Gluten free questions!!!!!

Hi OpenHeaven,

Here's a little bit about me:
I have been lactose free for four years and gluten free for almost three years. I put myself on this diet after feeling ill and 'off' for many years. I initially suspected dairy because my mom is dairy intolerant and it can be hereditary. After quitting dairy I felt great at first, I had been sick for so long I forgot what it felt like to be normal! After a few months though I started feeling sick again. I cut gluten out of my diet after a few close friends were diagnosed with celiacs just to see what would happen. I felt so much better! I am currently still dealing with some stomach issues and I am *finally* going to see a doctor about them as opposed to dealing with them on my own. I don't know if I am being 'glutenated' on accident or if I have some other underlying issues or what. I'm hoping to figure that out but its going to be a long process.

A gluten free/ dairy free diet can be very challenging. It's been a couple of years and I am still learning how do this. I basically had to reinvent how I cook and eat. Since starting this diet I have accidentally ingested gluten on several occasions-almost always at a restaurant- and this has proven to me that I am at least gluten intolerant (I get soo sick after eating gluten).


*Here's where I actually attempt to answer your question ;p* --> That being said, I have no idea if being gluten free is right for you. Every body is so different. I only have my own experiences to go off of but initially I would say that if you don't feel any different or in fact have LESS energy from this diet that it might not be the right choice for you. Based off of my own experience and what I have read it should only take a week to two weeks for the unwanted food to leave your system. I noticed changes within two or three days! Also, if you really want to find out if gluten may be making you sick I would recommend eliminating only one thing from your diet at a time. Its possible that your lack of energy could be coming from cutting sugar or dairy out of your diet, not from cutting out the gluten. There is lots of information online about doing Elimination Diets to test for food allergies, if you're interested in finding out if you have food allergies/issues I would follow one of those.

As far as reintroducing gluten to your diet, that's up to you. Sorry I can't offer you very much help there.

Our bodies are such finicky things aren't they? Finding a food intolerance/ allergy/issues diet that works for you is liking going on any weight-loss diet- there is no One Size Fits All, you just have to find what works for you.

Good luck on your journey and I hope you're able to figure it out in the end

Bump for morning.

I try to eat wheat free because I've seen videos about the book wheat belly and it's not a grain I want to digest. Brown rice and millet bread and english muffins are really good too.

If you really want more energy I'd recommend Dr Junger's clean diet.

I thought you where going to ask "why does gluten free lower the good bacteria in the intestinal tract?"

What? Aren't you mostly gluten free?

I know there is a real disease but I go wheat free because its clean. I personally like to avoid foods that cause others problems like wheat, peanuts, dairy and soy although I have no known problems digesting them. It also is not really that expensive unless you buy a lot of prepared foods. I use organic brown rice flour for everything which is a little more expensive than organic whole wheat but only a dollar or two more for 5 lbs.

I personally think everyone would be better off being wheat free and low to no gluten.

speaking of pizza, this is a good recipe although I changed brown sugar to stevia and a few other alterations.

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/02/gluten-free-pizza-crust-my-new-recipe.html

Honestly, unless you have an actual intolerance to those foods, there is absolutely no health or fitness benefit to giving them up.

It is absolutely a trend. It's a very small percentage of the population that is celiac or gluten intolerant. Everyone else just thinks it's the cool thing to do.

I feel perfectly fine eating gluten and am extremely healthy (at least according to my last two physicals). I have plenty of energy as long as I eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep.

I do have a slight dairy intolerance that's developed over the last five years, but I know this based on the fact that when I eat certain dairy foods, I feel sick after. So I don't eat them.

Do you feel unwell after eating gluten?

EDITED TO ADD: Psychosomatic reactions feel very real to people. If you really, truly believe that gluten free will make you feel better, you will probably feel better even if there's no actual physical change.

The other thing that can cause a lot of intestinal issuses is eating hi GI foods. I have cut out all hi Gi foods from my diet for the last week. I felt so much better! I knew that every time I ate bread,pasta etc. I would get a very upset stomach and feel miserable. I knew it could just be gluten because it would happen when I ate rice or potatoes( side note, the reason so many more people are at least gluten intolerant is that since they started using more genetically modified food there is twice as much gluten in wheat as there was thirty years ago.) Anyway I started cutting out hi Gi foods and that seems tohave really helped my. Yesterday to try it out I had one oatmeal cookie and a glass of milk. Within an hour I felt so sick and I still feel sick this morning! Anyway I hope you find what is wrong!

My kid has celiacs and has been gluten free for 5 years now. It could take a year for the body to totally rid itself of the gluten we were told. She felt great right away with elimination. Blood work was the first, then an endoscopy proved the diagnosis. It is a myth to think you will lose weight we were told. She hasn't lost weight...although beforehand she did...because her body did not absorb the nutrients in food. I don't think the diet is hard...she eats all things..but I am a stay at home mom and on top of her diet. I would eat healthy if I was you....I"m not gluten free...although all of my dinners are for us...just easier than cooking various meals. Everything in moderation would and should be our motto in my opinion.

I forgot..you may be interested in recipes on Katrina's Kitchen

hi open heaven,
sorry i didnt mean to come across that i was offended at you, its just people in general that think being gluten free is the cool thing to do, i saw an article a few weeks ago about some celebrity so now everyone wants to do it, they make me so mad!

if you think you do have a reaction to gluten, its important to see your Dr BEFORE you go gluten free, or they are unable to test for it correctly. My sister and me were both told we must eat a normal, gluten containing diet until all tests are back positive - 2 blood tests a few months apart to check for antibodies, then an endscopy to check on damage to the villi in the intestines. Only then should you start eating gluten free, and then you are tested regularly to keep an eye on how you are improving.

Going gluten free is a fad to some, and serious to others but if you feel better without it, why do you need to see a doctor? I just went through an endscopy for other reasons but I have been gluten free a long time now and feel great about it. I became a pescatarian when I was 10 years old. It wasn't to lose weight per say, it was to feel better after I eat. I always feel really crappy after I eat anything with gluten in it. My doctor told me that gluten intolerance goes along with dairy intolerance. I cannot eat ice cream or yogurt but I can drink a little milk in my tea and eat cheese no problems. We are all so different. I do believe that restaurants should be aware of these problems though, but it is on them if you have a huge reaction due to their negligence. I am sure Americans will be a bit more sensitive than Europeans in this arena due to fear of law suits. Saying this, I would never go out to a pizza place because most of the stuff served there has gluten in it (pasta, bread sticks, pizza etc etc) and I hate describing my issues. Intead I make pretty much all my meals at home so I know exactly what goes into them. I am healthier and feel better than I ever have before. If people want to go gluten free let them, the ones that see it as a lifestyle choice will continue, and the ones that are doing it for fun will not. I don't let that affect me, I only worry about myself. Having a nice meal at home is much more intimate and cozy with friends anyway. That is what most people do in Europe. Restaurants are reserved only for special occasions. I find it too much of a pain to go out often so I work around it and don't let it bother me.