So far, I've told you about my son, and our blessed adjustment to his celiac disease. But there is another side to the gf diet in our house. In fact, before he was diagnosed or we even thought he might be celiac, I had started experimenting with cutting gluten from my diet, hoping it might improve my rheumatoid arthritis.
I was very skeptical in the beginning. When you're diagnosed with a chronic disease, people come out of the woodwork trying to sell you something. It seems everyone's uncle's aunt or sister's cousin's brother was cured by the juice of a bug from an island only recently discovered and not sold in stores. Or by not eating wheat.
(I humbly apologize to all of you who sell nutritional supplements, etc., and genuinely mean well. I know you care, and I don't doubt your sincerity. Thank you for your offers of help. I appreciate you all. I check everything I do through my doctor before trying it.)
However, the more research I did, the more desperate I got for some real help in being healthier, the more I became persuaded to at least try a wheat-free diet. There are numerous studies relating diet to RA, though no one has any conclusive evidence relating any specific food all of the time to the disease. However, there have been studies showing that a gluten-free diet improves RA in about 30% of people. My doctor agreed I could give it a try, and said I might get some improvement.
No cures though.
So about ten months ago, I started out, half-heartedly, cutting things out a little at a time, until I was eating completely gluten-free just about the time Alec was diagnosed. That was a huge blessing--it made the whole transition with him so much easier!
I eat lots of nuts (I'm snacking on my walnuts right now), fresh fruits and vegetables, just a little in the way of meat and dairy products, try to keep away from processed foods and sugar, no pop, etc. I graze through the day, and eat small meals with my family so I'm less likely to fall off the wagon! Lots of omega 3 rich foods. Some chicken. I have a few special treats just for myself, drink a cup of coffee that I nurse through the morning, and occasionally I buy chocolate just for me!!
About once or twice a week I indulge in a large piece of beef, which I look forward to with all my heart, sometimes I even obsess over it. Just a bit. Not much. Roast for Sunday lunch is a tradition at our house. I love the smell of it cooking when we come home from church. It's everyone's favorite meal of the week. Only now there are no rolls to burn. Who would burn those? Must have been Hannah or Rebecca. Or Jeff.
I have a few other weird dietary restrictions because of things I won't share with you here (eww, gross), but they make the diet a bit harder. For instance, no tea (better not to ask). Orange juice, lemonade, etc. Eggs trigger my migraines, as do almonds and pecans, though I can eat them occasionally.
But I stick with all this (and it can be boring) because I do FEEL BETTER!! I am healthier in general, have more energy, and I have the positive feeling of doing something that I can control. The drugs help, they really do. If ever I am tempted to skip one, I am immediately reminded of why I take it. RA is no slouch of a disease, and it can make me miserable, even unable to function, very quickly.
I can't testify to exactly how much the diet has helped--I started a new drug within a month or so of starting the diet. But I will not go back. This is the longest I've been up and moving since this whole ordeal began 3 years ago. God gives us tools, and this is one of them for me. It makes it easier for Alec to stick to his diet since I am going along with him. It make
s it easier for the whole family to have Mom up, moving, smiling. I can walk and bend and enjoy my life.
I was very skeptical in the beginning. When you're diagnosed with a chronic disease, people come out of the woodwork trying to sell you something. It seems everyone's uncle's aunt or sister's cousin's brother was cured by the juice of a bug from an island only recently discovered and not sold in stores. Or by not eating wheat.
(I humbly apologize to all of you who sell nutritional supplements, etc., and genuinely mean well. I know you care, and I don't doubt your sincerity. Thank you for your offers of help. I appreciate you all. I check everything I do through my doctor before trying it.)
However, the more research I did, the more desperate I got for some real help in being healthier, the more I became persuaded to at least try a wheat-free diet. There are numerous studies relating diet to RA, though no one has any conclusive evidence relating any specific food all of the time to the disease. However, there have been studies showing that a gluten-free diet improves RA in about 30% of people. My doctor agreed I could give it a try, and said I might get some improvement.
No cures though.
So about ten months ago, I started out, half-heartedly, cutting things out a little at a time, until I was eating completely gluten-free just about the time Alec was diagnosed. That was a huge blessing--it made the whole transition with him so much easier!
I eat lots of nuts (I'm snacking on my walnuts right now), fresh fruits and vegetables, just a little in the way of meat and dairy products, try to keep away from processed foods and sugar, no pop, etc. I graze through the day, and eat small meals with my family so I'm less likely to fall off the wagon! Lots of omega 3 rich foods. Some chicken. I have a few special treats just for myself, drink a cup of coffee that I nurse through the morning, and occasionally I buy chocolate just for me!!
About once or twice a week I indulge in a large piece of beef, which I look forward to with all my heart, sometimes I even obsess over it. Just a bit. Not much. Roast for Sunday lunch is a tradition at our house. I love the smell of it cooking when we come home from church. It's everyone's favorite meal of the week. Only now there are no rolls to burn. Who would burn those? Must have been Hannah or Rebecca. Or Jeff.
I have a few other weird dietary restrictions because of things I won't share with you here (eww, gross), but they make the diet a bit harder. For instance, no tea (better not to ask). Orange juice, lemonade, etc. Eggs trigger my migraines, as do almonds and pecans, though I can eat them occasionally.
But I stick with all this (and it can be boring) because I do FEEL BETTER!! I am healthier in general, have more energy, and I have the positive feeling of doing something that I can control. The drugs help, they really do. If ever I am tempted to skip one, I am immediately reminded of why I take it. RA is no slouch of a disease, and it can make me miserable, even unable to function, very quickly.
I can't testify to exactly how much the diet has helped--I started a new drug within a month or so of starting the diet. But I will not go back. This is the longest I've been up and moving since this whole ordeal began 3 years ago. God gives us tools, and this is one of them for me. It makes it easier for Alec to stick to his diet since I am going along with him. It make
s it easier for the whole family to have Mom up, moving, smiling. I can walk and bend and enjoy my life. (See my first gardern in many summers!)
Who cares what I eat? (Well, I do. . .but I'd rather walk.)
Have a blessed day. Cherish those you love, even if you have to hug them in this heat!
Here are some website about RA and diet--there are so many more.
http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20080321/ra-heart-tip-try-gluten-free-vegan-diet
http://www.glutenfreedietbook.com/articles/index.php?article=18
http://www.healthiertalk.com/many-ways-help-ms-rheumatoid-arthritis-and-other-disorders-0416
Who cares what I eat? (Well, I do. . .but I'd rather walk.)
Have a blessed day. Cherish those you love, even if you have to hug them in this heat!
Here are some website about RA and diet--there are so many more.
http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20080321/ra-heart-tip-try-gluten-free-vegan-diet
http://www.glutenfreedietbook.com/articles/index.php?article=18
http://www.healthiertalk.com/many-ways-help-ms-rheumatoid-arthritis-and-other-disorders-0416
I like it...Informative, Humorous, and helpful links. Keep it up girl!
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