carb or gluten sensitivity?

blood test I believe at the Dr.

I could be wrong but I'm not sure there is a carb sensitivity (unless it relates to your body processing gluclose).

Gluten is a mixture of symptons but those symptons are the same as a lot of other things. I believe a blood test would be the best way to see if there is an actual issue with gluten (not sure if the blood test covers wheat or not). However I believe the blood test is only really for celiac... not sure if it will tell you if you have a minor issue processing it or not.

If you think you have an issue with gluten or wheat try tracking your issues within your food diary for a bit. Than look over it to see if there is a pattern. I beleive common symptons for issues with gluten or wheat can be the same as dairy issues. Might be a good thing to track and than cut one out and see if issues improve.

I get a mixture of issues when I consume wheat or large amounts of gluten so I just try to avoid it right now. I haven't gone for an actual test though... will be shortly.

I'm not familiar with "carb" sensitivity. But as far as gluten... a blood test won't show a sensitivity, only for celiac.
You've got to remove the gluten from your diet and then monitor how you feel to determine your sensitivity. My sensitivity was discovered because for 6 months I was exhausted and then I had constant stomach pains.

Just remember... removing gluten does not necessarily remove carbs, which (in my opinion) is a good thing. You still need carbs - just the healthy ones.

I've heard from several reputable sources that gluten is not good for ANYONE. It's just that some people can tolerate it better than others. All that to say... you certainly aren't going to harm your body by removing gluten. In fact, I highly recommend it.

Could be both, like me. You'll have to limit them (I'd do it separate) to find out which it is, if not both.

My symptoms:
carb sensitivity - I have to limit my carbs (depends on my activity level, right now I can do around 80g/day and am losing), or I don't lose (or worse, gain). Even a little bit of sugar makes me crave more, so I avoid it. Then I get a carb hangover the next day if I consume too much! Ugh, it can be worse than a typical hangover, lol. Sure, I could take medicine for insulin resistance, but I'd rather treat with my diet (I use "diet" to mean way of eating) than kill my liver.

gluten sensitivity - IBS, bloating, headaches, brain fogginess (could be either), eczema, acid reflux (that I took prescription drugs for 7 years to treat), allergies, asthma, etc all cleared up. Symptoms vary person to person, though. I have a friend who gets hives, and my girlfriend throws up - but both of those are allergies, not just sensitivities to gluten.

Edit: after reading others' replies, I too get the joint aches and stuffiness when I consume too much gluten. So many symptoms, that I forget them all!

Carbohydrate Sensitivity/Intolerance simply means that carbohydrates (sugars and starches in the food you ingest), are not tolerated as well by your body as they should be. Sometimes it's from certain sources (ie. carbs sourced from anything other than vegetables, etc.). It's almost always linked with Insulin resistance.

Trial and error is the way to go.

does carb sensitivity = low/moderate insulin resistance?

That sure would make sense!

I assumed as much, but wanted to make sure we were talking about the same thing. A lot of the disagreements/confusion on this site comes from issues with terminology rather than actual information...

Indeed!

I am glad to see that I am not alone with digestion problems I have always been a big bread and cake eater in the past now I think I need to cut out the gluten really hard anyone got suggestions on gluten free breads? thanks valey1234

Hi...you guys would enjoy the free class I created with Dr. Samantha Brody. Explains all the reasons you may need to avoid gluten.....and the testing.

Click here to sign up.

http://www.celiacchicks.com/classes/curious-about-the-gluten-free-diet.html

And if you want to ask her directly...we are having a free Q&A call next Wednesday night.

Click here for it: http://www.celiacchicks.com/uncategorized/how-to-eat-gluten-free.html

(never mind the url's...they are for SEO

There are really 2 separate issues- gluten and/or carb sensitivity and carb/insulin resistance. Some people have inflammatory reactions to simple processed grains, especially wheat, and often simple processed sugar as well. They can have bloating, allergies, digestive issues, and joint pains, even tho they may not have full blown celiac disease.

As for carb/insulin resistance, that is a precursor to full blown diabetes. If you tend to gain extra fat in your midsection and have hormonal issues, then you might have this issue. Your body doesn't break down the sugars and simple carbs you eat as well as it should and the excess is stored in the midsection. The extra fat creates a hormone imbalance which creates a vicious cycle of weight loss problems.

thx everyone. i was tested for celiacs b/c my son has it and i came back ok. I took out most gluten from my diet for 2 weeks, no bread at all, had minimal pasta. I replaced sandwiches at lunch with homemade soup and i wasn't bloated, then tues and wed i had a sandwich for lunch again this week and BLOATED! I look 4-5 months pregnant... so i thought it may be a sensitivity to it but i was fine when i ate pasta? so that is why i was confused..... then others were telling me it could be carbs, so that confused me more...

My symptoms can vary based on amount and type/source of gluten, it's not always the same. So bread vs. pasta and amount of each eaten, might give a different reaction.