But I learned from reading The Gluten Connection by Shari Leiberman that the only guarantee for a positive Celiac test is having complete atrophy of the villi in your intestinal tract. I also learned about the differences between Celiac, gluten intolerance/sensitivity, and an allergy.
I also learned (from my dear friends on the Stop the Thyroid Madness support groups on Facebook) that avoiding gluten is a great way to offer my autoimmune system some more protection, since I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and juvenile, or type I, diabetes.
And so a few weeks ago, I took the plunge and went gluten-free. While I'm not totally gluten-free (I'm not using a separate toaster or colander from our gluten-containing foods), I am working toward that goal.
I feel better already. I don't feel heavy or lethargic after eating any more. No more gas or stomach aches, which were more frequent than I realized until I stopped having them. I have fewer headaches, for sure.
The biggest change? I'm not ravenous all the time.
Bonus: in just a few weeks, I've lost a little more weight and lots of inches! As of today, I'm 9 pounds down from where I was in January before going on NDT, and I've lost the following inches:
Shoulders (from shoulder-tip to shoulder-tip) - none
Chest (not sure)
Bust - 1"
Under bust - 2"
Waist - 2"
Hips 1"
upper arm 1/2"
