Hi friends! A personal post coming your way today. Back in March, I went gluten and dairy free again to wipe out the inflammation I was experiencing in my joints - that ol’ rheumatoid arthritis. Once again, it was truly amazing the immediate reduction I felt in pain. The first summer that I changed up my diet, I begun to recognize the power that nutrition had over my body, beyond just weight loss/gain. It’s actually when I got really involved in reading blogs, and just inhaling all books and articles out there on nutrition and food. I started incorporating gluten/dairy again after a couple of months, and was pain free for like over a year! When it started up again this past February, I blamed the fact that I was traveling every week for work and traveling globally to visit Nate and feeling overall kind of overwhelmed with work and with life. But I also was battling with very controlled eating, and now that I reflect back on it, I think the fact that I was spending so much time stressing and planning around my food - I’m sure that had an effect on the arthritis. So anyways, I cut out the gluten and the dairy back in March, and bing, bang, boom - pain is gone. It also coincided with Nate’s return - I’m sure that had something to do with it, now as I look back :).
In June, I decided that it was time to try eating gluten and dairy again and it was almost immediate the effect that it had on my joints. You can actually see the swelling in my right wrist from the arthritis, which kind of freaked me out because it had never been visible before. It’s hindered my ability to do anything from a chaturangas to open a jar, which was just really frustrating. I started taking more Aleve again, because honestly - it was so nice to have some gluten and dairy again! But I came to terms with the fact that I’d rather be able to do tricep dips and open doors properly, and giving up my beloved feta cheese and whole wheat wrapped breakfast burritos is worth it. So while you may have seen some gluten and dairy full recipes on the blog in June, you’ll see me back to sticking to gluten and dairy free foods.
On another note, since June I’ve put on like 2-3 lbs! And I feel like I’m retaining a ton of water and feel kind of sluggish all of the time. On my small 5’1” frame, every pound certainly counts and let me tell you, I feel it. Granted, I’m sure I look the same to you and my clothes still fit, but I just feel more weighted down. Throughout the end of June and July there was a lot of eating and vacationing, and I think I was drinking more than I normally do. Even us health-freak food bloggers can eat (mostly) healthy and still put on weight! We go out to eat a lot in San Francisco - on double dates, hosting visitors - so it’s really important to me that I can still enjoy going out to eat at all different kinds of restaurants. There was a time in my life where I would avoid going out to eat or always make sure I picked the restaurant so I could be in control of whatever I was putting in my mouth, and that’s just not sustainable or enjoyable for me in the long-term.
I feel like I’m still learning what works for my body, and what kinds of foods make me feel good and what don’t. I honestly was really just surprised that just a couple of weekends in a row of overindulging could really impact my weight so much, but maybe it’s just that my metabolism has changed a bit over this year. I certainly could do that in the past and I would just bounce back! I wish I knew my “limits” a little more, but I think that just comes with experience. And I think that the minute I become a little preoccupied with my weight again my arthritis flares up. So I’d like to take off the weight - healthfully - and hopefully take my mind a little off myself and the way I look and feel. Sometimes it does feel a little selfish, the amount of time I spend thinking about ME.
So there you have it. A little weight gain, a little rheumatoid arthritis pain, and that’s all it takes for me to get a wake up call that I wasn’t on the greatest path of taking care of myself. I’ll keep you posted throughout the next month or so! And as always, thanks for listening :).
Thanks for stopping by! 
Thanks for sharing this! For me, recognizing the changes isn’t as immediate, but I slowly see them happening. I keep reminding myself the I have to keep going and it will be worth it.
Sabrina Alexandra recently posted…Back Under a Microscope
your life is a long term game! as silly as that sounds.
Dani recently posted…Life update: Being gluten/dairy free + food relationships
I am meant to be gluten free too, however I really struggle with it, as there is so much temptation for gluten food. But, I notice SUCH a difference within a day or 2 of eating gluten free.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Comment on Summer Ribbon Salad by David @ Spiced
same here!! kind of remarkable.
It’s crazy how much food can impact us! I’m glad you are figuring out what works best for you!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…Healthy Blueberry Crisp
thank you! so true!
If only our metabolisms would stay eternally 16 years old : )
Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie recently posted…2016 Disney Marathon Training Plan
So true!
That’s seriously nuts how cutting out dairy and gluten made such a big difference! I’m sometimes tempted to think what I eat doesn’t realllyyyyyy matter in terms of organic vs. non-organic, lots of sugar vs low sugar etc. but what we eat really does affect us so much.
Liv @ Healthy Liv recently posted…How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream
We receive soooo much nutrition info, it’s hard to sort through what will work for us and what won’t!
Thanks for sharing! I am gluten and dairy intolerant as well (plus soy!)… so I feel your pain! I hope that you feel better soon! …and don’t beat yourself up, it’s all a process! Progress, not perfection! You’re doing great!
Cailee recently posted…Saturday Superfoods- Farmers Market Finds!
Thanks for stopping my and sharing those nice words! Appreciate the support - really
I am currently trying to figure out which foods affect me the most. For me it’s not so much dairy as it is lactose, so I’ve been avoiding high-lactose foods. My goal is to find the foods that trigger unpleasant symptoms and minimize them, but maybe not eliminate completely.
I think it’s normal to fluctuate 2-3 pounds. My weight usually goes up in the summer, because we go out to eat a lot more plus vacation. By the fall it is back to where it was!
Kate recently posted…Post-vacation eats (WIAW)
Same with me and summers! Looking forward to a fall routine.
Thanks for sharing this post! It really is remarkable how much of a difference it makes when we feed our bodies right! For me life is a constant battle between wanting to eat all my desserts and not wanting to feel tired/weigh 300 lbs!
Sam @ SugarSpun recently posted…Raspberry White Chocolate Dessert Pizza & Good News
What DO you do with all of your leftover desserts?!
It is definitely always a work in progress, isn’t it? I’m constantly changing/tweaking my eating to fit my lifestyle, as it always seems to be changing and evolving! Glad you figured out a way to help your arthritis with your diet. It’s amazing what a difference food can make on our health!
Kalee recently posted…TexMex Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
So true! Nutrition and health are so closely intertwined. It makes a lot of sense why it should be that way, but we don’t always think about it like that!
I was recently diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity. I’ve been GF since July and I felt the difference within 2 weeks. It was like suddenly the ashiness left my body. I felt like an old lady these last few years and for no good reason either. I’m very active and fit. I’m glad you wrote this. My Mom has RA and I will be sharing this with her. Gluten really does have a relationship with inflammation.
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious recently posted…WIAW…No Matter What, You Need A Car
So true! And a lot of people discover a gluten inflammation later in life - super interesting.
Way to go for really listening to your body! I have been avoiding dairy (mostly) for the better part of a year and gluten since March. I learned (many times) that dairy and my stomach are not friends, but it is so hard to give up! I have found that goat cheese in small amounts seems to be okay for me. I am not sure how I feel about avoiding the gluten yet. My doctor recommended it due to my under active thyroid, but (as I am sure you know) is so hard to avoid, especially if you are the only one in your family doing so.
I am so glad to hear that you have figured out a way to find some relief for your arthritis.
Heather@hungryforbalance recently posted…WIAW: all chocolate, all the time
It can be tough to avoid gluten, and especially when you feel like you have to explain yourself all of the time! A lot of cheese that is low in lactose tends to not be super inflammatory, like goat cheese or parmesan. Yum!
Last Wednesday I wound up in the ER thanks to something I ate and since then I have re-vamped what I am putting in my mouth AGAIN and so far, so good. It’s all about trial and error! And there is definitely NO one-size-fits-all!
GiGi Eats recently posted…Grab An Apron!
This was so interesting to read! It always amazes me how much food has an effect on our overall well being. I’ve been fortunate enough not to have any crazy symptoms with certain foods. In fact, I find that eating dairy actually helps me feel better. Weird, right? I think it just goes to show that no one diet is right for everyone. We all have to experiment to see what works for us!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health recently posted…Mediterranean Quinoa Casserole
Hey, whatever works! It truly amazes me sometimes at the power of food on your body, but it shouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.
I feel like it’s a constant process of seeing what foods feel best or worst for my body. Sometimes really frustrating!! lately I’ve had a bit of oh whatever and just eaten anything, but that always reminds me why I choose to eliminate things
Amanda - RunToTheFinish recently posted…Are You Holding Yourself Back? #PushFurther
Same here! Always a learning process
I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with the effects of RA lately. Thanks for sharing your story with us - I hope you begin to learn more and more about what makes your body feel its best. I went through a three-week period where I had croissants from a local bakery at least three times a week….and was wondering why I felt so soft around the middle. It’s all about being more mindful, which is so easier said than done!
Jess @hellotofit recently posted…Monday motivation - rule your mind
Yes - thank you! Always a learning experience.