If you’ve ever met me in person, you would probably agree that I can be a bit “high strung.” I’m a fairly anxious person, and whether it’s worrying about my dog’s health or if I left my straightening iron on, I’ve usually preoccupied myself with some unnecessary thought.  I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression my whole life.  From the time I was a kid, it seemed I was constantly worrying. At 23, I started taking medication that assists with it, but I’ve often wondered if there are other things that contribute to me acting like Wynona Ryder in every single episode of “Stranger Things.”

I decided to seek answers, and visited Dr. Christina Robins (MD) at Revitalife Wellness Center. They don’t take standard insurance, so the fee was lofty (about $500.00), but I received every treatment under the sun, from a body fat assessment (which I promptly argued), to an EKG, to a blood panel that included food allergies. I returned this week for my full assessment of results and here’s what I found.  I’m relatively healthy, but allergic to some things I love, specifically bread and cheese. God, a freaking gluten allergy. I’m so basic that even my allergies are basic.

It made a lot of sense though; after researching gluten allergies, I realized a lot of the symptoms were there, from bloat to fatigue…and then bam…ANXIETY.  There has been a lot of clinical research behind the correlation between gluten allergies and anxiety and it’s really hard to think that my deep love for carbs could be making me sad.  Stupid neurotransmitters. It’s a toxic relationship, and one I’m planning on addressing.  Today we stocked up the house with gluten free everything. I bought gluten free bread and it was total bullshit, but I’m doing it.  New diet, who dis?

In addition to being allergic to my fave foods, I was also found to have PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). This is a hormonal imbalance that happens in women, which can often cause depression, infertility, and some other pretty unpleasant symptoms like weight gain and hair loss, or hair gain.  eeeek. It also means that my body produces a bit more testosterone than the average woman, which means I can easily build muscle (genetic predisposition to GAINZ). In addition to the gainz however, PCOS can also make you hang on to belly fat.  I aggressively dieted for both my shows, and could never seem to rid myself of that part.  I promptly questioned if this could be the reason I don’t have a six pack (it could be…I’m just saying).

I started on some medication to help balance this out, so I’m looking forward to that.  I know I could be all down on this diagnosis, specifically with the fertility part, but I will deal with that at a later time. What I’m most excited about is finally having some answers and more direction on how to deal with myself!

Anyway, with the combination of the medication and the allergies, I’ll be keeping you posted on what my new diet looks like.  I promise to be completely honest with my struggles, so feel free to follow my IG story to learn more. If any of you have experience with gluten allergies or PCOS, I’d love to hear it. Or if you have a gluten free recipe that doesn’t taste like total garbage drop it below.

Love,

Caitlin