Yup! Gluten,Ā You're Still an Asshole - FoodĀ Sensitivities and Failures
I woke up this morning feeling stiff and short of breath. Uh oh, is isĀ āThe Covidā. This is the thought I think every time I feel a little off. I walked around, had some coffee, worked a little. I could still feel the tightness in my chest like some large lumber jack type man was pressing in on with his work boot.Ā
I havenāt felt this way in a very long time. Iāve made great holistic strides to rid myself (almost) completely of my asthma but this was it. Over the past couple years I have rid my self of this almost daily burden, through diet, exercise and really paying attention to how my body feels before and after I eat something.Ā
Seriously, I went from takingĀ Zyrtec every single day (which made me anxious) taking an albuterolĀ inhaler, sometimes several times a day (also known as a rescue inhaler - I had to self-rescue several times a day!). I had a low immune system, a cold frequency seemed looming, and tiredness because I couldnāt freaking breath! As my asthma got worse, instead of trying to figure out what was causing the escalation of my condition, my Dr. wanted to add prednisone to the mix.Ā
Now, I had seen what this had done to my dad, who has similar body chemistry and predisposition to asthma. When taking prednisone he was sleeping 70% of the day and sitting on his chair reading the paper or watching TV the rest. That may be sustainable for a 70 something retired man, but Ā for a working mom of a 7 year old. - aināt nobody got time for that shit.Ā
I had to figure something else out and quick, I was dying, failing, feeling horrible and didnāt know why.Ā
Through sensitivity testing, applied kinesiology, diet change and learning to manage my emotions, I had/ have gotten down to only taking homeopathic allergy pills .... only when I was having allergies. This was a game changer in energy levels and overall quality of life, not to mention my anxiety calming down with the removal of daily antihistamines.Ā
But this morning that unwelcome yet familiar feeling was back. . Fuck! I thought, Iāve been doing the work, taking my C and Zinc, releasing emotions whenever my body alerts me that I need to, wearing masks and avoiding parties (except party waves) with lots of strangers. Still, I found myself frantically searching bags, boxes and drawers for my all but forgotten inhaler.Ā
And then it hit me,āOHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHā!Ā
Last night, before bed, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread with my daughter. Doh! Yes, ol gluten had got me again. Yup, gluten, youāre still an asshole!Ā Ā
When taking the food sensitivity test my results came back with a sensitivity to gluten and dairy. In retrospect, I was suffering from leaky gut and chronic inflammation which, in addition to asthma, were causing weight gain and depression. But those are other topics for anther day.Ā
The point is, after cutting out gluten and dairy which I donāt do much of unless I am going to consciously sacrifice myself and my company of the aftermath of some ice-cream, was a GAME CHANGER. The lactose intolerant and sensitive know exactly what I am taking about here. Pbbbthhht. Yeah.Ā
The main hurdle and culprit in most of these ailments for me was the gluten. It was causing the asthma, a huge contributor to depression,, the leaky gut and the weigh gain/ inability to lose weight. All of it directly related to the inflammation that it causes in my body.
My asthma had been gently obliterated through this process and here it was staring me in the face with stern youāreĀ not going accomplish shit today because you feel like shit assertion. But I did it to myself with what I will call LAZY AMNESIA.Ā
I had been feeling good for so long staying on myĀ ādietā which at this point is not a diet just a delicious pain free way of being that leaves me feeling healthy, happy and energized. That does not sound like any diet Iāve ever heard of.Ā
I forgotten that I even had chronic uncontrolled asthma where I often felt weary to tears due to lack of oxygenation! How in the french toast could I forget, you ask? Because feeling good became normal and you get to thinking how much can it hurt? Or that Iām healed and it no longer will affect me. Since you haven't felt bad in so long, in your distant memory, it wasnāt really so bad or a big deal. Then you step back into it and youāre like, swear alerts - HOLY FUCK! this SUCKS, what was I thinking!? Ā I never want to feel this way again.Ā
Disclaimer- sometimes when you have leaky gut, after it is healed, you may be able to re-integrate some foods that were initially causing sensitivity. But for me this IS NOT THE CASE. Ā So the upside is, I figured it out.Ā
My proclivities for party waves did not give me āthe COVIDā, thank god. I did it to myself, by being lazy, opting for convenience, availability and comfort in the moment. I let something back in that clearly no longer served me. Even more, it was something that was detrimentally taxing to several systems affecting my entire being.
And hereās the real aha!Ā
I started to think about how LAZY AMNESIA happens in other parts of life too,; where in a moment of weakness or need or just because itās been so long we forget what it really was like, we let it back in.
We let it back in and then suffer the consequences.Ā
And we have to suffer as long as the process takes to remove it or detox from itĀ Ā again. With gluten, it can take up to a month or 2 to let the inflammation subside from one sandwich. It is not payload dependent. One piece or one loaf can fire the same antibodies to throw your system out of whack, in need of rescue.Ā
This happens all the time in other areas of life (but I see it in my coaching). People make positive change, start feeling good from their consistent effort, and then either become lazy, forget, or crave the comfort of the familiar when the effort to reach for something else seems just a little too much work... and then they end up taking a BIG step backward.Ā
When have you let that person back in, gone back to a job, a relationship, a way of thinking, or eating, or talking that was not serving you or your lifeās goals?Ā
While the consequences are eminent, it doesnāt have to stay that way.Ā
LAZY AMNESIA happens, itās a thing for sure maybe even a cycle. But 2 important pieces in all of this to consider are self compassion and learning the lesson. Ā If we do these 2 things, we can get back on the horse and we can be stronger to not let yourĀ it creep back in again the next time.Ā
It happens, weāre human, we all get tired from time to time and need something soothing and comfortable but, we need to remember how it was is not how it has to be and to remember not so much the bad feelings, but how good the feeling good feels so we continue making healthy decisions. And it will probably happen more than once before we finally really get it, and learn to forgive and love our humanity and continue forward.Ā
Growth takes time and sometimes a series of recommitments. Thatās okay and part of the process.Ā
So today, Iāll suffer stiff joints, strained breath and limited productivity. On the bright side I recieved this insight and I wonāt soon forget how horrible this stuffy head and squeezed lungs feels in contrast to how good I feel when I take the time to make healthy decisions late at night like opting for gluten free Coco-Crispies :).