So this week is one of a few allergy awareness weeks in the UK, they are designed to get people talking about their allergies and raising awareness of different allergies and problems faced by allergy sufferers.
I thought this was the ideal opportunity to talk about my gluten/wheat intolerance.
I do not suffer from coeliacs disease, but I am intolerant to wheat and gluten and if I was to continue to eat either of these it is very likely that I would eventually develop coeliacs disease.
I first began feeling ill quite a few years ago...when I was still in high school in fact. I suffered with incredibly painful stomach cramps, and my stomach would swell up massively. I also became quite tired and lethargic, suffering from a general feeling of unwell-ness that made me pretty miserable.
I put up with it for a long time, thinking it was just 'normal for me', until one Christmas I was researching some of my symptoms on the internet and it mentioned something about a wheat intolerance. I decided to do an exclusion diet for about a month to see if it would have any effect.
Within about a week symptoms I had been suffering with for the last five years disappeared! I couldn't have been happier! :) Unfortunately to test it properly I knew I then had to start introducing wheat and gluten back into my diet. My symptoms came back almost instantly, at that point I made the decision to cut it out of my diet for good.
I have had some discussions with my doctor and some blood tests that have confirmed my intolerance, however at this time I have made the decision to not have the invasive test for coeliacs disease as I have no plans to reintroduce it back into my diet and exclusion is working for me at the moment.
Adjusting to this new lifestyle has not always been easy and I am still faced with new challenges quite often.
One of the hardest parts was explaining to friends and family, who had been used to me eating whatever I wanted all my life, that I could no longer eat certain things. Not only did I have to ask them to start catering for my new dietary requirement I also had to explain exactly what it meant and exactly what I had to avoid. This transition was annoying but only lasted a short while before everyone was pretty clued up!
The biggest Challenge I face now is eating out. Menus are not always clear and even meals that shouldn't contain wheat and gluten normally may have been bulked out or thickened with flours or stocks etc. This means asking and informing waiting staff and the kitchens, something which I hate as I hate being a difficult diner or causing a fuss! But I would't trade any of that for how I felt before so I cant complain too much.
Its getting so much better now as well!, the amount of restaurants that are starting to put gluten free options and labels on their menus has increased massively in the three years since I cut it out! More and more I am thrilled to go to restaurants that cater for this intolerance! Fingers crossed it's only a matter of time before all restaurants are considering it! :) ...if pizza hut can do it then so can everyone else!
Do you suffer with an intolerance to any food, or suffer from coeliacs disease, if so please do get in touch, I would love to hear about your experiences!? :)
Katie xxx
I thought this was the ideal opportunity to talk about my gluten/wheat intolerance.
I do not suffer from coeliacs disease, but I am intolerant to wheat and gluten and if I was to continue to eat either of these it is very likely that I would eventually develop coeliacs disease.
I first began feeling ill quite a few years ago...when I was still in high school in fact. I suffered with incredibly painful stomach cramps, and my stomach would swell up massively. I also became quite tired and lethargic, suffering from a general feeling of unwell-ness that made me pretty miserable.
I put up with it for a long time, thinking it was just 'normal for me', until one Christmas I was researching some of my symptoms on the internet and it mentioned something about a wheat intolerance. I decided to do an exclusion diet for about a month to see if it would have any effect.
Within about a week symptoms I had been suffering with for the last five years disappeared! I couldn't have been happier! :) Unfortunately to test it properly I knew I then had to start introducing wheat and gluten back into my diet. My symptoms came back almost instantly, at that point I made the decision to cut it out of my diet for good.
I have had some discussions with my doctor and some blood tests that have confirmed my intolerance, however at this time I have made the decision to not have the invasive test for coeliacs disease as I have no plans to reintroduce it back into my diet and exclusion is working for me at the moment.
Adjusting to this new lifestyle has not always been easy and I am still faced with new challenges quite often.
One of the hardest parts was explaining to friends and family, who had been used to me eating whatever I wanted all my life, that I could no longer eat certain things. Not only did I have to ask them to start catering for my new dietary requirement I also had to explain exactly what it meant and exactly what I had to avoid. This transition was annoying but only lasted a short while before everyone was pretty clued up!
The biggest Challenge I face now is eating out. Menus are not always clear and even meals that shouldn't contain wheat and gluten normally may have been bulked out or thickened with flours or stocks etc. This means asking and informing waiting staff and the kitchens, something which I hate as I hate being a difficult diner or causing a fuss! But I would't trade any of that for how I felt before so I cant complain too much.
Its getting so much better now as well!, the amount of restaurants that are starting to put gluten free options and labels on their menus has increased massively in the three years since I cut it out! More and more I am thrilled to go to restaurants that cater for this intolerance! Fingers crossed it's only a matter of time before all restaurants are considering it! :) ...if pizza hut can do it then so can everyone else!
Do you suffer with an intolerance to any food, or suffer from coeliacs disease, if so please do get in touch, I would love to hear about your experiences!? :)
Katie xxx
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