Gluten is the Devil

A lot of asian cultures eat high-carb diets (lot of yummy rice), but are virtually gluten-free.

Sometimes people think low-carb diets work because they are low-carb when actually, it's because they are cutting out gluten (pastas, breads, etc.).

My two cents...

Yes and while Japan his the lowest obesity rate, they also have the highest rate of stomach and bladder cancers due to that rice and its high levels of arsenic, not to mention all the mercury in the Tuna they eat. I spoke to a Dr. a few months ago about this. She is working on a study about this very thing at U of Penn. So there are benefits and risks to eating anything to an extreme. I used to eat sushi at least 3x's or more a week. Now its more like once or twice a month.

You sure you're not just feeling better because you got to visit your spine and balls again?

Oh, and the following:

We started camping on Friday morning, and by Saturday evening, my knees, elbows and back felt as though they were on fire, they hurt so badly.


Could be attributed to sleeping on the ground, couldn't it?

We have driven several miles to a Walmart store when the air mattress busted one camping trip. I can't even lie down on the ground, let alone sleep there! :laugh:

You got me with the aches and pains, of which I have many from strenuous workouts. I ordered the book and will keep an open mind. Also one of the few looong posts I've read to the end. Thanks.

p.s. Can your wife write a book about the nightstand drawer thing? I have yet to perfect that...

*sigh*

I wish to know the magic nightstand trick! my hubby seems pretty untrainable. At least I got him to "bless me" and open doors and all. But he does not take orders AT ALL. Can't make him to do anything. Pouty faces, angry doesn't work. His work on me.

I think he was my ....my...boobs? Ovaries? whatever .... spine ...in a drawer locked away.

You got me with the aches and pains, of which I have many from strenuous workouts. I ordered the book and will keep an open mind. Also one of the few looong posts I've read to the end. Thanks.

p.s. Can your wife write a book about the nightstand drawer thing? I have yet to perfect that...

*sigh*

I wish to know the magic nightstand trick! my hubby seems pretty untrainable. At least I got him to "bless me" and open doors and all. But he does not take orders AT ALL. Can't make him to do anything. Pouty faces, angry doesn't work. His work on me.

I think he was my ....my...boobs? Ovaries? whatever .... spine ...in a drawer locked away.

Sounds like you've got bigger problems than gluten. You have to remember that you have something that he... really...really... wants.

Maybe you felt better because it was in your head that you were doing a good thing? I don't believe gluten is a bad thing and if I don't have a medical reason, I see no reason to cut it from my diet personally. Until I do, if I do, I won't be gutting it out. I don't eat much pasta or breads anymore because of it being high in carbs and all, I wish I felt better from doing so, but I don't. To each his own.

Yup, it's all in our heads, diet can't possibly affect health. This is the kind of comment that irks me so badly.

My diet resolved: severe depression, anxiety, anti-social behaviour, indigestion, gas, bloating, acid reflux, ulcers, chronic pain (this was bad enough that I was considering suicide), sleep apnea, insomnia, joint pain, muscle cramps, pre diabetes, headaches, chronic infections/colds/flus/bronchitis, and more.

Many of the health problems are common ailments that people suffer with that don't even know they are sick. For instance, depression, gas, bloating, etc. No, lots of gas is not normal and feeling "down" is not normal.

You don't have to change your diet, but stop discrediting the experience of other people. Thanks.

She wasn't discrediting your experience, just stating her opinion. She clarified that medical reasons could warrant it, but that for her such exclusion wasn't necessary.

Yes she was discrediting the experience by saying "all in your head". That is totally discrediting and also considered verbal abuse.

Poor reading comprehension..........

The last thing anyone wants to hear after suffering for so long is, "It's all in your head." Regardless if it was meant in an innocent way or not.. When I was going through all my ****, I would want to lose it when someone would say that to me.. Usually the person saying it has no understanding of the situation, and really has no reason to make the "It's all in your head" statement.. They should just keep quiet.

^^^^ This!!! The "in your head" comment is SO hurtful to those who have been in pain and suffering for years, if not decades. We don't need to try to undercut those who have found solutions to physical issues they struggle with. Just not necessary. Celebrate with them, instead. Or keep your opinion to yourself. Just my .02

The comment was *maybe* and was referring to the placebo effect! Hello?

First....you crack me up. I love your style of writing and the ability to tell a story.

Second.....my cousin was recenty diagnosed with rhemutoid arthritis and was having severe pain in his joints for a couple of years. It had gotten so bad he changed jobs so he wouldn't have to be so active. (he was a kindergarten teacher) Anyway, after his diagnoses, in an attempt to not go on medication, he and his wife began researching alternatives.

He went gluten free. Within a three days he was pain free. He was a new man. So, it definetly worked for him. Maybe it was all in his head....but I don't think so.

Thirdly, each person is different. Gluten doesn't give me problems thankfully. But other's is truly is the Devil.

You made me laugh, and based on the week I've had, that's a small miracle in itself! Please, just keep writing more...
Honestly though, don't bother with Dr.s and testing on this one. Do what makes your body happy!!

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease at a very young age (1) and was told I may out grow it. Apparently, someone assumed I did because I was raised after age 4 on a gluten rich diet. Fast forward 20 years, and I have an undiagnosed sleep disorder that no one can name, intense migraines that put me on the floor and a strange irregularity problem that just gets pushed to the side. Fast forward another 18 years and now I'm overweight and still battling with sleep, bowels and those damned migraines but now I've developed allergies to the meds used to treat them!

I spent 3 months seeing a chiropracter 3-4 days a week to try to adjust my orbital spine in the hopes of allieviating the migraines that I battled with 5-6 times every month and left me spending days alone, in bed in the dark, puking instead of with my 2 little girls. Not to mention my job in Special Ed was suffering from all the time off I was taking.

A friend strongly encouraged me to try cutting gluten due to my previous diagnosis and I tried knowing it was truly my last straw. Within that first month I continued to have a few more migraines but after that NONE!!! Each month I am GF is another month MIGRAINE FREE!! I have cheated and I've accidentally ingested gluten products since which results in a migraine 3 days later EVERY SINGLE TIME. I will never go back!

BTW- My Dr. offered to test me for Celiac again but warnedme of 2 things. 1) too many false negative results on the blood tests for people who be testing positive. 2) The other more definite test is a bowel biopsy. Guess how that one is performed? No thanks!! Being GF works for me- no tests necessary!

Good luck with your adventure,
~K

Great post BTW... I am currently following the Wheat Belly plan and I lost 12lbs in 2 weeks. I have been struggling for years to lost weight, been on weight watchers etc. etc. But read Wheat Belly and like the book says, decided to give it a try. I mainly tried for the benefits on blood pressure and heart disease...as everyone in my family seems to have some kind of condition.

After being on it for a couple of days I noticed my heart palpitations were gone...I no longer wake up at night with my heart beating out of my chest. I also noticed that my anxiety levels are way down, and I feel much happier all the time. Which delights my (nothing bothers me husband). And lastly the weight loss.

I am now down 15lbs in 45 days. I do not miss wheat based products, and I seem to have way less cravings. And when I do, I seem to reach for the healthy stuff as opposed to the bad stuff. Also, I don't get as hungry as I used and I am not obsessed over food. I think there is alot of great information in the book. And regardless if you have an intolerance to Wheat I think this is one book you should read if you are suffering from any ailment.

If you want to check out Dr. Davis's blog there is some great info on there = > http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

I would discuss with your doctor about being tested for coeliac . Join pain is one of the symptoms and its worth ruling out - from experience as I had severe arthritis at 16 due to undiagnosed coeliac.. For the blood test you will need to eat gluten for a few weeks before hand but if you are wanting to go down that path its worth getting the test out of the way.

I also know quite a few people who have tested negative but have seen a positive result when cutting out gluten. There is now research into non-coeliac auto immune responses to gluten which gives the same symptoms as coeliacs.

Good luck with the diet - it is very easy to find stuff in this day and age.

PS wish my farts smelt of cupcakes!!

You have to still be consuming gluten/have it in your system for at least one of the blood tests to be accurate. I found that out the day I went in for the test, which was about a week after I'd seriously cut back. So my results were "inconclusive." If there's nothing in your system to react to, the antibodies aren't going to show up on the test. But I'm not gonna load back up just to get that validation - I would feel like complete garbage.

As for me, personally, I had a whole host of symptoms (aside from the obvious intestinal ones) go away that I didn't even realize were so bothersome until they were gone. The big ones were joint pain,painful canker sores on my tongue, tiredness, and brain fog/being more depressed than usual (I'm also naturally dysthymic, and a joy to have in class). Acid reflux was the HUGE one. I was so shocked when I realized it had gone away. I had been on heavy-duty PPIs in college and they still didn't cut it every day. I went off of them due to the cost, and had been taking generic OTC ranitidine (Zantac?) sometimes instead, because if I didn't, I would wake up in the middle of the night with my throat and sometimes even the back of my sinuses on fire, and nothing really cools that burn or gets that taste/smell out of my mouth, so I rarely could go back to sleep. But after I'd fully eliminated gluten, it just sort of stopped happening. It was weird. On the occasions that I've cheated, or accidentally gotten into some due to cross-contamination (I don't deliberately cheat anymore, as a promise to myself, but I do unfortunately get glutened sometimes), the heartburn comes right back. So I still keep a bottle of ranitidine on hand just in case I suspect that something got me. NOW Organics has an enzyme pill called Gluten Digest (kinda like what people take for lactose intolerance), which you're supposed to take before a meal you suspect might have some cross-contamination, but I don't know that it actually helps that much.

You got me with the aches and pains, of which I have many from strenuous workouts. I ordered the book and will keep an open mind. Also one of the few looong posts I've read to the end. Thanks.

p.s. Can your wife write a book about the nightstand drawer thing? I have yet to perfect that...

I just did some research and discovered a decent amount of gluten-free chocolate (including a number of Hershey's products). I can live without bread, but chocolate may have been the deal breaker.

*confused*

I've been gluten free for 3 years and am a certified chocolate addict. Some days it's included in every meal of the day No, not proud of that.

Snickers, Almond Joy, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, errr, I could list for hours, but there are a LOT of gf chocolate items. Yes, Kit Kats, 3 Musketeers, Whoppers, and several others do contain gluten, but there are alternatives

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa mix is.the.best.stuff I've ever had. Not kidding.

Sorry I was confusing! Was thinking about things I would have to give up, and not having read the book yet, did some internet searching. Chocolate is a main staple and I wanted to make sure it is still okay. Thanks for the list!

You got me with the aches and pains, of which I have many from strenuous workouts. I ordered the book and will keep an open mind. Also one of the few looong posts I've read to the end. Thanks.

p.s. Can your wife write a book about the nightstand drawer thing? I have yet to perfect that...

I just did some research and discovered a decent amount of gluten-free chocolate (including a number of Hershey's products). I can live without bread, but chocolate may have been the deal breaker.

*confused*

I've been gluten free for 3 years and am a certified chocolate addict. Some days it's included in every meal of the day No, not proud of that.

Snickers, Almond Joy, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, errr, I could list for hours, but there are a LOT of gf chocolate items. Yes, Kit Kats, 3 Musketeers, Whoppers, and several others do contain gluten, but there are alternatives

Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa mix is.the.best.stuff I've ever had. Not kidding.

I always thought gluten could only be found in baked goods - it's what gives dough its elasticity. How could it ever turn up in candy? :huh: