Gluten free?

[aelle]

Who here has given up gluten? Totally, partially? Why did you choose to do so? What were your symptoms of gluten intolerance, and how has your health improved since?

I'm thinking of giving gluten-free eating a try, and would be grateful for all input.

[veranadine]

Hi.

I just tested a 6-week gluten elimination diet. I have only gone off of it for the past 3 days and I can tell you that the differences in my health are quite marked.

Since going back on gluten these symptoms have returned in my life:

-sleep apnea (had gone away on the elimination diet)
-acne and skin rash
-mucous and stuffiness
-sneezing/runny nose
-fatigue
-nausea

Now obviously I don't have all of these symptoms all of the time, if I did that would be rather hellish. But they come and go throughout the day and are pronounced enough for me to take note of them.

I can't say if these same symptoms would disappear from your life if you went gluten free, but if you have any of them it would be worth the trial.

While on the G-free diet the only grains that are purely gluten free are: buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa (very high in protein) and oats (which are only gluten-free if not produced in a factory that also produces wheat.)

Surprisingly grains such as rice and barley can also exacerbate gluten-sensitivity. If it is sticky when cooked it can also cause stuffiness and related symptoms in people.

Try different types of gluten-free diet until you find what works best for your health.

Best of luck!

PS. I make a mean gluten-free chocolate chip-peanut butter cookie. I would never have known that if not for this diet. ;-) Have fun with it!

[ginkgo]

I was at Whole Foods and the celiac disease people were there and I got their literature. " People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten proteins , which are found in any food, product or additive containing wheat, rye or barley." --from their brochure. 3 million Americans (1% or 1 in every 100) have it and 97% of the people do not know they have it since it is undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Symptoms include:
bloating, gas or abdominal pain
diarrhea or constipation
fatigue
itchy skin rash
canker sore
joint pain
poor weight gain
delayed growth
missed menstrual periods
fractures or thin bones
irratability
tingling in hands or feet
discolored teeth or loss of enamel

The only cure is to give up all gluten.

[Josey]

Hi aelle,

I have given up gluten totally for a year. A blood test revealed that I had a major gluten allergy. A blood test is probably the best way to go to tell if one is allergic to gluten or not.

My symptoms were digestive problems. And in a short time off gluten my digestion was fine.

The most interesting part to me was that when I stopped all gluten, right away I developed this light itchy rash all over my body. It wasn’t a bad itch, just mild. It lasted for five days. I was told that this was a “typical” reaction to going off gluten if you are allergic, or very allergic to it.

Though not a sure test, if you went off gluten for a week, and you get a rash, that is a good sign that you are allergic to it. It is my understanding that gluten is fine unless you have an allergy to it. That it works on the small intestine, and does damage if you are allergic to it. But that by going off of it, the small intestine does heal- maybe totally within six months or so. For me, as stated, my digestion problems cleared up soon after going off gluten. But the small intestine still takes a while to heal.

The other interesting thing I found is that going off gluten was not a problem. Labels now make it easy to see if a product is gluten free. And there are plenty of tasty substitutes for wheat. Whole food stores- and even regular grocery stores have gluten free sections.

I eat rice bread and rice pasta- and I like both better than wheat! There are cookies, crackers, snack-food, and many items that are very good and gluten free.

Hope this helps,
Josey

[Dreamline]

I've never been tested for gluten sensitivity, per se. But through extensive trial and error over about three years, I figured out that if I eat wheat, I will probably die. I think it's not gluten because I can have other grains that have gluten and have no symptoms. I have no digestive issues with wheat.

But wheat gives me some terrible cardiac and vascular issues. Chest pain, palpitations, blood pressure changes that are alarming. Dizziness and vertigo. A feeling of impending doom and anxiety.

Off wheat, I have not one of those problems. I don't even take my blood pressure meds anymore.

Jennifer

[runningbird]

With gluten intolerance, either you have it or you don't right? There is no in between?

[KazeCraven]

Some doctors, like Dr. Mercola, insist that most people have a mild gluten intolerance and people get "used to" their symptoms and low energy levels.

But I have not had experience with such cases, although giving up everything that has gluten usually means being much more careful about what processed foods go in, and people who give up such thing entirely are often better off because of it, even if they have no gluten intolerance.

You aren't going to get a definite 'yes' from all the "experts" in food science.

[Dreamline]

Originally Posted by runningbird

With gluten intolerance, either you have it or you don't right? There is no in between?

There are many in-betweens. When allergists test for food allergies, sometimes they use tests that give you your results on a spectrum. In my case, the threshold was 4. Anything below 4 was considered ok to eat. Anything over 4 was dubious and the higher on the scale, the worse it was. Onions and peppers were like 7, soy was 21 and milk was 58. Bingo! We just found your problem. Stop using dairy and soy and low and behold, the rest of the offending foods calmed down within a matter of months.

But dairy and soy are still big offenders.

My allergist says that there are no people that don't have some immune reaction to dairy products. It's a foreign substance and your body treats it as such. Some people will never notice a symptom though and assume it's doing no damage.

So there are thresholds to consider. Your body does a lot, without you knowing, behind the scenes. You don't just wake up one day and are suddenly allergic to gluten. It's a long drawn out process that your body has probably been fighting since your first slice of toast as a youngster. It's just gotten to the point where it can no longer control all the effects and boom, you develop a symptom. Which is what clues you in that something is not right in paradise.


Jennifer

[runningbird]

Interesting. I know that there are in betweens for food allergies in general - peanuts, for example are fatal to some but merely irritating for others. I've read that celiac's disease is determined by testing for the presence of a certain antibody that attacks gluten. So, it seems to me that celiac's disease could be either "on" or "off". However, I just browsed a site that said celiac's disease is only one form of gluten intolerance, so it makes sense that there could be degrees of it.

I feel like I have more joint problems than I should, and that I have to eat just the right amount or else it upsets my stomach. Maybe I should back off the wheat.

[marinik]

I have been on a gluten free diet for 2,5 years now. I have lost 27kg - 59 pounds and feel great! I had so many digestive problems I wouldn't even try to name them all and was treated for years but with no success! I feel and look great now!

[Lena Carpenter]

Originally Posted by marinik

I have been on a gluten free diet for 2,5 years now. I have lost 27kg - 59 pounds and feel great! I had so many digestive problems I wouldn't even try to name them all and was treated for years but with no success! I feel and look great now!

That's interesting. Have you made other changes as well? What do you eat regular foods otherwise?

[Dreamline]

Originally Posted by runningbird

I feel like I have more joint problems than I should, and that I have to eat just the right amount or else it upsets my stomach. Maybe I should back off the wheat.

Ooh, ooh...I have great suggestions for joint pain: Eliminate for one month, all of the following:

Eggplant
Corn
Wheat
Tomatoes
Peppers
Potatoes (especially)

See how your joints feel. If you have no improvement, you could have osteoarthritis (simple wear and tear). If you do have improvement, you could have inflammatory arthritis, of which rheumatoid is the most well-known.

This regimen cured me of joint pain. Interestingly, all of those foods are "avoid" for blood type O on the Blood Type Diet, which I follow. Except tomatoes. The are "avoid" for Type A and B secretors only.

I'd be interested to see if this helps...

Jennifer

[runningbird]

Thanks, actually that would really suck if I already had osteoarthritis at 25, but my joints have been better recently - I'm not sure why, I haven't made any big changes except for doing some squat exercises at the gym. It's mostly my knees, like when I crouch down to look at books or movies. But they have felt perfectly strong recently. My hip, however, has not. I will try to avoid those foods but I want to find out my blood type.