Gluten and I used to be great pals. In fact, I hardly went a day without it. My routine was packed with what I, as a Functional Nutritionist, thought was the “healthy” stuff: yogurt with granola for breakfast, a sandwich on sprouted wholegrain bread for lunch, and wholegrain pasta or couscous with dinner.
On paper, I was doing everything right. So why was I secretly feeling worse than most of my clients? I was constantly bloated, walking around in a brain fog, and so tired that no amount of coffee could touch it. It wasn’t until I ran a food sensitivity test on myself - one that I routinely use
with my clients - that I found the culprit: gluten.
Honestly, the change was unbelievable. As soon as I cut it out, it felt like a light switch had been flipped. Within a week, I was waking up before my alarm, feeling truly rested for the first time in ages. The chronic bloating I had just accepted as a normal part of my life was completely gone. My
energy came roaring back. But the real test? That came when I cautiously tried to eat it again. Wow! I felt like I’d been hit by a freight train. That intense reaction was all the proof I needed.
Here’s the thing - my story isn’t unique. I see people in my practice all the time who are being dragged down by this sneaky protein. It’s in obvious places like bread and pasta, but it’s also a master of disguise, hiding in oatmeal, salad dressings, soups, soy sauce, and even seasonings.
You’ve probably heard of celiac disease, but that’s just a small piece of the puzzle.
It’s way more common to have what we call Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity.
So, what’s actually happening in your body? In simple terms, gluten can cause tiny gaps to open up in your gut lining (this is “leaky gut”). When that happens, little particles of food and toxins can leak into your bloodstream where they don’t belong. Your immune system sees them, freaks out, and
starts a wave of inflammation all over your body.
And let’s talk about that brain fog. Your gut and brain are in constant communication via the gut-brain axis. When your gut is inflamed, it sends stress signals straight to your brain. That foggy feeling isn’t your imagination; it’s a real, physical response that can tank your mood, focus, and memory.
Plus, today’s wheat has been engineered to have way more gluten than the stuff our grandparents ate, making the problem even worse. If any of this is ringing a bell, I want to invite you to try something. Give up gluten, 100%, for just 30 days. See what happens. Pay attention to your
body: your energy, digestion, and mood. Listening to your body is the best way to know if it’s a problem.
Ditching gluten was the best decision I ever made for my health, and it might just be for yours, too.