

GLUTEN FREE & WEIGHT LOSS
My Story



I am not a doctor or dietitian or a health specialist, but someone who has spent a lifetime wondering why I did not feel "right". Discovering that I was a Coeliac and also lactose and fructose intolerant has finally resolved a lot of my long-term health problems.
I was lucky in that I had an enlightened doctor who did not dismiss my complaints about bloating and stomach pain and joint pain and tingling in my feet, as just another neurotic woman. My weight had fluctuated wildy between dangerously thin to overweight and bloated-without an obvious reason. He conducted tests to look inside and out, and then sent me to a specilaist who introduced me to the FODMAP system.
If you have not heard of this, it is exceptional "food detective" work by some South Australian doctors who have isolated what substances in what foods cause problems in different people.
It is certainly daunting when they present you with your list of foods you CAN'T eat.
As someone who had been in hospitatlity all my life and cooked for restaurants and function centres from casual to silver service, it was a shock to learn that onion and garlic were both responsible for a lot of my synptoms, as well as the gluten."But I can't cook with out onion or garlic!" I wailed.
I can reassure you that, firstly you can, and secondly I have never felt better. The reason? As onion and garlic digest, sulphur is a byproduct, and I am highly alergic to sulphur. I had a severe life-threatening reaction to sulphur drugs as a child and went into anaphylactic shock. So I had been slowly poisoning my system ever since, with out knowing.
The important thing to remember is that gluten intolerance or Coeliac/Celiac Disease is not a "fad diet" but a life-threatening, auto-immune disease that will create health issues and on-going pain and ultimately shorten your life.
One of the symptoms, pain, burning and numbness in the feet, in my case due to sciatica, being compounded by Celiac Disease.
As you modify your diet and live a gluten free life, you will loose weight if you are overweight and you will regain your health and put -on weight if you are chronically thin, as your body has been starving for nutrition. Some of your symptoms will start to improve immediately, others will take time.
It won't happen overnight.
Just remember how many years it has taken you to be the shape you are in now.
Be patient!
As soon as you remove gluten from your food, your intestines will start to heal and regenerate and from first hand experience it will take about 2 years for the internal healing process to be complete.
You will find that sugar cravings disappear and your body will naturally lose weight without you really trying!
The information contained in this website is of a general nature only. Please consult your health professional before modifying your diet or radically changing your lifestyle in any way.

IOnce you lnow what is on your CAN EAT list, things start to fall into place. You now know why you shouldnt eat onions or garlic or any of the other things that might be on your list.
Don't focus on what you can't eat, look at al the positives of what you can-and try new foods that you may not have had before.
*Click to download fact sheet about dieting
The mind controls the body
Once you know what your goal is, and it could be as simple as not having bread or pizza to start with, the mind is the powerhouse to run everything else. Reinforce your goals and aims with positive daily statements to remind you where you are going. It takes 21 days of repetition to create a good habit-and to get rid of a bad one!

Visualization
This is the most powerful weapon in your "new" you.
Jon Gabriel *, who is an inspirational weight loss expert, started down this path when he weighed 178kg. He "imagined" what he would look like at 1/2 of his weight, and he visualized all the things he could do when he was thinner and fitter. His success (now 83.5kg) has shown people that it has to happen in your mind first, and then the body will help you to find your healthier shape. Visualization is also for imagining "your" special place in your mind, somewhere you can feel safe and at peace without any threats. This is where you go when you are stressed at work or need "time out" to recharge your batteries.
*Click to download Jon Gabriel's Fat Trigger Report Fact Sheet

Meditation
A quiet moment meditating for 15 minutes before you fall asleep,also ensures you rest well and greet the new day with inner reserves.
If you haven't tried meditation, there are plenty of CD's you can buy to listen to when it suits you and to show you how easy it is to develop an inner calm.