Going Gluten Free — The 30 Day Gluten Free Challenge

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Sponsored post: This post was created as part of the #LivingNowFoods 30 Day Gluten Free Challenge in which I am a financially compensated blogger ambassador for Living NOW Foods. The opinions are my own and based on my own experience.

So as many of you may already know, we have been gluten free for a while now. But, as life happens, every once in a while some gluten sneaks back in. Family functions are definitely the biggest challenge! I grew up with the rules that you eat what you are given, and you are thankful to be given delicious food to eat. So, when there is gluten in the pie crust, I still eat the pie sometimes!

…but then I suffer! When I eat gluten I do not feel well at all. My symptoms are progressive, and usually start with a headache. About one hour after eating gluten my stomach begins to churn, I just don’t feel well at all! Often times I have a breakout somewhere on my face too. Stomach bloat and zits, that’s hot! To me it’s totally not worth it anymore! Sorry family, I’m going to be a stickler here. This is why I am taking part in the #livingnowfoods 30 Day Gluten Free Challenge! So much easier to stick to something when you do it with a group of others!

First, here is why gluten is BAD:

1) Gluten causes inflammation in the body. Especially in the gut. People with leaky guts can have an especially bad reaction to eating gluten, as the proteins found in wheat can get past the gut barrier into the bloodstream. This activates the immune system and initates an attack. Sometimes our immune systems attack our own body as a result, leading to an autoimmune reaction and when combined with the inflammation it’s bad news!

2) A large percentage of the population has the genetic potential to develop antibodies against gluten. These antibodies against gluten have been shown to attack heart tissues and cause heart disease!

3) Wheat germ agglutinin irritates the gut lining and can lead to the death of of the cells in your gut, prematurely. This causes leaky gut!

4) Wheat can actually be physiologically addictive! There are opioid peptides found in wheat are known to cause addiction, and withdrawal symptoms can happen upon the removal of wheat from the diet. Wow! I know I have had this reaction. I used to CRAVE bagels like they were the last food on earth! These opioid peptides are also implicated in many neurological conditions and often times people who suffer from such conditions as schizophrenia see an improvement in their condition when they remove gluten from their diet!

You can read all about why gluten is bad and what you can do about it in THIS AWESOME BOOK!!!

Why gluten is bad for ME:

– bloating
– stomach upset
– headaches
– cravings (addition to the gluten)
– skin issues
– digestive issues (constipation)

What I am going to do about it:

I will live 100% gluten free for a full 30 days!
I will document 3 of my gluten free dishes in a blog post once a week throughout this 30 day challenge!
I will share my daily experiences and pictures with you during this challenge on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you aren’t following me on one of these platforms, I encourage you to. I will be sharing different things on each platform.
My partners over at Living Now have graciously sent me a box of food that is 100% gluten free and GMO free! I will be sharing some pretty awesome recipes that are 100% gluten free throughout this challenge!!
After the 30 days, I will recap my experience and re-evaluate my symptoms and see how I feel, and share my thoughts with you all.
Want to join me? I’d love to have you jump in on this 30 day challenge with me. Why not try this? I am starting today, Tuesday May 27th, but you are free to start whenever you’d like.