Gluten-Free?

I posted this in the forums, but I wanted to try on the group as well, as I read somewhere that going gluten-free may also help with infertility...

Question - has anyone gone gluten-free? Mother-in-law is staying with us at the moment and because of pre-diabetes, weight gain/trouble losing weight and bloating, her doctor suggested she go gluten-free. We can always buy and cook separately, but that would be a pain in the a... So, I thought I might give it a try with her to see if that helps me as well. I don't have diabetes, but I have do have PCOS. I may not go completely gluten-free, but I might just cut back on it by trying some gluten-free items. Has anyone gone gluten-free and had positive results in regards to weight loss/fatigue/PCOS? Anything bad?

Replies

  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
    The only thimg I"ve done to alleviate 75% of my symptoms is havimg very little processed carbs and sugars. It"s pretty rare that I get the dreaded pelvic pain anymore. Pcos is all about the insulin production which is from carbs, not gluten specifically - although if you make a conscious effort cutting back gluten, those processed carbs will, by their nature, bed eliminated along with it. So by all means, try it for a month...it"s def not going to hurt anything. See what happens
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    Pcos is all about the insulin production which is from carbs, not gluten specifically - although if you make a conscious effort cutting back gluten, those processed carbs will, by their nature, bed eliminated along with it.

    Only kinda. If you go gluten free but use the gluten free products instead of just avoiding the carbs its actually worse. Most gluten free products have higher carbs and affect insulin more than wheat/gluten does. So if you go gluten free, just cut out the carbs and don't substitute gluten free items.

    I've got a gluten intolerance so I had to go gluten free. Ive got one box of rice flour pancake mix for those days I just need a pancake, but I've used it twice in 5 months. Its much higher in carbs than bisquick. So I basically cut out most grain carbs, I get most of my carbs from veggies.

    I'm one of those that is guilty of substituting cauliflower for everything, cauliflower breadsticks, cauliflower prizza crust, cauliflower mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, etc.
  • jaimekbee1219
    jaimekbee1219 Posts: 96 Member
    Pcos is all about the insulin production which is from carbs, not gluten specifically - although if you make a conscious effort cutting back gluten, those processed carbs will, by their nature, bed eliminated along with it.

    Only kinda. If you go gluten free but use the gluten free products instead of just avoiding the carbs its actually worse. Most gluten free products have higher carbs and affect insulin more than wheat/gluten does. So if you go gluten free, just cut out the carbs and don't substitute gluten free items.

    ^ This is what I was going to say. You still have to read all the labels when buying processed food, even if it's gluten free. There tend to be a lot of additives to make it taste "better." I bought the book Wheat Belly (I have a PCOS belly and thought maybe it would be helpful), but haven't gotten a chance to read it yet. My husband said that one of the things that is mentioned in it is to not replace junk food - just cut it out completely. I do buy certain gluten free items but only when they are more nutritional than the regular kind like quinoa pasta and lentil crackers. For the most part, I just look for healthier alternatives with very few ingredients. You might want to read about the Glycemic Index as well. There is a PCOS book by Colette Harris that I love (if it's still in print...) and was really helpful in understanding the different carbs/sugars.

    As for your question about weightloss/fatigue - the times I've dabbled in a gluten free diet, I definitely felt less clogged/sluggish, but I didn't lose any weight. I was also doing a yeast free diet due to an allergy that runs in my family. I mostly was just making sure I had at least two gluten/yeast free meals a day. I have been considering it again since we're thinking about a baby attempt in two years (after grad school) and other people's success stories make me want to give it a 100% try.
  • Michelle_MyBelle
    Michelle_MyBelle Posts: 56 Member
    Thanks everyone, very helpful! :)
  • I went GF on Dec 31, 2013 and lost 10 pounds already. I am able to concentrate better, sleep better, my moods are stabilizing and my cycle started sooner than expected. I would also recommend reading Wheat Belly as this will help you with your food decisions. I have gone 100% GF as I just don't want to expose myself to the toxins anymore. I've read a lot about staying away from the gluten free substitutes as they are filled with harmful stuff also. If you go GF it needs to be a lifestyle change. Some try it for a few weeks then re-introduce but I'm staying away from gluten all together. Good luck with your decision!!
  • MeepleMuppet
    MeepleMuppet Posts: 226 Member
    I didn't start dealing with my PCOS until after my pregnancy (did fertility treatments) but I can tell you that by going mildly lowish carb and sorta kinda lower sugar, I seem to have triggered more frequent periods than I've ever had in my life. Some of it may have been a post-breast feeding (well, pumping) hormone rush, but then there was nothing for a full year....until I started this research and decided to stop ignoring my PCOS. Now I seem to be on a three month schedule and now I kind of wonder......
  • Dragonwolf
    Dragonwolf Posts: 5,600 Member
    I try to stick with grain-free altogether, but strive for at least gluten-free (I'll have rice stuff sometimes, and corn stuff occasionally). It actually hasn't helped me much with weight and the usual PCOS stuff (because my insulin has still been too high, requiring Metformin), but it has helped me in so many other ways, including (but not limited to):

    - Mood (fewer swings, less depression, better mood overall)
    - Less acne (something I've fought with since I was a teen, and nothing ever helped until I ditched the grains)
    - Healing eczema (this developed about a year ago, when I was still eating some wheat stuff, it's only when I ditch the gluten entirely does the eczema heal at all)
    - Less bloaty feeling (you know that "fat" feeling you get after some meals? Less of that)
    - Less hunger (this is from a few things - ditching the grains and not replacing them with gluten-free "products" reduces the amount of carbs pretty much by default, which needs to be made up with fat and protein, which are more satiating; it also ditches the empty calorie/fast burn foods; and the diet is more conducive to having and absorbing more nutrients)
    - Few "must eat NOW" episodes (ie - I can be hungry, but don't get the bottomed-out blood sugar feeling and can wait if I need to)
    - Fewer Metformin GI reactions
    - No heartburn
  • I went gluten free after a bout with Lyme disease and a long course of antibiotics. It worked miracles for me in other areas, but not for my PCOS. It turns out that I am allergic to wheat. I was getting a puffy red face, horrible stomach pain and swollen joints. In 24 hours those symptoms disappeared and reappear if I accidentally ingest even a little wheat. But, I still can't lose weight easily and have insane menstrual cycles that are either every 3 weeks (or less) or not for 3 months. As a previous post said eating the non-wheat GF carbohydrates isn't great for PCOS. But, when I stick to lots of veggies and healthy proteins with plenty of healthy fats I do see improvement in my PCOS. IF only those things came in fast, ready to eat packages. :(