Posted 8/14/2014 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Well, that is interesting. This is a very crude explanation of what I understand about carbs—because looking at your diet, the only real difference between your diets is the level of carbs (and along with carbs, small amts of gluten).
Your symptoms "Getting really weak, dizzy and generally icky feeling. I'm also getting really bad palpitations. After I eat, its really bad. I have to lay down, since I get really, really dizzy….I can't make it past 2 days of gluten free. By the end of day 2, I'm so weak I can barely get out of bed. I revert to eating foods w/ gluten, and I feel so much better. --sound very much like candida die off, which can last more than a couple days. Simple carbs (white rice, potatoes, some pastas and breads) are basically the same as sugar due to how rapidly they are converted to sugar in digestion. So when you resume eating these, the candida is fed again and you "feel better".
When you stop eating carbs/gluten your body has to find different ways of producing energy rather than burning sugar (goes into ketosis). But usually it takes a couple weeks for your body to adjust and then you're fine. And maybe fore you, that transition is just overwhelming you—and put simply, you function better on carbs!
I have been reading about studies/theories that these functional differences are genetic. I know that one of the genetic mutations I have affects the way my body does/doesn't process sugar correctly. I function better without carbs and my body seems to become less inflamed. Others in my family are the same.
Also curious if you normal eat legumes with your gluten-free diet and don't eat them with a normal diet? I was having HORRIBLE GI episodes (severe bloating, pain, cramping and projectile vomiting for hours…) at the height of my lyme flare last year, which was eventually diagnosed as "bell's palsy of the gut" due to Bartonella.
These episodes occurred over the course of about 8 mos, about once every 4 wks or so. And over this time, I tried an elimination diet to figure out what was causing it (didn't get the dx until the end of that 8 mos so I had assumed it was a reaction to food), which included eliminating all grains, dairy, gluten, caffeine, sugar, fasting, etc., and a completely normal diet with good foods just not eliminating anything, and at the beginning of all this, I was eating normally (including some processed foods and eating in restaurants, etc.) There was absolutely NO change in these episodes, no matter what I did.
And then on a whim I stopped eating legumes—chick peas, lentils, black beans were my favorite. And the episodes stopped for the most part. I almost didn't share this because my sx were pretty different than yours but just throwing it out as an idea that maybe you're still reacting to something you're eating, even though you have a very healthy diet.
I would have to agree with Lovemychildren Mom—you should listen to your body and maybe not worry so much about gluten or carbs. As long as you are avoiding processed foods and eating fresh, organic, whole foods you are doing your body good.
Hope this helps—
-p