Gluten Free

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kgillikin
kgillikin Posts: 191 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am having quite a bit of "tummy issues" and am thinking about going Gluten Free. What can you tell me?

Replies

  • 2youngatheart
    2youngatheart Posts: 338 Member
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    Bump...I am in the same "boat"
  • runner3590
    runner3590 Posts: 18
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    I have been following the no flour no sugar diet and I feel great. I have also lost 14 pounds in 6 weeks, which is right on target. The rules are simple, if it has added sugar or is made using any type of flour, it should be avoided. Good luck.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
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    I can tell you that it's 150% worth it!! You will feel a million times better. But be prepared to spend more on groceries. Also, don't be scared, a lot of GF stuff tastes much better than it did a few years ago :)
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    My good friend has these troubles...
    Check this out:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ilookthetype/view/gluten-intolerance-151841

    Or maybe PM ilookthetype, as well. She's a wealth of knowledge.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    I've been eating gluten free for a little over a year due to my gluten issues. Check out this thread for a group of gluten-free MFPers here.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/342365-gluten-free-girls-and-guys
  • TheGlen
    TheGlen Posts: 242 Member
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    We went gluten free when we moved towards the paleo/primal lifestyle. My wife, kids and I feel great. My weight and my wife's weight has dropped (I've dropped 18lbs in 6 weeks) and our underweight kids have put on a couple pounds.

    No harm in trying it out right? It's a lot of work to start, but once you know what you can eat (brands) and where to buy it, it's not so hard.
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
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    People should really only do a gluten free diet if they have Celiac disease or the less serious "gluten sensitivity." It's a very expensive, inconvenient diet, and many gluten free versions of common foods are less nutrient rich and higher calorie. Try it for a few months and if your tummy troubles go away then you probably have Celiac disease. You'll have to cut out anything with wheat flour, barley, soy sauce, most canned soups and gravies, anything that may have been processed in a facility that uses wheat products, anything at restaurants that may have been fried in the same oil as wheat products (such as onion rings), anything that has modified wheat starch (many salad dressings, candies, etc.). There's hidden gluten everywhere.
  • 16mixingbowls
    16mixingbowls Posts: 205 Member
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    A few things:

    1. celiac disease is really under-tested and many docs don't know about it
    2. my main symptom was anemia
    3. celiac.com is a fantastic resource
    4. there are tons of gluten-free items for sale but the best foods are naturally gluten free
    5. for celiacs, 1/8 of a teaspoon of gluten is enough to cause a reaction
    6. it can take up to 6 months after being 'glutened' to recover, but the bloating and discomfort go away after a few weeks
    7. celiac causes malabsorption of many nutrients
    8. it's easy to eat gluten free after you get to know what foods in your normal routine need to be modified
    9. you will become an expert at reading ingredients
    10. you will feel waaaaaaaaay better once you go gluten free
    11. science shows that gluten may cause inflammation of tissues in the brain causing "brain fog,' forgetfulness, and bad memory
    12. the biggest challenges are convenience snacks (Starbucks=banana,) holidays, birthdays, and Italian food. The best choices are Thai, Mexican, and sandwich places that do lettuce wraps.
    13 cross-contamination makes eating out in restaurants tricky. Example: french fries are gluten free (potato) but fries are often fried in the same fryer and fry oil as chicken wings (breaded) or other gluten-full foods
    14. lots of people lose weight after going gluten free because their body finds a healthy balance

    PM me if you want more info:)
  • 16mixingbowls
    16mixingbowls Posts: 205 Member
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    People should really only do a gluten free diet if they have Celiac disease. It's a very expensive, inconvenient diet, and many gluten free versions of common foods are less nutrient rich and higher calorie.

    I disagree with this part of your post. It is completely do-able and not any more expensive that any other specialty food. And really isn't ALL nutrition pay now or pay later? I'd rather spend a little more time reading labels now and a little more cash now on special flours that later in life with medical bills. As for the nutritional content of GF food, that is only part true. Many gluten free foods are made with whole foods, like ground almond, buckwheat, quinoa, coconut, brown rice, and sorghum. The tricky thing is that the gluten provides the elasticity in baked goods, so GF baked goods are more dense. To compensate for this, some bakers use GF STARCHES in their products, including corn, rice, and potato starch. These ARE less nutritious, but again, it's just like enriched flours; you need to be a smart shopper and read labels.

    If you do start baking, look for stores that sell flours in bulk bins. Make your own blends; the Bob's Red Mill and Pamela's Pantry flour blends are pricy. GlutenFreeGirl has great information on making your own GF baking blends.
  • kgillikin
    kgillikin Posts: 191 Member
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    Thanks. I dont have Ciliac but the doctor said that doesnt mean I couldnt have a Gluten Intolerance. They just chalked it up to IBS since they couldnt find anything else wrong with me and put me on meds for it. The doctor told me to try Gluten Free and if it helped great and if not I could go back to eating it.
  • Jennyisbusy
    Jennyisbusy Posts: 1,294 Member
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    I have been on the fence for awhile. Certain foods cause an immediate and severe reaction in me. I have been getting 'pancake poisoning' since I was a teen. But, if I only have 1 pancake and 2 proteins I a can get away with it. Donuts are always a no-no. I am wondering if I would feel much better though if I went all the way...

    I noticed my grocery store (publix) has started putting a little blue GF sticker on the price tag of gluten free foods :)
  • aegira
    aegira Posts: 204
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    I've been GF for many months and it was honestly the best thing I've done, thy tummy is calm and happy :bigsmile:
    Word of warning it can be expensive :grumble:
    If you suspect it is a problem, give it a try for a month and see if you have improvement, good luck
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
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    People should really only do a gluten free diet if they have Celiac disease. It's a very expensive, inconvenient diet, and many gluten free versions of common foods are less nutrient rich and higher calorie.

    I disagree with this part of your post. It is completely do-able and not any more expensive that any other specialty food. And really isn't ALL nutrition pay now or pay later? I'd rather spend a little more time reading labels now and a little more cash now on special flours that later in life with medical bills. As for the nutritional content of GF food, that is only part true. Many gluten free foods are made with whole foods, like ground almond, buckwheat, quinoa, coconut, brown rice, and sorghum. The tricky thing is that the gluten provides the elasticity in baked goods, so GF baked goods are more dense. To compensate for this, some bakers use GF STARCHES in their products, including corn, rice, and potato starch. These ARE less nutritious, but again, it's just like enriched flours; you need to be a smart shopper and read labels.

    If you do start baking, look for stores that sell flours in bulk bins. Make your own blends; the Bob's Red Mill and Pamela's Pantry flour blends are pricy. GlutenFreeGirl has great information on making your own GF baking blends.

    I agree that the diet is do-able. I tried a totally GF diet for 2 months and it wasn't too bad. The really inconvenient part was having to worry about cross contamination and eating at restaurants, parties, and gatherings. When I added gluten back into my diet and there was no change in my medical condition, gluten was ruled out as a culprit and I discontinued the diet. YES, if you have Celiac disease the expense is *totally* worth it and better than the alternative -- slowly killing yourself by eating gluten. My point was that not everyone should go gluten free just to lose weight or because they think it's a trendy diet. If you have Celiac disease then a gluten free diet is nutritionally sound because it will allow your intestines to work properly and absorb all of the nutrients that you probably weren't getting before. However, if you don't have issues with gluten, you're better off just eating a healthful diet that does include gluten. As you pointed out, many bakers use starches that are less nutritious, many GF cereals and breads are not iron-fortified like their wheat flour counterparts, and they're way more expensive. That being said, I would encourage anyone with an auto-immune disorder, irritable bowel syndrome/other intestinal problems, or chronic fatigue to try a gluten free diet for at least 2 months to see if their condition improves.
  • alisha17m
    alisha17m Posts: 73 Member
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    I have been doing a bit of research and have decided to eat gluten free for 2 weeks as an experiment. 5 days in and I don't feel bloated and feel generally OK. I'm not finding the diet any more expensive than my usual grocery shop. If anything it's cheaper because I'm not buying bread, pasta, pastries, sandwiches, pastries & baked goods. I don't see the point in substituting these for GF versions. I'm concentrating on more fresh fruit and vegetables & lean meats & low fat dairy.
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
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    i went GFCF for 3 months this year. (gluten-free, casein-free) i lost 17 lbs almost instantly (in about 4 weeks) i felt amazing. our entire family did it, too. problem: EXPEN$IVE as heck! i spent about 4 times the amount on groceries as i normally do. (feeding a family of 5) we slowly started re-introducing dairy and eventually went back to it entirely, although i am "semi-GF" i don't eat nearly as much as i did. use a search engine to find more info, there are tons of websites out there, with recipes and information. i also checked out books from the library. (i know - old fashioned! but they worked!) depending on your "tummy trouble" going GF might help, but keep in mind, you should always speak to your dr before drastically changing your diet, even if it is a positive change. my GFCF diet was implemented by my dr and i went over everything with my children's pedi before i did anything. Good luck :smile:
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    I've only just started gluten free recently to kick start body into losing again and lost 7lb in first week but seem to be stuck again.. so had few days of carbs then back to strict diet in hope it would shake things up again.

    I'm hoping to drop into the 150's at some point this week! The bread is higher calorie but one I tried doesn't taste too bad reminds me of those toasted muffins and lovely with a poached egg on or scrambled egg and bacon (most sausages contain gluten even the vege ones.. so I miss my sausage sarnies a bit! )

    I don't worry about sauces having it in as I don't use them often and mainly my favourite is sweet chilli sauce of which only have a drizzle of it over veggies, just cutting out having toast with breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and bread, potatoes, pasta or rice with dinner everyday has made a big difference for me.

    of course no cakes and biscuits but waitrose do a gluten free brownie which I treat myself to once a month! :wink:
  • Jenxb
    Jenxb Posts: 5
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    my mother is Gluten Intolerant (you described yourself as 'gluten free' haha) =) and im lactose intolerent so i grew up with all this healthy stuff in the house, one way to get checked is by your local GP, they will do a bloodtest and then you'll know for sure if you gluten intolerent or not.
  • TheGlen
    TheGlen Posts: 242 Member
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    We have gone Gluten Free as part of moving to the Primal diet. We were really surprised last night when we went to Casey's ( http://goo.gl/sOsQq ); they had a separate "Wheat & Gluten Free Menu" available upon request. It listed the foods that were naturally wheat/gluten free, as well as some of the other items on the regular menu that they would modify to be wheat/gluten free (by using rice pasta, etc).

    This is the first restaurant I've been to that's done anything like this.
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    If you don't actually have gluten intolerance just try cutting down on bread and pasta, especially if you usually eat a lot like toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, pasta with dinner with most days,, and see if that makes a difference first (cut out cakes and biscuits too).

    Go for like plain chicken wrap if out and you probably not gonna get too many ill effects even if the chicken was cooked in the same oil, especially if you don't actually have a gluten intolerance and just doing it for diet. Try and mostly cook at home so you can control whats in your food for a few weeks and see what happens. I don't know if IBS causes problems with gluten intolerance, but maybe you should get checked for that too if the pain continues even after taking wheat out of your daily diet?

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