Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Dairy & Gluten Free

I have been struggling through bouts of nausea for years, without being able to pin point exactly what was going on. I never asked a doctor about it until I was pregnant with Ella, since it worsened with my pregnancies. I was horribly nauseous for the first trimester (normal) but it never went away as my pregnancy continued. They just chalked it up to being pregnant and gave me medication to help (it didn't). After I gave birth, it never really went away, so I finally saw someone about it who recommended cutting out dairy for a while, and then if that doesn't help, try gluten as well. I kind of brushed it off (because I couldn't imagine living without ice cream) and just kept dealing with it. I was at the wedding of two of our close friends this summer and I spent half of the evening away from the party with a sick stomach. That was kind of my breaking point, when I realized I needed to take care of it.
Last week I finally cut out dairy and gluten and have noticed a HUGE difference. I can't believe it! Aside from ice cream, dairy was pretty easy for me to cut out. It was gluten that was the hard part. I LOVE bread, pasta, baked goodies....pretty much everything. But...I'm actually surprised with how easy it has been to cut it out. I'm only a week into it, and have had my share of temptations, but it's funny how much easier it is to say "no" to, when it's for your health rather than just a "diet." I'm excited to see what happens. I'm honestly hoping that if we were to have more children, that it would help with nausea.
Shopping is a bit more expensive, but it's not bad. I am trying not to "replace," gluten filled foods with gluten free foods, but cook with more fruits, veggies, and other naturally gluten free foods. It's not only a less expensive option, but also good for you! We are trying to eat only organic produce as well, so it's forcing me to get a bit creative with grocery shopping.
I'm hoping I'll continue feeling better and I can control this nausea a little bit more! I feel like I'm slowly becoming myself again, and I love it!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

That's awesome!! Glad to hear you are feeling better!! I'm on the same journey with you, except I just learned my body doesn't like tomatoes?? C'mon....I LOVE salsa :(
Yes, creativity definately sets in when it's time to eat!
Oh and Elijah's tricycle/tutu picture is so cute!!

The Jones Pod said...

Yayy Kelly!! We're trying to go more organic over here as well. We thought about cutting out gluten (and have minimized dairy) but I don't think we're ready for that just yet...especially because none of us have an allergy to it. I'm so glad you're feeling so much better! I thought of a website you may enjoy. One of the ladies from our church has also had serious gluten/dairy/white sugar issues and for a while was posting cool recipes that were all g/d/ws free. Her site is: www.simpleinthewindycity.blogspot.com. FYI she recently lost her second baby in the 1st trimester of pregnancy (so sad!), so the majority of her posts have reflected those thoughts/emotions. But in the older posts she has some really neat recipes! Peach cobbler included :) I hope it continues to go easily with you!

<3 <3

Alicia said...

That's great Kelly! I have cut out both (along with other things) because of Clementine's intolerance while nursing. I have never felt better. Dairy really bogs down the digestive system! Good luck!

Jenny said...

We really enjoy Spaghetti squash as a substitute for noodles. It doesn't really taste like your average squash but more like an al dente noodle. Well, it does have the texture of a vegetable, but not a squashy flavor! All but one of us loves it, and 5 out of 6 at the family dinner table is a slam dunk for me!

Glad you found a solution. Hope you can continue to stick to it!
Jenny R