Questioning the gluten free diet

alert: Graphic content (lol): When I went gluten free 3 years ago, I was on the toilet for 5 days and I couldn't believe I had anything left inside me and it just kept on coming and coming. It blew my mind it really made me think that all that stuff was just stuck in my bowel for god knows how long causing unknown, unseen problems. It was pretty eye opening. I immediately felt better after 3 weeks of being gluten free.

I think it is wise to resist the urge to repopulate your diet with processed gluten-free products. I just eat whole foods. I agree with Astroman and others that the wheat protein is probably unrecognizable to the human body and thus creates an allergic reaction when consumed. Combine that with the bacteria killing genes they've inserted into the GMO wheat - well, its just a train wreck to eat American wheat.

I recently added L-Glutamine powder to my morning drink (Vit-C/Cal/Mag/Biotin/ALA/Hyularonic Acid/d-ribose/electrolytes/inolin +foS/amino acid powder). I think its really helping me with digestion.

>>Her rule of thumb is if it's processed, it's probably not good for you.

Boom that about sums it up! The Whole Foods diet (no not the store ;) is really the way to go. If one can stick to lean proteins, veggies and good complex carbs where needed you'll have a pretty good nutritional situation.

Just wanted to chime in and say I found this thread interesting.

I have been gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free for two in a half years. Within the first 5 months of being gluten free, I dropped weight (didn't need to lose any) and my thyroid antibodies were lessened. Antibody results were still out of the normal range, but dropped about 30 points.
After that, I didn't notice any new positive effects, other than my low back pain seemed to improve from the lack of dairy. (I have tested this by eating GF pizza, and my low back pain seems to flare) I am assuming it is from the dairy?

So fast forward to this last January, and I officially get diagnosed with Lyme. I see an LLMD and they tell me that they believe in eating a healthy balanced diet. (They treat with antibiotics, which I am currently on)
However, my internal MD says NO WAY to eating un-clean, so I have stuck with it.

This last week, I've noticed that I feel really weak. Physically and mentally. I'm 5'8 and weigh now weigh 126 lbs. I am beginning to wonder if it would help if I started taking in more calories? Not reintroducing Gluten or any sugars on a full scale, but having a sandwich on Sourdough bread etc. when I am feeling extra hungry.

Anyone been in the same boat?

**I also want to note I have had various blood, stool and allergy tests for celiac etc., and they have always come back negative.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

You said you've had allergy tests for Celiac.
The tests for Celiac aren't allergy tests. Did you test for the anti-transglutanimase antibodies?
Celiac isn't an allergy.


Sourdough bread still has gluten in it unless gluten-free flours were used.

shotgun72 said...

At Girlie - By allergy, I meant I have had the skin prick test where you get a grid drawn on your bare back and you are pricked by a multitude of allergens. I was not reactive to wheat at all.

I just looked up my most recent labs and I did have the anti-transglutanimase and Gliadin test for IgG and IgA. Both came back negative.
My result was .04
Reference range was <7.0 = Negative
7.0 - 10.0 = Equivocal
>10.0 = Positive

You most likely don't have Celiac...although I've read that the blood test isn't definitive.

You don't have symptoms though, right?

Garden Peace said...
I'd suggest a true sourdough bread if you really feel you need to have some wheat bread. I wouldn't suggest having it on a daily basis for a long time, though.

I thought I could get away with this also. No yeast, no problem right? Wrong.

All we have to go on is if it makes us feel like crap, cut it out and see if we improve. Then maybe sneak a little back in until we have done this so many times we know its going to make us feel like crap so we don't even consider eating it anymore and that becomes the new normal and no longer miss it.

It sounds like you miss bread. I miss the ability to eat bread without feeling strange. I've kinda given up on eating any wheat. I've subbed in Yuca and Plantain Flour.

I don't miss bread, I just miss having strength. My body feels weak and I can't lift hardly anything like I used to. I am still working FT. My job is stressful, but my health insurance has made the cost of my Mepron $5.00. I cannot leave my job at this time.

I spend my weekends in bed, recouping and catching up on sleep. If I push myself to leave the house and run errands all day, I normally pay for it the next day.

Like I said in my earlier post, I sort of feel like I am not getting enough calories. I am not restrictive of giving myself food whatsoever. Portion control is not something I follow. If I am hungry, I eat. I will consume enough protein until I am full. I do incorporate gluten free bread sometimes, but it's still not enough.

I am just missing my body feeling strong. I have late diagnosed Lyme, so the fatigue has been present on and off for the last 10 years. It's just been that more recently my clothes have been looser, and I physically feel weak. Given my lab work, and and my strength going down, I am just concerned the gluten free diet is leading me to not get enough calories, and nutrition. And in my opinion, a really fresh deli sandwich on Sourdough bread is pretty filling versus my grilled chicken, quinoa, and zucchini I have been eating for lunches

After 2 years gluten, I've been less strict (not worrying if the soy sauce has gluten type of thing).

If you are weak, I would check out Diana Schwarzbein's book. She's an endocrinologist that I went to go see when I was a mess and trying to figure out what was wrong with me pre Lyme diagnosis. She has an amazing day program for patients on and heals their adrenals, thyroid etc.

You basically eat six small mini emails a day each meal containing proteins carbs, etc using alternative grains. It's time consuming but I had tons of energy.

If you need carbs, I would suggest sweet potatoes. You can also try legumes. Lentils are good. And avocado is great. Good fat and will add calories if you need them.

madisongrrl said...
The testing for Celiac is extremely poor. This includes if you get a biopsy because the biopsy can miss damaged tissue. Many people in my family have been diagnosed with Celiac...some of them at 70+ years of age. It took years and years for this damage to happen.... before the biopsy was able to uncover the damage. If you suspect you have an issue, it's almost better to try an elimination diet instead of worrying about getting an official diagnosis.

Celiac and thyroid disease also trend together in the medical literature. It is not surprising that giving up wheat has improved thyroid antibodies in some people.

I've personally found that I'm gluten intolerant. So I don't eat gluten, stick to a whole foods diet and try not to eat any of the gluten-free foods because they are frankly junk food.

Although - not everyone has obvious symptoms of Celiac disease....and changing the diet may not make a difference for a very long time. So, you wouldn't necessarily know by a diet change. That was the case with our son. It took many months - maybe a year before there were any changes for him.

It is possible that some people have non-Celiac gluten sensitivity.

The blood tests combined with the biopsy catch a good majority of people who do have Celiac disease. If you are low in iron and/or B12 - that means damage to the small intestine...and it will most likely show up on a biopsy. But, no, not everyone's test results will show high antibodies and/or low iron/b12.

BUT - for my son - we didn't allow the biopsy. His antibodies were off the chart high...and had stopped the gluten as soon as we got the blood test results.
To do the biopsy we would have had to add the gluten back into his diet (after a couple months being gluten free) and daily dosing of gluten...for a month...and have a scope.

We decided not to put the poison back into his already sick body.

It took over a year before things stabilized for him...and his gluten antibodies no longer were high...and his Ferritin increased.

Well that's what we decided with our son.

The gastro wanted us to have the biopsy and we didn't see the point of having him go back on the gluten to damage his small intestine further so they could do the scope - which is an invasive test.

We sat him down and said we'd forgo the biopsy if he promised to be gluten free the rest of his life.

It took about a year for his antibodies to go low enough into a range that was even measurable. And several more months for them to lower into a healthy range.
When his gluten antibodies lowered, his Ferritin went up.

He is living on his own now - still gluten free - gets a little careless when in restaurants sometimes. If the server brings him a salad that has croutons he doesn't like to make a fuss and will just remove them.

He gets his Ferritin and Transglutanimase testing done every couple of years (not often enough IMO) and his numbers are good.

Interestingly prior to going gluten free - he didn't have an immediate reaction when he ingested it... but now that he is gluten free and accidentally has gluten - he gets an upset stomach within a half hour.

Girlie said: "Interestingly prior to going gluten free - he didn't have an immediate reaction when he ingested it... but now that he is gluten free and accidentally has gluten - he gets an upset stomach within a half hour."

This is kind of what happened to me with soy and MSG. When I was eating it regularly in foods, it was an issue, but not a severe issue by any means, but we were working on gut health, and that's how we found out it was soy and MSG. However, now, if I slip up and get a hold of any soy (soy oil, soy lecithin, soy protein) or have MSG (even homemade bone broth bothers me pretty good), I know almost immediately and have discovered my soy allergy is a lot worse than my MSG allergy. Soy now affects every part of my body, from brain fog, muscle cramps, diarrhea, cramping intestines,vomiting and an itchy rash.

Once you find what you are allergic to, or highly sensitive to, just avoid it.