March marks my 10th year of being gluten-free. It’s been a wild ride, and even now, I’m still learning new things.
For years, I battled migraines, stomach issues, tiredness, you name it. It’s crazy to think gluten was the primary trigger behind so many of my struggles. The reason I first tried a gluten-free diet was because of the debilitating migraines I’d had since childhood. If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know how impactful they can be on your life. I tried so many different options for controlling them, from medicines to herbal remedies, but nothing worked for long.
I remembered my mom mentioning that my aunt had issues digesting gluten. She was never diagnosed, but she also suffered from migraines. That got me thinking: what if gluten was the cause of mine too?
So, I decided to try cutting it out. I tested the waters, sometimes slipping back, but after a few weeks I saw a drastic decrease in migraines. Every time I ate gluten again, the migraines returned. That was my wake-up call.
At the time, I was pursuing a career in culinary arts. I loved food, all food, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the snacks and beers I enjoyed. I tested my limits for years, but every “cheat” came with days of symptoms. My body was teaching me a hard lesson.
Eventually, I accepted that with celiac disease, gluten could never be part of my life again. Not once, not even a crumb. Cross-contamination became my enemy.
What’s Been Hard
Giving up gluten meant more than just changing my diet, it meant changing my life.
When I first committed to being fully gluten-free, I was working as a sushi chef at a small restaurant in Massachusetts. It was a dream job. I was on track to become a sous chef, and I loved creating new flavors and making people happy through food.
But once I realized I couldn’t safely taste many of the dishes I was preparing, it hit me: I had to choose between my health and my career. Eventually, I chose my health and put my culinary dreams on hold, at least for now.
Beyond career changes, one of the hardest parts about being gluten-free is eating out and having to constantly advocate for yourself. Whether it’s going to a restaurant or a friend’s house, making sure your meal is truly safe can feel exhausting.
Many places label things “gluten-free” even when there’s cross-contamination or sauces that contain gluten. When going out to eat with my family, there have been times when I’ve been assured something was gluten-free, only to be utterly sick the next day. This has happened from something as simple as waffles being cooked on the same iron as gluten ones or French fries fried with other gluten-containing foods, even when labeled gluten free. My symptoms don’t just last a few hours, they last days, and they’re debilitating.
I can’t tolerate any gluten, not shared fryers, not cutting boards, and I’ve been “glutened” more times than I’d like to admit simply because I didn’t ask the right questions. It gets frustrating at times, because eating out always comes with risk.
There’s also the stigma. In the beginning, I was embarrassed to ask about gluten-free options. I’d often have my husband do it for me. Because gluten-free diets became trendy for weight loss, it can be hard for people to understand that for some of us, it’s not a preference, it’s a medical necessity.
What’s Gotten Easier
I’ve learned so much on this journey, and I’m thankful every day that going gluten-free helped me heal. To think that this was all it took never ceases to amaze me.
And honestly, there’s never been a better time to live gluten-free. Compared to ten or twenty years ago, the options today are incredible. There are plenty of gluten-free staples, a huge variety of frozen foods (I love Feel Good Foods for fun little snacks), and even full gluten-free restaurants and bakeries, absolute heaven.
I’ve learned which brands I trust, how to meal plan smarter, and how to travel or eat out without so much stress. Now I do a little more planning on my part, such as packing special snacks or keeping a few trusted restaurants on a safe list, but this helps reduce the anxiety and decision fatigue that come with eating out. It’s still not easy, and sometimes things still happen, but it’s doable, and that’s everything.
A Little Encouragement for Anyone Struggling
If you’re new to this, please know it will feel hard at first. You’ll probably go through the five stages of grief before finding peace with it and that’s okay.
Something that’s helped me is remembering that being gluten-free isn’t a diet I chose; it’s a lifestyle I need to live without pain. It’s not a fad or optional, but a form of self-care and self-preservation.
Looking back, I can’t believe how far I’ve come and how much has changed in my life. Even after ten years, I’m still learning, but that’s okay. Living gluten-free isn’t about perfection; it’s about perseverance. It’s about listening to my body and honoring what it needs, even when it’s hard. Over time, things do get easier, I promise that. But it’s much easier to maintain a gluten-free diet than to live in chronic pain.