Paleo / Gluten Free Diets

I eat paleo and I actually think more clearly and I'm embarrassed to say I'm not as quick to anger when avoiding gluten.

Lots of people have done them and have been successful. I started out reading a lot about paleo/primal/ low carb and such and found that a lot of their research makes sense in the way that refined carbs (high sugar, white bread,pastas) are what is causing the heart disease that everyone is blaming high fat diets on. That being said I do not do the paleo/ primal diet but have modified it to find what works for me and I feel it is something I can stick to. I have drastically cut back on the carbs but still have some processed carbs. Before cutting back on the carbs I was a sugar addict. I found that it exacerbated my cravings and made me depressed. How do I know this? Well now that I am not in that carb haze I feel so much better and am much happier. Could be contributed to all the veggies I eat and the better nutrients they provide compared to bread and sugar and pastas but since I set my carb amount lower it forces me to eat the veggies, proteins and fats instead.

I eat paleo and I actually think more clearly and I'm embarrassed to say I'm not as quick to anger when avoiding gluten.

I have massive mood swings if I eat gluten. I have Celiacs, and if I even have the smallest bit I'm flipping out over every little thing. Its awful.

I've been suffering for IBS for over 10 years. I was had a blood test about 8 years for coeliacs but it came back negative.

I decided to go gluten free in December, as I thought I at least had some intolerance to it, and apparently the blood test is not conclusive.

I've never felt better. I am rarely bloated. I've started losing weight again. It hasn't been hard at all! There are a lot of alternatives and I'm making better choices.

I eat Gluten free but only because I'm pretty sure I have an intolerance.

I've been doing it for a few weeks now and it works, but you have to think of it as a lifestyle change - not a diet. In my opinion, it only works if I believe in it, read a ton about it and understand the science behind the lifestyle. Otherwise, I'm that much more likely to have a bite of cake at a party or some mac & cheese with dinner.

I'd suggest trying to read a lot about it and actually embracing the logic/values behind it before making the diet switch. Also, have snacks aside in case you get hungry because there's usually nothing Paleo in a vending machine or fast food restaurant! haha

I tried to do it at 100% for the first two weeks and now I'm focusing on making Paleo choices 90% of my diet.

Has anyone ever tried these diets? I have gotten some very good advice from a very good friend recently and she highly encourages eating a Paleo and Gluten free diet. I am willing to try, I know that I need to start eating to live and not living to eat.... I have just turned 29 and have dedicated this year to taking care of my health and being the healthiest me I can be. I vow to look better in my 30s than I have in my 20s.

I don't do the Paleo diet, I don't have the discipline for that. I did, however, go gluten and grain free two years ago and have benefited tremendously from this decision. I lost 20 lbs in the first three months, had a lot of health issues the doctor couldn't define suddenly disappear, and my cholesterol dropped by 40 pts. My RA factor of 23 went back to 14. I had all over body aches and joint pains for a long time. I was tested for Lupus, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis -- all of which my symptoms suggested.

I came across a friend who did go all Paleo, and suggested I go off wheat and grain to lose weight. So, I did, and that's when the health connection was made -- all the symptoms of the above possible syndromes cleared up within a week. It was amazing how quickly I recovered. I felt 20 years younger, immediately.

I encourage you to give the GF lifestyle a go and see if that helps you feel better. Not every reacts to gluten, but for those who are experiencing a host of mystery symptoms, there is no harm in trying an elimination diet to find out if gluten is in fact the culprit.

My niece is heavy into paleo, she's had problems with one kinda of food or another since birth. I was "forced" to become GF due to a medical condition. Healthy is good. Some people get the idea that they will lose weight going GF...not necessarily so.

I did lose weight. However, I also don't think people realize that GF snacks are not DIET snacks. Heck, I had two small GF snickerdoodles barely larger than the size of a silver dollar, and they added up to 120 calories!

GF does not equal low cal.

I eat paleo and I actually think more clearly and I'm embarrassed to say I'm not as quick to anger when avoiding gluten.

I have massive mood swings if I eat gluten. I have Celiacs, and if I even have the smallest bit I'm flipping out over every little thing. Its awful.

Wow - this is the first I've heard of mood swings on gluten! And I thought I was the only one! Ever since I went off of gluten, I have had virtually NO PMS. And trust me, the PMS I had was so profoundly bad that I'd be a raging lunatic one moment, a crying nut job the next. I'd even catch myself laughing WHILE crying.

I thought it was all in my head -- but sure enough, I haven't had bad PMS in two years -- and I'm on the cusp of menopause.

Thanks for sharing, I don't feel so crazy anymore!

I'm actually three weeks into a GF trial to see if gluten affects my moods as well. I have PMDD, aka PMS on crack. I'm in the worst week of the PMDD cycle right now and I feel great. It wasn't nearly as hard to avoid the gluten as I thought it would be (since I'm such a carb wh0re). I've just been making smarter choices. I feel great, not bloaty, and I've been better able to stick to my calorie range. I've also lost almost 3 lbs in three weeks.

I think this may be a permanent change for me. I am a beer lover though, so I may cheat once in a while and I'm not too worried about cross contamination as I don't have celiac or a sensitivity (that I know of), but the drastic reduction in my gluten consumption has definitely been positive for me. Sorry for crazy run-on sentence.

There is gluten free beer out there! I can't remember the name, but do a search for it and get some. Several restaurants have added it to their stock as a way to accommodate those with food allergens. I'm not a beer drinker (never was), but I know brands exist -- and you won't be need to give up your beer!

I eat paleo and I actually think more clearly and I'm embarrassed to say I'm not as quick to anger when avoiding gluten.

I have massive mood swings if I eat gluten. I have Celiacs, and if I even have the smallest bit I'm flipping out over every little thing. Its awful.

Wow - this is the first I've heard of mood swings on gluten! And I thought I was the only one! Ever since I went off of gluten, I have had virtually NO PMS. And trust me, the PMS I had was so profoundly bad that I'd be a raging lunatic one moment, a crying nut job the next. I'd even catch myself laughing WHILE crying.

I thought it was all in my head -- but sure enough, I haven't had bad PMS in two years -- and I'm on the cusp of menopause.

Thanks for sharing, I don't feel so crazy anymore!

Oh my gosh! Me too! Insane is what I was!!

I too have been grain free and living more of a primal lifestyle...higher fats, lower carbs and grain free (which eliminates a large portion of gluten!) it's amazing how I feel. I would suggest giving it a try and seeing if it works for you! You don't know if you don't try!
Try www.marksdailyapple.com and www.robbwolf.com for some info. Some interesting articles plus a lot of real life experiences in all the comments.

It's Red Bridge. I tried it yesterday. It'll do, but it wasn't awesome. I think I'll just stick to wine and spirits, if I decide to have a drink. I've cut way back on drinking this month too.

Eta: thanks!

You're welcome! I have cut back on drinking too. I do enjoy an occasional vodka and cran or margarita. I've just never appreciated the taste of beer and wine is too "churchy" for me.

I am gluten free/low carb. For the first time in my life, including early childhood, I am not constantly craving sweets and fighting excess hunger or taking appetite suppressants to stop the cravings.

The one thing I have found I will still binge on is peanuts and especially cashews. The reason I find this interesting is a video I watched last night that mentioned nuts, even roasted, can cause reactions in people far greater than things like potatoes and rice. I'd go into more detail but I'll have to watch the video about 50 more times with a scarf around my ears to keep my brains from leaking out before I really understand it. And even then maybe not.

So here is the video that has me wondering about nuts if any of you chemistry geeks are interested. It also covers theories people base a Paleo diet on that they should not because either it's wrong or there just isn't enough information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpfs6iT2nDw

Anyway, I wonder if the foods I crave most are the foods my immune system reacts most negatively to? Or perhaps it's something else entirely. I want to learn more.

I have been pretty much GF since July 2012. I have Irritable Bowel and was tested for Celiac but it came back negative. I was bloated all the time and all my joints hurt so much. I made the decision to try it out on my own. It was almost an instant gratification. After 1 week I had no more joint pain, which meant that I could exercise and it didn't hurt. I wouldn't say GF is what caused me to lose my 34 lbs, but it most certainly helped, as I no longer crave all the baked goods and such. I wouldn't suggest going GF just to lose weight as it has been shown that it may not help everyone. If you have health issues that you think may be related to gluten, then I say go for it. On a side note, I still have the occasional bun or cookie, but maybe only once every 2 weeks instead of multiple times per day.

Haven't had the need as I don't have issues with gluten. If you have gluten issues, then it makes sense to limit or eliminate gluten.

Have you tried eliminating it for a time and the reintroducing it?

I have been eating Primal now for 3 weeks give or take a day and I have found it really hard...but totally worth it. Seriously I was a carb monster, I loved baked, loved making homemade breads and my ultimate comfort food was a heaping pile of mashed potatoes and baked beans on top. Now I don't eat any grains, or white potatoes and to be honest, I don't really miss eating them. The most I miss is the convenience of processed foods but I can be lazy.

I also had really bad IBS, I would be in pain and feel bloated nearly every day, but since going Primal I hardly ever feel bloated and can honestly say that the IBS is pretty much cleared up now. I would definitely say try it and see how you go!