Like many food trends, the gluten-free diet has both a legion of followers and a lot of controversy surrounding it. Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, CDN , has her own tale of the way gluten — or a lack thereof — played a role in changing her life dramatically. Here, she generously and publicly shares her story, because she knows there are others out there to whom it may be all too familiar. — KMI first heard about gluten in 2003, when a friend was diagnosed with celiac disease. It was a dark time in my own life. I was terrified about my impending college graduation and the start of my career; I hadn't gotten my period for nearly a year, and none of the many doctors I'd seen could explain why. I'd recently gone on my first diet and began exercising religiously, in an effort to lose a little weight I'd gained during my year abroad, but the doctors didn't see anything problematic about that — even after I dipped below my old weight. I also told them about a slew of other symptoms that had begun around the same time: fatigue, constipation, mental fogginess, abdominal pain, dry skin, and acne. But no one had any real answers.Looking back, it seems so obvious that I was dealing with an eating disorder. At the time, it never occurred to me — or anyone else.My friend filled me in about the details of her diagnosis. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition whose symptoms are triggered by even the smallest traces of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and a few other closely related grains. I was instantly struck by how similar her symptoms had been to mine. My friend said they had all essentially disappeared once she started a gluten-free diet. I made more doctors' appointments to get tested for celiac disease (first and second opinions: negative) and started digging around on gluten-free blogs and message boards.There, I found a whole world of people who were going through the same thing I was. Some of them were talking about other symptoms I hadn't even felt comfortable sharing with my doctors: anxiety, depression, and bingeing. Many of the bloggers said it had taken a long time for them to get diagnosed, and some said they'd just ended up going gluten-free without a diagnosis because the diet made them feel so much better.