Going Gluten free for a month

I did it for a few days and it wasn't difficult, just a bit boring. I was also having some issues that I thought gluten might be the culprit of, but then after doing some more research I realized that my symptoms were most likely due to my vitamin D deficiency (that I've been ignoring for years out of laziness). Added gluten back in, went on a high dose D3 supplement and I'm already starting to feel better

Hi! I was thankfully able to find out that my digestive issues weren't gluten but I can completely empathize with the thoughts going through your head right now because my doctor had me convinced that was the problem until the blood test came back negative.

There's a group for Gluten-free support you might find helpful: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/112-gluten-free

Good luck and I hope you find relief whatever ends up being the problem.

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You need to get a blood test for Celiac disease before you do it. Once you go gluten free, if you have Celiacs, there is no going back.

dufus12 wrote: »

Ta folks....very helpful. Will look out for the group.
And,no, Cajuntank, you not being a ' tool'.....but doctors failed to diagnose my brother for years, and I don't have much faith in them to be honest. I am also having to consult them over another issue at mo and I just think - ' give the month a shot before adding another moan to the list'...........

I don't know what your symptoms are (mine were mental clarity, 'fuzzy' brain etc), but it might not hurt to get your D level tested-so many of us are deficient and if you look at what issues that can cause, it's quite a long list. It's also a pretty easy fix too, if that is the problem

I don't know how much your dr told you about this disease but mine has scared the crap out of me.
I just had wl surgery this week and, in the labs and studies before the surgery, it was discovered that I have celiac disease as well. Get the gluten out now and keep it out for good!!! It is doing such major harm to your body. It's not a choice once you've been diagnosed. It's a requirement. There is so much information out there on this disease that there really is no excuse to stay in the dark about it. Please, find the will to keep the gluten out. I know it sucks but there are some great alternatives out there. As a carb junkie myself, I know that it will be hard and trying to not want to just have a "bite" of this or a "just this one time" of that will be torture but the repercussions are far worse.

I'm doing gluten free and dairy free right now. I know dairy doesn't totally agree with me, although I LOVE it. The wheat causes me so much bloat, it really helps when I go off it.

dufus12 wrote: »

Not because I think it a 'fun' thing to do on top of losing 30lbs, but I had a chat with my brother yesterday ( so what? I hear you say...well, big what actually, as we have not talked in decades!), and what came out of it was he had to go gluten free years ago to free himself from symptoms that - yup!- I am experiencing myself..........It took him a lot of time and effort to whittle it down to gluten so I am going to hang onto his coat tails and give it a go.....From Monday. I know it sounds like I just procrastinating, but I need some preparation time, both practically and mentally.

Any other gluten free peeps to give advice and assistance???

The trick will be that there's gluten in lots of things you don't expect. I do think that if you are experiencing symptoms that suggest that an elimination diet would be helpful (and I think elimination diets can be helpful), that it can be useful to get a referral to a dietician for guidance as if you cut out lots of the products with gluten they also often have other things that might be the real culprit, such that avoiding wheat itself may not be. That's one reason something like the FODMAP diet is recommended, although it is a huge pain.

It will be less difficult if you already don't eat much packaged stuff/buy premade food.

Just out of curiosity I dropped grains for a while, but didn't find I felt any different, so added them back. My sister struggled with IBS for years and did an elimination diet, but her triggers aren't grain or gluten-related either--various weird things like avocado and melon, instead. That's one reason I think it can be good to have some kind of monitored program.

I wouldn't worry too much about cheese:

http://www.glutenfreedietitian.com/blue-cheese/

I think that is being overly cautious... If the celiac society think it is unlikely to cause issues, then the odds of it being a problem for someone with a potential sensitivity rather than an all out allergy are pretty much zero.

I've been gf for 10 years and it gets easier once you get the hang of it. Do read labels carefully as wheat can be found in everything from soy sauce to ice cream and barley malt is a very common sweetener. I agree to skip the gf substitute products unless you're having a major craving (sometimes you just want a sandwich or cupcake) - they do tend to be much higher calorie than their gluten containing counterparts. Best wishes, hope you feel better soon!

Been GF for a long while... feel free to ask any question... be sure you dont go too low carb for you (potato salad, baked potato, sweet potato chips, rice etc will help!)

Be sure to read labels clearly in the UK now all sources need to be in bold but sneaky ones like malt, rusk and other randoms make their way into things

cajuntank wrote: »

Is there a reason you wouldn't want to confirm you have a gluten allergy with a Dr. before eliminating food groups?
Not asking to be a "tool"...just curious.

I'm a probable celiac (my aunt has it) and I wasn't diagnosed because when I was going to the doctor with 12 sinus infections and 2 bouts of bronchitis per year, I wasn't thinking clearly & just wanted to feel better. I also don't want it in my medical charts, as while they say the medical insurance companies can't discriminate against you, nothing has been said about life insurance or any other industries. (Yes, I know, my tin foil hat is showing...not aluminum, tin, as aluminum foil has been shown to increase the wavelengths the government is generally accused of using - http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/09/tin-foil-hats-actually-make-it-easier-for-the-government-to-track-your-thoughts/262998/ )

The other thing is, lots of people react to gluten and it doesn't show up in the standard tests. Even a blood test that shows you have the gene for celiac does not actually show that you have celiac disease, just that you have the possibility of developing it.

At this point, I'll never be officially diagnosed with celiac disease unless they change the standard criteria for diagnosis - there's no benefit to me knowingly eating enough of the crap that makes me sick to make my intestines show villi damage on a biopsy when the only result will be them telling me not to eat the crap that makes me sick!

Oh, and by the way - gluten isn't a food group. It's a grain, but not all grains are gluten. While I do best on a low carb diet, I can eat corn, rice, etc. in moderation.