After yrs of feeling sick I decided to give up gluten and see what happened....and I feel like a new person. I didnt want to give it up-having been vge/vegan my whole life I am fairly limited already. I adore spelt and other whole grains and whole grain breads, but I was sick every day. Doctors have said IBS for 20 years  but it/s been getting increasingly worse....to the point where if I eat I couldn't leave the house and/or get dressed I was so bloated.

So, within days of giving it up my stomach was back to being completely flat-even if I eat an enormous plate of broccoli! I can wear all my skinny jeans without any discomfort! I cannot believe I have been misdiagnosed for years

HOWEVER, my skin is a mess I normally have porcelain skin-absolutely clear, perfect, flawless skin About a week after giving up gluten the lower half of my face erupted in small red pimples. After a week I saw the dermatologist-she is saying it is hormones (I just turned 40 this month)...but I wonder, could I be detoxing from gluten? and if so, when will it subside? we're going on 3 weeks of terrible skin! For the most part the pimples have stopped-it's just the small red circles left behind. Stupid stupid worry, because it is so superficial (but I wont lie, I am vain-also when I teach fitness/Pilates I have a room full of ppl looking at me! and I have to wear make up which I normally never do), but it is hard to go from nothing to this! also, I was so used to ppl stopping me and commenting on my skin and I loved crediting my skin to my vegan lifestyle-now I am worried they'll think being vegan = deficiencies and bad skin!

Has anyone gone thru a detox from gluten? I just feel so strange that my skin looks worse now that the rest of me feels so good!

Hey Pilates Mom, 

 No worries. It happened to me - when I went vegan over a year ago - my lower chin broke out and still my forhead breaks out I am the only one who can see it--- the light in the bathroom always makes it look worse - DON'T pick at them - skin is our biggest organ so it's a detox for sure and yes it might also be hormones as most pimples i get are caused by hormones - the pimples will clear away drink lots of water and stay away from all processed drinks and foods! Lots of greens are full of chlorophyll and will keep your skin healthy and healing - use a little bit of water and tea tree oil mixture dab it onto the break out spots day and night just don't pick at them it will go away - try to forget they are there - and before you know you will look back and think - wow i remember at this time last year my skin was a mess. 

Hang in there. It'll be okay and remember it always looks worse to us. And hey sometimes it happens. Also, if you use tampons switch to the diva cup or cloth pads that aren't full of any kind of chemical - once I did that my skin cleared up quickly. 

Best wishes

Whit

My daughters switched to the Diva cup and they love it.  Be sure you use only vegan producfs on skin.  Check out Rawradiantlhealth videos on youtube and learned that aloe applied as a mask will help clear acne breakouts. There is alot of information on detoxing on youtube. Good luck!

I feel your pain! I've been gluten-free for three and a half years (after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease), and I've been vegan for three years (by choice). After taking gluten, meat, dairy, sugar, and processed foods out of my diet, my body went absolutely crazy! I also suffered from acne break outs...worse break outs than I had as a teenager. My body most definitely went through a MAJOR detox. I've read that after taking gluten out of your diet, it takes months, if not years, for the small intestines to heal properly, since gluten anti-bodies ravage this organ, compromsing its ability to digest food and absorb nutrients. I've found that there are ways to help expedite your gut's healing process and to help your body eliminate toxins as you detox. I highly recommend checking out Donna Gates' website: bodyecology.com. She has amazing suggestions for healing the intestines. I also recommend looking into cleansing techniques to help your body detox effectively. For me, The Master Cleanse and The Liver and Gallbladder Flush saved my life! With any detox or healing process, sometimes things can seem to get worse before you feel better, and this was definitely the case with me. But I know all of my healthy eating and cleansing regimens are finally paying off because I feel like a million bucks after feeling sick for so many years! In retrospect, going gluten-free and vegan was the best thing that ever happened to me- best of luck with your healing journey :)

My skin was a WRECK when I went vegan. It lasted for about 2 or 3 months. I bought a very good quality cleanser and was religious about washing my makeup off. Don't worry it'll get better. Congrats on feeling better-its so en-powering. The drs told me I had IBS for 10 years no 1 ever bothered to mention trying to go vegan. I have been a strict vegan for 1 yr now and I have not had 1 episode - i can take my kids places by myself now instead of always worrying about taking them to the bathroom with me. I wish i had known all those years ago.

There are a lot of toxins in our skin care products.  Not sure if you are aware of this: http://www.ewg.org/bodyburden/cosmetics 

What I found to work for my teenage daughter and I is Waiora's Natural Cellular Defense by cleaning the skin from within.  www.myncd.com/809934

Waiora has a ton of healthy aging, healthy living products that is considered a one stop shop - REMOVE heavy metals, toxins from the body, REPLENISH the body with waht it needs with good nutrition, and RESTORE the body to optimum health. 

If you review my blog and all the videos posted, you'll have a better understanding that toxins are not only in what we eat, but the air we breath, water we drink...

http://www.chavadelight.blogspot.com/

NCD is safe and it may help.

Antoinette

It is quite possible that you are detoxing.  I always have issues when I change my diet.  I also sell organic household and personal care products (www.abeautifullife.mionegroup.com) and it is VERY common for people to detox when they switch to our deoderant, our shampoo, etc.  Hang in there and like other people mentioned drink LOTS of water.