Dr. Doni Wilson, gluten-free naturopathic doctor, shares her personal story of gluten sensitivity and how she’s been motivated to help others learn the dangers of gluten.
I confess, I used to be a gluten lover! Ever since I tested myself for gluten-sensitivity (in 2006) and discovered that my body was making IgG antibodies to gluten (a protein in wheat, barley, rye and spelt), I decided to stop eating gluten, and it changed my life!
Not only did I stop getting migraines, canker sores and digestive symptoms, but I started being able to better support my patients to heal! I also started training my colleagues and hundreds of other practitioners that gluten-sensitivity (versus Celiac disease) not only exists, but can have more of a health impact than one might think. To learn more about gluten sensitivity versus Celiac disease, click here.
Have you noticed the number of new gluten-free products in your grocery store? More products are being developed NOT because this is just a trend, but because 1 in 4 people have gluten intolerance, and by avoiding it, such common conditions as anxiety, depressed mood, insomnia, bloating, IBS, eczema, allergies, sinusitis, low thyroid function, and more can be reversed by eliminating gluten. Yes, those symptoms can be eliminated with a diet change!
Then in 2009, when I started researching the connection between gluten and nervous system disorders (tremors, neuropathy, memory loss, and mood disorders), I found two researchers…two researches in the entire world…looking into this connection. They both confirmed that indeed, gluten intolerance (not just Celiac) is associated with neurological symptoms. To see the presentation I gave on this subject, click here.
That means that not only is the immune system in the digestive tract attacking gluten in the intestines, but the inflammation is spreading throughout the body, including to the nervous system, and causing life-long, debilitating conditions. This is due to something called leaky gut – read more here.
So “yes,” to answer the question, a little gluten can really be that bad!
The way I see it, a person with gluten sensitivity does not have to spend another second suffering from mysterious, frustrating, or even painful symptoms. A simple—yes, simple—diet change can change the entire internal body environment, including immune function and hormone balance, and allow the body to heal itself and be healthy.
Over the years I’ve observed patients who could not get pregnant, get pregnant after avoiding gluten. I’ve seen children with recurrent infections, not get another infection. Patients with asthma stop having asthma attacks. Women and men who could not lose weight, lost 10 pounds in under 6 weeks.
Seems impossible? Please see this story about my patient Isaiah whose mom, Silvana, published a gluten-free, dairy-free cookbook after Isaiah healed from recurrent warts when I found him to be gluten intolerant. You can find her book on Amazon: Cooking for Isaiah.
One of my colleagues who I trained in identifying gluten and other food sensitivities, recently posted this touching and shocking story about one of his patients who finally healed after avoiding gluten.
Have you been through many medical treatments and yet your symptoms remain? Are you so attached to gluten that you are willing to feel horrible? Or are you ready to find out if gluten is perhaps the underlying cause of your symptoms, and swap out the gluten-filled foods in your diet for yummy gluten-free solutions?
Don’t wait another day to feel good. Here are resources to support you:
- Schedule an initial consultation today, at which time I can check for gluten sensitivity (and other food sensitivities).
- Read these 4 tips for going gluten-free from Christina’s story
- Review the resources in Starting Out on a Gluten Free Quest
- Consider doing the 7-day or 21-day Stress Remedy Program
I look forward to helping you to change your life!
Healthy regards,
Dr. Doni