Jenny is Healing from Celiac Disease (Gluten Intolerance)

Celiac disease is one of those autoimmune diseases that oftentimes goes undiagnosed due to mysterious symptoms or chalked up to: “Maybe you ate too many spicy foods?” “Did you drink to much beer (actually this one is legit)?” “Ahh, the Taco Bell did you in again?” Gotta be Giardia!” Even physicians will misdiagnose the disease as Irritable Bowl Syndrome or Ulcerative Colitis. Thankfully Jenny’s doctor recognized the warning signs early.

Jenny’s Celiac diagnosis began with a trip to the doctor, after complaints of IBS, gas and bloating. The doctor decided to investigate further and run some tests to see what the underlying issue was. When the blood work came back positive for Celiac disease, Jenny was sent to a GI specialist. With a scope down her throat and into her gut, the doctor knew quickly that it was Celiac due to the many lesions present in her small intestines.

In a sense, Jenny mourned the loss of her dear friend gluten. JUST Imagine one day eating a sandwich and the next day receiving the tall order of NEVER AGAIN EAT: bread, pasta, soy sauce, cookies, DONUTS, and all of the other delicacies that contain gluten, the proteins found in wheat. Save my soul! But Jenny knew this was the only path to feeling decent again. She gave it a go.

Unfortunately, the gluten free diet did not stop the pain, bloating and gas. She needed something different, something to heal the damage already done. She decided to not only prevent flares, but heal from the inside. Jenny explains it this way, “ If you’re stabbed in the gut with a knife, you can remove the offending irritant (the knife) but is is far from achieved. You still need to care for and nurse the wound, restoring your gut as best you can back to its original state. This is the same with celiac disease. Once you remove the irritant (gluten), you still need to care for and nurture the wound left behind.”

Giving up gluten was the obvious first step. Next, Jenny added in anti-inflammatory foods. She incorporated in lots of vegetables, fruits and began juicing daily. She consumed homemade bone broth to repair her gut lining and added in supplements (Vitamins B and D, fish oil and Protandim). She learned what the difference was between “gluten free” labeled foods and whole foods (oftentimes foods marketed as GF are filled with all sorts of other crap to muck up your gut). To her, real whole foods meant switching to ORGANIC when she could and eating clean, high quality meats (grass fed, pasture raised, organic). Jenny opted for a low sugar diet, limited in both “sweets” and white flours/grains. She began probiotics to restore those healthy gut bacteria (Jenny’s advice: Don’t get your probiotics from sugar-filled yogurts or drinks, people!)

After she began this gluten free HEALING protocol, things shifted. No bloating, no gas, no IBS! YES! Many will argue that Celiac disease can only be “treated” by following a strict gluten free diet, however, this does not repair the damage done to your gut lining. Jenny’s story proves there is another way… she is not only symptom free, but her blood tests show no traces of Celiac disease at all! Please note that she still stays away from gluten, as it would cause a reaction should she eat it again. The difference now is that she is pain free and thriving!

Jenny now spends her time helping others achieve relief and healing from Celiac Disease on her website: www.goodforyouglutenfree.com. There are so so many resources on her site: recipes, dining help, coaching, workshops, ebook, blog, she's got you covered!

*Celiac disease is defined as an autoimmune disease where the small intestines are hypersensitive to gluten, the proteins found in wheat.