I am going Gluten Free, any comments suggestions
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jllove871
Posts: 84 Member
Been thinking about doing it, this article helped me decide to just do it!
http://www.healyourlife.com/author-dr-dena-mendes/2011/08/lifeshelp/get-healthy/why-be-gluten-free
4 Facts to Get Gluten-Free:
1. You need a certain amount of carbohydrates for brain development. These can be attained by eating greens and high quality animal protein/fat. You could live the rest of your life and never eat another packaged carbohydrate containing wheat and gluten. You wouldn’t miss it and you’d be a lot healthier.
2. Carbohydrates are more addicting than cocaine or heroine. The rush you get from a sticky, gooey cinnamon bun can create such a high, you might do whatever it takes to get another one in a few hours. The sad part is that you’ll never be satiated by this empty relationship. Carbs can have such catastrophic side effects including permanently slowing your metabolism, numbing your senses and preventing healthy brain development.
3. Every popular diet today is all about eliminating killer carbs and adding the fat back. You need good quality fats such as avocados and olive oil for your body and brain to work most efficiently. You will never need pasta or cereal (packaged carbohydrates).
4. Until the government began making recommendations for your daily diet requirements by telling you that your diet should be made up of 45-65% carbs, your ancestors lived healthy, happy lives as hunters and gatherers who ate meat, fish, veggies, and fruit
http://www.healyourlife.com/author-dr-dena-mendes/2011/08/lifeshelp/get-healthy/why-be-gluten-free
4 Facts to Get Gluten-Free:
1. You need a certain amount of carbohydrates for brain development. These can be attained by eating greens and high quality animal protein/fat. You could live the rest of your life and never eat another packaged carbohydrate containing wheat and gluten. You wouldn’t miss it and you’d be a lot healthier.
2. Carbohydrates are more addicting than cocaine or heroine. The rush you get from a sticky, gooey cinnamon bun can create such a high, you might do whatever it takes to get another one in a few hours. The sad part is that you’ll never be satiated by this empty relationship. Carbs can have such catastrophic side effects including permanently slowing your metabolism, numbing your senses and preventing healthy brain development.
3. Every popular diet today is all about eliminating killer carbs and adding the fat back. You need good quality fats such as avocados and olive oil for your body and brain to work most efficiently. You will never need pasta or cereal (packaged carbohydrates).
4. Until the government began making recommendations for your daily diet requirements by telling you that your diet should be made up of 45-65% carbs, your ancestors lived healthy, happy lives as hunters and gatherers who ate meat, fish, veggies, and fruit
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Replies
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Honestly, unless you have a gluten intolerance or suffer from Celiacs, going gluten free really won't do much for you. On the other hand, some people are carb sensitive and reducing carbs helps them lose weight or keep their weight in check. That is different than going gluten free. By confusing the two, I feel it diminishes the support people with actual gluten intolerance/Celiacs receive, as in the most extreme cases, even a speck of gluten can make them ill. That is different than you wanting to cut carbs to lose weight.0
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I went gluten free last Monday.
I have no indigestion
I have 200x more energy
I do not miss it one bar
I had a headache for 2 days after quitting, i felt weird for about 4 days
I could NOT go back to gluten now, cutting it out has changed my life
If you want to do it, do it, but dont do it because you want to lose weight, do it because you want to make a positive and beneficial change to your lifestyle for the rest of your life.
I cannot eat birthday cakes or have the odd snack, i cannot eat pastrys or go to a friends house for dinner, i have to take a packed lunch everywhere. I cannot eat toast or have the odd bacon sarnie. going gluten free has not been easy at all, i have had to forfeit an awful lot of stuff... but it has changed my life for the better It was entirely worth it! 0 -
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.0 -
Unless you have a medical condition to keep you from having gluten I wouldn't suggest it. I have a wheat and gluten sensitivity and i still don't cut it out completely. Also before doing something like this i'd suggest talking to your doc, there can be side effects0
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I do NOT have celiacs but I AM gluten intolerant.
I do not eat gluten, dairy (cow milk), soy, or legumes. I do not eat those things because they make my stomach hurt and/or cause extreme, uncomfortable and yes, smelly gas.
I do eat healthier now because of my dietary restrictions however it is very easy to eat crap on this diet. Potato chips are gluten, dairy, and soy free, for instance. You STILL have to make the right choices.
BUT, IF you are truly gluten intolerant, you will know for sure about a week or less IF YOU STOP EATING ALL GLUTEN. It is very hard to stop eating all gluten because it's probably in your favorite teryaki sauce, seasoning blends, and pre-packaged meals. It is what makes bread rise, it's in pies and cakes and most thickeners like gravy mixes and even boullion. It's not easy and if you don't do it hard core in the beginning you will say "oh it's not working for me so I must not be gluten intolerant".
If you think you might be gluten intolerant, the best way to find out is to stop eating gluten. No matter what your doctor tells you, there's no fool proof testing to be done. Just stop eating it and see how you feel.
Good luck!0 -
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.
Totally agree. And respectfully disagree with the OP who posted that it can cause problems. Going gluten free will not hurt you in any way unless you start making poor choices about the other foods you eat.
I was having a lot of gut pain that radiated into my back and down my leg sometimes. I also get kind of numb in fingers and toes when I ingest too much gluten. I feel a lot better.
If you don't feel better after a few weeks, make SURE that you aren't accidentally ingesting gluten before you stop doing it. Chances are it's hiding somewhere in something that you least expect.0 -
The tricky part is cutting ALL Gluten out. I mean, to go completely Gluten-Free, you have to read every label. Some foods are processed in factories that are not dedicated Gluten-Free and can carry Gluten by proxy.0
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I have to add, its really easy to eat crap whilst not eating gluten.
There are a plethora of gluten free breads and cakes that are WORSE from you than your average bread/cakes because they make up the lack of gluten with salt and sugar!
For example, last week i had a gluten free brownie and it was nearly 600 calories! You could probably find a low-calorie alternative to a brownie if it had gluten in it, but a low cal + gluten free brownie is not so easy!
for me, the only thing keeping me going is how utterly fabulous i feel since cutting it out, if it weren't for that, i would definitely have reverted, weightloss or no.
I think i feel so good now, because i am actually gluten intollerant and therefore cutting it out has made me feel awesome 0 -
I went gluten free last Monday.
I have no indigestion
I have 200x more energy
I do not miss it one bar
I had a headache for 2 days after quitting, i felt weird for about 4 days
I could NOT go back to gluten now, cutting it out has changed my life
If you want to do it, do it, but dont do it because you want to lose weight, do it because you want to make a positive and beneficial change to your lifestyle for the rest of your life.
I cannot eat birthday cakes or have the odd snack, i cannot eat pastrys or go to a friends house for dinner, i have to take a packed lunch everywhere. I cannot eat toast or have the odd bacon sarnie. going gluten free has not been easy at all, i have had to forfeit an awful lot of stuff... but it has changed my life for the better It was entirely worth it!
You went gluten free for ONE week and it has changed your TWENTY EIGHT years off existence. My best guess is you've never been committed to anything for more than a week before or somebody has you sold. From my experience I go on certain diet and training philosophies for months and even if I see changes still do not feel qualified to give other people advice.
To the original poster, I recommend that you do more research than reading one article on a subject before diving into it. Especially take second thought when getting advice from somebody that has been on it for a week and might decide its a bad idea by next Monday. Even if you do get advice from somebody that has been on something for months, keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for you.
Thats my piece of advice from months and months of work and research, so gather what you know and take the plunge. Most times a mistake is necessary to learn.0 -
Totally agree. And respectfully disagree with the OP who posted that it can cause problems. Going gluten free will not hurt you in any way unless you start making poor choices about the other foods you eat.
I work in healthcare, and alllllll the doctors I work with DO NOT advise going gluten free completely if you do not have a gluten intolerance or illness which you should not have gluten0 -
OK. I'm coeliac, and I don't get in any way offended by people who are not coeliac going GF, nor do I feel that it diminishes the seriousness of coeliac disease as an illness.
However, I would recommend that before you self-diagnose or cut out gluten, you get the coeliac blood test done before you cut it out. If you think you have a problem with gluten, it's worth checking if it's coeliac or not. And it's much harder to diagnose once you go gluten free. I went through doing elimination diets for my Crohns disease and found such a huge improvement off gluten that my GP decided I should have a coeliac test. I had to go back on to gluten for a biopsy, and boy, was I sick as a dog. I wish they'd thought to test me sooner, before I had to go through that shizz.
If you're not coeliac, but feel better off gluten, or even just grains in general, all power to you. Do what makes you well and happy. I'm definitely in the "you don't need grains in your diet if you don't want to eat them" camp. I am grain free now, I don't do legumes either, because my digestive system can't handle them. I'm probably quite close to Paleo/Primal, although I do have the occasional chocolate indulgence, if I'm feeling that way out, and I do eat some dairy (plain yoghurt, butter and some cheeses)
But yeah....gluten free is not healthy by default, a lot of gluten free products are basically full of crap, so if you're going to eat grains (and there's no reason why you shouldn't, in moderation, unless your system can't handle them) then go for things like brown rice, quinoa, as unprocessed as possible, and check for possible gluten contamination - some grains carry a warning that they have been processed in an environment that handles wheat products. My advice would be to avoid the gluten free substitutes, because they are nutritionally inferior, and full of additives, preservatives, salt and sugar and cheap omega 6 fats.
If you choose to go Primal/Paleo, it's gluten free by default, because there are no grains at all in it - from your original post, I think maybe that's more what you're wanting to do than just go gluten free? If that's the case, I think it's a perfectly healthy diet, we don't NEED wheat, gluten or in fact any other grain to be healthy, just as if you didn't want to eat meat or animal products you could also be healthy as well as a veggie or vegan.
If more people are gluten free, it actually HELPS us coeliacs, because there is a better market for gluten free foods, more provision for gluten free diets in restaurants and cafes, it means that you can have more of a normal life if you can't eat gluten for a medical reason. I don't know to be frank why the medical profession thinks wheat and gluten are so great, I told them even if I didn't come back positive for coeliac I was going gluten free anyway because I felt better like that, and they couldn't fathom it, and gave me the whole spiel of how gluten free diets are bad (no they're not, unless you rely on crappy substitute products, which ARE rubbish) and if you aren't coeliac you should be eating it, it's part of a healthy diet blah blah. It CAN be part of a healthy diet, but it doesn't HAVE to be - it's not like if you decided to eliminate water, you would die if you did that, but wheat? It's not necessary, if you don't want to eat it!0 -
Totally agree. And respectfully disagree with the OP who posted that it can cause problems. Going gluten free will not hurt you in any way unless you start making poor choices about the other foods you eat.
I work in healthcare, and alllllll the doctors I work with DO NOT advise going gluten free completely if you do not have a gluten intolerance or illness which you should not have gluten
There's NO WAY to know for CERTAIN you are gluten intolerant UNLESS you go gluten free. Some people CAN tell after a week or two that they are starting to feel better. It probably took 7-10 days for me to feel better.
Food intolerances are NOT considered much by mainstream doctors but many people have gluten intolerance and don't know it.0 -
I agree with little miss with all but one point - there's no reason that a person with mild symptoms needs a formal diagnosis.
I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy and the only thing they found was a little bitty ulcer that could NOT be the cause of the severe abdominal pain, cramping and other symptoms I was having.
The doctors did the blood tests and found nothing. So, I took the advice of two friends (one believes she has celiacs but is not diagnosed bc the docs wouldn't do it, the other is diagnosed) who said "just do it and see how you feel" and they were right, I feel much better.0 -
Mearlie: what are some of the symptoms you had. I have been undergoing multiple different symptoms that have to do with digestion. I already have acid reflex and the symptoms are not the same. I looked up my symptoms on webmd and one of the possibilities was gluten intolerance, I'm planning on calling a doctor today0
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I went gluten free last Monday.
I have no indigestion
I have 200x more energy
I do not miss it one bar
I had a headache for 2 days after quitting, i felt weird for about 4 days
I could NOT go back to gluten now, cutting it out has changed my life
If you want to do it, do it, but dont do it because you want to lose weight, do it because you want to make a positive and beneficial change to your lifestyle for the rest of your life.
I cannot eat birthday cakes or have the odd snack, i cannot eat pastrys or go to a friends house for dinner, i have to take a packed lunch everywhere. I cannot eat toast or have the odd bacon sarnie. going gluten free has not been easy at all, i have had to forfeit an awful lot of stuff... but it has changed my life for the better It was entirely worth it!
You went gluten free for ONE week and it has changed your TWENTY EIGHT years off existence. My best guess is you've never been committed to anything for more than a week before or somebody has you sold. From my experience I go on certain diet and training philosophies for months and even if I see changes still do not feel qualified to give other people advice.
To the original poster, I recommend that you do more research than reading one article on a subject before diving into it. Especially take second thought when getting advice from somebody that has been on it for a week and might decide its a bad idea by next Monday. Even if you do get advice from somebody that has been on something for months, keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for you.
Thats my piece of advice from months and months of work and research, so gather what you know and take the plunge. Most times a mistake is necessary to learn.
Nobody here is 'qualified' to give advice because we are not dietians.
I was providing information based upon my experience which i was honest and clear about.
Yes i gave up gluten a week ago and i have had more fun and pleasure making and eating food since then than i ever did before
Its been a really lovely experience for me.
I know gluten reacts badly with me because of how i feel right now, i dont honestly give a monkey's whether YOU 'approve' or 'believe' me or not, i did not stop eating gluten because of a 'faddy diet' i did it because of my health.
You have absolutely NO business being so rude, judgemental or negative.0 -
i have celiac, and i wouldn't suggest going completely gluten free. You can make a choice of going for rice pasta instead of regular pasta or for Gf bread to regular bread...but other than that i wouldn't suggest it. Studies have shown people who want to go gluten free tend to eat all the gluten free snacks- when they are just as unhealthy for you...plus It's incredibly hard, as well as EXPENSIVE!0
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Mearlie: what are some of the symptoms you had. I have been undergoing multiple different symptoms that have to do with digestion. I already have acid reflex and the symptoms are not the same. I looked up my symptoms on webmd and one of the possibilities was gluten intolerance, I'm planning on calling a doctor today
Hmm. Let's see...
The symptoms that led me to seeking a formal diagnosis for possible celiacs was the sharp pains in my gut/back that stopped me dead in my tracks.
However, I also have hypothyroidism due to hashimotos, which is an autoimmune disease. Any autoimmune disease should be a red flag to give gluten free a try. For me, there's a reason my body was attacking itself.
Also, I had brain fog often, was diagnosed adhd, I have headaches/migraines (that I still struggle with but I have learned not to drink red wine which is helping tremendously), constipation, infertility (took meds to get pregnant the first time), PCOS, dairy and soy intolerance, very weird skin sores that would not heal, hypoglycemia, I was a gestational diabetic and insulin dependent with both pregnancies. Heck there's probably more but I'll stop there.
Celiacs and gluten intolerance CAN be hereditary and it is grossly UNDER diagnosed. Many doctors won't even consider gluten as a problem unless the patient is severely underweight and malnourished but it's just OLD science. They'll catch up eventually.
Oh and I should add, I was dairy free for probably 10 years before I went gluten free.0 -
I went gluten free last Monday.
I have no indigestion
I have 200x more energy
I do not miss it one bar
I had a headache for 2 days after quitting, i felt weird for about 4 days
I could NOT go back to gluten now, cutting it out has changed my life
If you want to do it, do it, but dont do it because you want to lose weight, do it because you want to make a positive and beneficial change to your lifestyle for the rest of your life.
I cannot eat birthday cakes or have the odd snack, i cannot eat pastrys or go to a friends house for dinner, i have to take a packed lunch everywhere. I cannot eat toast or have the odd bacon sarnie. going gluten free has not been easy at all, i have had to forfeit an awful lot of stuff... but it has changed my life for the better It was entirely worth it!
You went gluten free for ONE week and it has changed your TWENTY EIGHT years off existence. My best guess is you've never been committed to anything for more than a week before or somebody has you sold. From my experience I go on certain diet and training philosophies for months and even if I see changes still do not feel qualified to give other people advice.
To the original poster, I recommend that you do more research than reading one article on a subject before diving into it. Especially take second thought when getting advice from somebody that has been on it for a week and might decide its a bad idea by next Monday. Even if you do get advice from somebody that has been on something for months, keep in mind that what works for one person may not work for you.
Thats my piece of advice from months and months of work and research, so gather what you know and take the plunge. Most times a mistake is necessary to learn.
Nobody here is 'qualified' to give advice because we are not dietians.
I was providing information based upon my experience which i was honest and clear about.
Yes i gave up gluten a week ago and i have had more fun and pleasure making and eating food since then than i ever did before
Its been a really lovely experience for me.
I know gluten reacts badly with me because of how i feel right now, i dont honestly give a monkey's whether YOU 'approve' or 'believe' me or not, i did not stop eating gluten because of a 'faddy diet' i did it because of my health.
You have absolutely NO business being so rude, judgemental or negative.
And you know this for certain that its not a case of the weather changing in the last week, or things falling into place at work, or your relationship with your significant other taking a spark. or your bodily hormones in a swing from regularities outside of food, etc... Come back to me in 6 months and tell me that your life has been changed and that you haven't had a gluten free pizza once and I might consider the possibility that your life change a result of your diet.0 -
i have celiac, and i wouldn't suggest going completely gluten free. You can make a choice of going for rice pasta instead of regular pasta or for Gf bread to regular bread...but other than that i wouldn't suggest it. Studies have shown people who want to go gluten free tend to eat all the gluten free snacks- when they are just as unhealthy for you...plus It's incredibly hard, as well as EXPENSIVE!
Once I got the hang of it, eating GF is not really that much more expensive. BUT I have changed the things I eat. I do keep GF bread (expensivvvveeee!) inn the freezer for the nights that my family really really wants a hamburger BUT we just don't eat sandwiches as often as we used to. Now I use potatoes and rice for most meals. I still let the family eat texas toast, I just leave it off my plate. And I don't really enjoy the GF snack stuff much anyway and would much rather have a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts. The GF snacks taste pretty funky to me - and they are generally way too sweet.
Also, GF products are pricey BUT making your own sauces, spice blends, and starting from scratch is generally cheaper and healthier than pre-packaged stuff. So I think the cost factor almost evens out.0 -
I love little_miss_p's response. Right on!
I am gluten-free by choice. I did not think I had any gluten sensitivity before I cut out all grains. I have since learned that when I do eat gluten, I spend a LOT of time in the bathroom for the next two days. I never had such a reaction to gluten before that I recognized, but I think I was always suffering from a low level of gluten-related inflammation in my gut. Since letting my gut heal, now I react more severely when I do eat gluten. Which is more motivating to stay gluten-free. And I'm less likely to "cheat" with things like pizza or cookies, which helps to maintain my weight loss as well.
I avoid packaged gluten-free products like the plague. I've heard they taste terrible, they're expensive, and highly processed. Since I've also eliminated all processed foods, they're not an option for me. I'm sure there will be a GF baked good in my future at some point, but it's certainly not part of my diet now.
I eliminated grains (and by default, gluten) in order to eat a more healthy diet, and yes... lose weight. I think the weight loss is less about eliminating gluten and more eating my carbs from fruits and veggies, not grains or added sugars.
I love eating this way. I'm eating delicious whole foods, full of flavor (hooray for full FAT!), and losing weight at an appropriate pace. I'm so glad I don't suffer from Celiac, and if I get unintentionally "glutened", I will be unhappy but not severely ill. If I do purchase something packaged, I look at the label really closely. If there's any sugar, soy, or flour of any kind in it, I don't buy it. That's just about everything, so I don't buy much that's packaged. I stick to the perimeter of the super market and avoid the inner aisles, except to buy some frozen veggies. You also have to be really careful about the meats you purchase, because many are injected with solutions that contain gluten. It's so annoying. Ask the butcher, or better yet, purchase meats through a local farmer.
Eating at restaurants is the trickiest part, and a very serious challenge for those with Celiac. The consequences are not so extreme for me, but I still try my best to avoid gluten. I never tell them I'm gluten-free, but I do ask a lot of questions and ask for substitutions. I try to avoid anything with a creamy sauce, since they often add flour or corn starch. Anything soy-based is out. I tend to stick with basic protein/veg dishes, hold the sauce, and just ask them to replace the rice/pasta/tortilla/bread with extra veggie. I'm lucky that I live in a town full of GF eaters, so most restaurants have GF options labeled, and we have one really good totally GF-free restaurant. It's freaking fantastic.
Good luck to the OP. If you're looking for support in eating grain free, join the Paleo/Primal group on MFP. Eating Paleo/Primal isn't specifically low-carb, but since you eliminate grains, legumes, and added sugars, it ends up being much lower carb than a SAD diet. www.marksdailyapple.com is a good place to learn more.0
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