It's been two weeks!! Today, begins our return to all the deliciousness I have been missing...bread, cookies, and life-saving Cheerios (as in "I can't think of any other snack; so, here, have some Cheerios"). The results of our experiment were not conclusive enough to make us go gluten-free permanently, but sometimes it takes putting the gluten back in to know what difference it really makes. During pregnancy, there is this lovely test called the "glucose tolerance test" where they have you abstain from food and consume large quantities of sugar in a beverage form to see if your body will properly handle the sugar by secreting insulin. I have a feeling today may look a little like that test. There's bound to be a little gluten binging after two weeks of abstinence.
The first week had my hubby feeling wonderful, and me feeling horrible (oh, the fatigue!). This past (second) week, my hubby had a couple of days of fatigue--which can be a symptom of allergies for him. On his second day of fatigue, I offered him some essential oils. (This had originally been something I planned on trying this spring after the great results with ear infections). A friend posted a regimen of ingesting two drops of lemon oil, two drops of lavendar oil, and two drops of peppermint oil in a gelatin capsule. I just emptied out a capsule of probiotic (and shared the powder with my son), instead of buying separate capsules. Daily probiotics are something we try to take as a family. My hubby said he felt a little like throwing up that night, and he kept burping "candy canes". After a couple of hours, he did feel less tired though. The next night he used what he usually uses for allergies (an over-the-counter drug), since I wasn't there to mix his concoction. The following night we used the same oils, except with one drop instead of two. He said it seemed just as effective as the otc drug. Ingesting essential oils is the most aggressive form of use for oils. You can also apply oils to your hands and cup your hand over your mouth to inhale it. Topically applying them (usually to your feet) is less aggressive. Using them in a vaporizer would be an even less agressive treatment. My hubby suffered no itching symptoms (even his ears itch when it's bad) until yesterday when he spent a large time outdoors burning around our dried-out pond. He took the oils twice yesterday, and seemed to do well with it. In the past when his allergies acted up, he couldn't sleep well and woke up multiple times a night.
Our son had been coughing very hard in the middle of the night to the point of gagging. I had hoped that the gluten would help that too, but after a week without success (he had been gagging/coughing for three weeks total), I had him seen at the doctor's office. His pediatrician recommended removing stuffed animals from his bedroom to see if he might be sensitive to dust mites. I took them all out on last Friday. Wednesday, he slept through the night for the first time since before his pneumonia (that I can remember) which was back in December. He's slept through the night every night since then. I don't know if it was the stuffed animals, the gluten-free diet, or an illness going away. If he starts gagging again and waking up, I will be removing the gluten immediately. Mama needs her sleep more than bread.
I felt a lot better this last week. I think being able to sleep all night helped a ton, but also the gluten-free chocolate was fabulous...and the fact that coffee is gluten-free too helped. The second week was also easier after trading in Kix for Cheerios, and indulging in some Chex for quick breakfast options. (I like that Chex has no high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes/flavorings, but why can't they use alpha tocopheral instead of BHT?). We also found that we love Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal. I was dismayed to find out that oatmeal is often cross-contaminated, so the Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal became our go-to. When will Quaker get on board and check their oats for the gluten allergic/intolerant like other companies? We also enjoyed eating out at a Jason's Deli this past week (their gluten-free chicken nuggets were terrific! ).
I am glad we tried this, and I have definitely had my eyes opened to how much gluten we are consuming, as well as finding some new yummy recipes to break up the monotony of spaghetti and pizza staples. I think it helped to do it as family as well, although it was a little overwhelming to constantly be checking if this or that was gluten free. My kids need more practice on taking turns when making requests of me. The last chapter hasn't been written yet though. We may have to remove the gluten again after our day of gluttony.
