The Gluten Challenge

I have to be honest here, I’ve had some real back and forth with myself this week about this particular post and whether anyone other than my mom would want to read it. But as I debated, I kept coming back to my real heart for this space. And it isn’t about popularity. One of the biggest motivating factors in sharing my story + my recipes is to offer access to all of the information that I wish I’d had when I began to navigate my own complicated wellness journey – including my very own Gluten Challenge.

So here we are, writing this post. Because two and a half weeks ago when my doctor asked me to begin this terrifying + mysterious thing called the “Gluten Challenge”, I googled it. And there were literally crickets on the other end – I’m talking like 5 or 6 articles and a couple of blog posts from 2012 detailing horror stories of gluten related symptoms. There were NO resources for someone like me trying to figure this thing out. So, I figured I’d create some.

If you’ve read my Banana Snacking Bread post, or if you’ve been following me over on instagram, you’ll already have a bit of insight into what the Gluten Challenge is and why I’m doing it. Sadly, it’s not some sort of fun, food competition (I wish). In layman’s terms, the Gluten Challenge is essentially a backwards version of an elimination diet where someone who has been avoiding gluten for any length of time starts eating it again. Generally it’s only implemented under a doctor’s supervision in preparation for Celiac’s Disease testing.

Why the Gluten Challenge?

Now, I know what you’re thinking (because I thought it) – why in the world are you getting tested for Celiac’s Disease if you’re already gluten free? And the answer is simply because it feels like the right thing for me at this season in my life. I’ve been really honest on my social media throughout the last few years about my roller coaster health road. 2018 was a hugely hard year for my body + it was terrifying to be confronted with the potential of serious auto-immune illness. Through my own research, I discovered that some lifestyle changes + implementing a Paleo-based style of eating eliminated all of my scary symptoms like muscle pain + weakness, fatigue + brain fog, anxiety and hair loss. I was almost well!

But, my ever-present, pesky digestive issues have hung around. I’ve been struggling with gut health for nearly my entire life. I have been diagnosed and misdiagnosed and re-diagnosed with IBS, Fibromyalgia, Lactose Intolerance, Gluten Intolerance, potential Irritable Bowel Disease, Giardia, worms, Candida overgrowth, etc. It has felt like a never-ending guessing game in trying to figure out why my digestive life is full of constant gas, painful bloating, diarrhoea, and constipation. I tell my husband that it often feels like someone has their hands in my intestines. That can’t be normal.

So, this year when my doctor suggested that we do some further testing for some other potential answers, it felt like a good idea to trust her. Celiac’s Disease just happened to be one of the things on the list. The theory is, that if I do have Celiac’s Disease, my current symptoms could be explained by the fact that gluten is still a part of my life despite not eating any on purpose (cross contamination, beauty products, etc.)

When I left the doctor’s office a few weeks ago, I was so confused + overwhelmed. As someone who has been avidly avoiding gluten for the last 8 years, and who has struggled with a disordered eating past, the idea of purposefully poisining myself + damaging my already unreliable gut felt terrifying. But my husband + I talked and prayed about it, and here we are 2 1/2 weeks into the challenge.

How I’m Making this Gluten Challenge Fit My Lifestyle

When making this choice, I knew that I really wanted to mitigate the damage as much as possible by reintroducing gluten into my diet in a real food way, just like I normally live. I didn’t want to start scoffing processed foods full of all sorts of additives and then not know if it was the gluten or the 75 added chemicals that were making me feel unwell. Here are some of the ways that I’ve started adding gluten back into my real food routine:

• Bulgur Wheat – I’ve used this easy-to-cook grain in some DIVINE stuffed peppers with ground turkey, tomato sauce and all sorts of yummy spices. It boils up like rice, but tastes like sweet pasta. The leftover grains were delicious thrown into some chicken soup for lunch the next day. Plus, they’re completely non-processed, so that’s a win.
• Barley Flakes – Before going Paleo, I used to eat oatmeal every single morning. I love the dang stuff. Unfortunately, oats are naturally gluten free. So, to mimic my former obsession, but to up my gluten intake, I’ve started cooking barley flakes for brekkie. I add some egg whites during the cooking process to add protein + top them with yogurt, berries and nut butter. (Also, coconut butter stirred into cooked barley is next level.) They’re super tasty + keep me full until lunch time.

• Seeded Bread – Honestly, the first wheat based thing that I ate on my Gluten Challenge was a piece of avocado toast (#basic), and I was hugely disappointed. The wheat bread that I used tasted a bit like cardboard. I couldn’t bear the thought of eating it for 6 more weeks. But then I tried a heartier bread, one with a bit more texture, and I’ve gotten a little more on board. Bread is definitely not my favourite option, but it’ll do in a gluten pinch. I tend to toast it up + serve it alongside a delicious bowl of my easiest veggie soup – you can find the recipe here.

• Cereal – Unexpected MVP of the gluten challenge so far, I have been LOVING cereal after dinner. I’ve found a few wheat based museli/granola style cereals that are low in added sugar, but still super delicious. I just eat it by the handful, straight from the box or stirred into some yogurt. Also, bran flakes! I know, I know, I feel like an old person just saying that, but bran flakes are my newest cereal obsession. They’re completely sugar free and so satisfyingly crunchy. Don’t knock them until you try them.
• Homemade Baked Goods – The easiest way that I’ve found to ensure that I have gluten-filled goodies with real ingredients on hand is to make them myself. So far this week, my No Sugar Added Banana Snacking Bread has been the winner. I’ve had it warm with breakfast, with coconut yogurt + blueberries, and toasted with all of the melty peanut butter on top. It was delicious every single time!

What Are the Effects So Far?

I was honestly expecting this challenge to be terrible from day 1. My memories of gluten consisted of bulging bellies, hives, and prolonged bathroom visits. But to be honest, it’s been absolutely nothing like that. In fact, just last night, my husband and I were sitting at dinner talking about how encouraging this whole process has been.

Mentally, the first few days felt like the biggest challenge. Creating my meals around wheat-based items was such a mind shift. But once I really decided that this is what I was doing, it’s been much easier to just eat the 3-4 servings of gluten that I need to. When I’m tempted to skip the last piece of bread, I just remind myself that I want the most accurate test result possible at the end of all of this.

Physically, I’ve been a bit all over the place. My digestion has really not been a huge problem aside from extra gas, occasional nausea + discomfort. This is a huge blessing + I’m praying it continues. However, I have seen an unexpected surge in headaches, muscle aches, pains + fatigue – particularly in the afternoon. My mornings are generally great. I wake up, go to the gym and start my work day. But, by 3pm, I’m often nearly in tears holed up on the couch. The good news is that it tends to pass after dinner, and I still get a few good hours in my day.

Unfortunately, because Celiac’s Disease is an auto-immune condition, the damage progressively gets worse over time as you’re exposed to gluten. Because I’d previously been eating a gluten-free, anti-inflammatory diet, my gut started this challenge in relatively decent shape. If I do have Celiac’s, it could take a few weeks before I really start to see any effects, which is why this challenge is prescribed to last at least 6 weeks in length. I’m praying that the symptoms stay minimal, but I’m prepared to handle them if they don’t.

What Happens if the Test is Negative?

All of that being said, this test could come back negative. Celiac’s Disease might not be the cause of any of my issues. However, even if that is the case, I don’t think this experience will be wasted. Firstly, a negative result will remove one of the players from the table. It’s one less digestive issue to investigate. Secondly, this challenge has also helped me to wrestle with my set “will eat” and “won’t eat” food rules. Seeing that my body won’t fall to pieces with one meal is continuing to move me closer to a place of real health and true food freedom.

I’m also loving being a part of my own self-led experiment into how food is actually affecting me. What you eat does affect what you feel + I’m really getting the chance to see this in action through my own diet/body.

For example, in the photo below, there are two stomachs present. The first stomach is a morning stomach, the second stomach is an evening, post-gluten meal stomach. There is an obvious difference in these pictures. There was also a huge difference in the way that I felt in those two separate moments. (As you can imagine, that PM tummy wasn’t a very happy one.) This photo also explains why, even if my test is negative, I won’t go back to eating gluten. Whether or not I have Celiac’s Disease, this challenge has already shown me that gluten clearly affects my digestion and gut on some level. It’s been really cool to have experiential evidence to back up my food choices.

I’ve got approximately a month left on the g-stuff, followed by weeks or months of recovery time. I’ve been SO appreciative of how much everyone has loved on and encouraged me in the transition. It has felt like such a positive experience so far. As always, I’ll continue to share honestly about my experience. Whether you’re just interested, are going through some similar issues or have Celiac’s yourself, I love having you in this with me.

P.S. If you’re curious to know what happens next, check out my other Gluten Challenge Updates for weeks 3-4 and weeks 5-6, plus the final results!

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