TRU News

For years Rosie Richardson suffered with extreme bloating, sickness and stabbing pains in her side. Six years ago she reached the end of her tether and went to see her GP. This is her story...

Initially my GP thought that I was suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He suggested eating more fibre to help with the bloating and pain, but this only made me worse.

Every six weeks I'd be doubled up in pain, with my whole life on hold. I'd miss special events and have to take time off work.

While waiting for my hospital appointment, I decided to investigate alternative solutions. I went to see a nutritional therapist who asked me to keep a food diary for two weeks and highlight any symptoms. Through a process of elimination she suggested that I may have had a wheat intolerance.

I still attended my hospital appointment just to make sure that there was no other underlying condition, but all my tests, including one for coeliac disease, came back normal.

Just two weeks after changing to a wheat free diet, I felt like a new person. I had so much energy and the bloating and pains were gone.

Five years on and I still follow a wheat free diet and am pain free. I feel back in control of my body and can live my life the way I want to.

We asked Rosie...

Do you miss any of the foods that you used to eat?

The only foods that I really miss are fluffy white bread and proper deep pan pizza. Apart from that there are so many good 'Free From' products available now from leading brands like Trufree and in the supermarkets, that there's probably a good wheat free alternative for almost everything else.
What was the most challenging wheat free product to buy?

Pasta - I've tried several different brands but found that so many 'Free From' varieties stuck to the pan or didn't taste like 'normal'. The best product that I've found that I think is closest to the real thing is Trufree's Penne Pasta - it doesn't stick and has a great taste and texture.

Trufree's dietitian, Melissa Wilson, says:
Fortunately for Rosie eliminating wheat from her diet appears to have eased her painful symptoms. She did the right thing by visiting her GP and undergoing a series of blood tests, including one for coeliac disease, as this can cause symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain and sickness.

It is important to ensure that you are on a gluten-containing diet when you have any tests for coeliac disease or the results may be affected.

Tell us your story

We'd love to hear your story. If you'd like to be a Trufree case study and share your experience, email us at info@trufree.co.uk with 'Case Study' in the email subject header. We're looking for people who are currently following a 'Free From' diet and have been medically diagnosed. If that's you, then get in touch to tell us a bit about yourself including:
• Your gender
• Your age
• Diagnosed condition
• Type of 'Free From' diet that you're following
• Type of healthcare professional that diagnosed your condition
• Trufree products that you use

We look forward to hearing from you!

For further information on Trufree products, call our Helpline on 07041 544044, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.