Taking gluten out of one’s diet is a very difficult task. You must keep a gluten-free kitchen, remind friends and family when you’re visiting what you can and cannot eat, have long discussions with servers at restaurants and spend an inordinate amount of time reading labels. I’ve grown accustomed to this way of life, but it took more than a couple of months and more than a few hiccups. That is why it is incredibly important to weigh the pros and cons before taking the plunge.
That said, I am a new mother. As a new mother I am bombarded with information in the form of emails, tweets, posts, pins and so on. Yesterday was one of the infrequent times where a headline actually pulled me in, “Going Gluten-Free” from, Parent Magazine. The article discusses if your child can benefit from going gluten-free. Aside from people with Celiac and people with a gluten sensitivity, there are a couple other groups that have been shown to benefit from a gluten-free diet. The article discusses how symptoms for some people who are Autistic and who have ADHD improved after being on a gluten-free diet for at least 3-6 months. That had me thinking about myself. As a child I was ADHD, or was my behavior really a result of eating gluten? My mom tried putting me on the Feingold Diet, which removes all artificial colors, flavors, nitrates, nitrites and several other food additives. She saw some improvement, but maybe had I been on a gluten-free diet too I would have been a much more focused child. It is an interesting thought for me to ponder since I will never know.
Seeing as this article resonated with me, I thought I would share it. I can’t be the only one that this will hit close to home for.
