I'm Either a Hypochondriac Or...

...I have a bunch of food sensitivities. Maybe. What got me on this train of thought was a few things. One, I bought a one-liter carton of Lactaid and drank that last week, and had much fewer tummy troubles. However, I find Lactaid too sweet, so I don't like it that much. I could use the pills, I guess, but I have to take more than the recommended dosage for them to have any effect. Like if it says to take 2, I have to take 3 or 4. I tried that before. I love milk, but I have to admit that it often makes me feel completely awful.

The second thing was, my tics have been worse lately. I'm not sure why, but they were really bothering me. So I asked on a message board if anyone else had that problem, and one woman responded that she used to, until she went on a gluten-free diet. Now, I've had my suspicions that I might have a gluten intolerance for awhile. I've read that IBS is often misdiagnosed celiac disease. I've also read that the main sign of gluten intolerance is depression (oh hai!). I've even read that it can cause disordered eating (oh hai again!). And finally, when I went on the Atkins diet briefly about 6 years ago, my stomach felt completely fine. Except for when I ate too many sugar-free chocolates. Oops. But even that was different, somehow. It didn't last. But what I have NEVER heard before, is that it can cause tics. I need to find out more about that.

The third thing is insulin resistance. Three things--see why I'm afraid I'm just being a hypochondriac? But it would make sense. My dad's diabetic, which means that's where I'm headed unless I do something to prevent it. I have PCOS, which is associated with insulin resistance. And I have high blood pressure, which to my surprise is apparently a certain indicator of insulin resistance--in other words, if you have high blood pressure, then you ARE insulin resistant. From what I understand, insulin resistance can also cause insane sugar/carb cravings, because you keep trying to get the energy you can't get due to your insulin levels being out of whack.

 Anyway, my friend Sarah and I have agreed to go on a gluten-free diet together, for a month, starting March 1st, to see if we feel any better afterward. And for me, it's to see if my tics go away. We're putting it off until then to give ourselves time to plan meals and learn more about it. The other things, I'm not going to worry about until I find out if gluten really is a problem for me. I'm nervous, though--I don't know if I can do it! I eat a LOT of things that have gluten.

I'm doing okay on my diet today out of sheer necessity--in exchange for going to get sushi for dinner last night, I agreed (to my husband) to give it up until next weekend. You know you have a problem when you start bargaining for your crack sushi. So I can't go and get sushi for lunch this week. And because the weather's crappy, I'm pretty much stuck at home, where I have such things as soup, crustinis, and eggs to make my lunch with.