Most of you reading this aren't gluten intolerant, at least not that you know of. Most of you don't suffer from migraines. But most of you - whether you're paying attention or not - are having negative side effects from the foods you're using to fuel your body.
Almost two years ago, I decided to clean up my diet. I'd been pretty conscious of the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet, but I realized after I started regular supplementation and being more careful about following that anti-inflammatory diet, I was getting less migraines, which was a huge motivator for me. I started getting migraines when I was 8, and they stuck around until I was 16. Seeing a chiropractor is actually what ended that "cycle" of migraines. They stayed away until I was 22, and then I started getting them again until they stopped 15 months ago. That was until last night. I got the old familiar scintillating scotoma, and spent dinner trying to see my food, my husband, or anything other than those annoying, blinding lights. The scintillating scotoma is a precursor to a migraine. I don't get any headache pain until after that disappears (about 30-45 minutes). It's annoying, but knowing that I'm about to get a monster headache with sensitivity to light, nausea, possible vomiting, and extreme fatigue is definitely worse than sight obstruction.
I share this story because ever since I cleaned up my diet, I haven't had any migraines, I've lost excess body weight, and overall gotten better, faster, stronger in almost all aspects of my life (and it's gotten even cleaner since November (a consult with Meaghan Dishman, ND led me to eliminate dairy and coffee (common gluten cross-reactants) from my mostly clean Paleo diet with a few allowances)). Yet people always ask, "Don't you miss (insert delicious food here)?" I'm not going to lie and say that I don't occasionally wish I could down a milkshake, sip a coffee, or wash my dinner down with a chocolate stout. (Granted, being pregnant has its perks, because I'm not drinking beer and I'd be severely limiting my caffeine intake anyways.)
But what's the point? Even before I was completely gluten-free, the idea of eating a grain-based meal made my stomach turn. Yes, most of you reading this aren't gluten intolerant on paper. But cut out grains for a month, and see what happens. At first, you'll be tired, maybe even a little cranky. But once your body clears those toxins (yes, I meant to say toxins and not food) out, you'll start to notice an increase in energy, and the minute you reintroduce grains back into your diet, BAM! STOMACH EXPLOSION! Okay, it probably won't be that dramatic, but you will likely not feel so great. The straw that broke the camel's back for me? MSG - the additive monosodium glutamate. A seemingly harmless grilled chicken salad from Outback turned into a migraine within 24 hours. Your reaction to bad foods might not be as drastic as mine. I certainly hope it's not. But if you're really paying attention, the negative side effects from eating your "delicious" and supposedly "worth it" foods are probably not worth the junk you're putting into your body.
Dr. Lindsay Mumma is a chiropractor at Triangle Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh, NC. Her clinic focuses on offering multiple manual therapy options for pain management and functional improvement. For more information, please visit www.triangleCRC.com.
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