Bread? Nope.
Milk? Nope.
Cheese? Nope.
That creamy Ranch dressing I love to dip my carrots in and the only reason why I even bother to eat carrots? Nope.
(Insert sigh)
As someone who, for the last ten years, has dealt with the struggles of PCOS—irregular cycles, infertility, facial hair that grows faster than my husband’s five o’clock shadow, excess sweating, extra weight in the midsection (you know, super attracting stuff)—I have been at my wit’s end. But starting in August, I did what was in my mind, the unthinkable…I gave up gluten.
However, before I continue, I must admit that despite the awesome testimonies I have heard and the valid research I have read claiming it would help ease the annoying and self-esteem depleting symptoms (because what woman likes facial hair?), as well as increase my fertility, I was still hesitant. And I was hesitant for months. Because let’s face it, who wants to give up pasta, bread, cheeseburgers, pizza, fried chicken, and all those yummy casserole dishes?
Not. Me.
But like I said, I was at my wit’s end. I was desperate. I was reaching and grabbing for anything. And honestly, I kept thinking that if I was willing to drop thousands of dollars for a ‘chance’ at a baby with no guarantees through fertility medications and procedures nearly three years ago, then I should also be open and willing to the idea of not eating a few of my favorite foods, right? Right! And so I did. I eliminated gluten while kicking and screaming. And also, while being skeptical, it would make a difference. At least to my body. But friends, within weeks of starting this “hard to stick to” diet, my symptoms became less, and my cycles were shorter. I went from migraines and fatigue every day to instantly having more energy and fewer moments when I needed the Advil. And my cycles? I went from having them every 60-70 days to one every 40. Exciting, right?
My story doesn’t stop there…
In that time frame between August and October in which I had given up gluten, I had also been feeling the nudge to eliminate dairy as well. Because once again, through testimonies of others and from the articles I read, dairy could also aggravate PCOS. But can we be real? I love cheese. I love cottage cheese. Macaroni and cheese. Chunks of cheese. And I also heart sour cream. Ranch Dressing. Butter. Chocolate…need I go on? I am basically a self-proclaimed dairy queen who was not willing to make that sacrifice. Besides, the holidays were approaching, and I wasn’t about to give up gluten AND dairy! That, my dear friends, sounded like torture. But you know, as it turned out, giving up gluten during the holidays was just as much torture. In fact, starting around the beginning of November, you can say I fell (more like willingly jumped) off the gluten-free wagon and started eating whatever I wanted. You name it; I had it. And it showed. The headaches started once more. The fatigue was dragging me down. And the long cycles returned.
But like everyone else, with the start of the New Year came new vows. New resolutions. New motivation. Therefore, once again, I surrendered my gluten, and, this time, my beloved dairy. It’s been 28 (long) days since gluten has touched my lips and dairy has been digested in my body, but friends, not only do I feel great (and the embarrassing self-esteem depleting facial hair has slowly stopped coming in), but I also just had a 30-day cycle! Which come to think of it, the only other time this has happened was when I went on a strict no gluten/no dairy/low carb diet to fit (or shall I say squeeze) into a bridesmaid dress for my best friend’s wedding two years ago.
And so all of this got me thinking even more…
Sometimes we want God to zap us and give us instant healing, which He can and will do. He can do the impossible, and He can do it with just a small wave of His finger. But I have been thinking recently of Matthew 19:26, which says, “with God all things are possible.” It’s a verse I quote often, maybe you do too; but lately, it’s been the “with God” part that has stuck in my head.
You see, over the last year (or more), I have felt God asking me to change my diet, but I have been far too stubborn. I keep looking at others who have PCOS and become pregnant without them ever-changing their ways, and I would get prideful and think I don’t need to either. But in doing so and not listening to that gut feeling, or rather I should say “His still small voice,” asking me to change my ways, I have not been “with God.” I have been “with me.” With my own wants. My own assumptions. My own thoughts and ideas of how it should go and how He should heal me.
Friends, I am slowly learning that while God can and will zap us to make the impossible happen, He also loves to work in conjunction with us. And He also loves to build our character and develop good traits within us during this process. Traits that will make us more Christ-like. I think for me, He wants to develop obedience to start listening to His voice and doing what I believe He is telling me to do even if I don’t agree or want to. Because if I were honest, I am not the best at obeying Him when He calls me to do things. I cross my arms and say “no,” or I sit around and analyze it far longer than I should instead of just saying, “Yes, I will do it, Lord.”
This leads me to my question for you…
What have you felt ‘the nudge’ to do?
Maybe it’s not changing your diet but rather changing your morning routine and sacrificing a few extra minutes of sleep to spend quality time with God. Maybe it’s forgiving a friend. Going to church again. Or perhaps He has been speaking to you about filling out the foster care paperwork or looking into adoption, but fear has stopped you. Or has He has been nudging you to do something as bold as prepare a nursery even though there is no baby insight? Friend, whatever you feel in your heart that He is calling you to do, just do it. Because with obedience to God always comes His blessings. If you don’t believe me, then just take it from the Book of Job…
If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. Job 36:11
I would love to connect with you personally, so if you liked this post, pass it on. Then come find Waiting for Baby Bird on the public Facebook page or join me on Instagram @waitingforbabybird. I can’t wait to “meet” you!
If you are looking for a faith-based infertility community of other women who just “get it,” then head over to the *PRIVATE* Waiting for Baby Bird Support group for hope + encouragement. There you will find opportunities to ask for prayer, watch *LIVE* encouragement videos from me, author of “Waiting for Baby Bird,” as well as be able to share your heart with others on the same path, enter into exclusive giveaways, and so much more! So what are you waiting for? Find us here!
This is what I needed to hear today- the last week I have had intense pain whenever I have milk (not eating as much bread). So I drank my coconut milk shake this morning not realizing my protein powder (though saying whey and soy) has some milk product in it and I am in pain.
Crazy what your body may not like about natural products!
Trisha, I wrote this post last night and I had some gluten for dinner…immediately following, I had a migraine :/ I woke up with the migraine again this morning! I am NOT going back to gluten!
It’s SO hard! I’m already very allergic to most fruits and some veggies. I guess fortunately I am not allergic to sugar and deep fried stuff? 🙂
The Orgain protein you can get at Costco is plant-based and by far the best tasting. I get the chocolate and mix it with coconut milk, handful of spinach, and a banana (frozen is best).
I don’t have a Costco anywhere close :/
yes girl yes!!! I also gave up Gluten & Dairy for my PCOS last April and felt amazing. You physically feel better, your skin looks good, and you have so much energy! I deep down would like to think that was the reason I was able to get pregnant. After my miscarriage, I fell off the bandwagon but am back gluten free the beginning on January and feel pretty good about it. It was hard at first, but you slowly lose the cravings you once had for bread and ice cream and such. I do allow myself to eat those things once a week. I am only human 😉 Good luck to you sweetie. I am always rooting for you!
Kelly, I totally needed to hear your testimony! As it will keep me “in check” and reminded that this is all for the better. Especially on those days I just want a stinkin’ Subway sandwich. I must admit that last night I had some Gluten and I’m paying for it today. I immediately got a headache and now this morning it has turned into a migraine! UGH! No.more.gluten. LOL
I went total paleo about three years ago. I was only eating meats, and fruits and vegetables. No dairy, no carbs, no sugar. I not only lost almost 40lbs, I went from having no cycle (like ever) to having 35 day cycles. I felt fantastic. I unfortunately started eating whatever I wanted eventually. I’ve put on all the weight plus 10 and I haven’t had a cycle since. This post was a good motivator for me. I really just need to make the commitment again. Thank you! I have ignored the facts for too long.
Girl, I am right there with ya! Like I told someone else in another comment, I had some gluten last night and I’m paying the price for it today. I have a huge migraine! Also, you would have thought I would have learned two years ago when I didn’t have all of these things and noticed my cycle improving I would have stuck with it…but I didn’t. Sigh. But I’m determined now. I am so thankful this post was the nudge you needed. If you ever fall of the wagon again…feel free to just come back and read it again. I know I will be 🙂 xo
You are talking to me this morining…..I try to stay away from gluten as well. In the past, I have gone several months at a time without gluten and dairy and I know how much better I feel (I even lost 30lbs!) but I do have gluten from time to time and honestly haven’t been trying at all to give up dairy. Last night my husband wanted pasta from the pizza place in town (they have salads and breadless pizza) but I couldn’t resist…I had cheese tortellini….dairy and gluten and nothing else…and was up sick all night so I have sworn off gluten and dairy again. I don’t think I even want it anymore at this point!
Girl, I am right there with ya! I had gluten last night and immediatly got a headache. This morning…it’s a migraine :/ UGH! And why would I do that anyway when I know God has asked me to give it up? It’s like I am slapping Him in the face. So thankful for His mercy and grace! But I am not doing that again! I’m awful at obedience :/ But getting better 🙂
We are definitely in the same place on this right now. I never thought about it this way but I really like how you put it…if I can pay $3,000 a month for treatments, I can change my diet!
I’ve been thinking about trying something like this for a while. But also have not taken the plunge. My husband and I felt the nudge to avoid red meat in January, and for the most part we were able to do it.
Do you have any recommendations on books or websites or blogs for recipes for going gluten/dairy free? I honestly am not sure I know how to cook without those two things. My favorite homemade thing is macaroni and cheese 🙂
Girl, I heart me some macarconi and cheese! I don’t really have any cook books just yet or recipes. I started this on January 1st and was doing it in conjunction with my churches 21 day fast…and so my plan was to only try it out for 21 days to see how it went. Needless to say, giving it up was the best thing ever! And so I am sticking to it. With that said, I’ll be searching the internet today for recipes. For the 21 days in January I was just eating lean meats and veggies. Not really branching out. I did find some gluten free bread (UDI’s) that I love. It was in the frozen section at Walmart. Good luck to you! I know you will feel so much better! I do and everyone that has done this has said the same. xo
Pint rest has tons of recipes and tips and tricks for gluten and dairy free living.
Thanks so much, Holly!! xo
This post resonated with me because I went gluten and dairy free in February 2015. It was hard to do at first but then I identified alternatives for the things I craved and I’m now into a routine that works for me. Over the last year I lost 45 pounds and can’t remember ever feeling this good. My cycle unfortunately is still a trifle short at 25-26 days long but I am sticking with this diet as a lifestyle change for the rest of my life. Hope that this change is the ticket for getting your baby bird!
Thank you so much for your sweet words of encouragement! Can I ask you something? What are your “go to” recipes? You can email me at 10hopeingod@gmail.com if that is easier. I am at a loss of what to make other than just lean meats and veggies.
GREAT JOB girl! I know its so hard because aren’t all the best things made with gluten, dairy, and sugar? Its amazing how great you feel and how much your body really reacts (and thanks you) when you cut out that stuff. I am so proud of you. I know that “hard to stick to” doesn’t even begin to describe how difficult it really is to just say no to bread covered in cheese. So very very happy about your results! Keep it up!
XOXO
oh my dear goodness! I would knock over an old lady and steal her bread and cheese if I saw her! Yum yum! LOL! Thank you so much for your sweet words of support and encouragement! If you have an recipes, feel free to throw them my way 🙂 10hopeingod@gmail.com
Elisha, I wanted to share my story with you to give you some hope. I struggle with PCOS too and weight loss has always been hard for me but nothing compared to the devastating blow of infertility I got my diagnosis 9 months into TTC without luck and threw myself into the Paleo lifestyle after that (kicking and screaming but nonetheless very strict and committed to it). I figured that I didn’t have the money for IVF so I may as well try to take control of my diet and see if that would help my situation while we saved up. Well, after 6 months of diligently avoiding sugar, all grains (not just gluten-containing grains), dairy, soy, and processed foods, and after losing 50 pounds (mostly in my midsection!), I got my big fat positive pregnancy test. A month later, I found out I am carrying identical twins. I thank God everyday for my PCOS diagnosis that led to finding Paleo and eventually conceiving. I hope it works for you, too. There is always hope. <3
Oh wow! Thank you so much for sharing this with me today! It was exactly the story and words I needed to read to give me that extra little push to keep on keeping on! Thank you!
Thank you on point!!!! Routine & working fertility diet I have done. I am praying about doing a Daniel fast for my next cycle which goes into Lent. Yes I LOVE Cheese which was a idol, sugar the next To get rid for a season. Thank you I can Totally relate. Blessings for ALL you do! Camelia
Sent from my iPhone
I used to do the Daniel fast with my church every year for 21 days from January 1-21 and it wrecked havoc on my body in terms of pcos because I couldn’t have meat to balance out the carbs. That’s why this year I gave up gluten and dairy. It was so hard but far more beneficial for my spirituality and health. Best of luck to you!!! Hugs!
Glad to hear you are feeling so great! One of my favourite food websites and bloggers is the Minimalist Baker: http://minimalistbaker.com/
Thank you so much for the suggestion! I’m totally checking her out now 😉
I’m so proud of you! Giving up gluten and dairy is SO hard! We gave them up starting last June at the advice of a fertility specialist. Pizza was the hardest thing to have to pass up so we agreed that when I got pregnant we could enjoy some pizza and beer (for the hubby only) together. Best pizza we’ve ever had! But I really liked how I felt without gluten and dairy in my diet, too, so I think I might try to stick with it for a while. I also love the Minimalist Baker. You should seriously try her garlic mac and cheese — it’s dairy free but don’t let that fool you cause it’s AMAZING! It seriously helps with those cravings. Love to you!
I am totally going to be checking her out today! Thank you so much!!! By the way…congratulations again!!!
I have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which I discovered after my symptoms when into high gear after a miscarriage and I got desperate enough to do an elimination diet. I can’t have any gluten at all – I even get cross-contaminated if I kiss my husband after he eats gluten, so our whole house is gluten-free now. (My husband is amazing. 🙂 ) We take it very seriously because it affects me so much (stomach pain and bloating, but especially irritability, depression, anxiety, etc… I describe it as “gluten makes me crazy), and also if you have celiac or a gluten sensitivity it can actually cause miscarriage, so even if I felt like getting sick and crazy I wouldn’t eat any without getting a pregnancy blood test done first!
I haven’t made up my mind on how I feel about dairy yet. Before my daughter was born, I noticed that if I avoided dairy in the weeks leading up to my period (post-ovulation, or at least after ovulation SHOULD have happened – darn PCOS :P), the debilitating cramps that I had always left me curled up in a ball for three days lessened considerably. Since I gave birth, though, the cramps seemed to have almost disappeared on their own, so I’m still playing around with how helpful it is for me to give dairy up.
BUT – I have some good news for you: you don’t need dairy to make Ranch dressing. 🙂 Just find yourself a homemade Ranch mix recipe, and mix it up with some mayo, some dairy free milk (I used homemade almond milk, which tastes way better than the store bought stuff) and a little bit of lemon juice. Voila – better Ranch dressing than the stuff in the bottle, by a long shot. Here are some recipes you can play with, if you like. For homemade dairy-free buttermilk, put 1 Tbsp of an acid (lemon juice tastes best, but vinegar works, too) in a 1 cup measuring cup, and then add milk to the brim. You can use it as a sub for regular buttermilk. If a recipe calls for powdered buttermilk, I just omit it.
http://www.thekitchn.com/essential-recipe-quick-ranch-dressing-recipes-from-the-kitchn-191714
http://robynsview.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-dry-mix-recipe/
http://kristineldridge.com/in-the-kitchen/homemade-mayo-clean-ranch-dressing-in-the-kitchen/
Here’s a recipe for dairy-free sour cream:
http://www.barefeetinthekitchen.com/2012/03/homemade-dairy-free-sour-cream.html
I LOVE looking at recipes, and I love the challenge of finding truly great alternative recipes that don’t use gluten, dairy, whatever. So I have a collection of them on my Pinterest, if you want to check it out. They’re all gluten-free or easily adapted, and I find dairy-free is usually fairly easy to adapt for as well (unless you’re making, say, cheesecake, for example). Anyways – perhaps you’ll find it helpful. 🙂
https://www.pinterest.com/danielkrystalh/food-for-me-and-mine/
oh.my.word. Krystal? Can you be my new best friend?! You seriously saved my gluten free/dairy free life with these two recipes. To say I love sour cream is an understatement and something i have missed tremendously! I can’t wait to follow you on pinterest 🙂
I’m glad I could help! 😀 There really is a lot out there now, both in information, creativity and ingredients, so I don’t believe you’ll have to survive on veggies and lean meats. 😉 And believe me, I demand a lot of my food. It has to be good for me AND taste good. 🙂 I found that I really missed baking when I first when gluten free. I don’t know how much you care about baking and baked goods, but here are a few favorites from my “Been There, Done That” board, with my comments, if you want to try them out.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/457045062160680110/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/457045062161979503/ (LOVE these. You can just use the dairy free sour cream recipe, or the thick part of canned coconut milk, or even applesauce or mashed pumpkin or something like that for the sour cream. Dairy free milk for the regular milk. Waffles are for playing. 😉 )
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/457045062161826829/ (Yammie doesn’t usually try to do dairy-free, but her recipes are great – far simpler and more delicious than a lot of gluten free bloggers’ – and can be adapted.)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/457045062162175795/ (I’ve made this three times: once with yams, once with beets and once with butternut squash. Take my advice and just make it with yams, or possibly pumpkin. It benefits from the slight sweetness. Beets were too earthy, butternut squash was too plain.)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/457045062163285654/ (These muffins are just BEGGING to be adapted – turn them into blueberry muffins or cranberry muffins or pina colada muffins… whatever!)
Ok, I’m done now. Plainly, I spend too much time thinking about food!! But I really do have a blast finding great recipes, and the more unique the better – just so long as it works. It’s kind of my hobby. I hope you have fun finding your new favorite recipes! It’s a whole new adventure. Soon enough, eating this way will be natural and you won’t even have to think about it. You’ll have all your go-to recipes that you wouldn’t want to give up even if you could. God bless you, Elisha. 🙂
Probably my favourite post of yours so far. I know I don’t post comments often enough but I always am reading 🙂 And I’ve often felt the burning on my heart, wondering if you are doing all that you can do to help your fertility through this journey. It brings me back to a magnet that my Mom has on her fridge that says “Trust God to move your mountains, but keep on digging”, and that’s exactly what you’re doing. Not to freak you out or anything but you know if you keep this up you might fall pregnant this year, right 😉 xxx
LOL!! You are the best! And who knows? I might! Right now I am just so happy to get rid of the migraines, fatigue, and even irritability! Cause I have noticed that is far and few between as well 🙂 Which my hubby agrees 🙂 hehehe
That’s really wonderful to read 🙂 Just curious if you’re also in a steady exercise routine? I also have slight PCO and the differences when I’m doing enough cardio are just incredible. It’s hard to stick to but it’s made all the difference for me. All the best! xxx
We’ve been getting the nudge in this area as well! Starting a gluten and dairy free month on the 1st!
So glad you are following that nudge! You will be so glad you did 😉
Isn’t it crazy how nutrition can make such a big difference? I am learning so much right now on my journey… I am not gluten-free, but I really don’t consume a lot of it. I do consume dairy but greatly in moderation and not daily, and it’s usually something like plain greek yogurt. Just cutting out processed foods and refined sugars has made a HUGE difference for me. The first day I had a horrible headache from the withdrawal… I had no idea how bad I had gotten. I hope you share more about this and how it’s transforming you!
You know how much I LOVE THIS!!! Wahoo! So proud of you girl! Way to be obedient and way to feel better! Such a good decision, not only for fertility but for your overall health! Get it!
Ok, obviously this was a needed post, but man, SO good. I have been gluten free for a couple of months, but always said no to dairy-free because I thought it was too hard and I’d never get enough protein. I feel so convicted after reading this! lol
I try to mostly stay gluten and dairy free, though currently I am way off track. I really do feel soooo much better when I stay GF and DF. My favorite resources for recipes are Against All Grain (great blog and she has some 2 cook books available), Well Fed (and Well Fed 2, good paleo cook books), and Whole 30 (with coordinating book: It Starts With Food). I often will slightly modify a recipe to adjust some flavors to my family’s liking, but they have some delicious recipes!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing these with me! I really appreciate it!
You may really like the Against All Grain blog as she has had some struggles with infertility, miscarriages, and the loss of a newborn. She has two beautiful children now, but she knows the struggle. And speaks hope consistently.
I’ve been on the fence about going totally gluten free and haven’t really considered going dairy free before—but all the testimonies (yours & those in the comments) are convincing me! Although I don’t have all the symptoms of PCOS, I have enough that it may be a possibility. Certainly can’t hurt to try, especially since my husband’s more game than I am. 🙂
I found this website a few days ago: http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/ Haven’t had a chance to explore it a whole lot, but it might be a good resource.
I’ve also felt the nudge to start exercising regularly, which I started yesterday. I guess this is the year of getting healthier for a lot of us!
It is so hard to cut out these foods but so worth it. I am really glad to read this and hopeful your self love and care here will lead you in the direction you’ve been longing to travel for so long. Peace (and no dairy or gluten) be with you.
Thank you so much! I’m excited to see how much better I will feel as I continue. I just gotta stay on the wagon 😉
Amazing results! I never thought that what we consumed could have that adverse effect on us. But since Ive been trying my best to eat healthy I e notice my cycles are monthly instead of bimonthly.
That’s great, Jojo! Yes! So much research has shown that the foods we consume have a direct effect on our hormones (which are needed for ovulation, etc.) And so eliminating thing and seeing what works could help 🙂
Hey elisha, good for you! Eating healthy and cutting out things we love is soooo hard! I’ve gained a lot of weight this past year and am trying to lose it but not being very committed so thanks for the encouragement. My sister has to eat grain free and dairy free so she has helped me find some good recipes and probably out favourite is againstallgrain.com. she is a Christian and has other health problems that she manages through diet and all her recipes are super healthy and really good! She also has two cookbooks. They are all grain free and dairy free and trust me you can still bake amazing stuff!
I’ve also had to give up dairy and gluten and it was one of the hardest things. While, my body is not a fan of either I just love eating them…but, I love more the way I feel when I don’t eat them. Keep up the great work and hopefully this is what it takes!! xo
I feel your pain. I have been gluten free since 2007 and it SUCKS during the holidays. Thankfully more companies are coming out with foods that actually taste good rather than the cardboard glue of 9 years ago. Dairy was by far about a thousand times more difficult than gluten. EVERYTHING has dairy in it. Have you considered dropping soy as well? Just as a tip: look at whole foods (or another health food store). They have tons of paleo products that are really good.
I stumbled across your blog about a month ago and I am so overwhelmed by your faith and commitment to what He has in store for you. My DH and I have been TTC for about 3 years now through various treatments. We just started our 2nd round of IVF after a chemical on the first. To prepare I decided to give The Whole 30 a shot (no grains, beans, wheats, soy, sugar or dairy). It’s been hard, today is day 19 and I almost lost it when I couldn’t figure something out for dinner, but worth it if it helps get to the end goal. Look into it- great science behind it with lots of resources on Pinterest.
I am totally relating right now! I did Whole30 starting last year on Black Friday (conveniently located after Thanksgiving). I lost about 11 pounds. Then I decided to keep grains and diary to a minimum for s little while longer thanks to the new year as well. I’m down about 17 pounds and I have 40 days cycles too.
whooo hooo!!!! Girl, this just might be what kicks starts those hormones into working properly. Hang in there! I’m so proud of you!
Yes to all of this! I’ve been wheat and dairy free since 2004 and I’m sure that’s why my PCOS has been very subtle. When I add in regular exercise, less sugar and carbs, I’m basically a normal healthy human!! And I was doing it all right when I finally got pregnant with the twins! The cravings do stop eventually. Try to follow an 80-20 rule to give yourself some slack. 80% gf/df healthy, 20% crap food 🙂
Also, as for recipes, I tend to find paleo ones helpful because they are almost always gf/df!! There are so many books and websites. I use almond milk or coconut milk most of the time–I think they are the best alternatives and soy is not good for pcos. Daiya brand fake cheese is the best if you need a fix (Mac n cheese or grilled cheese). Let me know if you need any other tips. I’ve been doing this a long time 🙂
oh, thank you, thank you! I did Paleo for a little bit a year or so ago…I’m not big on lots of ingredients or spending more than five minutes in the kitchen. LOL! Which has been my problemo with Gluten free recipes. They are so time consuming sometimes. I basically have just been eating lean meats and a veggie. I don’t know where to find that cheese you mentioned. I live in a VERY rural small town :/
That’s exactly how I cook!! Easy and fast! We usually do a meat, roasted or steamed veg or salad, and maybe a side of brown rice or sweet potato. It is hard to find much variety in small towns. I get it!! I have found some items on Amazon too!
I have avoided gluten and dairy for physical reasons as well, and God hasn’t told me to change … soooo, I’m keeping on keeping on! (= Always looking for those tasty gluten free recipes…
Ok there is a lot of girls stuff going on here and to be honest I am a little nervous posting here, but i also had a great response to going of gluten and sugar. The message for helping fertility really needs to be told. if just a few people benefit from this approach it sure beats the alternative. Great work and excellent post.
Your comment seriously made me giggle! Thanks for sharing! And don’t be scared posting here 🙂 All is welcome!
This is a conclusion that you had to come to yourself, and I’m so glad that you decided to make these sacrifices and are now reaping the benefits! Way to go! XOXO
Thanks, girl! I must say that I haven’t done as well as I did in the beginning but still holding strong to no gluten or dairy. It’s a toughie :/
I was able to get pregnant with the help of letrozole about this time last year. I had to let go of gluten and dairy. I have hashimoto’s and PCOS and the gluten was making my antibodies so high! I want to say it wasn’t that hard but it was. It was so hard to let go of breads, pastries all that yummy stuff. I allowed myself grass fed organic butter. i had days i slipped up but tomorrow was always a new start. i now have a happy healthy 3 month old baby boy. you can do this Elisha! your body will thank you.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and this comment came at just the right time as I was seriously contemplating on taking the foster princess to Dairy Queen for a cheeseburger…and having one myself. hehe! I think I will just stick to eating at home 🙂
So proud of you! I know I haven’t been able to find the will power to do that kind of thing yet!
The struggle is for sure real!!!!
Hi Elisha,
All the best with gf df diet. I have been gf for about 11 years now (I don’t have pcos – other problems). It feels like a big thing at the start, but if you can find some good brands of things that you like then it becomes easier. I am in Australia, so not sure if you have the same brands in the US, but I use the Orgran brand of gf flour http://www.orgran.com and I just substitute it for wheat flour in all of my recipes. Sometimes I add a little bit of xanthan gum and some extra baking powder, but this brand is quite good. I am able to do lots of baking and can bake pretty much everything except for those that contain yeast. If you want lots of really really good recipe’s then try the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/
they have so many awesome recipe’s, I use quite a lot of them regularly.
Also, don’t forget about naturally gf df foods, like rice, if you make your own curries you can use coconut milk in them, and there are lots of pasta’s made on rice flour available. I eat lots of Sushi as my fast food, it is really delicious.
Hope it goes well, don’t give up, sel 🙂
Love this post, Alisha! I had a goal to do yoga 3x a week after the new year. I’ve slacked quite a bit, but this is encouraging. Keep writing what you write!
Ahhh, thanks so much! Your love, support and encouragement mean so much to me on this journey. Hugs! xo
Hi Elisha ,
I am new to following your blog but I have been blessed by your gifted writings past and present. I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility about 5 years after having a miscarriage from a pregnancy that happened rather effortlessly. We went 15 months with success before I came to a place to consider IVF. I waited because I believed God would just do it like He had done for others and I was embarrassed, prideful really, to walk into the fertility clinic. It took over a year more and two IVF cycles before we got pregnant. I them had an emergent preterm delivery of my baby girl because of pregnancy induced complications. She was too young to survive which I knew going into the delivery. My heart was broken and faith shattered. It was determined that I have a life threatening condition that is triggered by pregnancy. God was faithful while He nursed my wounds. I went to church with my swollen empty womb and broken heart and God put me back togerher. Shortly after my baby girl’scout burial (still hard to use that word) we had a family member offer to be a carrier for us. We were blessed just by the offer but my heart was not ready to receive this as part of God’s plan. I wanted Him to fix it my way. It took another year plus before I could even consider this option but I had felt the nodge for some time prior. It was extremely difficult for me emotionally but I moved forward because I really felt like it was what God was leading us to do. It took several months to get the legal process completed to even start the medical process. I spent every night in deep sorrow over the decision which was difficult since I felt like I should be at peace with doing what God wanted. I stayed the course though because I remembered the disciples getting caught in a storm after Jesus told them to go ahead. He was there in the storm so I kept my eyes on Him as I walked on that proverbial water so I would not be swayed off course (Matt 14:22-33). A few weeks after we signed all the legal paperwork, I found out I was pregnant! Now I have a precious 16 month old baby girl that reminds of the blessing that comes from obedience to Him. God has continued to deal with me on things I need to do to prepare myself should He determine to open my wound again so thank you for the encouragement and rebuke to stay in line with Him. God bless you and what you are doing here sharing your heart and your story.
wow, girl! What a beautiful and awesome testimony! I would love, love, love to share this on my blog (I have a testimonies section) sometime if you were interested. I can use what you wrote, or you can email me a different version if you would like. Totally up to you.
Absolutely! I believe God allows us to go through things to encourage others and so that He can be glorified. I started writing after my second baby’s passing. It has been cathartic for me and others have report being blessed by it so I believe in sharing my testimony when the door is opened. I didn’t mention that I looked back at the estimated date of conception for my baby girl…it was the day after we signed the papers to complete the legal process! Now if that’s not just a “here’s God” in big flashing lights!
I’ll clean up my prior post and resend to you if that’s okay.
That’s great! I can’t wait to post it 🙂
Hi Elisha ,
2 Cor 1:4 tells us to comfort those the way we were comforted. Hearing from others who walks and has walked this path previously uplifts me just to know I had not entered this sisterhood alone. Rev 12:11 says we overcome by the power of our testimony. I have learned that by telling our stories the enemy’s shackles of fear, shame, grief, anger, embarrassment, disappointment and so on fall off allowing God to shine brighter so I share my story praying that others will be blessed by it in some way. I was diagnosed with unexplained infertility about 5 years after having a miscarriage from a pregnancy that happened rather effortlessly. We went 15 months without subsequent success before I came to a place to consider IVF. I waited because I believed God would just do it like He had done for me before and for those others who told me they had a miscarriage and got pregnant again within months. I also was embarrassed, frankly prideful really, to walk into the fertility clinic. It took over a year more and two IVF cycles before we got pregnant. Just before the 6 month mark in my pregnancy, I had an emergent delivery of my baby girl because of pregnancy induced complications affecting mine and my baby’s health. She lived 10 minutes outside my womb before returning to the Lord. My heart was broken and faith shattered. It was later determined that I have a life threatening condition triggered by pregnancy. Eventually, I went back to church with my broken heart and a belly filled with an empty swollen womb. This was hard to do at first but God was faithful while He nursed my wounds and mended me back together. Shortly after my baby girl’s burial (still hard to use that word) we had a family member offer to be a carrier for us. We were blessed just by the offer but my heart was not ready to receive this as part of God’s plan. I wanted Him to fix it my way because it would be easier than any other alternative. Isiah 55:8 reminded me that my ways are not His ways. There was more He needed to do to work out His plan and grow my faith (Zech 13:9, I Peter 1:6-7). It took another year plus before I could even consider this option but I had felt the nudge even I had felt the nudge for some time. It was extremely difficult for me emotionally but I moved forward because I really felt like it was what God was leading us to do. It took several months to get the legal process completed before the medical process could even begin. I spent every night in deep sorrow over the decision which made it more difficult since I felt like I should be at peace with doing what God wanted. I stayed the course though because the Holy Spirit brought to rememberance scripture of the disciples getting caught in a storm after Jesus told them to go ahead. He was there in the storm for them so I in my storm I kept my eyes on Him as I walked on that proverbial water to keep from swaying off course (Matt 14:22-33). A few weeks after we signed all the legal paperwork, I found out I was pregnant! Now I have a precious healthy 16 month old baby girl to remind me daily of the blessing that comes from obedience to Him. As I reflect on this further, I realize that her estimated date of conception was the day after we signed the final legal papers! Now I can not think of a bigger “God did it” arrow than that! I carried her full-term and with with His grace He kept that condition in check so my life was never threatened. Through it all I have learned that each path is different so I cannot expect my blessings to come packaged and presented like others so I pray for sensitive eyes and ears to stay focused on the plan He has for me believing that there is a purpose (Jer 29:11) and prize in the pain (Gen 50:20) pressing towards the mark as He works everything to completion (Phil 1:6). I wait with anticipation to see what He is going to do next! Thank you for allowing me to share. God Bless you Alicia
Thank you so much girl!
I also did not mention but it may have been implied but I carried my baby girl fullterm. She was born healthy and my life was not ever in danger! Praise God!
Stick with it girl! We tried for several years for a baby and got nothing but 2 miscarriages. 😢. I eventually decided to go paleo and 7 months later I got pregnant! He’s sleeping on my chest right now! Keep the faith and keep the gluten and dairy out of your life!
Oh, girl! I needed to read this message again because I fell off the wagon this weekend (Valentines Day got me eating like a pig) and so I needed your words of wisdom and sound mind to get me back on! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hey girl! I usually stay away from dairy since I’m allergic to it. Trying to go gluten free can be tricky sometimes but you’ll get used to it. You can try and eat brown rice that helps too. Stay obedient to the Lord and He shall make your dreams come to pass.
Just finishing my first week of the Whole 30 and really needed to read this. I have PCOS and have been TTC for over a year a half now. I knew I would have trouble, but thought getting fertility drugs would be the easy way out. I was able to concave but suffered a miscarriage early on. I should have known the best way to battle infertility was through diet. I became pregnant with my son 3 years ago after several months of very clean eating and daily exercise. I was completely blessed, but when trying this time tried to ignore the obvious of a healthy lifestyle that enable me to get pregnant the first time.
I pray that God blesses you and that you are able to conquer through! I would also check nomnompaleo.com for awesome gf/df recipes. Maybe look into,the whole 30 or Paulo as well. I have read many positive testimonies from PCOS sufferers and Paleo.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and the website! I gotta stick to this…if not for a baby, for at least my health. Hugs to you!!
Thank you! I recently discovered I am dealing with PCOS, but not the one where you grow hair (although my armpit hair seems to grow back fast and are always sweaty!). I’m fatigued daily, and it doesn’t exactly contribute when already managing depression. Thank God I’m doing much better with that! But grateful because it was after I treated the depression that I noticed how constantly tired I was and started making me feel like I was sliding back into depression even though I didn’t mentally feel like I was. So after tests, it shows I barely have any estrogen, LOTS of progesterone–not ovulating. On most months I get my period, not without excruciating pain *insert a boat load of symptoms*, and on others I spot for a couple of weeks.
My appetite is nearly non existent, which is odd for me, and as a result I keep losing weight. I know for a lot of women dealing with PCOS weight gain is the problem. Idk why my appetite is affected, could be just me (I’ve always been thin) but I do feel like God is calling me to try something different diet wise. Before I have been lead to fast and for a while now I’m only in the mood for fruits and vegetables. Very picky. Yet, it’s so hard to gain weight so I feel like putting restrictions on my diet is a further headache!
I share all this in case someone can offer insight. And also to let you know I appreciate your post. It’s super encouraging to know I’m not loony and that I should try to find a diet that works best for me. I have to work “with God” in figuring all of this out. I totally agree, He is a miracle worker but a lot of times we are a TEAM. I recently heard about the Whole 30 book and feel great about going for it. I need my energy back! Thanks again and God bless!
Reblogged this on mrsjennadams.
Definitely needed this. Thank you for sharing and reminding me to listen to that still small voice✨.