you had them if they go away.
What’s it like going dairy and gluten free? Well, since we have been doing this for many years now, joining in wasn’t so bad. We have found our favorite bread which is kind of a big deal, right? We know that fresh, non seasoned meat and fish are good. Veggies and fruit. Rice, oatmeal labeled gluten free, regular potato chips and let’s be honest, there’s plenty of snacks to grab that are just as unhealthy as the kinds of food one who doesn’t have this restriction can have. We really don’t miss out, it just takes planning and preparation for holiday gatherings, parties at school or friends’ parties, etc.
I’m not a natural planner, and I am not the best at following rules 😉 but I am finding that my health and feeling better was enough to not only start, but also keep at it. You can do it!
If you have any questions, ask below and I’ll be glad to answer!