This week has been one of ups and downs as we continue to test what is and is not tolerable in Josiah's diet. One question I had was how many supposed food sensitivities were masked by his trouble with gluten. Rather than finding he has fewer, what we've seen is more problems with things we thought were okay (probably because we are now getting a clearer reading). Still, there are days that are very, very good and help us know we are on the right track. It's not that we endeavor to change Josiah, but that we keep pressing on to peel back the layers until we find the child we know is really there. We've seen glimpses of that child and look forward to seeing more of him in the future!
The setbacks:
I tried making Paleo peppermint patties using the purest peppermint oil I could find. After we saw some old things cropping up (crying, throwing fits), I did some research and found that the mint extract had alcohol that contained gluten. This was actually rather confirming that we are on the right track with gluten and not just experiencing the effects of healthier eating. Would anyone like some barely used peppermint oil?
Hoping that tomatoes were less of a problem than we thought, we devoured chili one night. Bad idea. Enter child in overdrive. It takes a few days for that to wear off.
We thought the mustard we were using was okay even though it had a questionable ingredient, but apparently not. Scratch that one and find another. Aha! Much better. (Yes, he is really this sensitive.)
And so on it goes. But there are good things being spotted in Josiah's favor, too. My most picky eater is now much more accepting of new foods (including those he did not like before), eating more meat, and staying full much longer. It has been my most convincing evidence yet that extremely picky eating or craving for particular foods at the exclusion of others is a telltale sign of food intolerances. He was my most adventurous eater as a toddler, and I'm starting to see signs of that returning!!
If gluten is causing damage to the small intestines, it can take 3-6 months for the body to fully heal. One slip-up can do a lot of damage. This is part of the reason I'd like to take us all gluten free after the holidays. Another is because gluten sensitivity tends to run in families, and it would be interesting to see if anyone else has issues. Finally, there can be an issue with cross contamination, which I'd like to keep at a minimum. We're looking forward to seeing what the new year brings!
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