On Celiac Disease

Nearly three years ago, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, or gluten intolerance, after a torrential year in which I was also diagnosed with Graves’ Disease and a long-suspected diagnosis of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome was confirmed.

I felt grateful. Finally, after years of mystery gastrointestinal symptoms and feeling simultaneously unable to sleep and physically exhausted, I had an answer, or, rather, I had answers.

So, post diagnosis, I ruthlessly scoured our cupboards for anything containing gluten. I removed the breads, flours, sauce mixes, snacks, sodas (yes, sodas) and other vile foods. I began to heal. I dutifully upheld the gluten-free diet, and nothing with gluten intentionally passed my lips. Of course, there were times we went out to eat and I ingested gluten from foods I’d been told were gluten-free.

By and large, the gluten-free diet worked. Gone were the excruciating cramps, the nausea, vomiting, weight gain. My skin looked better; my hair looked better. But I still missed bread. Sure, I ate breads from Kinickinick, Whole Foods and Ener-G. I even tried my hand (and failed miserably) at baking my own gluten-free breads. I missed real pasta, though Tinkyada is a wonderful substitute.

Later, after reading some studies on Celiac Disease and grains that had been prepared in a traditional manner with sprouting or souring, I decided to give sourdough bread a shot. Research by Italian scientists is very encouraging, and subsequent studies have confirmed that traditional sourdough methods of preparing bread seem to, in a clinical setting, eliminate gluten toxicity. Still a bit nervous, I read more and more information on the subject of traditional methods of grain preparation and Celiac Disease such as Going with the Grain: A Healing Protocol for Celiac Disease by Katherine Czapp of Weston A Price Foundation fame.

With that information backing me, I ventured into the kitchen with a bag of rye flour and a bag of spelt flour to begin my sourdough starter. I lovingly tended my starter and, at the end of the week, it was bubbly, frothy and yeasty. I mixed the bread and began kneading–something I hadn’t done for ages since gluten-free breads do not need kneading. I set the bread to rise and sour for nearly 18 hours overnight and into the next afternoon. I baked it.

Nervously, I tried my first bite, then a second and a third. The flavor of the sourdough was strong, sharp and delightful. I didn’t get sick. Indeed, I encountered no reaction at all. The next step was to create sourdough egg noodles with their thick, wholesome texture. I didn’t get sick. Indeed, I encountered no reaction at all.

Now, as much as I’d love to, I won’t venture into a bakery and order untreated cinnamon rolls, cupcakes and croissants, but I will continue to eat soured grains in noodle, bread, bun, muffin and other forms. Perhaps I’m experiencing undetectable, silent side effects from my dalliance with the dangerous grains, but I doubt it as my health has been, aside from needing to lose a bit of weight, stellar.

Recently, I’ve heard tell that some Celiacs do not experience reactions to either sourdoughs or sprouted grains so, perhaps, I’ll venture into that territory soon enough.

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