A Long Road to Clarity

For nearly two decades, I wandered through a fog—a haze that clouded my daily life and obscured my mental clarity. Like many, I struggled with an array of symptoms that seemed to have no source, bouncing from one doctor to another in search of answers that never came. Some days it was just brain fog, some others got so deep I wondered if that was a symptom of depression.

This journey, fraught with frustration and dead ends, eventually led me to a surprising revelation about the role of diet in health.

The Diagnostic Odyssey

My health odyssey was marked by countless medical appointments and a myriad of tests, yet each one failed to pinpoint the cause of my ailments. Western medicine seemed equipped only to mask my symptoms, not solve them, leaving me feeling helpless in my own health narrative. The lack of diagnosis and the perpetual treatment of symptoms without exploring underlying causes became a recurring theme, reflecting a significant gap in my healthcare journey.

It started before I can remember, and this I learned, is what happens to the majority.

The 40-Day Revelation

The turning point for me came during Covid lockdowns. It was January 2021, almost 1 full year in confinement and in the middle of winter - and for those like me with Vitamin D deficiency, it’s already enough to bedridden you until the early signs of spring. Fed up with the “traditional” methods (referring to the West), and still remembering a brief “alternative” relief I had while living in Colombia and attending weekly sessions of acupuncture from a shamanic doctor. I decided to visit a functional doctor - visiting back then meant a Zoom call.

The feedback from the call was as clear as almost not credible, he told me to stop wasting money on tests and eliminate gluten from my diet for 40 days.

Skeptical yet desperate, I embarked on this gluten-free journey, not expecting much. To my astonishment, the 10th morning I woke up, I felt like my brain suddenly came out of a foggy tunnel. My energy returned, my mind sharpened, and for the first time in years, I felt I had the power to achieve anything, and my mind was supportive of this idea! No background chit-chatting, no negative thoughts, unworthiness was a thing of the past.

This could not have been due to gluten, come on! This was just too much for such a tiny molecule. And indeed for a very little while, I proved this wrong. After 40 days of fasting from gluten, I finally had my burger bun. It tasted amazing, so fluffy yet crunchy. One day passed and I was feeling great. The second day passed and it all seemed fine, but after the third day, I woke up. Oh my god, the brain fog was there, again!

Long story short, it turns out that it can take up to 48-72 hours before gluten sensitivity symptoms come out.

Gluten-Free is More Than a Diet

Gluten sensitivity extends far beyond celiac disease, affecting many who never receive a formal diagnosis. According to experts, many people experience significant improvements in health and cognitive function by adopting a gluten-free diet. These benefits can range from reduced inflammation to enhanced brain function and overall energy levels. The misunderstanding and lack of awareness about gluten's broader impacts highlight the necessity of considering dietary changes in managing health. Want to know more about this on a scientific level, here is my go-to source of information that I find simple yet informed from Dave Asprey, the father of biohacking.

Gluten is Getting Under National Radar

Recognizing the widespread impact of gluten sensitivity, some countries are taking proactive steps to address this issue. Italy, for instance, has implemented laws to screen for gluten sensitivity and celiac disease early in life and who knows what better lives we can assure for our kids growing up! For sure I can only imagine how much easier life my professors and parents would have had with me growing up if I avoided gluten before.

A Clearer Path Forward. Let’s Challenge the Norm

My journey from the confusion of undiagnosed health issues to the clarity of understanding gluten's impact has been transformative.

If you are reading until this point, it means somehow you are on a similar path of self-discovery. Hence, I encourage you to consider how your diet might be affecting your health and not settle for the “normal” way of diagnosing these problems in the West. What this experience enlightened me on, is exactly that our bodies are much more than a simple symptom and pill relationship, it’s a complex system that we must see, and treat, holistically.

Remember that your health could change with just a simple adjustment to what you eat. Share your stories and let’s exchange knowledge and experiences that saved your life too. When did you have your "aha" moment? When did you reconsider certain dietary choices?