This month I celebrate three years of being gluten-free. I say “celebrate” but who really celebrates never eating pizza again? Yes, I feel much better these days but I had to relearn how to eat. I mean, I basically teethed on cat-head biscuits as a baby and thought all things should be covered in gravy before I was urged by the surgeon who performed my gallbladder surgery to look into Celiac Disease as a possible explanation for a wide range of unexplainable issues I had, including infertility, arthritis, painful and irregular periods, asthma, allergies, anemia and bowel issues.

Here’s where my journey has taken me and what I’ve learned along the way:

Why I Chose Paleo
Once I knew I had to go gluten-free, I decided to do so using the guidelines for the Paleo diet. I had talked with many people suffering from Celiac Disease who had success following the autoimmune protocol so I thought I’d give it a shot. I eliminated grains, dairy, sugar, legumes and processed foods. I went egg-free briefly (it is suggested if you have autoimmune disorders) but added them back into my diet. I had a hard time getting enough protein while breastfeeding without eggs.
What a Typical Day of Food Looked Like

Breakfast:
Pumpkin pancakes made from eggs, pureed pumpkin and pumpkin spice
Coffee with coconut creamer
Bacon or sausage

Lunch:
Kale salad with green apple, walnuts and grilled chicken

Snack:
Homemade jerkey, hard-boiled egg or avocado with evoo and salt/peper

Dinner:
Meat and three style (One meat with three veggies)
Pork loin with green beans, baked sweet potato and sauteed kale

Dessert:
Frozen cherries with almond milk or pureed frozen banana with almond butter and Enjoy life chips
When Things Began to Change

One month in and I was sold. I felt…alive. Yes, that’s the best way I can explain the change. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was thriving. During that year, these are the changes I saw:

I had energy.
My skin was bright.
My bowel problems went away.
I started having regular periods.
I went an entire winter without getting sick.
My allergies were far less severe.
I put my inhaler in a drawer and didn’t use it for almost an entire year.
My hair stopped falling out.
I lost almost 25 pounds without the stress and effort I had put into years of Weight Watchers.
In the past, anemia has caused my nails to fall off. That didn’t happen once the year I was on Paleo.

The Downside

I felt amazing on Paleo! But, I also felt like a total freak.
Social gatherings were difficult. It was hard enough to explain why I wasn’t eating the chicken and dumplings but then when people would graciously offer up gluten-free items that didn’t fall within the Paleo guidelines, I’d feel pressured to eat them and then feel lousy later. When I’m eating Paleo and “cheat”, it isn’t pretty. I have an especially bad reaction to anything with soy. It feels like someone punched me in the stomach and the inflammation flare ups cause my joints to ache. I’m miserable. I felt better physically but struggled to go out to eat with friends and family or enjoy eating meals anywhere but home.

How I Neglected Myself and Quit Paleo

I have stayed 100% gluten free but I came to realize that if I ate more corn and processed food, I built up a sort of tolerance and didn’t have the same immediate adverse symptoms (arthritis flare ups and stomach pain.) LET ME BE CLEAR HERE: I didn’t get that punched-in-the-gut feeling when I ate certain foods like tortilla chips, which made me more fun at parties I guess, but you remember that list of changes I had seen when I started the Paleo diet? Here’s how that changed after I quit:

I had no energy.
I was irritable.
I struggled to concentrate.
I caught every cold or virus coming and going.
I suddenly had problems with acne.
My hair started falling out again.

5 Things I’ve Learned from Failing the Paleo Diet:

1. Sugar makes me crazy. There, I said it. Sugar makes me irritable, forgetful, sluggish and maybe even a little mean. I don’t feel like my best self when I’m eating sugar.
2. I don’t gain weight from eating a high-fat diet. I wish I had realized this in my early 20s when I was living on fat-free yogurt and 100 Calorie Snacks. When do I gain weight? When I start eating corn and sugar. One month of eating corn and sugar and I can see a HUGE difference in my body.
3. I feel more at peace mentally when I am eating Paleo. I feel like I live more in the moment, savoring the abundance of each season. I think eating natural food is about feeding more than your body. It’s a spiritual act.
4. I spent more time with my family. I was thoughtful about our meals. I didn’t grab convenience foods 3 out of 5 weeknights. I was intentional about us slowing down.
5. I was happier. The truth is, I was fulfilled. I ate when I was hungry. I drank when I was thirsty. I felt good in my skin. I felt satisfied from inside-out.

What’s Next for Me?

I feel like eliminating grains, sugar, processed foods and dairy significantly improve my health, both mentally and physically. That said, I truly think eating whole food is part of a fulfilling, creative life.