I’ve always considered myself a relatively healthy eater. I’ve been vegan for almost a decade, and I’m talking about the good, plant-based kind of vegan. Yes, I’ve had my moments with double-stuffed Oreos, but I always made an effort to minimize processed foods. I also made a point to explore nutritious superfoods and try something new every month or so.
I really couldn’t fathom why I was holding on to weight around my midsection.
Step one: Admitting you have a problem
No matter what the scale said, there was always a “little extra” around my waist. And I was having a problem with bloat that was getting increasingly worse. One day, I put on a cute slinky dress and went out to a family dinner. I did splurge a little in the food department, but nothing crazy.
Well, when we all got up from the dinner table, I could feel everyone’s gaze go towards my belly. Is she pregnant again? Nope. Just extremely bloated.
I’d dealt with bloating before, but it was so obvious this time that I couldn’t ignore it. I had to change something, and I knew what that something was. I needed to end my lifelong love affair with gluten.
The First Two Weeks
I’m not going to lie. The first few days were atrocious. I was hangry for those glutenous carbs.
Somewhere around the first week, things started getting easier. This is when my face exploded. I had the worst breakout I’ve had in my adult life. But I convinced myself to press on.
Fortunately, it didn’t last. By the end of the second gluten-free week, my skin was getting back to normal and I was noticing that I had more energy than ever. Oh, and the bloat …was gone!
Not only was I feeling better, looking better, and gaining more self-confidence, my mind felt clear for the first time. Gone were the brain-lapses, mind-blanks, and “what am I forgetting” moments that had begun to plague me more and more frequently. By removing gluten from my diet, I was essentially removing the fog from my brain.
My Gluten Free Lifestyle
I had committed to doing the two weeks and seeing how it went, but the results were so amazing that I stuck with it. After about a month, I had a relapse in the form of a banana-nut muffin, and bam! There was the old familiar bloat. It was back as though it had never left. Even worse, I felt like I had a hangover the next day.
It was a frustrating moment for me, but it just strengthened my resolve. I’m getting close to almost a year in and I’ve never felt better.
Author’s Bio: Rachel is a freelance content writer. She has written for a variety of industries including health, fitness, travel, and beauty. Aside from writing, Rachel enjoys hiking, traveling, and playing at the beach with her two dogs.
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