Hello Y’all! I hope you are doing well in your part of the world. Its getting cooler but not just yet. I’m waiting for a massive temperature drop to switch out my Summer gear for Fall/Winter wear. So until then, it’s temperamental North Texas weather for the next couple of days. But I just cannot wait to layer on. LOL…I know all my Midwesterners are rolling their eyes at this but hey! You are not a tree. You can move. And you don’t have to let the gusty Ohio River winds invade your soul every year. The choice is yours!! Anyways, todays post is about my journey to being gluten free. And by sharing this journey, I hope this can help someone else.

Food is life. It doesn’t matter the culture, region or people. Food is the number one common denominator. When it comes to food sensitivity, its very easy for people to expect bad reactions, extreme skin anomalies, swelling, or itching throat. But, there is a more subtle reaction that I believe is more deadly because the symptoms are milder and many of us fall under this category but are not aware.

A huge amount of the general populace (myself included) eat to curb hunger and attain satiety. In order words, we eat to keep our bellies filled or full. This is very different from eating to ‘fuel’ the body. When you eat food without knowing your bodies needs, your body accepts the food because it has no choice (duh) but it looks for places to store it because it doesn’t know what to do with it. That is why we see an increase in belly fat, fat around the thighs, arms because we have adopted a diet that in many many cases is not suitable for our body type. And the long suffering human body has to do the best it can with the trash it receives on a daily and still keep us alive, keep our hearts pumping and fight off the bacteria and illnesses in our environment at the same time.

I Started Paying Attention to My Body.

The signs were there, but they were very mild so its very important to pay attention to our bodies Some people have instant reactions like rolling on the floor or hives that instantly appear. This is not the case for everyone. A lot more people have milder symptoms that are often and very easily overlooked. Nobody just drops dead without any warning…our bodies are too intelligent for that. The problem is we ignore the signs because they’re subtle and fleeting. Here are some signs you may be sensitive to gluten.

*Being bloated on a daily or after eating certain foods. Ex. Rice and certain grains, baked goods, desserts, milk, certain cheeses, sweets, sodas, sweet fruits, alcohol, heavy carbs etc.

*Gut imbalance. Constant yeast infections. When people hear the words ‘yeast infection’, it’s very easy to think it always has to do with the private areas. Well… we have yeast in our gut and on our skin as human beings. The problem comes when the yeast bacteria outgrows the good bacteria and compromises the immune system. Then there’s a problem.

*Constipation and irregularities. If you have to take laxatives on a regular, or all those fiber powders and supplements, this is not normal and is not healthy. The commercials on TV want you to buy more products without really addressing the root cause or underlying issue.

*Acne. Skin issues. Hormonal imbalances. These three things go hand in hand and a lot of times when the diet is fixed, there will be significant and visible improvement in these three areas.

Healing the Body – How to get started.

*Find a naturopath who is well versed in diet and nutrition as well as gastrointestinal health.

*Removing unnecessary metals from the body. Ex. Mercury amalgam dental fillings etc. This is a whole other post on its own. But I encourage you to look up the side effects of having metals in the body. Don’t just take my word for it.

*Some people may need extensive bloodwork to determine their body type and how better to fuel it. We no longer need to expect to be sick just like our family members were due to our genes. We can start now to make changes to mitigate or completely rewrite our own health path.

*We can start by cleaning out our diet. We owe that much to our bodies. Remember, we only have one.

*Colon hydrotherapy. It’s funny how we get massages, spa treatments, and all kinds of pampering to our outer bodies while very few people take the time to do an internal cleanse of their internal organs and system. I believe in balance. Take care of your insides and your outer body will need less work. Scientist say that the gut is the brain and after doing my own research, I believe it. If the gut is healthy and clean, your mind, will and emotions with be better for it.

*Clean out your refrigerator, pantry and all your secret stashes….yes, I said stashes. With advise from a naturopath or nutritionist, draw up a diet plan that works for your body type and do the best you can to stick to it.

*Read the labels when grocery shopping. Up until now, I had no clue that there was such a thing as gluten free aisles or sections. The market is rapidly growing because a lot more people are experiencing food sensitivities and looking for alternatives to relieve the symptoms.

*Cheat responsibly. A gluten free diet is very hard to stick to 100% because almost every food around us has some form of gluten in it. When you do cheat, portions matter.

Folks, If this post helps one person, it makes all the difference in my world. I have been through it myself and if anything I say on here helps someone else, my work is done. Feel free to share your experiences, like, follow and comment. Until I come your way again…and my hope is that when I do, it will be cooler in North Texas, I remain

Periwinkle Starr