10 SIGNS YOU ARE GLUTEN INTOLERANT
1. Digestive and stomach issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation after eating gluten.
2. Keratosis Pilaris (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends to be a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin
A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut. Basically inflammation under the top layers of skin can occur and cause eruptions of rashes, itchiness, burning, redness, and even painful blisters.
3. Extreme fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten. Even after hours of sleep, waking up feeling exhausted is not a good thing.
Gluten can contribute to feeling tired in different ways. When your body is in a state of inflammation and trying to process gluten proteins, it’s at the expense of the energy resources in your body.
4. Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.
5. Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.
6. Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility. Hormone imbalance can manifest itself as irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain or loss, hot flashes, low energy levels, erratic sleep patterns and more.
In discussing gluten sensitivity and female hormones, Dr. Daniel Kalish D.C states that “a strong relationship has been established in medical literature between gluten sensitivity and the hormones progesterone and estrogen.”
7. Migraine headaches. While not all cases of migraines are related to gluten, it’s been linked as a significant cause for some. In a study that measured migraine headaches in gluten sensitive individuals, chronic headaches were reported in 56% percent of those with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, 30 percent of those with Celiac disease, and 23 percent of those with inflammatory bowel disease.
Only 14 percent of those in a control group reported headaches.
8. ADHD, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects children and adults alike, but many don’t make the connection of their symptoms to diet. Dr. Ron Hoggan, Ed.D, co-author of the best selling book, “Cereal Killers,” wrote an article on Celiac.com citing several studies linking ADHD and gluten together.
9. Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips. Joint pain and inflammation are (also) common symptoms of gluten sensitivity.
10. Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD. Depression is a serious health concern for many people. Symptoms of depression can include feelings of hopelessness, lack of interest, low energy, appetite changes, sleep changes, anger, and more. Research now confirms once gluten is removed from the diet, depression and anxiety can actually be resolved.
HOW TO TEST FOR GLUTEN INTOLERANCE?
Due to an elimination diet where I did not include gluten for at least 3 to 4 weeks. My symptoms slowly lessened or disappeared totally. No more stomach ache, bloated feel and my skin was softer than ever! Hallelujah! If you want to try this elimination diet note that gluten is a very large protein and it can take months to clear from your system.
Another tip is to reintroduce the gluten again after the elimination period and see if symptoms come back.
If you think you might be gluten intolerant after the elimination diet then it’s only wise to eliminate gluten 100% from your diet. Even traces of gluten from cross contamination can be enough to cause an immune reaction in your body. If you need professional help I advise you to seek out an integrative practitioner or GP to guide you.
Source: http://www.thehealthylifestyle24.com