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Ow - that hurt!
I have suffered from rheumatism in my hands and knees on and off for about 14 years now (I'm 32), to the extent that I had to give up a secretarial position because it made my hands worse. During my time out, I did a Holistic Therapies course which told me about food intolerances. I already knew of 2 foods I am allergic to, so decided to look into it. I had several 'minor' ailments, as well as the rheumatism - pmt, insomnia, moodiness, asthma, etc. With my GP's support, I saw a dietician and started doing an exclusion diet to see if food could be affecting my health. I found that dairy products bung up my nose so I can't breathe - cheese being the worst offender - whilst dark chocolate gives me a headache. My worst reaction though has been to wheat. More than infrequent, small amounts of wheat bring on an immediate acute rheumatic flare-up in both hands and knees which lasts for about a week. Needless to say, I now avoid wheat like the plague! Whilst it seemed an impossible task initially, I now find that I'm managing quite well on a day to day basis without needing to eat wheat - I didn't eat many cakes or biscuits anyway. The problem I face is that all dairy/wheat free products are not low sugar or fat, so kill the diet - I still have about 3 stones to lose. Keep at it. My husband said I was like a new person after the initial 2 week exclusion period - and I feel it. I've gone down 2 dress sizes just through eliminating water retention and bloating. Good luck. |