Giving up gluten - How I found health after multiple sclerosis

(NaturalNews) Learning how to become healthy again after being diagnosed with a chronic, debilitating illness (of which the medical community says there is "no cure") is like putting a puzzle together when you don't have all of the pieces. I've actually learned a few things in the last 11 months since my MS diagnosis. I realized that I either have celiac disease (which is a disease that causes intestinal damage upon the consumption of gluten) or at the very least, I have gluten intolerance. Either way, I avoid gluten.

The baklava incident

I went out to eat with some girlfriends. I did this every Friday, so I knew how to stick to my program at a restaurant. On that day, however, we got to talking about how well I was doing. I shared with them how I was able to get off all of the medications I had been taking simply by changing what I ate. I told them I was better - walking better, feeling better, and having more energy. I thought, "I've been good. I've stuck to my program so well I deserve some baklava." It was delicious, but I couldn't sleep that night because my stomach was turning in knots, and my legs, which had been peaceful for three weeks, started to spasm again. I told myself, "Baklava doesn't taste this good. Nothing does."

Unwittingly eating couscous

Without meaning to, I ate gluten after eating only raw produce for two months. I made some couscous (which I didn't know was wheat) and ate it for four days in a row for my evening meal. On day three, my MS symptoms started coming back. My right foot dropped, and I was tripping just like I was when my symptoms first started. I was also losing my balance and had a hard time walking up and down stairs.
Once I realized the connection, I limited my diet to organic produce again and used a few supplements to help speed up the repair of my body. The symptoms went away.

Gluten intolerance

I've got my theories as to why there is a sudden rise in gluten intolerance these days, but they're merely theories. What I do know is that right now, and possibly forever, I cannot eat gluten and be well, though I can have certain wheat products, like the Total Nutrition Formula, which includes wheat grass.

This is how gluten affected me. Each person with gluten intolerance may experience different symptoms to different degrees and at different times. The most common gluten intolerance symptoms revolve around gastrointestinal issues such as bloating, constipation, gas, and diarrhea - these symptoms occur because the body is unable to digest and absorb gluten properly. Some individuals may also experience heartburn, acid reflux, nausea and vomiting. Gluten intolerance may also cause anemia, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, joint pain, headaches and irritability, mouth ulcers, a white coating on your tongue, or an itchy skin rash or open sores on the skin. Some individuals may experience symptoms after consuming even a small amount of gluten, while others may be able to eat gluten without any immediate symptoms. Regardless of immediate side effects or delayed reactions, gluten wrecks havoc on already damaged intestines.

Conclusion

The most important thing I learned is that the safest way to food to eat is eat raw, fresh, organic produce. With anything else that I am going to eat, I need to be totally sure it does not contain gluten. I've learned that my digestive system will be damaged and those MS symptoms will come back, if I eat gluten. And I've also learned that anyone with a damaged digestive system needs to stay away from gluten to heal. See the first source below for my story about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and check out Balance Your Ecosystem and Make Your Own Multi-Vitamin/Mineral.

Sources:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.celiac.com

http://www.celiac.com

http://www.healthyreply.com

http://truthwiki.org/Gluten

About the author:
Julie is absolutely passionate about health, and driven to share her message with as many people as possible. "I was the healthy one in the office. I was the one who took care of myself. I thought I was healthy," she says, looking back to before she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She wasn't about to accept a death sentence, so she researched and researched and researched, but she quickly found that conventional medicine had nothing to offer her. She turned to Natural News and Organic Lifestyle Magazine and began a journey towards truly natural health and vibrance, and she's never looked back. "Not only am I symptom free, and healthy, my skin looks great, I look younger, and I feel better than I have since... well, since I can remember!" Check out Julie's story, Being Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and Refusing To Live With It.