Am I Food Intolerant?

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graelwyn
graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I seem to get insanely intense cravings for cookies, bread and things containing wheat, or oat flapjacks, but over the last few years, if I do eat much of them, I get bloated, gain a lot of weight instantly, crave even more and feel tired and sluggish with no energy. I had no issues with these foods, to my knowledge, as a child.

Is it possible to develop issues with food intolerances later in life?
Could a history of eating disorders have made me have issues with some foods?

It is frustrating as oatmeal is meant to be a very healthy breakfast, but oats give me appalling bloating and gas.
Same with all bran, a healthy breakfast, but same result, to a lesser degree.
I can eat rice with no issues.

Replies

  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    A history of eating disorders can be an issue, especially bulimia. Some gluten intolerance is due to sprue, and if so, eating gluten causes a risk of cancer. (Most people who say gluten bothers them don't have sprue, however -- you would need to have your doctor test you.)

    If your body tells you it doesn't want those things, don't worry about what other people say is healthy. Most of the people in the world never eat oats a day in their lives.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Thanks for the reply, I have not heard of sprue but will research it. I had mostly anorexia but with vomiting.
    I used to eat plenty of cereal with no issues, it has only become an issue over the last years really. My mother is gluten intolerant, and that hit her later in life, but where she gets bad tummy ache with gluten, I don't. Just fatigue and bloatedness.
  • cazwillis99
    cazwillis99 Posts: 238 Member
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    Hi, I am 45 and was diagnosed with a gluten intolerence 4 weeks ago. I used to bloat up like I was pregnant and the gas was horrendous - since going gluten free I have not had any bloating, significantly less gas and more importantly I have managed to lose weight and keep it off. I have to rhink about everything I eat and there are lots of things I can no longer have, but this is a bonus - no cakes, muffins, biscuits, only gluten free bread, this helps with the weight loss. I don't have a history of eating disorders however and no other health isseus apart from this. Have noticed I have more energy, feel less lethargic and just generally feel better in myself since stopping eating gluten/wheat.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Hi, I am 45 and was diagnosed with a gluten intolerence 4 weeks ago. I used to bloat up like I was pregnant and the gas was horrendous - since going gluten free I have not had any bloating, significantly less gas and more importantly I have managed to lose weight and keep it off. I have to rhink about everything I eat and there are lots of things I can no longer have, but this is a bonus - no cakes, muffins, biscuits, only gluten free bread, this helps with the weight loss. I don't have a history of eating disorders however and no other health isseus apart from this. Have noticed I have more energy, feel less lethargic and just generally feel better in myself since stopping eating gluten/wheat.

    Yes, I have suffered with appalling and often uncomfortable gas for years now, and just assumed it was due to my past eating disorder, without considering it might be something I was eating. It will be hard to cut out/cut down wheat as I am a bit of a fan of cakes and biscuits, but I am giving it a go to see if it helps.
  • _Shelley_
    _Shelley_ Posts: 206
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    I am food intolerant, too! It doesn't matter what I eat, I get sick. I bloat, get gassy, constipated...the works. I've been lactose intollerant since high school and now just about anything sets my stomach off. Odd part is, it's only sometimes. There are days (like this week) where I have no issues and then I will go weeks of sickness. It's terrible. I'd suggest going to a doctor and finding out for sure what's up :)
  • carajo
    carajo Posts: 532 Member
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    Just stay away from those things, or eat them in moderation...when you eat refined carbs your blood sugar spikes, ie...you gain weight!! I have to watch carbs from refied sources or i sweat all night feel horrid and yes gain weight! That stuff isnt good for you anyway...
  • littlebluej
    littlebluej Posts: 102 Member
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    I am food intolerant, too! It doesn't matter what I eat, I get sick. I bloat, get gassy, constipated...the works. I've been lactose intollerant since high school and now just about anything sets my stomach off. Odd part is, it's only sometimes. There are days (like this week) where I have no issues and then I will go weeks of sickness. It's terrible. I'd suggest going to a doctor and finding out for sure what's up :)

    I've definitely been there. Had an almost 4-year run of it. Doctors did every test available, including exploratory surgery. Summed it up by telling me they could find absolutely nothing wrong... and diagnosed me with IBS. I'm still not happy with this diagnosis, but literally every other thing has been ruled out. I'm also very weakly positive for Celiac, but that was tested about 3 years ago and I want to get that redone.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    Your digestive tract is a living environment full of the digestive enzymes your body produces and the bacteria that eat your waste products. Any changes throw off the balance. Once you have ruled out sprue, and you only have to worry about how you feel, you can try to introduce the foods you like in small daily quantities to let your body and your gut bacteria adjust. Your body does increase and decrease its ability to digest certain foods depending on what you're eating regularly, but it takes time.

    Raw fruits with skins (like grapes and berries) and raw vegetables have bacteria that help increase the variety living in there. The active cultures in yogurt and cheese help, too.

    I had gotten off dairy for a while and had to ease back into it. And I found that if you eat beans regularly, you get a lot less gassy than if you eat a lot once in a while and none at all at other times.

    Antibiotics will mess up the bacterial balance in your bowel. so make sure you're only taking them when necessary, not because you have a virus and your doctor felt like you wouldn't be satisfied unless he prescribed one.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Ah, I had not considered antibiotics. I do tend to have several courses a year as I am prone to chest infections due to COPD. I am currently on a course for a mouth infection.
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    it is possible to get an intolerance to a food later in life. I didn't start having reactions to some nuts and fruits until I was in my late teens.

    That sounds like an intolerance to gluten. Gluten intolerance or celiac's doesn't always present with pain or bleeding or even diarrhea. It can be as simple as gas, fatigue, or no real intestinal symptoms. You may want to get blood tests from your doctor, or cut out these foods (cutting them out won't hurt!) and it might make you feel better.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i started developing gluten allergies about 2 years ago. the easy part of the gluten allergy makes me bloated and gives me headaches. the scary part is that if i ignore those symptoms and keep eating i get hives, my face swells and my throat constricts.

    it's almost like i can have a certain amount in my system (say like 3-4 slices of bread a week) and anything more than that starts to get more and more dangerous.
  • LivvyLinde
    LivvyLinde Posts: 82
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    Most of the gals here have been sharing symptoms that I have experienced over the past couple years. I was recently diagnosed with colitis-- an inflammation and infection of the GI tract, which makes me unable to eat quite a few foods, including gluten, dairy, and corn. These foods cause flare-ups, which can come in the form of gas/loose bowel movements/abdominal pain. You may want to look into that! Hope it helps!
  • mdj1501
    mdj1501 Posts: 392 Member
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    I seem to get insanely intense cravings for cookies, bread and things containing wheat, or oat flapjacks, but over the last few years, if I do eat much of them, I get bloated, gain a lot of weight instantly, crave even more and feel tired and sluggish with no energy. I had no issues with these foods, to my knowledge, as a child.

    Is it possible to develop issues with food intolerances later in life?
    Could a history of eating disorders have made me have issues with some foods?

    It is frustrating as oatmeal is meant to be a very healthy breakfast, but oats give me appalling bloating and gas.
    Same with all bran, a healthy breakfast, but same result, to a lesser degree.
    I can eat rice with no issues.

    OMG^^^^^ This could be me... So looking forward to what others think... Thank you for posting!!
  • Zeromilediet
    Zeromilediet Posts: 787 Member
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    It's possible to develop allergies or intolerances to food, pollen, etc. at any age. It sounds like you are aware of your body and how it reacts to different foods, so you might try eliminating different foods and keep a journal of what you ate and how you felt over the following day. Everyone is different--find what works for you.

    I ended up eliminating grains, sweeteners and dairy and made a huge difference in my health, plus I lost weight, bloating, and a muffin top that melted away. I stick to it because I feel so good and don't want to go back to the way it felt before.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies, given how often I am bloated it is hard to pinpoint so I might try cutting down my dairy and cutting out wheat for now, and see how I feel, I have almond milk around anyway and can still have chocolate as a treat, so I should manage. It would be nice if found I can resolve this years long gas and discomfort by simply changing my diet.

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