Gluten is one of those foods which we feel very attached to. I know because I had an incredibly tight bond with my gluten!
It was in everything I loved to eat including muffins, banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. When life was rough or mean to me in any way, I could reach for any of those and I would instantly feel better. It had a beautiful texture, taste and of course it made my tummy feel nice and full for a period of time. (It also gave me a hidden sugar rush, which of course I knew little about at the time!)
So, when I then suggest that gluten might be a big culprit with our Endometriosis pain, many women look at me strangely and sometimes even aggressively, like I am shunning their husband or best friend. I get it, those gluten products are your best friend right now!
What if, however, your best friend (the gluten one) was actually secretly causing you pain, inflammation and making you unable to absorb minerals and nutrients your body needs? It could be… here is an article I wrote which gives you 5 reasons to cut out gluten.
How do you know if you need to check for gluten intolerance?
Some of the most common symptoms of having a gluten intolerance include:
- Feeling tired
- Bloating
- Trouble with digestion (frequent constipation is a common one)
- Headaches
- Aching body and pains in joints
- Foggy brain (unclear thinking)
- Breathing difficulties (in some cases)
Ummm, these sound familiar, right? Most of these are common symptoms we experience with Endometriosis, so how do we tell the difference?
Mel’s 3-step gluten intolerance test
1. Eliminate ALL gluten from your life for a period of time
The trick with this is to make sure you completely eliminate every inch of gluten from your life! I mean all of it! You are having a break-up with gluten and you want to get that stuff out of your body COMPLETELY! Places to watch out for: sweets like gum candies (made with wheat), spices, sauces and soups (used to thicken) and of course the usual suspects: cookies, cakes and pies. Always check if you aren’t sure when going out to eat. Things that are crumbed are done in flour, some salads have croutons in them and most desserts will have gluten in them. Luckily, most restaurants list their gluten free options now!
I know it is easy to think that a little doesn’t matter but for the test to truly work, you need to give your digestive system and your immune system that break.
For how long?
My personal recommendation is 4 weeks but for some of us that might be too challenging at first, so try 2 weeks.
Replace your meals with salads, potatoes and preferably home-made soups and meals. You want to steer away from those gluten free products where you can but if you absolutely can’t resist then they are there for you! Choose the ones with the least amount of ingredients and definitely avoid anything with high sugar or vegetable oil in them.
2. Do the Test!
After you have completely eliminated gluten for a period of 2 weeks or ideally 4, you are now ready to do the test.
All you need to do is sit down and eat a large portion of gluten. Pick something you have been craving—go on! Maybe a big loaf of warm bread? Perhaps a bowl of pasta?
It is now your chance to totally eat that stuff to your heart’s content!
3. Measure the results
After you have eaten your bread, pasta or whatever gluten product you have chosen, it is time to measure the results of eating it. This is your opportunity to really listen to your body and know how it has been feeling for years!
Signs to look out for: these normally happen within 2 hours of eating gluten but in some cases can be up to a day later:
- Heart rate increases after eating that particular food
- Bloating (constant feeling of needing to go to the toilet)
- Headaches
- Just feel really tired
- Constipation and in some cases soft stools
- Abdominal aches and pains
There are many tests for gluten intolerance but they work on recognizing immune markers. This means, they will only show up if you are highly sensitive to gluten, like if you have celiacs disease. Many women with Endometriosis take these tests and have no indication that they should be avoiding gluten.
After doing my easy mini test however, they recognize that their bodies are clearly struggling with gluten.
You are serving your body better by listening to it. A study was conducted with women with Endometriosis and it revealed 75% of the patients who cut out gluten had a reduction in pain and associated symptoms with Endometriosis. You can view that study here.
Could you be one of the women with Endometriosis that could benefit from cutting out gluten? Have you cut it out and had good experiences? Feel free to share your thoughts and ask any questions…
This Post Has 5 Comments
Although I’ve been gf for over a year (100% for a couple of months though), I’ve also read that it’s wheat and not gluten that makes Endo worse. I have yet to try it, but I may soon since I know I can buy gluten separately if I want to.
I’m so sorry hun. It sounds to me like it was a really bad detox reaction. It might be an idea to get onto a parasite cleanse as it sounds fairly strong. Candida could be ruling your life sweets…. Worth getting control of!
Thank you for sharing with us Juanita. You are in the right place and I know that it can seem like it is never going to end but it can and it will. You are doing incredibly well. After 6months of no gluten or dairy, you will be amazed at the difference!
Hi Melissa,
I have been gluten free, well ok…probably 99.9% gluten and dairy free going on my 4th week.
Beyond the endometriosis, I felt an immediate change within days that the constant fog in my head dissipated. It’s the only way I can describe it. Having been overweight all my life I felt the top belly (sorry for the graphic nature) suddenly reduced in size and my fat bulges are finally the same size. I have not gotten on a scale, but I’m pretty sure that I am losing. Hard to tell when you are 330 pounds.
My endo has progressively gotten worse over the years and mine is always worse between menses, not at the menses. I actually get a break from pain these days when I am flowing. I know weird. My last period was very quiet…and the rest of the month (week 2) has been relatively getting better.
When I do have bad days I think I am more disappointed and scared that it will return full blast but does not. I just get back better faster.
I have done more housework than I have in the last 4 months, and change something new every week. Plastic removal, organic pads, homemade lip balms… serrapeptase and maca powder…everything that is added seems to be improving my quality of life.
I know it may not work for everyone, but you just have to keep trying until you find something that does.
I am glad you are here to offer your help with this.
I was really at the end of my wits. And although I am not a person to think of suicide because, I would never hurt my family that way. I really wanted the pain to end and my life to just be normal.
I still have so so days, but for every step, every piece of bread or glass of milk I don’t put in my mouth, I am sure that it is helping me find my way back to health and truly feel alive in the life I am living.
Thank you.
Hi Mel
I just tried going gluten free for 5 days and have never felt worse 🙁 I originally planned on trying it out for a few month but had to cave in after only 5 days because I felt so bad.
I felt constipated, my candida returned after months’ of absence, I had a constant brain-fog and dizziness, heart palpatations and my anxiety was much (MUCH) worse than usual. These symptoms improved after a couple of days back to ordinary foods. (Well except for the candida, which always comes back when I increase my consumption of fats – also the healthy type fatty acids).
I don’t know if it was just a detoxification or something, but I just couldn’t continue and thought that after 5 days, the detoxification should be fading, but it was getting increasingly worse.
I have known for years that I have a problem with wheat as I get a death-like fatigue after consuming it, but I seem to need the particular fibres from rye bread to keep my hormone levels in check.
I’m just SO disappointed that I could only do this for 5 days as I was looking forward to reeping the benefits of a gluten free diet.