Gluten Free: A Gateway Drug?
The magic pill. That's what the gluten free diet sounded like when my doctor first described it. Eat gluten free and celiac disease disappears. The fatigue. The stomach acid. The nausea. Poof.
Ever since my diagnosis, though, I've noticed that most celiacs aren't just no-gluten. They're no-dairy, no-processed, no-soy, no-casein, no-anything-not-straight-from-the-dirt.And I've become one of them. And, when I look at my snack stack free of the 8 most common allergens, I can't help but think: Why? Why is gluten free suddenly not enough?
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| Maybe gluten free isn't always so magic after all? |
True, a lot of the reasons are intestinal. I'm guilty of that. My villi may have started to bloom again, but they still wilt ifmilk floods their roots. And paleo? We're flirting. Because what person whose suffered from bloating, gas, nausea, acid and every intestinal ABC isn't attracted to a lifestyle that promises to conquer a tantrum-prone tummy?
Yet, I can't help but think that the stomach isn't acting alone. The body and mind are partners in crime and this is no exception. It's so easy to get in a cycle of restriction and fear. So easy to say that because gluten is an intestinal bomb, soy and processed foods might have tickers of their own. And when you don't heal immediately - as my hospital visits and fatigue and frustration has shown is apt to happen - it's easy to blame the nutritionists' latest villain rather than accept that healing takes its own sweet time. In this way, I think gluten free really has transformed into the gateway drug of allergen avoidance.
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| Sometimes, lines are easy to attract... |
Fact is, I don't think every celiac needs to avoid more than gluten. But I'm definitely not denying that some do and should!
Will I ever reunite with my dairy-filled frozen yogurt? Maybe. I hope so. I hope that one day my list of dietary restrictions will grow shorter rather than flowing onto the next page. For now, though, I'm pretty happy. I'm off gluten, off dairy, try to eat as non-processed as possible and am hoping to undergo more allergy testing this summer. But, today, I still savor my soy-filled, chocolate-covered acai berries. I still dive into a pre-made gluten free brownie when I get the chance.
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| Or each! |
Because, even though I suffer from dietary restrictions, I control them, not the other way around. I am in charge of nourishing my body in the best way possible. There is no magic pill - there are just magical people. And every celiac, gluten intolerant, allergy sufferer - following whatever "no" diet that works for them - can be just that.
What do you think about the tendency to avoid extra allergens than gluten? Do you suspect it's a gateway drug? Comment under!
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