Are you (gluten) intolerant???

It's like the nutrition experts are bombarding us with information that has the potential to make some of us fat, bloaty and sluggish. They REALLY need to take people who cannot process gluten into account.

Like I LOVE Prevention Magazine. This was their article today "Foods Not to Ditch When You Diet." http://www.prevention.com/foodsnottoditch/?cm_mmc=Eat-Up-Slim-Down-_-04112011-_-Weight-Loss-_-Foods-Not-to-Ditch-When-You-Diet

It includes the foods that I've discovered wreak havoc on my health and welfare - pasta and grains.

I wrote a detailed account of my discovery in the previous blog; this is an update. I ate what the experts said to eat and could not lose weight, did not have energy.

I thought it was weird that beer suddenly gave me an instant headache. OK, can live without beer. Then I was eating mostly fruits and veggies one week and caved for a peanut butter and jelly on premium whole grain bread; THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIE.

YES there is gluten in beer. YES there is gluten in bread.

I have a friend who is gluten intolerant, so I recognized my symptoms as being the same as hers. I told my yoga buddies about my suspicions and one asked what my blood type is - and if I had checked that diet. I found out rH Negative blood types are NOT good at processing grains.

Eat Right 4 Your Type: The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight

So how am I doing now? FABULOUS. Realizing I have a gluten issue has changed my life. I think if I'd known it when I was a kid, I would have never had a weight problem.It has been about three months now. The belly - and everything else - continue to diminish. The plumbing is starting to work as nature intended - without laxatives.

I had to travel for five days this month; that's the acid test. I just planned for it. Carried my nuts and apples, made sure I never got so hungry I'd eat bread, pizza or pasta. Isn't it weird - those were my comfort foods. My last meal would be Stouffers Mac & Cheese. I was drawn to the stuff that was most toxic for me.

Have I fallen off the wagon? Once. I didn't have much food on hand and decided to see how bad I would feel if I had one of my favorites - buckwheat pancakes. Or, as we used to joke when my son was little - buttwheat panquakes. I used to favor them for their ... uh ... fibrous qualities.

BLOATED LIKE A BALLOON FOR TWO DAYS. Not worth it.

Here's a quick summary as I understand it. If you are gluten intolerant, your body can't process flours and some grains. It blocks our systems from getting the nutrition from the foods; my conclusion - always hungry, never satisfied. You might as well be eating shipping popcorn.

I don't have health insurance. It makes me more aware of what's going on. My advice to anyone reading this is just PAY ATTENTION to how you feel after certain foods.

Do a search on gluten intolerance and see if you can relate to the symptoms. Make sure you know which foods contain gluten. If you're like me, every dollar counts. You don't have to buy a book, find the information online for free.

Believe me when I tell you feeling good is more important than eating baked goods. And there is still gooey, satisfying stuff to indulge with.

Now I'm a normal person, I eat, I'm satisfied; I just can't have flour and some grains. This does NOT feel like a diet, this feels like MYSTERY SOLVED.