Why Gluten-Free is the Life for Me?

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How could something so beautiful be so hurtful?

Looking at that field makes my heart fill with awe. 

In 2008, USAToday published an article about

the rising popularity of gluten-free diets. 

I am thankful that now, three years later, I am finding that a life

free of gluten is the right life for me. 

About five years ago I contracted H. Pylori, a bacteria that

infects that lining of the stomach which can lead to ulcers and cancer. 

After severe chest pains and a battery of tests I was put on two weeks

of harsh prescription drugs to upset the lives of the bacteria within me. 

My dietary trouble has continued to grow and wane since then. 

Originally we thought it a lactose intolerance. 

I would stop milk for a while, but cheese couldn't keep from alluring me. 

Then, about a month ago the sensitivity to food exploded. 

It didn't matter what I was eating, I was bloating, nauseous, uncomfortable. 

My mom grabbed a Fitness magazine in Target and 

flipped to a random article on intestinal issues. 

Celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, was covered. 

Although I am currently undergoing blood tests and meeting with doctors, 

I have decided that gluten-free is the life for me. 

Today marks day 8 that I have ingested no gluten and I'm so happy to report

that I feel clean inside, not bloated as seriously, and overall much more comfortable. 

In researching the use of gluten I am a little bit horrified. 

Wheat is used as a thickener, as a preservative, and as an additive to many meats.

Vigilance in reading food labels and understanding the ingredients is key. 

Do you know what you're putting in your body? 

Tomorrow I will post on one of my favorite gluten-free meals and

how to keep your gluten-free self while enjoying going out to eat!

P.S. Leave any questions you have and I will put together a Q&A post!