For the last two months, I’ve been on a gluten-free diet. This is the latest in a long line of attempts to reduce the amount of headaches and migraines which I experience. I originally went to a doctor to enquire whether there was possible connection (and treatment!) with hormone levels. He asked if I’d ever tried going on a gluten-free diet, and told me to try being gluten-free for three months. I came away from the appointment feeling excited – could it really be so simple?! – and disappointed – could it really be as simple, and difficult, as changing my diet?
Six years ago, when I was being tested for coeliac disease, I briefly explored the world of gluten-free living and it did not look promising. Nowadays, there is much more widespread awareness of coeliac disease and gluten intolerances. There are whole sections of supermarkets devoted to gluten-free products and I can even find gluten-free options on the menu in a country Victoria pub. The biggest surprise for me has been how many people have mentioned that they are on a gluten-free diet too, or they have a sister/brother/daughter/son/cousin/friend who is living gluten-free. Interestingly, everyone has been positive about it; I haven’t heard one person say “Oh yes. I tried that for a bit but it didn’t really work”. It has also amazed me the number of people I’ve encountered who have heard about it as a way of managing migraines. What rock have I been hiding under that I’d never heard of this?!
The change hasn’t been as difficult as I expected. I’ve already been going down the path of wholefood cooking anyway so it hasn’t been so much of a leap as a step sideways. In the early days of preparing food for Monsieur, I bought the book “Wholefood for Children” by Jude Blereau. It was a wonderful resource, providing information about the various ingredients as well as great recipes. I have since bought two more books by Jude Blereau and they have turned out to be a great resource for gluten-free cooking as well.
What has been difficult has been the loss of flexibility and convenience. At this stage, I am being very strict in avoiding gluten which means that I need to have plenty of my own food prepared. There are no days where I can just pick up something to eat somewhere along the way. I either have to pack enough food or plan to go somewhere that I know I can get gluten-free food. In day-to-day life, it’s not too big a deal, however when we had a short trip to Sydney before Easter, I had to take enough food for myself for the whole time we were away – the circumstances were such that my requirements couldn’t be catered for and we were not going to be able to go out and source our own food. My hope is that after this strict trial period, I will reach a point where I will be able to have the occasional meal and not worry about it.
The big question though is, is it working? I think, yes, it is. There has been a decrease in both the frequency and severity of headaches and migraines, and when I do have them, I can still think more clearly then normal. It has been a subtle shift, and I can understand why I need to trial it for three months. There has not been a moment of suddenly feeling much better, much more alert, much clearer in the head. Rather, it has crept up on me, hard to pinpoint and almost intangible. I am feeling better with this change and I am finding that the idea of eating gluten-containing food just does not appeal, not even cakes or biscuits which I usually love.
After Easter however, I am extending the trial period and the list of things to avoid. For the next three months as well as being gluten-free, I will also be going alcohol- and chocolate-free. Gulp. I have been noticing over the past year a tendency to get bad headaches or migraines after drinking sparkling wine, and more recently white wine has been a trigger too. Red wine was given up long ago, with regret. Living chocolate-free is going to be the real test. Over Easter I had a migraine that last for four days, followed by a headache that still lingers. It was hideous and frustrating; R had ten days off over the Easter and ANZAC Day weekends and I spent most of that time in pain, grumpy,and unable to fully enjoy all the things we wanted to to do together. Chocolate can be a migraine trigger and I do eat generous quantities of it; much more generous than when I originally tried eliminating it in my early 20’s, so clearly it’s time to check again if it could be a contributing factor. You can be sure that it will be the first item to be reintroduced at the end of the three months; I can cope with going gluten- and alcohol-free forever but chocolate-free? That’s a whole other story, one which I hope not to delve into.
