If you suspect you have a gluten sensitivity or have ever felt like you just don’t feel your best after having it, you aren’t alone.  There are many people out there who deal with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), myself included. 

Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat and rye. It’s primarily found in foods like bread, cereals, and pasta, and it’s what gives these products their chewy consistency.  Unfortunately, this protein can be problematic for a number of us.  If you suffer from any of the below conditions, gluten might not be your friend, no matter how much you love it.

• Frequent bloating, gas, stomach pain, digestive trouble
• IBD, IBS, Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis
• Autoimmune conditions 
• Hypothyroid/Hashimotos
• PCOS
• Skin conditions such as psoriasis, alopecia areata, urticaria 
• Depression, anxiety
• chronic headaches, fatigue, brain fog

Trust, me I loved my gluten as much as the next person but struggling with PCOS, and autoimmune conditions due to an unhealthy gut was affecting my quality of life. Eventually, I decided to do an elimination diet similar to my Clean-in-15 to understand what foods might be triggering me.  about 10 days after removing gluten (along with other common triggers) I was shocked at how my body thanked me.  My energy was better, I wasn’t bloated all the time, and my urticaria flares stopped.  This was just the start of my healing journey.  Through the reintroduction process of the elimination diet, I realized gluten was indeed a trigger for me.  I would be lying if I said this didn’t upset me.  Removing gluten was fine for a short period of time, but the thought of not eating some of my favorite foods for a long period seemed painful and impossible!  I am now at a point of my healing journey where I can enjoy foods with gluten on occasion but still need to keep them primarily out of my diet. (Read more on healing your gut).