Goofball

My accupuncturist reaaalllllllyyyy wants me to stop eating gluten. I am a stubborn one, though, and have not yet taken the plunge. Her reasons make sense, and I would be well-served to give it a try.

- My low levels of iron, vitamin D and vitamin B. She says this is exactly what you'd expect to see in someone with malabsorption problems, likely due to gluten intolerance.
- My ethnicity as 1/4 Alaskan Native (here, I always say "eskimo" but I am told that it is now an offensive term. Not to me or my family, haha, but I'll yield to the PC-gods, nonetheless.) My accupuncturist says "Alaska Natives" are notoriously gluten-intolerant because it simply was not part of their natural diet.
- She's been gluten-free for several years and swears by it. She's a big nutrition/healthy eating fan.

Okay, I already know I am lactose intolerant. That in itself makes me cranky. :) Give up wheat and dairy?? (This statement implies that I've actually given up dairy, which I have not. I've simply learned not to overindulge quite as often, and when I do, while I am retching into the wastebasket whilst sitting on the toilet with horrificly painful diarrea - well, at least I understand that I did it to myself. Dope.)

Years ago, I did have my doctor do a celiac blood work panel on me. It came back fine. However, my accupuncturist says the initial panel they usually do has a high false negative rate: there is some more involved test that yields better results. Now, I trust my doctor, but I have to say - after my initial iron test was "fine" and my follow-up panel ordered by the sleep doctor was so miserable...well, let's just say I'm open to the follow-up testing.

The reason I requested the celiac panel was because of the Starbucks Eight-Grain Roll. I'm not much for sweets in the morning, and I had taken to eating these rolls. And it took me a little while to figure out that I was getting a miserable stomach ache and being gassy and bloaty after "enjoying" them. Oh! It was when I made the rolls at home that I really made the connection. I found a similar recipe, made delicious rolls at home, and paid the price. I started wondering if I was gluten-intolerant, or even had celiac disease.

My doctor poo-poo'd me right from the start. As a morbidly obese woman, he said I obviously was not having troubles absorbing food. (He didn't say it that callously, but I'm just cutting to the chase.) My accupuncturist says the opposite is true - obesity can indicate poor nutrient absorption, too.

The easy thing to do would be to stop eating gluten, even temporarily. However, I'm spoiled. Without a diagnose, some professional confirmation that I am gluten intolerant...well, it's easier to keep eating it. Doh.

And I'm intolerant, I can tell you for sure. I am always gassy and bloated feeling! This is real! I used to think it was because I drank so much pop: but when I didn't drink pop, I felt the same way.

Give. up. the. gluten. I have done this for a short time in the past. It is not hard, it is just not fun. I have read online resources and borrowed books from the library on the subject.

As my accupuncturist says, now it's just on me to make the decision.