Hypochondriasis or Celiac?

Do you feel like everything on or in your body is falling apart?  Maybe it is... 

If you have celiac (also known as celiac sprue), then gluten is damaging the villi in your small intestine.  The villi are the fingerlike projections that absorb the nutrients from your food.  The less nutrients your body absorbs, the more problems your body will experience.  Makes sense, doesn't it? 

Anemia -- deficiencies in iron, folate, or B₁₂ 

Osteopenia and osteoporosis -- problems with bone density from lack of calcium

Of course, there are many others.  Any time you lack a nutrient, it will affect you in one way or another and sometimes in many ways. 

Unfortunately, in the United States, we are not as progressive about testing for celiac as other countries are.  Here it can take many years to be correctly diagnosed.  There's a blood test, but it's best not to rely on a negative response.  There's a genetic test, but there are limitations for that as well.  The best determination of celiac is a small bowel biopsy, and it is possible to get a negative diagnosis and then several years later get a positive diagnosis. 

So now what?  Make notes on how you feel now; write down all the aches and pains you have.  Then try the gluten-free diet for 6 months.  (It can take months for gluten to leave your body.)  At the end of 6 months compare how you feel to how you felt before becoming gluten-free.  For many, you will know before the 6 months is over that you need/want to continue eating gluten-free.  However, if you can't tell a difference or if you aren't sure, eat gluten for a few days -- if you get worse, you'll know that you need to eat gluten-free.

For diet responders, eating gluten-free can give you your life back -- it can reduce or eliminate gastrointestinal issues, irritable bowel, bone and joint pain, fibromyalgia, insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, and so much more.

What have you got to lose...discomfort....pain...fatigue? 

May your New Year truly be a New Year worth living and enjoying!