Sans Gluten

photo from bzzagent.com

***Disclaimer:  I am NOT a doctor.  I felt it was important to point this out right from the start.  On my weight loss journey, I have tried many different things.  With each change, I am in constant contact with my doctor.  She knows my history and can monitor how changes in what I eat can impact other changes in my body.  This post is NOT intended to be substituted for the advice of a medical professional.  Talk to your doctor.  If that doctor isn't listening, then find one who will.  That's advice I feel comfortable giving.***


I feel like I spend a whole lot of time on this blog talking about my weight, my exercise, my diet.   I keep wondering when I am going to get it.  When will this get easier?  Can I ever slack off?  Nope.  Not Ever.

I have also posted previously about my struggles with PCOS, infertility, migraines, and fatigue.  About four weeks ago, health and diet collided.  One afternoon, my mother mentioned seeing an episode about Celiac Disease on Dr. Oz. She mentioned how they talked about how CD can impact fertility, as well as a myriad of other things.  Doing some research, I found that many of the symptoms of CD are ones I dealt with almost daily.  Most of them are gastrointestinal in nature for me...and that is about as gross as I will get in the details. (Feel free to visit the Celiac Disease Organization if you are that curious)

As I mentioned in the disclaimer, I reached out to my doctor. While there are some initial blood tests that can be done to check for the possibility that you have CD, I learned that my insurance company doesn't trust those tests and requires an endoscopic procedure where the villi in the intestines are removed and tested.  Ummm, yikes on that one.  Additionally, because I don't have some of the more extreme symptoms of CD, I really wanted to see if there was a more conservative option.  We went to plan B:  What if I just worked to adapt to a gluten free diet?

Me, ever the researcher, went to the interwebs.  I wanted to see what products were available, figure out what Gluten Free really meant.  My only impression was that it was expensive.  As a couponer whose goal is to save 65-70% on my groceries, this was concerning.  There are sadly few GF coupons available.  I know, because I looked.  But, since I coupon for the other items we use, I was able to shell out a little more (I still created a price list for GF items, both locally and online).

Rather than make this excessively long, I am going to split it into three posts.

First: This one, which is background on the change.

Second: The food.  Things I have found, both good and bad.

Third:  The Impact.  Has it helped?  Is/Was it worth it?

I hope you stick around to find out.