Celiac Disease

mr_len

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease (no gluten)

Previously when I joined a gym, I went on a Protein rich, low carb diet and early on have found that it was practically a gluten free diet.

Does anybody on here have Celiac? How long does it take to adjust to the new strict diet that accompanies the diagnosis?

MeeshyBW

I have a severe gluten and wheat intolerance but am undiagnosed as Celiac so can give you some advice.

I found out on an elimination diet that this was the case and once that was the case I quit it all together and vowed never to eat it again. When I set my mind to something like that I am pretty good at sticking to it.

After about 2 weeks of eating GF/WF I felt like a different person. I had energy, mental clarity and felt like a veil had been lifted in my life. All of my IBS symptoms had cleared up along with my GERD. Once this happens you will never go back to eating it again.

Iron_Pheonix

I feel so awful if I eat gluten that I no longer miss it. Besides there's plenty of gluten free "junk" food so there's not much to miss. Personally I don't eat any gluten or grains. Lots of grass fed meat and veg makes for a happy me gluten used to make me ill for five days straight if I ingested it by accident.

I think the period of adjustment very much depends on your personality, I have no trouble eating a restricted diet and therefore I adjusted pretty quickly.

AnjellaRose_GF_SillyYak

I was diagnosed 14 months ago, it takes a bit to adjust but once you start feeling better you just start not missing it, plus I know I was introduced to so many other healthy options. Its difficult at times but once your off it and you accidently get "hit" you realize just how important being gluten free is. Good luck, you can add me, message me here or on KiK (AnjellaRose) if you have it.

mr_len

thanks for the feedback.

so far the biggest stumbling block is my "snack" time after work, flavored tuna no matter how hard I try does not taste like chocolate cookies.

I am being referred to a dietian, that will help.

KemaVA

"so far the biggest stumbling block is my "snack" time after work, flavored tuna no matter how hard I try does not taste like chocolate cookies. "

Betty Crocker has Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie mix!! I found that at the regular supermarket. Also check out the health food stores near you for gluten free options.

ethompso0105

I'm not Celiac, but I do try to eat GF most of the time (for an intolerance). I noticed a difference within days of quitting gluten. However, according to my kinesologist, the 1/2 life of gluten is about 28 days--this means for full effect, you'll need to give it at least a month to see how you feel. There are so many options out there, now, that it shouldn't be too difficult to switch!

If you're looking for a pre-made GF cookie, nothing beats Amy's Shortbread Cookies. There are a bunch of different flavors (including a super yummy vanilla/chocolate swirl) and I love them all!

sardesc

My son's best friend has Celiac Disease. I found this website and made this recipe:

http://healthyindulgences.net/2012/07/busy-day-cake-aka-blender-cake-moist-yellow-cake-thats-sugar-free-and-gluten-free/#more-257

as cupcakes and they are shockingly cupcake-like and delicious (even my husband took them to work with his lunch and he doesn't usually have a sweet tooth). If you search that site, there are tons of other recipes.

NoleGirl0918

Bump for later - need this information also :-)

jennaworksout

I am Celiac as well, and have taken on the Paleo diet, which is high fat, high protein, low carb...but no grains, sugar or dairy....I feel awesome, been on this diet since October...there are alot of naysayers about Paleo but for me and being Celiac, it works wonders. and when I was eating gluten free before I switched all the GF "treats" like muffins, bagels, breads, cereals, cakes ...the calories in them were unreal !!! Just as much garbage in them IMO.

AllisonMart

I've been GF for 4 years and am never going back. I was never diagnosed with Celiac since I'll have to eat it again to get tested, and that is NOT happening thank you very much! Feel free to add me if you want.

I was terribly, terribly sick and in horrible pain for 8 months before I figured out the problem was gluten. The doctor tested me for everything under the sun but I figured out gluten on my own. Since simply not eating gluten was such a relief, the transition happened almost instantly. I immediately didn't want the gluten products. But also almost immediately I had nothing to eat. I had never learned to cook beyond making mac n cheese and I didn't know what to do. So I had to start learning to cook, and cooking carefully, so I obsessed about every meal. It was about a year until I stopped obsessing and thinking all the time about what I could eat and how I could make it. I've read that this is about average. It felt like a long time, but now I'm a pretty good cook and I can count on one hand the number of times I've been glutened in 4 years.

Also, as your body gets healthier and you don't have a constant stream of gluten in your system, your reactions to gluten will become more severe. This is great incentive to stay off gluten for good!

Stay away from GF products - they have massive amounts of fat and sugar. Save them to be treats only. Good luck!

karenhray7

It took me two weeks to start feeling better after cutting out wheat and gluten. After that, it was not hard at all to not eat those foods.

akaMrsmojo

I am celiac. Within a week, I had lost 10 pounds, my face cleared up and my symptoms disappeared. I eat more protein because of it. But there are plenty.

I will say, going low-carb or low-fat has never been an option. I am too limited by my disease to want to take something off the table.

Just eat your calorie goal and you will be amazed.

Welcome to a healthier life.

mkakids

the best advice I can give you is to not eat replacement items. Things like the gluten free bread and gluten free pasta don't taste very good and they're expensive. If you have to have a gluten free substitute in my opinion the scharr brand is the best tasting brand, but it's still nothing close to the original. Try to be work your meals to naturally not include gluten items. For example for dinner have chicken or beef with 2 vegetables rather than a side of pasta. Have burgers without the buns or use lettuce. And also make sure you learn to understand the tricky forms of gluten. You have to be more aware then just looking for wheat on a label. It does take some adjusting but after while with the hang of new meals and it won't be in issue. When I went through it took about 3 weeks until I felt completely different. I no longer feel sick I no longer have stomach problems my skin looks better my hair looks better all around I feel 100 percent better when I'm not even good. Good luck!

sgmomma

My 9 year old step brother was diagnosed about a month ago... he was always sick and wouldn't gain weight. The first week the family had him gluten free he gained 7lbs!! He hasn't been sick in the last month and he usually has on average 8 or 9 sick days from school a month. He says he feels better, he's still adjusting as is the family, but we were told atleast a month for it to all exit your system.

badtastebetty

If your up for it, try black bean brownies. I made them ages ago, and my boyfriend ate half the plate before I told him they had zero gluten but instead black beans.

Seriously delicious, and easy to make.

KChesneyGal

thanks for the feedback.

so far the biggest stumbling block is my "snack" time after work, flavored tuna no matter how hard I try does not taste like chocolate cookies.

I am being referred to a dietian, that will help.

My Mom and Dad as well as myself have Gluten Intolerance, so we can not eat wheat it is not severe as Celiac Disease, but there are some great options out there for gluten free "snacks" and chocolate cookies, store like Trader Joe's and Whole Food's have some good option as well as the regualr food stores now, I find Trader Joes a little cheaper if you have one by you. They have awesome gluten free brownie mix and brown rice pasta. There are some really great gluten free protein bars as well that dont taste like a protein bar but like a chocolate treat, I dont follow it as strict as my parents do, but when i eat the wheat i deffinatly feel it, eating gluten free i feel 100x better. Betty Crocker and Bisquick also make gluten free products that can be found in the grocery store

hdlb

I am Celiac as well, and have taken on the Paleo diet, which is high fat, high protein, low carb...but no grains, sugar or dairy....I feel awesome, been on this diet since October...there are alot of naysayers about Paleo but for me and being Celiac, it works wonders. and when I was eating gluten free before I switched all the GF "treats" like muffins, bagels, breads, cereals, cakes ...the calories in them were unreal !!! Just as much garbage in them IMO.

Same here. I was diagnosed with Celiac about 8 months ago, and have been eating Paleo for the last 4 or so. I have dairy/corn/rice/oat intolerances/allergies, so it fits prefectly for me.

I'm still not 100% feeling better, but I was sick for a very long time before being diagnosed. (10 years) I noticed an almost immediate difference when I went GF though. My head cleared, I wasn't so dizzy and out of it all the time, my bloating started to go down. It was aobut 6 weeks before I actually started feeling "ok" instead of "horrible" though.

mr_len

Also, as your body gets healthier and you don't have a constant stream of gluten in your system, your reactions to gluten will become more severe. This is great incentive to stay off gluten for good!

Stay away from GF products - they have massive amounts of fat and sugar. Save them to be treats only. Good luck!

BULLSEYE! A couple years ago, I went on a protein-rich, low carb diet with the orders of no pasta, no bread, no sweets. In hindsight, it was practically a GF free food plan.

Upon returning to "regular" food habits, my health progressively got worse to the point I started asking questions.

Then with the inital diagnosis being it might be Celiac, I went GF free until a month before the biopsy where they told I had to eat Gluten. I went from feeling better to feeling worse than when this whole cycle started.

As you said, a great incentive to stay off Gluten. When that doughnut tempts me, knowing the side effects helps me walk away.

mr_len

if you are in edmonton, Kinnikinnick food store, all gluten free and a bakery in-store. So glad my dietation brought this place to my attention!

dbmata

I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease (no gluten)

Previously when I joined a gym, I went on a Protein rich, low carb diet and early on have found that it was practically a gluten free diet.

Does anybody on here have Celiac? How long does it take to adjust to the new strict diet that accompanies the diagnosis?

I don't have Celiac, but for a year if I ate any grains I was stuck in the head for a while. I can eat grains again, but if I eat too much, I'm in the head for a long time.

Suuuuuuucks. Best of luck with yours.

Regarding the diet? I don't know the diet, but as soon as I cut out grains I immediately felt better.

meshashesha2012

not celiac but i have a wheat allergy so i eat gluten free as much as possible. since i'm only allergic there's not as much of a necessity to stay wheat/gluten free as a celiac.

there are tons of alternatives you can use. there are a series of books by the gluten free gourmet where she gives recipes for things like breads and pastries.that ypu can make on your own. depending on where you live, you might have access to some amazing bakeries and restaurants who are completely gluten free.

for me, the hardest thing is dealing with eating out. as you'll find out in your research, gluten is in far more things than just bread, pasta and cereal. it's also in many sauces and meat products like sausages for binding.


my suggestion would be to start off by making everything from scratch at home so you know exactly what's in it. since celiac is an auoimmune issue it's really not something ypou should take for granted and think you're eating GF just because you're eating a meat and a veggie at a restaurant.