Gluten Intolerance

So. Apparently one can suddenly display signs of gluten intolerance. Obviously, I'm not a doctor. However, I've found recently that imbibing the following leads to unpleasantness:

• Pizza
• Cookies/Crackers
• Sandwiches (healthy or otherwise)
• Chips

To preclude any snide comments about shitty eating, I would like to note that that is something that I've been experiencing for a couple months now, and that sandwiches and chips are the main culprits. I am also not overly fond of beer, but I don't drink that often enough for that to be an issue. In fact, beyond occasionally sipping Gon's or trying one I've never seen, it's very difficult for me to go near beer with a ten-foot pole. Thank goodness.

Anyway, so for awhile, I thought it was lactose intolerance. Pizza absolutely incapacitated me, as did a swiss and mushroom veggie burger. I didn't feel fabulous after a celebratory ice cream cone with Tyler. But since spontaneous lactose intolerance is much more popularly written upon (at least on the internet) I attributed it to that. It wasn't until chips last night, as well as some tea cookies later, which made me question whether it was in fact lactose products, but in fact maybe wheat/gluten, so I experimented today with some cheese and avocado and pesto and celery and peanut butter (all things which have the potential in some way or another to bring about the symptoms). After having waited about half an hour, I had some of the tea cookies, and there was my answer. The cookies, not anything preceding, led to unpleasant symptoms, and after I looked around on the internet, I've found that gluten intolerance could explain not only that but a couple other things I've experienced of late (such as the sudden onset of shortness of breath).

According to the Academy of Finland, there's actually a bit of a trend of growing percentages of gluten intolerance in the Finnish demographics; according to the same study, this can go unobserved for quite awhile as the symptoms can set in later. Which was something I didn't know.

And it's definitely not something I'm particularly happy about. I like my breads--I always have. And I like thick soups (oh my god...that tomato bisque...that's why I almost died afterwards...) and just about everything else wheat has ever been added to or used for. That's super unfortunate.