7 Side Effects to Expect When You First Go Gluten Free

When I think back to when I first went gluten free five years ago after receiving my celiac disease diagnosis, I remember encountering several surprises. The most unexpected ones, though, were the largely unmentioned physical, emotional and practical side effects to eating gluten free...and after years of regularly talking with new celiacs, I know I’m not the only one who initially experienced these less-than-ideal symptoms.

So what can simply occur whilst you first move gluten free that your health practitioner might not provide you with a warning about? In the spirit of Celiac Awareness Month, I notion now turned into the best time to shed a few light in this crucial question. Keep reading to research seven aspect outcomes you ought to assume after beginning a gluten loose diet!

(As usually, I?M now not a clinical professional and constantly recommend speaking to your medical doctor - or even bringing up a number of those frequently not noted points - earlier than, during and after going gluten free. This publish is primarily based handiest on my personal experience, the studies of others I?Ve talked to and studies/articles discovered online).

1. You may additionally feel worse earlier than you experience better.

I’d be the first to admit that I am not an “average” celiac disease patient in terms of my healing process. Going gluten loose wasn?T sufficient for me to thrive with celiac sickness, and I ended up having to be hospitalized and fed through a feeding tube before I started recovering from the damage gluten had caused to my intestines. Based on the popularity of my posts on those topics, it also seems clear that I am not the only one who needed more than a gluten free diet to feel healthy with celiac disease.

However, even people who feel better more quickly on a gluten free diet (whether they have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or some other medical reason to benefit from eating GF) often initially report some not-so-great physical symptoms.

Because a gluten unfastened food plan regularly includes fewer complete grains and much less not unusual substances like Xantham gum, people can come to be constipated from a loss of fiber. On the opposite hand, in case you go from eating a pretty processed weight loss plan to one with plenty of culmination and vegetables, you might also turn out to be bloated from consuming greater fiber than you used to.

I, at the side of my mom and other gluten free eaters I?Ve talked to, additionally skilled issues like headaches, fatigue and nausea while first changing our diets. If a gluten free weight loss plan is the satisfactory fit for you, even though, these signs need to slowly subside as your gadget adjusts to your new diet. If you've got celiac sickness and continue to experience poorly whilst following a strict gluten free weight-reduction plan, I?D urge you to speak in your physician approximately different viable steps to take, such as retaining a food journal, present process similarly checking out, and so on.

2. Your intellectual and emotional fitness is probably affected.

Even if you think you know how hard going gluten free can be, you might be surprised at how intensely you mourn the wheat-filled foods you once loved. Going gluten free, especially when you also need to avoid cross contamination, is much more complicated than just giving up bread. Wheat can hide in everything from soy sauce to sauces to seasonings, and your first grocery store trips might be so frustrating, you feel close to tears.

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I also know from non-public enjoy that gluten cravings are very actual, and sometimes simply as brutal. I vividly bear in mind crying status in front of my fridge on account that I became craving a tortilla and we handiest had my antique flour tortillas in our fridge...And this turned into after I?D been gluten unfastened for numerous months.

My biggest portions of advice for dealing with the emotional roller coaster of going gluten unfastened is to embrace but you?Re feeling and have a solid help gadget nearby. You are allowed to grieve for the meals you?Re losing, although ?It?S handiest pizza.? After all, that Papa John?S pizza additionally represents the capability to effortlessly devour out and is possibly tied to several heartwarming own family reminiscences.

Establishing a set support system - whether it’s your family or an online Facebook group of other gluten free eaters - can also make a big difference in how easily you adjust to eating gluten free. As I explain here, I always recommend educating your friends and family about your diagnosis and new diet so that they can help you stay accountable and won’t (knowingly or accidentally) tempt you with unsafe foods. And, as always, you can always reach out to bloggers like me if you need a digital shoulder to lean on!

Three. Gluten unfastened meals substitutes might not flavor as good now as they'll later.

If you’re reading this blog post while going through some of these not-so-fun initial weeks of eating gluten free, know this: gluten free food will start tasting better. I like to describe the change my taste buds have undergone with the old quote, “Out of sight, out of mind.” After I’d been gluten free for a year or so, I’d honestly forgotten how many gluten-filled foods tasted. As a result, when I re-tried some of the gluten free brands I’d tasted shortly after my celiac disease diagnosis, I raved about how good they tasted, even though I’d thought they were just "average" months earlier. My mom, who discovered she is gluten intolerant after going gluten free with me, experienced the same thing.

Combined with the fact that more delicious gluten free products are being released each year (check out a list of my favorite gluten free companies here), and this taste bud shift should give you hope that enjoying a yummy gluten free diet is 100% possible. It just may take some time - and some cooking practice and product taste testing -  for you to find the best-tasting gluten free foods for you.

4. You would possibly start gaining weight...Or losing it.

As I’ve mentioned several times before, the gluten free diet is not a weight loss diet. Foods that are labeled "gluten free" are not necessarily "healthier." All "gluten free" means is that there is no wheat included in the product; there are no "healthy" guarantees about calories, fat or sugar levels.

However, going gluten free can change your weight. If you don’t have a medical reason to go gluten free, you might find yourself slimming down because you’re eating naturally gluten free foods (like fruits and vegetable) instead of processed foods. Meanwhile, if you have celiac disease, you might gain or lose weight. Celiacs who were initially overweight could be able to lose weight for the first time after going gluten free. Meanwhile celiacs who were underweight might gain weight now that they’re actually absorbing the nutrients from their food.

As with any diet, different people may have different responses. Although it’s obviously important to be aware of losing or gaining an unhealthy amount of weight after going gluten free, I’d encourage you to focus on how you feel instead. This advice is easier said than done, and I still have my share of body image challenges, but expecting your appearance to possibly change after going gluten free will hopefully help.

5. You may additionally observe extraordinary reactions to different allergens as properly.

The most surprising side effect of going gluten free for me was definitely how many other foods I started to notice also bothered my stomach. My doctor had warned me that some celiacs can’t tolerate dairy after diagnosis because of the damage to their intestinal villi, and, sure enough, I was soon scouting out the best dairy free ice cream brands.

A year after my celiac disease diagnosis, though, I was still dealing with bloating, gas, constipation and other digestive symptoms. That’s when I started experimenting with a low fodmap diet, and I eventually realized that garlic, onion, mango and a few other foods are big triggers for me. After keeping a food journal, I also began to realize that red meat didn’t digest very well and that large amounts of corn often increases my fibromyalgia pain.

I don?T believe all and sundry who goes gluten free desires to reduce out other ingredients to feel their excellent, much like I don?T assume every body desires to - or ought to - cross gluten unfastened. I also don?T recognize whether I beginning noticing those additional sensitivities because my gut have been damaged from celiac ailment and wasn?T working as well or because I changed into virtually extra attuned to how my belly become feeling and what a ?Right? Day clearly felt like.

However, as with all the other symptoms on this list,  I’d encourage you to discuss any remaining stomach problems after going gluten free with your doctor.

6. Your grocery payments may pass up.

It?S proper that consuming gluten loose can be costly, irrespective of how long it?S been since you started a gluten free eating regimen. However, you ought to especially count on your grocery bills to move up quickly when you go gluten loose. After all, that?S the period while you?Re going to need to invest in your new pantry staples - ranging from all purpose gluten loose flour to un-pass-infected grains, nuts and seeds - and while you won?T understand as a whole lot approximately the way to save cash on a gluten unfastened diet.

To make the adjustment to a gluten free diet as painless (for you and your wallet) as possible, I’d suggest first sticking to naturally gluten free foods, like fruits, vegetables and meats. Not only will this save you money, but it will also make grocery shopping quicker since you won’t have to spend time reading lots of labels. Once you are ready to dive into gluten free products, research the best brands beforehand and look up tips for saving money on gluten free groceries, like the ones I've shared in this post. Going gluten free without going broke can feel challenging at first, but I can now eat gluten free for less than $35 a week, so know that it is totally possible.

7. You might feel like you’ll “never be able to like being gluten free.” But trust me. You’ll get there!

Especially if you don't start feeling better right away, you might find yourself doubting that you'll ever be happy - or well fed - while following a gluten free diet. When you first go gluten free, you'll probably struggle with remembering that you can't eat off a loved one's plate (if they're eating gluten, anyway) or struggle with cravings for your old favorite foods. Just as you may experience grief over the loss of your past lifestyle and foods, you might also feel angry at the chronic illness taking over your life.

Slowly but surely, though, eating gluten free will become your new normal. You'll find gluten free recipes you love and gluten free products that taste just as good (or close to) as your old dietary staples. Your taste buds will adjust and you'll soon know the "celiac spiel" you give to restaurant waiters by heart. You might even discover hidden blessings from your celiac disease diagnosis, like I did.

It could be a lie to mention that your existence will robotically enhance as soon as you ditch gluten. Not absolutely everyone with celiac sickness heals on the same rate, and lots of human beings (consisting of me!) enjoy some not-so-best signs and symptoms just like the ones I've noted above. Hopefully, though, this put up reassures you that you aren't alone in case you're suffering after first going gluten free...And that these demanding situations, too, shall bypass.

Like this post? Tweet me some love by clicking here: "I'm getting real this #CeliacAwarenessMonth and sharing 7 initial "side effects" of going #glutenfree that I experienced...& you might too! Plus, I share my tips for adjusting to a #glutenfreediet & thriving with #celiac. All that here --> http://bit.ly/2FRHtid"

And once you do make it six months, one year, two years and beyond of eating gluten free. Well, I can attest to the fact that your gluten free celebratory cake will taste pretty dang sweet!

Did you experience any of these symptoms? What was your experience after initially going gluten free? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments!

Mustaqim Jaed

Saya Seorang Yang Hoby Menulis Dan Menggambar.

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