Gluten Free

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Newly Diagnosed!!! Please help!

kimberleerogers
kimberleerogers Posts: 10 Member
in Social Groups
Hi All,

I was diagnosed Saturday with a Gluten Intolerance and boy am I finding this hard!

I am on day 4 of not eating gluten and while my body feels better I am totally exhausted!

I am eating extra protein, I thought that might help but it hasn't. Someone said they thought it was normal to be exhausted first...your body is healing the damage the wheat has done...

I CRAVE wheat like nothing else right now...even dreaming about running through wheat fields ..

Has anyone else experienced anything like this??? Any tips, tricks suggestions on books or products would be so great!

Thanks!

Replies

  • weather_nerd
    weather_nerd Posts: 93
    Hey there!

    Sounds about right, it will take some time for your body to feel normal again.

    What usually works for me is lots of water, tea, nice hot baths and extra rest. The cravings for wheat will slowly go away. I found that I started craving other things that didn't have wheat in them at all.

    Another thing you might want to try is looking for recipes that are gluten free. There's so much you can do!
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    Hi Kimberlee: What you are craving is likely carbs and not wheat itself... try eating more fresh veggies and fruit, protein is good but you will need to round it out with other healthy foods. Make sure you read EVERY label, or you will quickly be back where you started. There are some good sandwich breads out there, but I would suggest getting your head around the idea of not replacing junk wheat carbs with junk Gluten Free carbs... Gluten free cakes & cookies are just a huge waste of money, and higher in calories and lower in nutrition than other food choices you could make.
    Investigate new grains like quinoa, brown rice, corn if you don't have allergies, even teff and amaranth and millet, and you can use clean oats as well. That is oats that have not been grown in rotation with wheat or rye and are processed in a dedicated GF facility. It is also very easy to find quality non-wheat pastas. .Google gluten free blogs and recipe sites, celiac support groups (even though you are not celiac - they are very enlightening), companies that make gluten free products and ship to customers directly. You can do this and you will feel so much better! If you concentrate on whole GF grains, beans, eggs & other lean proteins, dairy if you don't have allergies to it, and non processed fruits & veggies you will also lose weight and get healthier. It just means you will have to cook from scratch a bit more. :flowerforyou:
  • kimberleerogers
    kimberleerogers Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks for the advice!

    I did buy bread, a package of brown rice pasta and a package of crackers ...that's my staple foods.

    I have a dairy and nut allergy which is complicating things for sure!

    I have lost 3 inches from my waist in 4 days lol Not bad considering i have been stuck for almost a year in a plateau!

    We were almost total clean eaters before this happened so we are use to making most of our foods ...I am headed to the library for books after work today...


    Any idea how long this tired will last? This sounds strange but it's a totally different tired then I have been experiencing!
    They are saying about 1/3 of my body is pure inflammation from the wheat alone!
  • fattybumclaire
    fattybumclaire Posts: 91 Member
    If you are used to cooking from scratch you won't find this too tricky once you get the hang of it. Try using pinterest to search for gluten free/dairy free recipes. There are loads!!! This week I actually made hoisin sauce from scratch - I had been missing it like crazy lol and found it on pinterest.

    I find when baking that gf flour is quite dry so I always sub 1/4 of the flour for ground almonds to help with that. Also, try using alternative recipes rather than trying to replace flour, I use cold mashed potatoes, polenta, almonds and pureed chestnuts to make cakes with rather than gf flours :)

    Happy to be friends if you wanna share recipes, I have been gluten free for about 3/4 years and dairy free since christmas.

    Good luck.
  • Healingnutritionsolutions
    Healingnutritionsolutions Posts: 134 Member
    2 years gluten free here... and wow does it ever make a difference... I have found I can even cheat just a bit now, without too terrible effect, but I never just eat a donut, cake, bread, pie, or something... the thought of feeling that bad again and getting violently ill stops me. I don't have the nut allergy so I use almond milk, but now I can also tolerate small amounts of dairy at a time - especially if it's cultured like, yogurt, etc.

    Feel free to add me if you would like to see my diary. I track daily, although it's sometimes erratic times since I rotate work shifts for now...

    Know this, you will feel better, the first week is the worst and it really does get better from there. You need to research, look for vegetarian options and gluten free options. Exercise helps to control things too, I find my appetite decreases when I go for a walk, or something... Good luck on this new journey!
  • kimberleerogers
    kimberleerogers Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you ladies for all the words of wisdom and support!

    I am starting to feel better as much as I hate to say I think it's working...I actually do fell better!

    I am not achy and my mood is already improving.

    Yes I still have moments...my dad decided to have a huge slice of too tall orange creamsicle cake in front of me and my mother who is also gf now.... he's still alive! I am not serious there but I will say mom was more then a little upset with him over that!
  • SyntonicGarden
    SyntonicGarden Posts: 944 Member
    Going on almost 20 years of "Wheat hates me" eating. The bad news is that yes, it sucks, especially as you adjust to it. Even with the prevalence of GF dining, there are still going to be days when it's tough. Birthday cake in the office, fresh bread at a restaurant, and that one friends who says "What about WHOLE wheat pasta? You can eat THAT, right?"


    My suggestions:

    1) Breathe. Seriously. It's important. :)

    2) See if you can identify GF foods that you've been eating all along. This way, you have something familiar to cling to and you're not drilling a whole in your pocket. Like chicken, beef, or pork? Awesome! If they're not in a brine or marinade, chances are they're naturally gluten-free! (Sausage links, patties, and other shaped foods mean you have to read the label. Same thing with booze. Some of them are made with malt and might cause a reaction.) The brand of tortilla chips that I buy are naturally wheat-free. So's the salsa and the avocado that I mix together to make guac. No changes. Life is good.

    3) I agree with the person who posted about making sure to drink enough water / tea. It'll help with the inflammation and will help you feel a little less hungry.

    4) Don't get suckered into buying the designer box of bread/cake mix. So much of it is really gross and incredibly overpriced. There are a plethora of people who can recommend which brands are good and which aren't so good. (Udi's and Rudi's both have decent bread, but it's pricier)

    5) Make sure not to do the "I shall buy ALL of the GF cake mix!" freak out. Being GF doesn't mean being low-cal. :) The Betty Crocker GF cake mix in my pantry (Less than $4 per box, which is AWESOME) still somehow works out to 300+ cals a slice. :)

    6) Read the labels, learn what means what, and figure out which symptoms appear after which foods. Some people are ok with Maltodextrin. Others have to avoid it like the plague.

    7) Don't be afraid to lean on those of us who've been dealing with this. :) It DOES get better and easier.
  • dispatcher939
    dispatcher939 Posts: 75 Member
    Beginning Gluten Free can be tough! After 4 years of being miserable I was finally diagnosed with a gluten intolerance. I am only 2 years into this and I still struggle with it. I still have moments when I read a label and second guess myself. I have a rule of when in doubt leave it out. If I am unsure I just don't eat it until I can research it more. I also have a dairy sensitivity which make things fun as well. I am still learning what I can handle on the dairy side of things. I know one thing I never want to go back where I was. I have found a locally bakery that is strictly gluten free which was such a joy. They will even make my bread dairy free and nut free! I highly suggest trying to find a local bakery like that if you can, if not the Udi's and Rudi's products are good, also you can find Amy's products that are gluten free but you really have to read that labels are hers. If you want to make your own bread pinterest has tons of recipes or you can buy a mix I use King Aurthur's Flour its the best one I have come across by far they also do other gluten free mixes as well.
    You also have to watch medications, I had some that I was on that used gluten as a binding agent talk about disaster!! Also your personal care items such as lotions, shampoo, lip gloss etc. They hide gluten everywhere!
  • mullycathNZ
    mullycathNZ Posts: 64 Member
    I was diagnosed coeliac about 8 years ago and I remember going through my pantry and having a sook about all the things I could no longer eat!

    But, IT DOES GET EASIER! I'm now at the stage where I don't miss very much at all (except maybe Mum's homemade biscuits...) and find it actually helps with my health and weight loss journey as so many junk / convenience foods aren't even an option.

    As others have said my top tips would be
    a) seek naturally GF foods ahead of trying to replace them with something made GF.
    b) read labels and educate yourself - knowledge is power.
    c) take your own food with you, esp. if you know there may not be a GF option available.
    d) don't be afraid to let people know (I took a while to do this and would only harm myself in the process), it is a medical condition.

    Good luck with it !
  • sowich25
    sowich25 Posts: 70 Member
    Sounds right on to me. You have to remember it could take up to 2 yrs for your insides to heal. I was feeling exhausted packed on weight, just all around felt like crap. Remember though the good thing is there are a lot of options to eat.

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