It started when I got stomach ache every night after dinner as a teenager. The pain was not unbearable, but sufficiently enough to take stomach drops and other forms of medication for gastric problems. The pain continued and after reading all kinds of scary stories online I went to the GP.
She could not figure out what I had and sent me to the hospital for a stomach test that had to show whether I had a stomach infection. The test proved to be negative and I was back at it.
You must also know that, at that time, I did not necessarily have a healthy lifestyle. I ate too much of everything, yet at the same time I was also a fanatic dieter and followed all the fad diets.
My eating pattern consisted of a lot of bread (mostly whole wheat, because that’s healthy right?), dairy products (the Netherlands is the dairy country of choice), meat and fish for protein, vegetables and a little bit of fruits. Of course not too much of that, because it is packed with fructose (sugars in fruits) and it only makes you gain weight isn’t? Fortunately, I know better now.
Fast forward to the end of 2013 I moved with my family to Jakarta, Indonesia. With this move, my stomach ache also disappeared. I began to investigate the reason for this. I kept a food diary and, to my surprise, the result was not what I expected but also obvious at the same time.
My diet in the Netherlands consisted mainly of bread, crackers, pasta and dairy in the form of yogurt, cheese, butter and milk. In Indonesia, you mostly eat rice-based foods throughout the day. Dairy was (fortunately) difficult to get and expensive because it was mainly imported. Through my own research I stumble upon this concept called gluten intolerance and realize that all of the signs of gluten sensitivity listed are identical to what I’m experiencing.
There was another symptom I suffered from which the perpetrator is gluten too. It is the skin condition called Keratosis Pilaris. As long as I can remember, I always have an irritated skin on the outer parts of my arms and legs. It seems like I have goosebumps all the time. Not funny. In winter it turns red and exposed to the sun it become lighter.
I’ve always thought that I was born with it and I can not do anything about it. This condition contributed greatly to my insecurity when I was a teenager. I did not dare to wear short sleeves and short skirts because of my skin condition.
Does my story sound familiar to you? Can you relate to my experience? Then read my 10 symptoms that could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance.
10 SIGNS YOU ARE GLUTEN INTOLERANT
1. Digestive and stomach issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation after eating gluten.
2. Keratosis Pilaris (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends to be a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin
A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut. Basically inflammation under the top layers of skin can occur and cause eruptions of rashes, itchiness, burning, redness, and even painful blisters.
3. Extreme fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten. Even after hours of sleep, waking up feeling exhausted is not a good thing.
Gluten can contribute to feeling tired in different ways. When your body is in a state of inflammation and trying to process gluten proteins, it’s at the expense of the energy resources in your body.
4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.
5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.
6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility. Hormone imbalance can manifest itself as irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain or loss, hot flashes, low energy levels, erratic sleep patterns and more.
In discussing gluten sensitivity and female hormones, Dr. Daniel Kalish D.C states that “a strong relationship has been established in medical literature between gluten sensitivity and the hormones progesterone and estrogen.”