I am sure many (all?) of us have, at some point, been accused of making it all up, bringing reactions on ourselves, being a bit obsessive about food, eating unhealthily by cutting important stuff out of our diet yada yada yada…
Some people are cutting gluten out for weight loss reasons and just because they perceive it to be unhealthy for them – they feel better without it. Certainly, I have long advocated a gluten and dairy free ‘holiday’ for people stuck on a weight loss plateau and it works most of the time. Is that the drop in calories or fat or because (like me and a load of others) that the fluid caused by constant low-grade inflammation caused by these common foods is no longer needed and recedes? Probably a bit of both in most.
There seems currently to be a ‘downer’ on cutting out gluten and even some declarations that such actions are ‘dangerous’! I’m not sure who made the rule that cutting something out of your own diet has to be sanctioned; surely, it’s individual choice.
Some so-called ‘experts’ have even said that people cutting out gluten unnecessarily may have orthorexia nervosa, a kind of eating disorder where someone becomes obsessed with avoiding foods they think are bad for them.
There may well be some people who have that, I have no doubt, but just because people (medics?) don’t understand what we are going through, or don’t recognise the type of reactions we KNOW we get from eating certain foods, not least gluten, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. We are not hypochondriacs and we are definitely NOT making it up!
Anyway, I had a conversation like this only yesterday with someone very upset that their family just won’t believe them. My family have seen the reactions with their own eyes, but I still get the feeling sometimes they think I am a hypochondriac. It’s lonely out there in TGF world sometimes and I know from your comments and conversations, you feel the same.
I was thinking about this today and then up pops something into my inbox on this very subject from Jane Anderson who writes her thoughts on whether we are hypochondriacs, too. As a sufferer herself, she gives it as much short shrift as I do! Have a read:
Are You A Hypochondriac?
Have You Ever Been Accused of Having An Eating Disorder?
Anyway, you are not alone with it and we all believe you here! To help too, I have started to add some more resources onto the TGF Resources page and this morning I added my fave 3 forums/groups. Don’t forget, too, the very useful one run for members at the GFS which is grain free and therefore everyone is doing the same thing – it’s also on the Resources page. They might be a lifeline for you when you’re feeling a bit alone – if you know of any groups or forums that help you feel supported, do share.
Oh, and of course, there us here at TGF! Feel free to use TGF Chat page, too.
I have various feeling with everyone jumping on the gluten free bandwagon. Well in a certain light it makes producers, suppliers etc aware there is a market for it, which in turn brings more food choices to the table. I also feel it in some ways almost makes us that do have serious intolerances and allergic reactions to it seem even more full of crap. And then you have people thinking oh it’s gluten free so it’s good for you right. No that chocolate brownie produced in mass quantity labeled GF is infact not good for me or anyone else for that matter 🙂 does anyone see where I am going with this? I am really torn on this well it opens certain doors it leaves room for a lot of other nonsense. And yes I’ll be honest it’s kind of annoying seeing my FB page news feed riddled with comments about we had gf this and that and it’s not healthy stuff and its not a health must for them although they are trying to portay it as such! Then I feel like people are looking at me even more so like oh your just part of the gf movement it’s not necessary yet for me it is necessary it makes me insanely sick! Yes I am probably being a tad rediculous. But seriously. If people that don’t have issues with it want to be healthy then just eat healthy for heavens sake. But they don’t they site oh gf this an that its better for me……pass me another brownie. :-/
I know what you mean, Weaverweb. I am constantly saying just because it is gluten free, does not make it healthy! But then I wrestle with myself and what I know about gluten and I think, well, at least it was gluten free!