Doing my research

gramanana

I'm 61 years old and known since I was a child that I had a wheat allergy, but since I ate white bread sandwiches regularly I simply put it aside and forgot about it. Recently I saw an article in AARP Magazine that reminded me why my cough was worse and no medication was helping--too much bread, whole wheat bread and stone ground wheat thins (can you tell I'm a bread lover?).

So now I'm doing my research and finding out that my exercise induced asthma, IBS, and bouts of depression could be related to my love of bread. It's an interesting research project and I'm looking forward to reducing all my health issues to a minimum. I needed to lose about 20 lbs., too, and that's why I joined myfitnesspal. At the time I didn't realize my other health issues were related to my eating habits. I'm excited about eating healthier and feeling better.

pdworkman

Good for you! Glad to meet you!

Feel free to browse my diary as you look for ideas to eliminate wheat/gluten from your diet.

gramanana

Thanks for your support.

I'm finding lots of good products out there. I enjoy cooking and baking, too, and am finding lots of great recipes. Although I'm not big on vegetables or fruit, I am going to go back to the recipes we got from the years when we belonged to a community supported farm in the area. I think I did feel better in those days.

The big problem is that we travel frequently--short trips to see the grandchildren--but I will have to bring my own bread or crackers since I am a breadaholic. Otherwise I think I'll adapt quickly.

gramanana

I just came home from a Gluten-Free expo in Lombard--what a great experience. There are a lot of good products being sold in local stores and lots of help for newcomers like me! It will take me days to sort through all the info to decide what's right for me and how to proceed.

I also realized today that I've been sabotaging myself by eating hamburgers with a gluten-free bun--who knows what the hamburger meat is being mixed with. What an eye opener when I had a real gluten-free hamburger today.

CrazyTrackLady

Hi there! I'm glad you have figured out the connection between eating gluten and feeling poorly. I gave up gluten last January as a "fluke" (I was trying to lose weight and it was suggested I go off wheat and grains). After eliminating all bread and anything with gluten, my health problems went away immediately! I had the following health problems: aching joints and muscles with no known cause (I was tested for fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism and lupus, all negative), potentially rheumatoid arthritis (my RA marker was at 23), GERD, severe PMS, bloating, gas, and insomnia. I also dropped 20 lbs and 40 points on my cholesterol in 3 months. I don't plan to go back to eating bread/gluten, but I have had a couple moments where I have "tried" a bagel. I usually end up realizing why I live gluten free.

Fortunately, many restaurants and grocery stores are starting to accommodate gluten free customers. The food is getting better and there is a bigger variety available. Also ask the restaurant for an allergen menu.

I would suggest you give up grains, too. Or at least drastically cut down on them. Search "leaky gut syndrome" and you'll see why I don't eat grains anymore either. And I don't have an issue with constipation at all (I'm actually more regular now than I ever was).

gramanana

I do feel better in the last couple of weeks since I recognized that my childhood wheat allergy had returned. I must admit, I don't understand what, exactly, gluten is though. Once I figure that out, I'll know for sure what I can eat and what I can't because I'll start that elimination process if I think I need to. So far, I've just eliminated wheat products and I'm feeling much better.

That goodness my husband and I like to cook and don't eat too many processed foods at home. We do, however, eat out too much. When I decided to lose weight and I was trying to make better choices at the restaurants, but that doesn't always work either. Maybe between the wheat allergy and doing more home cooking I'll finally be able to lose the excess weight and keep it off.

CrazyTrackLady

Gluten is the protein found in wheat grains. Just like any other allergic reaction, our bodies react to the protein in items that send our immune systems into action. It's much the same as allergic reactions to cats, trees, dust, etc, only it's occurring through ingestion into your bloodstream instead of coming in to your lungs through your nasal passages.

If you have ever been to an allergist and he/she has diagnosed you with hay fever like allergies, the chances of you being allergic to wheat are greater than if you weren't allergic to the great outdoors. Remember, wheat is a plant with pollen, etc!

By the way, there are many products out there with hidden "gluten". Soy sauce is one of those, as are most canned soups. Even some candy has gluten in it (like Good and Plenties and Whopper milkballs).

Look at the labels carefully -- gluten free products are usually labeled as such (because in some cases such as celiac disease, a reaction to a product can be very serious).

When you grocery shop, look for the gluten free product label, which is a wheat leaf with a red line through it. I know Kroger and Giant Eagle put the signs right under the product. Some grocery stores have separate sections for gluten free products.

I find GF products to be very expensive. I would rather go without such things as pasta and bread products, than buy grocery store versions. I'm not a fan of rice pasta and I can't find a decent loaf of GF bread to save my life. So, I go without.

There is a lot of growing controversy about whether or not going GF leads to vitamin deficiencies and anemia. Personally, I think there is a whole lot out there that supports going GF as opposed to not going GF. I firmly believe that we humans were never intended to eat wheat and wheat based products, and grains. But, that's my opinion.

gramanana

Being a former bread lover, I'm always looking for a good gluten-free bread. Schar has a very good (in my opinion) GF multi-grain bread. Udi's breads are pretty good, too, and are starting to become available in a couple of restaurants in my area.

Thanks for all the helpful information. I'm continuing to do my research to find what works for me and what doesn't.

Thanks again.

pdworkman

Celiac disease leads to vitamin deficiencies and anemia due to malabsorption, so someone on a gluten free diet is more likely to have vitamin deficiencies due to the disease.

Specialty GF products are very expensive, I agree. I try to stick to whole foods or make my own.

I find GF products to be very expensive. I would rather go without such things as pasta and bread products, than buy grocery store versions. I'm not a fan of rice pasta and I can't find a decent loaf of GF bread to save my life. So, I go without.

There is a lot of growing controversy about whether or not going GF leads to vitamin deficiencies and anemia. Personally, I think there is a whole lot out there that supports going GF as opposed to not going GF. I firmly believe that we humans were never intended to eat wheat and wheat based products, and grains. But, that's my opinion.

gramanana

I'm also finding gluten-free products to be expensive. I now have a pantry of gluten-free flours and several cookbooks, so I can start trying to make various bread and cookie recipes at home. However, I'm new to this journey and I'm not sure yet if I really need to go gluten-free or just wheat-free--still experimenting. I do feel a lot better now, but some symptoms still persist. I'm logging my food and noting what symptoms, if any, occur. Hopefully, when I go to the doctor in a couple of months, I'll have a good understanding of what's going on with my body and be able to get some good advice on what to do about it. We already talked about going wheat-free being the first step.

angng

Celiac disease leads to vitamin deficiencies and anemia due to malabsorption, so someone on a gluten free diet is more likely to have vitamin deficiencies due to the disease.

Specialty GF products are very expensive, I agree. I try to stick to whole foods or make my own.

I find GF products to be very expensive. I would rather go without such things as pasta and bread products, than buy grocery store versions. I'm not a fan of rice pasta and I can't find a decent loaf of GF bread to save my life. So, I go without.

There is a lot of growing controversy about whether or not going GF leads to vitamin deficiencies and anemia. Personally, I think there is a whole lot out there that supports going GF as opposed to not going GF. I firmly believe that we humans were never intended to eat wheat and wheat based products, and grains. But, that's my opinion.

I agree. I have never seen any reputable source saying that humans *need* wheat. Before I was gf I was always anemic (both iron-deficient & low b-12). Who knows what other deficiencies I had that they didn't test for. . .

scwink

"Just like any other allergic reaction, our bodies react to the protein in items that send our immune systems into action" - this is not really accurate, though it depends on an actual diagnosis. Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder, not an allergy.

With an allergy, your body views a food eaten (or cat dander/pollen breathed in, etc) as an invader and over-reacts in fighting against it using histamines, etc. Once the offending item is broken down and/or removed, the reaction stops.

For Celiacs, eating gluten begins a chemical reaction in which the body attacks ITSELF. The reaction runs its own course depending on the bodies immune strengths and weaknesses, and once started rarely does anything alleviate it. Moreover, the damage to the body - usually to the celia lining the small intestine - is generally long-term if not permanent.

The difference between an allergy and an auto-immune disorder is why it's important that people get an accurate diagnosis rather than just not eating bread - if you are ingesting small amounts of gluten from other sources, you are continuing to do damage to your body that you may not even realise. Celiacs are often asymptomatic until severe intestinal damage is done.

There are many people who benefit from a gluten-free diet for various reasons besides Celiac disease, but for those with an accurate diagnosis, it is important to eliminate even the smallest amounts of gluten from your diet.

CrazyTrackLady

"Just like any other allergic reaction, our bodies react to the protein in items that send our immune systems into action" - this is not really accurate, though it depends on an actual diagnosis. Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder, not an allergy.

With an allergy, your body views a food eaten (or cat dander/pollen breathed in, etc) as an invader and over-reacts in fighting against it using histamines, etc. Once the offending item is broken down and/or removed, the reaction stops.

For Celiacs, eating gluten begins a chemical reaction in which the body attacks ITSELF. The reaction runs its own course depending on the bodies immune strengths and weaknesses, and once started rarely does anything alleviate it. Moreover, the damage to the body - usually to the celia lining the small intestine - is generally long-term if not permanent.

The difference between an allergy and an auto-immune disorder is why it's important that people get an accurate diagnosis rather than just not eating bread - if you are ingesting small amounts of gluten from other sources, you are continuing to do damage to your body that you may not even realise. Celiacs are often asymptomatic until severe intestinal damage is done.

There are many people who benefit from a gluten-free diet for various reasons besides Celiac disease, but for those with an accurate diagnosis, it is important to eliminate even the smallest amounts of gluten from your diet.

Thank you for clarifying the difference. I'm not a celiac or a doctor/nurse, so I was trying to make an analogy of what happens internally when the body reacts to gluten. I'm gluten sensitive, apparently. I never got an official diagnosis -- my doctor said the testing was very expensive and most likely not covered by my insurance. However, I KNEW after a week of not eating gluten and grains that my body was getting better. I had a host of undiagnosed, mystery symptoms that didn't fit some of the common symptoms I was tested for (lupus, RA, fibromyalgia, etc). The doctor was baffled. When I got my cholesterol rechecked at 3 months into my new way of eating, my RA marker was back down to normal range. I got the evidence I needed to know my body was in full blown attack. I haven't had any symptoms return since I went off gluten.

But, thanks for clarifying...you did much better than I!

pdworkman

In my thoroughly unprofessional opinion - definitely autoimmune in your case. I would not say you are gluten sensitive, I would say you are gluten intolerant. Lupus, RA, fibro, etc. are all autoimmune disorders, and the symptoms of one ai can mimic those of another. (Or various ai may just all be different presentations of the same thing.) I would assume that every little bit of gluten that gets into your system is doing damage, and don't assume that just a little bit now and then will be okay. (Not saying you would, but sometimes we so much want to just allow ourselves that little doorway out.) Take care of yourself!

Thank you for clarifying the difference. I'm not a celiac or a doctor/nurse, so I was trying to make an analogy of what happens internally when the body reacts to gluten. I'm gluten sensitive, apparently. I never got an official diagnosis -- my doctor said the testing was very expensive and most likely not covered by my insurance. However, I KNEW after a week of not eating gluten and grains that my body was getting better. I had a host of undiagnosed, mystery symptoms that didn't fit some of the common symptoms I was tested for (lupus, RA, fibromyalgia, etc). The doctor was baffled. When I got my cholesterol rechecked at 3 months into my new way of eating, my RA marker was back down to normal range. I got the evidence I needed to know my body was in full blown attack. I haven't had any symptoms return since I went off gluten.

gramanana

"Just like any other allergic reaction, our bodies react to the protein in items that send our immune systems into action" - this is not really accurate, though it depends on an actual diagnosis. Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder, not an allergy.

With an allergy, your body views a food eaten (or cat dander/pollen breathed in, etc) as an invader and over-reacts in fighting against it using histamines, etc. Once the offending item is broken down and/or removed, the reaction stops.

For Celiacs, eating gluten begins a chemical reaction in which the body attacks ITSELF. The reaction runs its own course depending on the bodies immune strengths and weaknesses, and once started rarely does anything alleviate it. Moreover, the damage to the body - usually to the celia lining the small intestine - is generally long-term if not permanent.

The difference between an allergy and an auto-immune disorder is why it's important that people get an accurate diagnosis rather than just not eating bread - if you are ingesting small amounts of gluten from other sources, you are continuing to do damage to your body that you may not even realise. Celiacs are often asymptomatic until severe intestinal damage is done.

There are many people who benefit from a gluten-free diet for various reasons besides Celiac disease, but for those with an accurate diagnosis, it is important to eliminate even the smallest amounts of gluten from your diet.

gramanana

I guess I failed at putting in a quote and then responding to it, but here goes anyway.

My understanding is the Celiac Disease is inherited and, to my knowledge, no one in my family has ever had it.

I stopped eating wheat products because I realized that as a child I had an allergy to wheat which caused lots of upper respiratory challenges--coughing & colds mostly. Through my recent research, I found that the symptoms I had as a child might well be attributed to my wheat allergy because nothing much was done to restrict my eating habits except to have rice or corn cereals for breakfast.

For a time it seemed like the symptoms went away or were attributed to something else; the cough was a smoker's cough (I have quit), IBS symptoms was stress, the asthma symptoms were attributed to my smoking. I realize now that it is all inter-related. Two weeks before my last doctor's appointment I saw an article that reminded me of my wheat allergy, so I decided to give up wheat and find alternatives. By the time I saw the doctor, I was coughing much less and sleeping, and breathing better. The change was amazing.

I still cough some and use an inhaler before walking for long periods of time and there are still some IBS challenges, but much progress has been made by just eliminating wheat. I need to study some more to see if I also have a gluten sensitivity and I will continue to work with my health care provider on this issue.

gramanana

OK, I just realized that my favorite salty snack, Sensible Portions-Garden Veggie Straws, has wheat starch in it, no wonder my symptoms haven't cleared up more. I need to find a new salty snack. But I'm still learning and making changes for the better.