Gluten Free Girls (and Guys!)

ccaruso219

Hi Everyone,
.

Decided to test my gluten theory last night. I have been following a gluten free diet for 2 months now and yesterday was a gluten day to see if gluten is my life's hinderance. Sure enough it is my hinderance. So now I know I can't have any gluten.

Although it's not welcomed news, at least now you know what's causing your symptoms... that must bring you some relief! :flowerforyou:

It does....I felt horrible almost immediately...I had and hour drive from where I had dinner to home and I burped the whole way home I felt like the girl from willy wonka that blew up and floated away....Good thing it didn't last very long came home popped my acidophilous and a digestive enzyme and I was feeling better the next morning....Still not 100 %, but getting there.

AwMyLoLo

hello everyone. I have seen your thread in the recent posts and am now finding myself to be required to cut out gluten. I will go through and read your posts and fill you in on my story later this evening. (I'm at work now )

nicolee516

hello everyone. I have seen your thread in the recent posts and am now finding myself to be required to cut out gluten. I will go through and read your posts and fill you in on my story later this evening. (I'm at work now )

Hi, welcome! Sometimes we talk alot and sometimes we are quiet! If you have any questions, we are here for you!

AwMyLoLo

Nicole - Thanks for the welcome. To start - Here is an email I sent and the response from an acquaintance of my sister in law.

On Wed, Apr 28, 2010 at 7:02 AM, Hillary Fink <hfink@settlemuter.com> wrote:
Hello. How are you?  Ria is my sister in law and she gave me your email address in hopes that you may be able to offer me some insight on some stomach issues I have been experiencing. Hmm… where to start?

Well, in 2007 I was 20 years old and had my gallbladder removed. I have always considered myself to eat somewhat healthy (at least healthier than the majority of my peers), and it was in March of 2009 that I started tracking my food in order to lose a few pounds before my wedding. I joined a fitness and nutrition website where I track my foods, along with protein, carbs, fat, fiber, sodium, etc… The site also offers open forums full of information, from which I have learned a lot and gained a desire to eat mostly whole, clean foods. I started doing P90X at the beginning of this year and it was about 2 months into it that I started experiencing all kinds of weird stomach issues. The first noticeable occurrence I experienced was within one week of my adding ground flax seed to my daily oatmeal. I was doing one of my workouts (Plyometrics) and could literally feel and hear gas moving up and down as I jumped. I thought it had something to do with adding the flax so I backed off on that. Looking back, I believe it may have been at least a week before that day that I had my last normal bowel movement. Feeling constipated, bloated, and gassy I turned to Yogi Get Regular Senna Laxative Tea. I had used this in the past and it had worked wonders for me – and would get me back on track where I would have normal BMs for weeks at a time. This time around after using it I would have very soft BMs the next morning followed by bouts of diarrhea the rest of the day and then no BM the following days. I have tried to keep away from laxatives and stimulants, especially since they seemed to stop working for me.

I eat anywhere from 30-45 grams of fiber per day, and drink water constantly. Things I eat on a daily basis include: 6-18oz coffee with a splash of milk, rolled oats, whey protein powder, natural peanut butter, salad, eggs, whole wheat breads/wraps, hummus, vegetables, fruits, fat free cottage cheese, beef, pork, or chicken, brown rice, etc… On the weekends my diet may not be as healthy. I notice on Saturdays when we usually make pancakes, is when I have diarrhea. Our pancakes are made with rolled oats, whole wheat flour, egg, and applesauce. I will eat potato chips sometimes, and depending on parties or whatever may be going on, white potatoes, white noodles, and stuff that I wouldn’t normally eat during the week (including beer, about 10-12 within 2 or 3 days on the weekends). Usually Sundays and Mondays are my worst stomach days, and I seem to feel better as the week goes on and I stick to my “healthy” foods.

Other than the constipation/bouts of diarrhea, I am extremely bloated. At times I am so bloated it is hard to move, and I cannot pass gas. I have also felt nauseous at times.

Many people on the website that I am on suggest gluten intolerance, yeast overload, and leaky gut. I have made an appointment with my doctor for help with the constipation, but am concerned that he will not have any advice or input on the food intolerance aspect of my issues. I would be willing to go gluten-free but honestly just don’t know where to start. Obviously, fruits, vegetables, and a few different types of flour, but with as much food as I consume (2000-2200 calories per day), I am worried I will have a hard time finding the right foods to fuel my workouts, while keeping diversity in my diet and enjoying the foods I eat. I have been looking at some of the things I buy and alternatives and have a hard time seeing anything that says gluten free.

Sorry if this is way more information than you were looking for. Ria said that you were interested in helping me so I figured I would just give you my run-down right off the bat! I really look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this.


Hillary,
I am extremely interested. There's almost no such thing as TMI in a situation like this. Everything your body does matters.

I have very little time this morning but let me make a few quick points. I'll get back to you in greater detail a little later.

Your concerns about your doctor's potential ignorance of the gut-irritant/toxicant properties of foods are well-placed. Most conventional MDs have no training in leaky gut, indigestible proteins, or credible nutrition.

Here's what stands out to me as causing 80% of the problem:

$$ You're consuming tons of fiber every day. Am I wrong to believe that a lot of it's in the form of grain-based fiber bars? (I ask because your body's basically allergic to grain--everybody's is, to a certain extent--and there's way more fiber in fruits and vegetables anyway. Compared to that, fiber bars are a joke. TMI back: my clients get annoyed with how much a grain-free diet with plenty of fruit makes them sh**.)

$$ You're set on consuming enough calories to train (P90x is badass from what I've heard, by the way; I'm a crossfitter myself) but aren't as concerned about where they come from. I might advise loosening up on this to make the insane constipation and bloating go away, then go back to it. This leads into . . .

$$ You're a celiac as far as I can tell, and your doctor DOES know what that word means. Gallstones are an autoimmune condition, and autoimmune conditions develop when the body attacks its own proteins because indigestible ones, such as lectins (the proteins in grains and legumes) or saponins (the proteins in potatoes and other nightshades) refuse to be digested in the small intestine, tear up the gut a little, and find themselves a hornet's nest of T-1 cells which imprint the foreign invaders and tell the T2 cells to go kill protein. I'm guessing that if you'd stayed off the grains a few years ago, you'd have your gallbladder. I have a client with your exact story, only she went under the knife at 22. She's hugely celiac. She had the opposite problem you do because she ate like a typical American: no fat, so her bile built up and sent her racing to the bathroom after every meal. I mention this because . . . .

$$ A lack of a gallbladder means, as I'm sure you know, that you'll now have less capacity to process fats compared with someone who has one. You're down to about 5% of your old capacity. If you're eating a good amount of fat--any nut butter, for instance, might do it, and a gut-irritating legume like a peanut would explain a lot of this--your body's way backed up producing enough bile to process it all.

SO. The surest way to avoid gluten is to avoid everything coming from grains. ANY flours besides nonconventional ones (almond, taro, coconut) will contain stronger or weaker lectins (even rice has its indigestible proteins, especially--get this--brown rice). Breads, pastas, biscuits, fiber bars. Whole grains. Get them out of your house for a week.

Now I know you want to train and get your calories and not sacrifice pleasure. I propose one week free of grains and legumes (including peanut butter). If that could get you serious results, would you consider it? If you want to do some bloodwork, you'll see it improve in lockstep (more on this later) by way of suggesting that I'm not out of my mind on this. And if I am, I can hardly kill you in a week, yeah?

I'll be back with more. I'd really like to hear everything you eat in the meantime.

Pleasure to meet you.

Matt

leavinglasvegas

Hello! I knew I'd find a support group on here for this. Thankfully, I logged on and you were at the top of the list. Didn't even have to search.

I recently learned that my daughter and I have a gluten intollerance in addition to a number of food allergies. Wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts, corn, tomato. Geesh, whats left, lol.:noway:

Anyway, I'd love to join your group. We've been managing for the past 2 months, but getting bored. But its cool because I feel so much better now. My daughters appetite has gotten so much better. Turns out she wasn't picky like everyone thought. Shes lost weight, but nothing alarming. She has so much more energy and so much less attitude.:bigsmile: Thats good because she has 2 dance classes and 3 karate classes per week. And I am a single mom, so more energy in me equals more happiness for everyone around me.

I've had GI issues all my life but my mom was not a believer in medicine. She still to this day think disease is made up by doctors to make money. Unless she doesn't feel good, then the whole world is supposed to pity her. I constantly complained about stomach aches and constipation and heartburn. They always told me it was in my head. (Our family doctor was a friend of the family. Today, that man would be sued and put out of practice) Finally when I was 15, our family quack sent me to a therapist because they said I was making up the stomach aches for attention. That didn't last long because my mom didn't like being told she had to take responsibility for me and my issues. Then when I was 17 I drove myself to a partner of the doctor who lived next door to us and I was diagnosed anorexic. Since then, I firmly believed that my eating habits caused all my problems, but just not that the actual food was the cause. It was normal for me to go 4 weeks without a BM because I refused to eat. Period. Then I was diagnosed with IBS and it was belived that my body was not able to process meat. I went veggie at 11 but it was on and off for the most part. When I learned that I had these allergies and the gluten thing, I started to wonder if that had been my problem all along. Maybe if I had been properly listened to and treated as a child, I would not have learned to restrict my food at 5 years old. Maybe if I hadn't been constantly told it was in my head I wouldn't have turned to diet pills and extreme diets at 12. All my mom had to do was listen and act accordingly.

When my daughter started spending more time with my mom she started to get "picky" because my mom told her all kinds of nasty things about the food I used. (Organic, fresh, not out of a box. Vegetables are yucky, chocolate is good. I firmly believe that my mom has a jealousy issue with my independence and ability to cook and please people) She would sneak her junk food. When I stopped allowing my mom access to her, things started to change. But when she started having tummy issues, I took it seriosly. I was warned that since my eating disorder started so young, it was possible that my children would have the same problems, so I was to make food as little of an issue as possible. After my mom did what she did, I got scared for my daughter. I thought we triggered the gene or something. I did the right thing by adding more veggies and fruit and zero white flours. Seemed to get better, but not totally. We just thought it was normal for us, I guess. It was because of my allergy results that I had my daughter tested. Thank GOD! No more benefiber, no more tums, no more claritin.

My daughter had blood testing for celiac and it was negative. I had some biopsies recently and I haven't gotten the results yet. My blood tests were negative as well. But we did go off gluten prior to the testing. Cancer is a concern for me since I've been "untreated" for so long. But the doc said he didn't "see" any cancer while he was in there. He took several biopsies anyway from the top of my GI tract all the way to the end just to be safe.

The turn around in both of us has been so wonderful. We still choose not to eat meat. We both noticed that even off gluten and the other allergens, that one meal containing meat made it a little harder to....well you know....)besides we are accosomed to being veggie and have taken on a vegan lifestyle for health, enviromental, and compassionate reasons now.)

I no longer have migraines, eczema, hives, constipation, diarrhea, or fatigue. My daughter no longer has hives, no more headaches, heartburn, or constipation. And our moods are so much more friendlier. I thought at some point we would need a referee to move in with us. We both felt so crappy all the time and took it out on each other I guess.

Anyway, thats my story. Sorry to ramble on for so long, I'm a talker:laugh: I'm looking forward to learning new recipes, products, etc. Glad to have stumbled across this thread. Happy Wednesday everyone!

Holly

nicolee516

Welcome Holly!

You both have amazing stories!

I was never officially diagnosed with celiac, but I listen to my body and how it feels when I come in contact with gluten. anoter 2 culprits are corn and soy. Soy is the WORST!!!!!! I actually my ND ( try to do everything naturally first, I am not a big fan of meds and other allopathic remedies) told me that wheat, corn and soy all share the same phenolics ( can't remember what that means), which is why my body has an aversion to all three. The soy is so bad that I will get hives along my intestinal meridans on my hands. I know that sounds odd, but it's true!

Hillary- I have never heard of gallstones being an autoimmune condition. That is very interesing and I will have to ask my doc about that one. I do have issues with my gallbladder, but i still haveit my body. I do know that gallstones actually start in the liver, and when the liver is clogged then they are pushed to the gallbladder. So when you have gallbaldder attacks from stones, your liver is still clogged and needs cleansed of them. I have done several cleanses to remove stones, and it is pretty amazing!

Holly- You food allergies didn't show soy? That is way cool then.

AwMyLoLo

Well, I just read through the first 2 pages here and I am sooo excited to read the rest. I am completely clueless on this topic but can tell you are all full of information. Thanks to you all for welcoming me to the thread. It is very scary to read about the childrens' issues. I don't have kids yet but I can imagine how heartbreaking and frustrating it would be to figure this out for a little one when I am so clueless for myself. I'll catch back up later!

ccaruso219

Hillary- I have never heard of gallstones being an autoimmune condition. That is very interesing and I will have to ask my doc about that one. I do have issues with my gallbladder, but i still haveit my body. I do know that gallstones actually start in the liver, and when the liver is clogged then they are pushed to the gallbladder. So when you have gallbaldder attacks from stones, your liver is still clogged and needs cleansed of them. I have done several cleanses to remove stones, and it is pretty amazing!

I had my gall bladder removed 3 years ago and my "wonderful" doctors never told me anything about it. I never knew any of this thanks for the heads up...What kind of cleanses did you do for your liver? I wonder if that could be another one of my issues...

AwMyLoLo

I actually did not have any stones, ever. It was the HIDA Scan test that just showed nearly zero gallbladder function. When they removed it they said it was completely all scar tissue.

I am definitely going to have to get some GF pancake mix! We eat pancakes almost every Saturday. We have been using quick oats and whole wheat flour - won't be doing THAT anymore!

Do you guys eat prepackaged lunchmeat?

AwMyLoLo

I actually did not have any stones, ever. It was the HIDA Scan test that just showed nearly zero gallbladder function. When they removed it they said it was completely all scar tissue.

I am definitely going to have to get some GF pancake mix! We eat pancakes almost every Saturday. We have been using quick oats and whole wheat flour - won't be doing THAT anymore!

Do you guys eat prepackaged lunchmeat?

What about Whey Protein Powder?

I'm thinking of all these things I eat and wondering if they are GF!!

nicolee516

Hillary- I use Nature's Way Shakes and I don't have any issues with it. I do not eat prepackaged lunch leat unless it's from a healthfood store, and even then it is very limited. They put funky stuff in prepackaged stuff.I actaully will get a turkey breast and cook it and slice it for lunches.

runnerdad

I actually did not have any stones, ever. It was the HIDA Scan test that just showed nearly zero gallbladder function. When they removed it they said it was completely all scar tissue.

I am definitely going to have to get some GF pancake mix! We eat pancakes almost every Saturday. We have been using quick oats and whole wheat flour - won't be doing THAT anymore!

Do you guys eat prepackaged lunchmeat?

You can make good pancakes using buckwheat flour, but there are good GF mixes as well (like Pamela's, which I think you can order on line if you can't find one at a local store.)

Hormel makes a lot of GF lunch meats / pepperoni. Even Sam's sells GF lunch meats (Castlewood ? brand)

leavinglasvegas

I actually did not have any stones, ever. It was the HIDA Scan test that just showed nearly zero gallbladder function. When they removed it they said it was completely all scar tissue.

I am definitely going to have to get some GF pancake mix! We eat pancakes almost every Saturday. We have been using quick oats and whole wheat flour - won't be doing THAT anymore!

Do you guys eat prepackaged lunchmeat?

Bob's Red Mill and Gluten Free Pantry also make good pancake mixes. As for lunch meat, its probably best to got to a health food store. I don't eat meat, but I do sometimes buy turkey and salami for my daughter. Krogers Private Selection is gluten, MSG, and Nitrate free. The only problem is the workers who slice it. those machines aren't cleaned properly and the girl I dealt with the last time I was there tried to substitute another brand that wasn't gf without asking me because they were low on the brand I asked for. I think health food stores are safer for just about everything. (I have a weird thing about prepackaged meats. I want to see it get packaged)

AwMyLoLo

I don't regularly eat lunchmeat. I just happen to have some right now. Good to know about Private Selection brand though, and I completely understand the reliability difference between a place like Kroger and a health food store.

iRun4wine

Welcome, Holly! Your symptoms prior to going gluten-free sound similar to mine. Mine were also accompanied by some major stomach problems- vomiting uncontrollably, for example (sorry to be so graphic). Since going gluten-free I am finally *regular* for the first time in my life, and I feel like a whole new person. I can tell immediately though when I do eat gluten. My doctor has diagnosed me as gluten-intolerant, and I'm in the process of having the blood test done for Celiac's. I also have thyroid issues (extremely high antibody levels) that I just started taking medication for. It feels good to finally get things under control, doesn't it? :flowerforyou:

anglyn1

I actually did not have any stones, ever. It was the HIDA Scan test that just showed nearly zero gallbladder function. When they removed it they said it was completely all scar tissue.

I am definitely going to have to get some GF pancake mix! We eat pancakes almost every Saturday. We have been using quick oats and whole wheat flour - won't be doing THAT anymore!

Do you guys eat prepackaged lunchmeat?

I had the same issue with my gallbladder. No stones, it just quit working. When they took it out it was adhered to my liver with scar tissue.

Pamela's baking mix is the favorite in my house for pancakes!

I usually buy Hormel Natural Choice lunchmeat!

AwMyLoLo

I haven't been around much on this thread since my original post but I thought I would update you all on what's been going on with me. I went to my general doctor on Friday, April 30th where he did bloodwork and a stool sample test, and suggested I take Miralax for the time being. Both of those tests came back normal but on the 4th day of taking Miralax with no results I called to make him aware of that. So, last Thursday I was instructed to do an enema; if that did nothing, drink Magnesium Citrate the following day. Both did absolutely nothing. I go for a CT Scan in an hour which will determine if my bowels are impacted (which I believe is what the issue is). If that is the case I will go for a procedure to have the matter removed from my bowels :sick: . If that's not the case, I have no idea where we go from there! But, the doctor did mention that the bloodwork tested for a gluten intolerance, which came back negative. I know those tests can be inaccurate. After all this is said and done I will continue to stay away from breads, pastas, oats, etc... and mostly stick to meat, nuts, fruits, vegetables. I have an appointment with a colon/rectal specialist on Friday, which I'm not sure what they will do there. And after that I may even contact a dietician for further advice. It will be great to be able to take over a year's worth of my food diary into a dietician's office and see what they think. Wish me luck! :flowerforyou:

iRun4wine

Good luck, Hillary- let us know what you find out! :flowerforyou:

nicolee516

Good luck Hillary!


I just bought GF beer to try this weekend...I sure hope it is good!

fietsdebbie

Hello - I personally don't have gluten issues but I have a friend who does. As a result, she has become an amazing baker of gluten free items. She posts many of her recipes on her blog: http://fourchickens.blogspot.com/ She has many coffee cakes, and other baked items there using her specially created blend of gluten free flours. Take a peek and try some of her recipes - they are good!