I am going Gluten Free, any comments suggestions

FeebRyan

Feeb, just keep doing what you are doing and don't worry about the negativity. Your input is helpful for others and will be even more helpful a few months from now - I think it's hard for people who have a stomach of steel to understand, my hubs included! It took him a long time to realize that I was serious and that this is really helping but he gets it now!

And it doesn't help that the medical community is still using old science, and that there's no way to test for celiacs other than a biopsy. The blood tests are inaccurate at best and even a biopsy is only going to diagnose the most extreme cases.

Thanks x I intend to keep doing what i am doing

what i really dont understand, is why people are So SO negative, especially when the majority of people who go gluten free talk about how positive it has been for them. If people were going gluten free and then dying, i could understand it but given that people gush about how fantastically it has changed their life... well i just dont get it at all.

mearlie

Gluten free living is NOT a diet at ALL. It's avoiding a specific ingredient in food that makes some people sick. I agree that you can't really substantiate the psychological claims but those, coupled with all the other symptoms I had certainly are enough proof for me that I can't eat gluten.

So let's review my symptoms that have improved that are NOT psychological:
Hypothyroidism due to Hashimotos - before going gluten free, I was taking twice the synthroid and three times the cytomel that I take now.
Gut/abdominal/back pain - this is an indescribable pain that would radiate into my leg sometimes and have me buckled over in misery. It's gone since I went gluten free.
Numbness in fingers and toes - this is much better, but still not completely gone since I went gluten free.

there's three. I'm guessing there are more but those three jump out at me.

TheSink

what i really dont understand, is why people are So SO negative, especially when the majority of people who go gluten free talk about how positive it has been for them. If people were going gluten free and then dying, i could understand it but given that people gush about how fantastically it has changed their life... well i just dont get it at all.

Here's why I'm negtive on it:

1) It's all about how a person "feels". They cut out one ingredient completely, and "feel" better, and suddenly they're convinced that it's the greatest thing in the world, and that everybody could "feel" better if they cut it out too. I understand there are people with sensitivities, or are intolerant, or alergic. Those people should avoid the ingredient. Everybody else? Not so much.

2) When you hear about how people go gluten free, and what a cataclysmic event it is in their lives, almost 100% of those individuals refuse to tell you about their pre-gluten free diets. Were they eating Taco Johns all day, every day? Was their diet primarily processed foods, or was there something like 50/50 processed foods to fresh foods ratio? What was their life like before they rid their diets of gluten? Did they work out regularly or no? Did they change their lifestyle outside of their eating? It's common for people in our society to view one thing in their lives as the culprit for all of their ills (look at bad marriages...the culprit is almost always the other person!), and ignore the bigger picture.

3) Outside of individuals that are truly alergic to gluten and could die from it, there is real no empirical evidence that gluten is the cause of anything and that it should be avoided.

FeebRyan

what i really dont understand, is why people are So SO negative, especially when the majority of people who go gluten free talk about how positive it has been for them. If people were going gluten free and then dying, i could understand it but given that people gush about how fantastically it has changed their life... well i just dont get it at all.

Here's why I'm negtive on it:

1) It's all about how a person "feels". They cut out one ingredient completely, and "feel" better, and suddenly they're convinced that it's the greatest thing in the world, and that everybody could "feel" better if they cut it out too. I understand there are people with sensitivities, or are intolerant, or alergic. Those people should avoid the ingredient. Everybody else? Not so much.

2) When you hear about how people go gluten free, and what a cataclysmic event it is in their lives, almost 100% of those individuals refuse to tell you about their pre-gluten free diets. Were they eating Taco Johns all day, every day? Was their diet primarily processed foods, or was there something like 50/50 processed foods to fresh foods ratio? What was their life like before they rid their diets of gluten? Did they work out regularly or no? Did they change their lifestyle outside of their eating? It's common for people in our society to view one thing in their lives as the culprit for all of their ills (look at bad marriages...the culprit is almost always the other person!), and ignore the bigger picture.

3) Outside of individuals that are truly alergic to gluten and could die from it, there is real no empirical evidence that gluten is the cause of anything and that it should be avoided.

1. Have you tried it? To see how it makes you feel? How a person feels is a great indicator of how they are health wise.

2. I am happy to talk to you about my diet before going gluten free. Would you like to ask me any questions?

3. I would say the fact that 'almost 100%' of people who have removed gluten from their diets feel better, healthier and more energised is pretty good evidence that it has a positive effect. Wouldn't you?

mearlie

what i really dont understand, is why people are So SO negative, especially when the majority of people who go gluten free talk about how positive it has been for them. If people were going gluten free and then dying, i could understand it but given that people gush about how fantastically it has changed their life... well i just dont get it at all.

Here's why I'm negtive on it:

1) It's all about how a person "feels". They cut out one ingredient completely, and "feel" better, and suddenly they're convinced that it's the greatest thing in the world, and that everybody could "feel" better if they cut it out too. I understand there are people with sensitivities, or are intolerant, or alergic. Those people should avoid the ingredient. Everybody else? Not so much.

2) When you hear about how people go gluten free, and what a cataclysmic event it is in their lives, almost 100% of those individuals refuse to tell you about their pre-gluten free diets. Were they eating Taco Johns all day, every day? Was their diet primarily processed foods, or was there something like 50/50 processed foods to fresh foods ratio? What was their life like before they rid their diets of gluten? Did they work out regularly or no? Did they change their lifestyle outside of their eating? It's common for people in our society to view one thing in their lives as the culprit for all of their ills (look at bad marriages...the culprit is almost always the other person!), and ignore the bigger picture.

3) Outside of individuals that are truly alergic to gluten and could die from it, there is real no empirical evidence that gluten is the cause of anything and that it should be avoided.

Sink, when I, Mearlie, went gluten free, at first I probably wasn't eating as healthy as I did BEFORE. Because when a person first goes GF, they want to try all the GF products and many of them are full of crap. Crap that doesn't contain gluten, but still crap. IF they feel better (BIG IF), you're going to hear about it because it's like being given part of your life that you didn't even know was missing. You just "feel better" and it's hard to put a quantifier on that.

I understand people's concern but eating GF is NOT a fad diet. this isn't atkins, south beach, jenny craig, etc, this is avoiding ONE ingredient. Yes it's in tons of stuff, but it's only ONE ingredient, not a fad at all. And it's NOT a weight loss trend. In fact, if you aren't careful you could definitely gain weight eating potatoes and rice instead of whole grains! People who do it for a week or two are just starting to scratch the surface at how darn difficult it is too. Dining out is very difficult and I feel terrible that the conversation at the table always ends up revolving around MY food intolerance. At some point it becomes less of a conversation starter when people get to know you but it takes a long time!

And since there's no way to test for it, the only way to know if it works for you is to go gluten free for a couple weeks. Negativity doesn't help a person who is questioning whether to try it or not. You just have to get in there and do it to see if it works!

TheSink

1. Have you tried it? To see how it makes you feel? How a person feels is a great indicator of how they are health wise.

No. I eat a balanced diet, and if I feel like having a bag of Cheetos, and it fits into my diet, I eat them. And since I've never suffered from indigestion problems that have been diagnosed as a gluten intolerance or allergy, why should I? Feeling good can be a result of thousands of different stimulants.

2. I am happy to talk to you about my diet before going gluten free. Would you like to ask me any questions?

Please feel free to post an average day: Food, exercise, amount of sleep, daily routine, etc., before and after so we get the full picture. Are you doing absolutely everything exactly the same now as you were before you went gluten free? Is the absence of gluten from your diet the only variable that has changed since you went gluten free?

3. I would say the fact that 'almost 100%' of people who have removed gluten from their diets feel better, healthier and more energised is pretty good evidence that it has a positive effect. Wouldn't you?

Not at all. If 100% of people started eating each other and claimed they felt better about themselves, I wouldn't char broil my neighbor. Perhaps you need to read a little more from individuals that have voluntarily eliminated gluten and found NO positive effect from it, or minimal positive affect. I will go back to my original post and say if you can give me empirical evidence that suggests it reduces cancer risk, or something other than "wow, I feel GREAT!!!" then I'll jump right up on that bandwagon too.

mearlie

Empirical evidence: Taking less than half the thyroid meds I took when I was eating gluten. Also, gut pain is gone.

FeebRyan

1. Have you tried it? To see how it makes you feel? How a person feels is a great indicator of how they are health wise.

No. I eat a balanced diet, and if I feel like having a bag of Cheetos, and it fits into my diet, I eat them. And since I've never suffered from indigestion problems that have been diagnosed as a gluten intolerance or allergy, why should I? Feeling good can be a result of thousands of different stimulants.

2. I am happy to talk to you about my diet before going gluten free. Would you like to ask me any questions?

Please feel free to post an average day: Food, exercise, amount of sleep, daily routine, etc., before and after so we get the full picture. Are you doing absolutely everything exactly the same now as you were before you went gluten free? Is the absence of gluten from your diet the only variable that has changed since you went gluten free?

3. I would say the fact that 'almost 100%' of people who have removed gluten from their diets feel better, healthier and more energised is pretty good evidence that it has a positive effect. Wouldn't you?

Not at all. If 100% of people started eating each other and claimed they felt better about themselves, I wouldn't char broil my neighbor. Perhaps you need to read a little more from individuals that have voluntarily eliminated gluten and found NO positive effect from it, or minimal positive affect. I will go back to my original post and say if you can give me empirical evidence that suggests it reduces cancer risk, or something other than "wow, I feel GREAT!!!" then I'll jump right up on that bandwagon too.

1. But see, i have suffered indigestion problems, so have many of other people, just because YOU are not intolerant to gluten, does not mean that many other people would find the same results.

2. sure;

(gluten)

Breakfast - Porridge with almond milk, prunes, dried cranberries, almond flakes and a banana

Snack - 9 bar or eat healthy bar and banana

Lunch - beans on toast (generally)

Dinner - homemade spag bol, veggie stir fry or chicken and pasta


Now

Smoothie with apple juice, banana, prunes, wheatgrass, macca powder

snack - 9 bar or eat healthy bar

lunch - hummus, rice cakes, few veggies if affordable

dinner - home made veggie curry or falafal or bean stew with rice, chapati, pitta etc

exercise, 2 days belly dancing a week, running around after a toddler and newborn all day.


exercise has not changed.

FeebRyan

3.

harming your neighbour is very different to going gluten-free or removing something potentially harmful from your diet to see if you have a hidden intolerance to it. Nobody is suggest you hurt yourself or anyone else

in fact i have not even seen anyone suggest to anyone else that they go gluten-free, it seems someone approaches the subject on the forum and are attacked by people who rubbish the suggestion and say it is some sort of sheepish fad, or that is its dangerous and unreasonable a thing to suggest.

The one common denominator is that those who have attempted a gluten-free or reduced diet are all for others giving it a go, where as those who have not tried it, pish it and suggest it is something terrible.

Now who are the ones with the lack of information, would you say

JustJennie1

If you are truly going to go gluten free then you need to be cognizant of the hidden gluten that is in labels as well. "Gluten Free" does not just mean cutting out wheat products, it means making sure that what you eat doesn't have any gluten in it. Did you know that Carmel Color contains gluten? Glue on lickable envelopes and stamps? Medications, pasta sauce (just because it says it contains tomato paste does not mean the manufacturer who they got the paste from doesn't contain gluten), certain added ingredients in foods like HVP (hydrogenated vegetable protein), HPP (hydrolyzed plant protein), TVP (textured vegetable protein), MSG (monosodium glutamate could contain wheat if made outside of the U.S.A.), and phrases like modified food starch (safe if made in the U.S.A., but may contain gluten if made elsewhere) tell you nothing about what ingredients it may contain. Other confusing ingredients are maltodextrin, stabilizers, binders, fillers, natural flavor, vegetable gums, and mono & diglycerides. Ice cream, soups, snacks, yogurts, ground beef can all contain gluten.

Also when you go out to eat you need to make sure that the food is prepared in the way that they would prepare it for someone with a gluten intolerance.

If you're going to go completely gluten free then you need to be aware of all of this stuff as do people who have celiacs. Like I said it's not just cutting out wheat products or the like it's cutting out anything that might contain gluten. Just something to think about.

ETA: My sister has Celiacs and believe me it is a pain in the butt for her to shop and go to restaurants. If there is even a small portion of gluten in something -- or if they happen to accidentally cook her food in a pot that say pasta was cooked in -- she gets very ill.

caribougal

There's suspicion that gluten plays a role in psychological or behavioral issues as well. I know anectdotally, people eating paleo/primal say they experience less depression, and see less ADHD or ADD issues with kids, but that may be as much from eliminating sugars and additives as from eliminating gluten.

I appreciate your post, and I hear you on folks with Celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities. I'm pulling this one comment out, not to pick on you or the comment, but rather to go back to my original point. In my opinion, it's far too simple to equate a gluten free diet and the experience of "less depression." It's very hard to measure something like that, and say with any certainty the two are correlated. I feel like people who claim gluten free diets changed their psyches, or made them feel better, are implicitly stating that gluten is the reason for why they were depressed or "felt bad" in the first place. It's almost like saying "I don't have a cell phone or a brain tumor, so cell phones cause brain tumors". Everybody understimates the powers of the mind, and honestly? I think people who go gluten free as a means of "feeling better" or limiting ADD or whatever are making themselves believe the two are interrelated. But then again, what do I know? :-) I just cringe when I read about fad diets.

I totally hear you. Especially with depression or behavior, it's hard to pin it on any one thing. If it were easy, we'd all be happy little calm campers. I personally haven't really seen a change in depression. I don't suffer terribly, but I teeter on the edge a few days every month. I'm not sure at all what triggers it. And no, it's not TOM. I also haven't seen a change in my energy levels, but what I do notice is that my blood sugar has stabilized. I'm sure that has nothing to do with gluten and everything to do with lowering my carbs and only eating sugar from fruits and veggies (and the occasional bite of dark chocolate). I learned a lot about my blood sugar swings when I had gestational diabetes and was testing myself before and after every meal. I learned which foods spiked my blood sugar and kept it high, and which foods didn't. Of course, I had a malfunctioning pancreas at the time which I don't have now, but it really taught me to pay attention to how I felt before and after eating certain foods. Now that I have slain that sugar dragon and driven him from my life, I no longer have the cravings, the shakes if I go a few hours without eating, or the obsessive thinking about being "staaarved". I can get hungry, without getting shaky or crazy. And eat a filling meal of protein + veg + fat and be happy for hours.

On the other hand, there are LOTs of people who eliminate gluten and processed foods from their kids' diets, and see dramatic changes in behavior. Again, I'm not sure if that's the gluten, or if it's more the sugar and/or chemical additives from processed foods. I'm trying to get my kids to eat less crappy carbs and more healthy foods, but it's hard to be successful when hubby brings home bite-size brownies, cookies, candy, etc. I have no problem resisting, but the kids can't resist and don't want to. I would love to run an experiment and eliminate the processed sugary stuff from my kids' diets for 2 weeks and see if we have less tantrums. With a 4 and 3 year old... that sure would be nice. I'll keep dreaming.

mearlie

If you are truly going to go gluten free then you need to be cognizant of the hidden gluten that is in labels as well. "Gluten Free" does not just mean cutting out wheat products, it means making sure that what you eat doesn't have any gluten in it. Did you know that Carmel Color contains gluten? Glue on lickable envelopes and stamps? Medications, pasta sauce (just because it says it contains tomato paste does not mean the manufacturer who they got the paste from doesn't contain gluten), certain added ingredients in foods like HVP (hydrogenated vegetable protein), HPP (hydrolyzed plant protein), TVP (textured vegetable protein), MSG (monosodium glutamate could contain wheat if made outside of the U.S.A.), and phrases like modified food starch (safe if made in the U.S.A., but may contain gluten if made elsewhere) tell you nothing about what ingredients it may contain. Other confusing ingredients are maltodextrin, stabilizers, binders, fillers, natural flavor, vegetable gums, and mono & diglycerides. Ice cream, soups, snacks, yogurts, ground beef can all contain gluten.

Also when you go out to eat you need to make sure that the food is prepared in the way that they would prepare it for someone with a gluten intolerance.

If you're going to go completely gluten free then you need to be aware of all of this stuff as do people who have celiacs. Like I said it's not just cutting out wheat products or the like it's cutting out anything that might contain gluten. Just something to think about.

ETA: My sister has Celiacs and believe me it is a pain in the butt for her to shop and go to restaurants. If there is even a small portion of gluten in something -- or if they happen to accidentally cook her food in a pot that say pasta was cooked in -- she gets very ill.

Yep!

ktouton

My son has Celiac. Anyone with a first degree relative (parent/sibling or child) should be tested for it. My tTg numbers did not indicate Celiac, but I do have one of the 2 genes. I went GF with my son and determined I am gluten intolerant. Who knew that cutting out gluten would prevent kidney stones.

I am also the person who GAINED 30 pounds after going GF. I am proof that not everyone looses weight while GF. I am working my way to loose those 30 and more.

mearlie

That's exactly what I don't get about people who call this a "fad diet". It's NOT a diet at all. In fact if you aren't careful you will gain. The first thing I did was buy a package of gluten free cake mix, then proceeded to eat the whole dang thing myself! *insert sarcasm* But it was OK because it wasn't gluten!

FeebRyan

That's exactly what I don't get about people who call this a "fad diet". It's NOT a diet at all. In fact if you aren't careful you will gain. The first thing I did was buy a package of gluten free cake mix, then proceeded to eat the whole dang thing myself! *insert sarcasm* But it was OK because it wasn't gluten!

I just made gluten and dairy free banana choc-chip muffins.

dreadful i know

mearlie

That's exactly what I don't get about people who call this a "fad diet". It's NOT a diet at all. In fact if you aren't careful you will gain. The first thing I did was buy a package of gluten free cake mix, then proceeded to eat the whole dang thing myself! *insert sarcasm* But it was OK because it wasn't gluten!

I just made gluten and dairy free banana choc-chip muffins.

dreadful i know

Oh that sounds DIVINE! Have you noticed how light and fluffy the really sweet cake-y stuff is, but how dense and heavy breads are? What's up with that? lol

momtokgo

There's suspicion that gluten plays a role in psychological or behavioral issues as well. I know anectdotally, people eating paleo/primal say they experience less depression, and see less ADHD or ADD issues with kids, but that may be as much from eliminating sugars and additives as from eliminating gluten.

I appreciate your post, and I hear you on folks with Celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities. I'm pulling this one comment out, not to pick on you or the comment, but rather to go back to my original point. In my opinion, it's far too simple to equate a gluten free diet and the experience of "less depression." It's very hard to measure something like that, and say with any certainty the two are correlated. I feel like people who claim gluten free diets changed their psyches, or made them feel better, are implicitly stating that gluten is the reason for why they were depressed or "felt bad" in the first place. It's almost like saying "I don't have a cell phone or a brain tumor, so cell phones cause brain tumors". Everybody understimates the powers of the mind, and honestly? I think people who go gluten free as a means of "feeling better" or limiting ADD or whatever are making themselves believe the two are interrelated. But then again, what do I know? :-) I just cringe when I read about fad diets.

I totally hear you. Especially with depression or behavior, it's hard to pin it on any one thing. If it were easy, we'd all be happy little calm campers. I personally haven't really seen a change in depression. I don't suffer terribly, but I teeter on the edge a few days every month. I'm not sure at all what triggers it. And no, it's not TOM. I also haven't seen a change in my energy levels, but what I do notice is that my blood sugar has stabilized. I'm sure that has nothing to do with gluten and everything to do with lowering my carbs and only eating sugar from fruits and veggies (and the occasional bite of dark chocolate). I learned a lot about my blood sugar swings when I had gestational diabetes and was testing myself before and after every meal. I learned which foods spiked my blood sugar and kept it high, and which foods didn't. Of course, I had a malfunctioning pancreas at the time which I don't have now, but it really taught me to pay attention to how I felt before and after eating certain foods. Now that I have slain that sugar dragon and driven him from my life, I no longer have the cravings, the shakes if I go a few hours without eating, or the obsessive thinking about being "staaarved". I can get hungry, without getting shaky or crazy. And eat a filling meal of protein + veg + fat and be happy for hours.

On the other hand, there are LOTs of people who eliminate gluten and processed foods from their kids' diets, and see dramatic changes in behavior. Again, I'm not sure if that's the gluten, or if it's more the sugar and/or chemical additives from processed foods. I'm trying to get my kids to eat less crappy carbs and more healthy foods, but it's hard to be successful when hubby brings home bite-size brownies, cookies, candy, etc. I have no problem resisting, but the kids can't resist and don't want to. I would love to run an experiment and eliminate the processed sugary stuff from my kids' diets for 2 weeks and see if we have less tantrums. With a 4 and 3 year old... that sure would be nice. I'll keep dreaming.

We did!! All processed foods, food dyes etc. And there was a huge change in attitude, especially from my 10 year old. We have some things back in the house now,but not much. We very very rarely buy things like brownies, cookies etc. Very few fits in our house.

We started our 10year old on a GF diet today too, I have Celiacs and she has symptoms. Worth a try for a bit to see if it helps her or not.

jllove871

Are you going gluten free because you think you may have an intolerance or just that you feel it is something you want to try?

I am gluten intolerant and had no choice but to cut it out. Some days it can be very hard, especially when getting together with friends for dinner that do not need to follow the same 'diet'. I will say since going GF I feel much better, no bloating, less headaches, intestinal issues have eased etc etc.

I wish you luck with whatever choices you make, but remember this needs to be a lifestyle not a diet to help with weight loss.

I am going gluten free because I have hypothyroidisand irritable bowel, nice!

mearlie

hypothyroidism - did they diagnose you with hashimotos? If so, that's a definite warning sign that you are gluten intolerant.

IBS too? Yep! Time to give it a go. You won't know until you try it for awhile.

ep922nj

Aren't bananas a 'no no' for gluten free?