I know that it can take from months to years to fully heal.  I also know that you cannot heal on a traditional gluten free diet, or a processed food “diet”, if you can even call it food.

However, I do wonder, how do you know if you are healing–especially your gut–when you don’t have any intestinal symptoms?  I know I have intestinal damage because I have several delayed allergies, and because a medical test showed minor intestinal inflammation.  However I don’t feel it, and I don’t have any sudden reactions to gluten like some people do.  The only fairly obvious reaction I have to any food is to dairy–it give me acne a day or two after I eat it.

So how do you know when you are healed?  I’ve been true GF since May, (with a handful of days in between that had oopses), sugar and dairy free for two more months since then.  I feel subtle differences, but I still have irregular periods, my hormones don’t seem to be changing at all, and I still have monthly recurring left ovary pain just like clockwork.  And, I still get acne if I eat any dairy.

And, I used to think it was just the dairy, but I’ve been very religious about avoiding dairy lately and I’ve noticed that only takes away about 85 percent of the acne so something else is causing it too.  Is there a way to restore my good bacteria and perhaps get over this body and face acne and still be able to eat a little dairy as a treat, such as in frosting on grain free treats?  I’ve had this acne non-stop, with no breaks, for 15 years.  This is getting old.  I fully believe in the GF lifestyle but I get discouraged sometimes.  I really haven’t seen any major changes and it’s been almost 4 months.

Thanks Everyone!