Tips for Dealing with Gluten Contamination

Well, it happened. The other day I was “contaminated” with gluten. The past few days have been pretty uncomfortable. Everyone reacts differently to gluten contamination once they’ve eliminated it, but my main symptoms are stomach cramps, brain fog, melancholy, and a lot of… bathroom tips. Delightful, no?

Here are some of the things I’ve found that help, either through researching or personal trial and error:

1. Sleep. This one is almost not a choice. All my body wants to do when I am sick like this is rest and rest. I find that letting this actually happen, instead of fighting it, speeds my recovery.

2. Give your stomach a rest. I think it’s ok to take a little break from food to give my stomach and intestines a chance to recover, instead of dealing with an onslaught of new substances when they are already kind of freaking out. When I do add foods, I start super slow, sipping something like gatorade or pedialite and then eating something simple like cereal.

3. Use diaper cream. Ok, this one is super embarrassing, but I am sacrificing my dignity for the sake of others! This stuff is seriously a miracle after one bathroom trip too many. Find some with Zinc Oxide in it, like Balmex.

4. Rebuild intestinal flora. In the next few days, I will be sure to eat a lot of yogurt and drink a lot of Kombucha to restore the natural balance of the healthy bacteria in my intestines that were “flushed out.” For an extraintestinal flora boost, I’ll take high-quality probiotic supplements (you can find these in health food stores).

Note: I brew kombucha myself. You can buy it at the store, but you can make it for much less money. Watch out for a post on how I do it!

5. Take Vitamins. I always take a multivitamin, but I feel like they are especially important while I am not absorbing nutrition very well. I’ll most likely supplement with some extra D and B vitamins for energy.

6. Wait. When it comes down to it, I just have to give my body time to heal. It will return to balance on its own, as long as I support its efforts!

Note: I am not a doctor or health professional! These are things that worked for me, and hopefull, they work for others.

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/343751384034872711/