Gluten ????

^{I am not into fad diets and have tried many. I was watching Dr. Oz a few days ago and I do trust him...he and his guest said gluten can cause body pain and psychiatric conditions.}

^{Ha anyone tried a gluten free diet with any success?}

^Thanks

Mystic, I never set out to be "gluten free", it just kind of happened, when I quit eating wheat, and pasta products.

So has it helped ? Well, its really hard to say, because along with cutting out wheat based foods, I also cut out all kinds of other nasty stuff, including nearly all dairy products.

Not to mention, I started exercising, a BUNCH.

So yes, my severe IBS, which controlled my life, and made me borderline suicidal 4 years ago, is in 100% remission now. I eat close to 4000 cals a day, and my stomach never skips a beat. But was it because of cutting gluten ??? I honestly can't say.... but just in case, I really don't plan to change anything.

>> FibroSufferer said > Cutting it totally is possible but do require a lot of determination and self discipline which I don't think I have. <<

Well, maybe for a "normal person". For myself, if I had to use self-discipline, I'd be dead already. Instead, I just came up with a list of food items I eat, and a list of which foods I don't eat. Period. No exceptions. In other words, I don't have to sit there and torment over... well maybe just a slice or two... or, maybe just a tiny bowl. No. No maybe. Those decisions were already made 3 years ago.  

Heck, I will be at the grocery store shopping on one side of the isle, with a wall of donuts, bread, and pastries on the opposite side of the isle, and it might as well be lumber. I rarely even think about that garbage > and I used to literally (barely) survive off of it ! !

I "NEVER" have to use will power to just eat a little dinky portion of this, or that.... or try to have some "treat" kinds of foods, just once in a while. Are you kidding me ? I know I'd just be setting myself up for failure.

Mystic, I wish I could just bottle up some of my OCD for you ! It really makes this whole diet / exercise thing so super easy, it's like cheating :)

Best wishes,

Fish

Well, for me, going gluten-free made my chronic constipation 10 times worse! Strange, I know.

I actually do better when I eat a lot of white bread and other starches. Who'da thunk??? Not me!

So we're all different. I don't think it's the answer, or even advisable, for everyone to be on any certain diet.

Debbie

Debbie, when I first began eating a different brand of steel cut oatmeal every morning with twice the amount of fiber, I became very constipated. I had figured I was drinking enough water but I wasn't.

I increased my water consumption and I've been fine for days.

Processed white wheat product is the first thing you want to strike off your shopping like. No premade cakes or goodies of any kinds. They have all sorts of additives, colouring, flavouring, you name it they probably have got it.

Next is slowly get used to non wheat flour bread. Start with light rye, they taste just as nice as white bread, gluten content is a lot lower.

But main culprit is pasta noodles. It's almost a staple in many homes, if that goes, it's a lot easier to slowly move towards having low gluten diet.

I've been gluten-free for years and it doesn't help much unless you address any foods creating a cross reaction. What that means is that your body might mistake a similar protein for the glutenin and gliadin proteins found in wheat. This website discusses this theory:

http://www.thepaleomom.com/2013/03/gluten-cross-reactivity-update-how-your-body-can-still-think-youre-eating-gluten-even-after-giving-it-up.html

If you are gluten-sensitive and sensitive to other "similar" foods, then you will continue to experience similar symptoms as if you were still eating wheat only less intense. In my case its potato and dairy. If I eliminate potato and dairy along with wheat then my symptoms tend to markedly improve. If I only take out the wheat I don't see much progress.

If you are interested in trying this, there is something called Cyrex testing that can tell you exactly what you should be avoiding in relation to wheat and also if you have a leaky gut. That lab specializes in testing for gluten sensitivities.

http://www.cyrexlabs.com/

AM and Luvz,

It struck me that way, too - weird!


But here's my history: I tended toward constipation as long as I can remember, even as a child, in spite of being what my friends called a health-food freak when I was a teenager (whole-grain everything, lots of fruits and veggies, no junk food) - so, lots of fiber - and yes, lots of water.


Since Fibro and middle-age and IBS and everything else, the constipation was becoming a real problem. SO, I tried going gluten-free for about 6 weeks, and - Whoa! - it got way worse....and painful!

I went to my gastroenterologist, and he told me to add Miralax to my daily regimen (I was already taking Citrucel.) That's it.


Still no good.


I went to the IBS forum here at Healingwell, and found a link to an IBS diet, by Heather Van Vorous (sp?) She talks about the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber, how the colon works, and how it works differently in people with IBS. Even though it's long and involved, I waded through it because I was absolutely desperate.


She suggests eating more SOLUBLE fiber than anything else, and not too much insoluble...


I hadn't eaten white bread in over 35 years. It tasted so strange! - but lo and behold, this diet has helped me immensely. I now have normal bowel movements, something I hadn't had in decades. And I have way less bloating and discomfort!


I have to work on getting the goodness out of veggies and fruit and other highly-nutritious foods, without causing problems - that's covered in the article. Takes more work, but is so worth it to me.


This is why I say we shouldn't generalize about what people SHOULD eat. If someone had told me this would be my answer, I would have thought they were from Mars! :D


Debbie

The tricky thing about gluten intolerance or Celiac disease is that it can actually be very hard to realize you have it. It's definitely not so simple as you eat gluten you feel worse immediately (although some people do) and if you stop eating gluten you feel fine immediately. In fact stopping gluten can even temporarily make some people feel worse - that doesn't mean gluten is good for them. It is more of a gluten withdrawal effect, (or sometimes there's also a problem of eliminating gluten-containing foods but not replacing them with something healthy and appropriate).

I was in denial about gluten being a problem for me for a very long time. I feel stupid now because 3 of my relatives have Celiac disease. Each of us have some differences in our symptoms so I didn't really make the connection, and, I don't know why now, but I didn't realize that if relatives had it that meant it was much more likely for me to. But really I think I didn't want to believe that gluten was harmful to me because I didn't want to have to stop eating it! It's in SO many things. And some things it contains are just so delicious. I really wish I had investigated it sooner, because if you have Celiac the gluten is actually doing damage to your body, and I might have been able to save myself a lot of suffering. But I shouldn't beat myself up for past mistakes, I just hope that people will think about this and honestly ask themselves some tough questions, just in case anyone here is like me and thinks it can't happen to them or just doesn't want to make the effort of trying a gluten-free diet.

I really think anyone with a chronic illness should try eliminating gluten and see what happens. I know it's hard, but seriously, considering all the other stuff we try for our health is it that big of a deal? It's like we're addicted to gluten. One of my friends breaks out in a really horrible rash every time he eats gluten and yet he isn't willing to completely eliminate it. Many others of us don't have such clear dramatic indicators that gluten is harming us. It requires around 3 months with absolutely no gluten whatsoever to determine if going gluten-free may improve your condition (although many people will see some improvement before then, don't assume gluten isn't a problem for you just because you went a few days without it and didn't notice a difference). It is important to avoid gluten completely and non just reduce gluten. Also as liz said above it's useful to avoid other foods that people commonly cross-react to, like dairy. I know it's a lot to do at once, but some people don't really feel better until they eliminate these other foods. I am still having a tough time forcing myself to fully eliminate common cross-reactive foods but am working on it.

The other option is getting tested for Celiac, for those of you whose doctors would be willing to order such tests, which you need to do while actively regularly eating lots of gluten. However the tests aren't always reliable, plus they won't tell you if you are non-Celiac gluten intolerant.

I think I've typed enough for now, so let me know if you'd like to know more about how gluten affects me and how eliminating it has affected me.

EDIT: liz - How reliable is that test you got? Do you have to be currently eating the foods? I assume that, like gluten, you would get a false negative if you don't eat the food very much.

Post Edited (Pelagicdancer) : 5/30/2013 7:56:40 PM (GMT-6)

Sherrine,

It sounds like your system is a lot like mine. Interesting. And yes, what I eat only seems to affect my gut - not my pain.

I remember you saying how much you love potatoes - me too! If I was given a choice of only one food, that just might be it.

Debbie

Yeah!!

Of course, I do add some Smart Balance spread, salt & pepper, and usually cheese, too :)

My mom had colitis when she was younger, and GERD as she got older, but potatoes never bothered her, and in fact, seemed to settle her gut. They were her favorite, too.

Debbie

Liz, I can't do white potatoes but roasted sweet potatoes agree with me, would that work for you?

I haven't used butter or margarine for years. I always use extra virgin olive oil.

Almost > I haven't used butter or margarine for years. I always use extra virgin olive oil. <

I pretty much only use olive oil too.
Margarine is horrible.... only a few molecules different than "plastic" !
Real butter, on the other hand, is completely fine, and healthy, in the tiny "recommended serving size".

I was eating real butter for a little while, but then I had to cut out fats in other parts of my diet, to keep from going overboard on fats.....

Peace,
Fish

I understand, Liz, it would be really hard for me to give up potatoes!

I have had to give up so much that I love, too - broccoli, and now pretty much brussels sprouts - ice cream and rich desserts - chocolate, for the most part - anything too cheesy - and any more than a bite or 2 of yogurt, most fruits, granola and whole grains, avocados - salad - since I had gallbladder problems and then got it out 6 years ago, so much makes my gut hurt.

If I liked meat, that would simplify things, but I'm an entrenched vegetarian! Lately, I've been eating a little chicken meat now and then because I actually crave it at times - and I want to gain weight and stop feeling so darn weak and shaky. I normally depend on eggs, nuts, beans and rice for my main protein.

Bodies!!!

Debbie