The second question I get when I tell people about paleo is “why?” It’s usually phrased in a “why would you want to do that to yourself” kind of tone which, I suppose, is somewhat understandable considering how different it is from the average American diet. The answer to that question is simple.
I want to feel better.
I’ve been sick since I was 12 years old. I don’t know exactly when that year it started, but I know it was before I hit menarche (at 13). It started with intense stomach pains that my mom attributed to cramps though no period followed these episodes and there was no specific pattern to them. I would lay on my side on the bed or the couch, curled up in the fetal position as it was the only thing that gave me any relief from the pain. We tried medicines but they didn’t help either. It was miserable… and that was just the beginning.
Note: if you are sensitive to stomach-related TMI, you might want to skip the next paragraph or two.
Soon after the phantom pains started, more mysterious gastrointestinal symptoms started showing up. I was frequently gassy/bloated and I experienced a lot of diarrhea, especially after meals. More often than not, I would finish dinner and almost immediately run to the bathroom. To make matters worse, these episodes could go on for hours. They seemed never-ending. Even when I thought I was “done,” I’d still be in agony with stomach cramps, and often I was back in the bathroom within 5-10 minutes. I once described this to a friend as “vomiting out my ass” because that’s how intense and uncontrollable it was.
When I went to the doctor, he tried to explain it away as having to do with my cycle. When it continued, he assumed that it was some kind of food sensitivity. However, while there were certain foods that almost always aggravated my system, even “safe foods” sometimes made me miserably sick. My doctor labelled it as “stress related” and eventually we gave up even looking for a solution.
Naturally, these bouts took a toll on my social life. I was reluctant to commit to social gatherings when I knew food was involved. Once at a sleepover with friends, I had a nasty bout and ended up spending the whole night in the bathroom. It was completely humiliating.
In the meantime, other issues were starting to crop up. Around age 13-14, I experienced moderate to severe depression. I had crying spells, I struggled to get out of bed in the morning on weekdays and slept for hours an hours on the weekends. I stopped caring about my appearance and I found it hard to enjoy anything. I also experienced anxiety during this time, though it was mostly social (we explained it away with that whole “I don’t want to get sick when I’m with friends” thing) and situational (test anxiety, etc.) In addition to all of this, I was also having a lot of joint pain though that was attributed to “growing pains.” I didn’t put all these things together with my gastro symptoms until fairy recently but looking back, I’m amazed at how much we “missed.”
As time went on, my gastro bouts decreased somewhat. By the time I went to college, I was having them 3-5 days a week (versus 5-7 days in the beginning). It was still a problem, especially because I had to share a bathroom with strangers, but it was a bit more manageable. I’d like to tell you that it got better but it didn’t. I just learned to “deal with it” as best I could. I’d given up all hope that there might be help for me with this problem.
I had a severe depressive episode in 2002 and another in 2006. Both times I was put on medication – Zoloft (anti-depressant) the first time for about 6 months, and then Wellbutrin (anti-depressant), Klonopin (anti-anxiety drug), and sleeping meds (Ambien). I slept better, my depression got better, my anxiety was reduced, but they were all still underlying problems and my stomach got no better.
In 2007, that changed. My younger sister was having problems with anemia and vitamin deficiencies. After several tests, her doctor recommended an endoscopy with a biopsy to check for Celiac disease. Almost immediately after the test, they came back with a positive diagnosis.
Before this happened, I’d never heard of Celiac disease but I learned a lot very quickly. My sister started a gluten-free diet and we learned all about what gluten was and all the many, many things that have gluten in them. If you don’t know, there is no federal requirement for companies to put gluten on their labels under allergins. Some people just look for wheat and assume no wheat = no gluten, but gluten isn’t just in wheat. It’s also in barley, malt, etc. Hidden gluten can cause major problems for people with Celiac.
While this was a difficult transition for my family, I finally had hope for a diagnosis. 44% of first-degree relatives also have Celiac – so I went back to my doctor and asked to be tested. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t wishing for Celiac. I just wanted answers after being miserable for so long. I felt certain that I would test positive… But no. The biopsy was negative and my doctor diagnosed me with “irritable bowel syndrome” and essentially told me there was nothing that could be done. I was crushed but what could I do? It was time to move on with my life.
I tried to go gluten-free after my non-diagnosis and was semi-successful. I did feel better during that time but I wasn’t particularly vigilant and got “glutenated” several times by hidden gluten. It was a struggle and I finally just gave up.
So again, why Paleo?? It makes sense to me that if gluten irritates the system and it is from a grain, then it’s possible that other grains can be irritants. The times in the past when I’ve done the best were times when I was eating little other than veggies and meat and some limited whole grains. I’ve read numerous testimonials of people like me that gave up and then found paleo and were virtually reborn. I don’t know if it will work out that way for me or not but I’m damn sure willing to give it a try!
Next time on “Here We Go, Paleo!” – How to Go Paleo.
Paleorific! 