Recently, I got glutened. Not cross-contamination-minute-amount-glutening, but a take-a-bite-out-of-a-burger-and-realize-the-bun-isn’t-gf-glutening. This is the first time that I have consumed so much gluten after going gf and I was absolutely terrified. I’ve got a lot on my plate and I don’t have time to be sick for weeks (as I am sure no one does). Despite the terror of that first bite, knowing right away that I had consumed gluten was helpful so that I could immediately work toward some preventative care.
After taking some short term proactive steps with some moral support, we made a trek to Whole Foods for some supplies. We used this article as a guide, but clearly each person has to decide what they are up for and what they believe will help them based on what they know to be their own reaction to gluten. Personally, for the first couple of days I get depressed and tired, my joints start to hurt and I get a headache that just won’t go away. After that round of symptoms then the GI stomach symptoms flare up as the gluten works its way further into my system. There isn’t necessarily much that can be done about the psychological side effects except cut myself some slack and accept the fact that it may be a more challenging week than normal, but there did seem to be some steps I could take to protect my insides and speed this process along.
First off, I’m not a huge fan of medicine and taking pills. So while I compromised on this point I did prioritize and pursue other non-pill options. I hydrated like crazy all week. I chose to take some Omega-3, Turmeric, L-Glutamine, along with some probiotics. The article recommended high doses of all of these supplements for the week after a glutening, but since I don’t usually take supplements and and always experience side effects to supplements and vitamins I figured taking regular doses was probably enough for me. I also opted not to get anything that only came in a chewable form and didn’t get everything on the list, but prioritized by genre to these three options.
Overall, it was nice to find out that while there were some rough days, getting glutened can be a totally manageable experience. I don’t live in a bubble, gluten abounds in the universe, and if some sneaks into my person it is not the end of the world; I now know how to manage.
[addtoany] Yum