Again, it's been a while since I last posted. I'm starting to think that this just might be the norm for me when it comes to this whole blogging thing.
Today's post is almost more of a journal entry though than my previous posts. I'm beginning to realize that perhaps I've been in a bad place for quite some time without even realizing it.
I've always known that my personality was fairly dead-pan. I never really thought much of it, and often blamed it on therapy sessions I had for a few years as a kid. But I'm starting to re-think that now.
About three months ago I started a gluten-free & dairy-free diet, and my life has changed dramatically. I have lost over 20 pounds, and my mood has improved. I have more energy and motivation. I get more joy out of life, rather than just marking time most days.
A couple of days ago, I had a bad evening and over-reacted to a simple issue. This over-reaction got me thinking about my moods, and how they have changed since going gluten-free. I started to wonder if perhaps there was a link between gluten and mood. I had done quite a bit of searching on the net about gluten-free diets and recipes, the results of which were almost always accompanied by discussions of the physical effects that gluten can have on those who are either gluten intolerant, or have full blown celiac disease. What these results didn't show, was the link between gluten and mood. Although maybe I just didn't see that it was an issue for me and so I ignored it.
So after this episode with my over reaction, I started to wonder if it was possible that the little bits of gluten that I'd been cheating with over the preceding few days, might have been the cause. I woke up this morning, and did a Google search for "can gluten affect mood". What a search it was. Apparently, this has been a known issue since at least the 60s, but for some reason it doesn't get mentioned when you search for gluten by itself. I had to specifically search for gluten and mood together before I found any of this information.
At this point, I am fairly certain that not only does gluten tear up my bowels, but for my entire life up until about three months ago, it may have also been tearing up my mind.
Further reading:
http://www.drkaslow.com/html/gluten-brain_connection_.html
http://holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-a-g/digestive-health/1232-in-a-glutinous-mood-exploring-the-gluten-allergy-a-depression-connection
http://crystaljnelson.blogspot.com/2011/10/gluten-attack-and-mood-swings.html
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