View Full Version : True Gluten Free
Has anyone any experience of going true gluten free?
I am am thinking of giving up all grains and possibly dairy as I have read many merits on the subject. I understand this could help my kidney problem and I have long suspected I don't handle gluten that well.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/02/gluten_free_diet_distinguishing_celiac_disease_whe at_allergy_and_gluten.html
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/02/gluten_free_diet_distinguishing_celiac_disease_whe at_allergy_and_gluten.html
Interesting thank you.
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On the other hand, going gluten free probably won't hurt anything but your wallet and free time - I've never heard of anyone developing wheat deficiency - so if you feel strongly about it, why not try it.
Going gluten free might very well help your kidneys, as part of a ketogenic diet:
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0018604
I think that if this means you will focus more on what you eat and what it contains, it will be a great learning experience. Cant hurt.
Yes, I'm gluten free for health reasons. It solved most of my health problems. There's no harm in trying it. If gluten affects you it becomes really obvious once you go off it and then accidentally or intentionally ingest a small amount. If you don't react in any way then there's probably no point continuing with being gluten free. If you are truly gluten-intolerant it's not even a temptation as the symptoms are so severe.
My mom had celiac disease. She found going to a celiac support group very helpful. They are a wealth of information for gluten free living.
gluten free is good in that you get rid of the processed carbs which arent great for the waistline. (pasta, bread, etc.)
same with dairy.
lean meats and veggies should be the bulk of a diet.
now to practice what i preach...lol.
Around 15-20 years agi, my DH developed really HIGH liver enzyme tests. Didn't seem to affect him in any way (that we knew of), but doctors got all concerned and panicky and did all kinds of scans and what-not, using all the "latest" medical equipment at hand, and found nothing "wrong" with him or his liver. They basically said, "I guess that's just the way you are". Hmmmmm ..... So ... about eightish years ago I was tested for some food allergies, and I apparently have a "mild" wheat allergy. Whatever that means. Anyway, in reading books on wheat allergy and celiac and gluten, I came across one sentence in one of my books ... "elevated liver enzymes of unknown cause can be a gluten sensitivity." So I said "GO GET TESTED!", and he refused, and simply went off gluten. And his liver tests returned to normal. He seems to tolerate wheat/gluten/beer if he doesn't over do, and he's just fine. Interesting side effect -- he's always been HIGH ENERGY, but he's even more so now since he watches gluten, and he drives me crazy. I keep threatening to put gluten back in his diet, but it'd probably kill him eventually, so I don't :D . I think I posted this years ago in the past, so if you've already read this, please forgive me. Ah well ...
lessisbest
3-18-15, 9:34am
I've been gluten-free for over 2 years because I'm gluten-sensitive, not gluten-intolerant. I've probably suffered with this intolerance since I was a teen, when I first experienced severe arthritis (I'm 62 now). My mother had celiac disease. If I do consume gluten, it causes painful inflammation, not gut/bowel issues. It's not a one-size-fits-all problem.
I keep costs down by making my own gluten-free foods and leave the high-priced, high-glycemic (need to avoid diabetes too), commercial gluten-free foods at the store. I have a $125/month food budget for 2 adults, so I know you don't have to spend a fortune to be gluten-free. We don't do without, we just do "different". As an example: I make pizza crust with 2-cups of cooked quinoa that my pizza-loving hubby really loves. We are 100% gluten-free at home. I'm very fortunate to have a husband who has adapted to this diet and doesn't feel like he misses out on ANYTHING, even though he doesn't have a gluten-issue.
WE are gluten free because of my sister's and daughter's celiac. It's a little tough when you first start but you can quickly adapt. Especially now that there are so many gluten free products on the market. Like lessisbest, we pretty much make our own foods. It isn't hard to make up your own mixes for pancakes, cupcakes, biscuits etc...My sister, who used to live with us, complicated things by also having an allergy to corn and rice. Both are lactose intolerant, but that's no problem at all really.
The real problem is learning to read labels. You must suspect everything and don't assume it does or does not have gluten. Soy sauce has wheat, except lite soy sauce for some reason. or at least the store brand we use doesn't. Beef broth in the can has gluten, but not the broth in the cartons. Go figure!
It really won't hurt you to try out a gluten free diet, then after about 2 or 3 weeks, reintroduce it to see how you feel. At least you'll have a better handle on what is or isn't bothering you.
lessisbest, if you could share your pizza crust recipe in recipes that would be great. I can do a decent pizza but I'm always on the look out for different ones.
I eat an almost gluten-free diet (the occasional cookie or piece of artisan bread does sometimes force its way into my mouth). Since my much more rigorous watching of my diet started a month ago, I feel much better. My body feels comfortable and my nerves barely jangle - except when I have two mid-term papers due on the same day, when I frazzle with the best. My eczema has calmed down to invisibility. I've lost an inch off my hips and waist although I haven't lost any weight.
It's not an expensive way to eat. I replace bread with sweet potatoes and pumpkin, pasta and rice with string beans and julienned carrots and zucchini (they take very little more time to prepare than pasta). I eat the same amounts of meat and eggs as before, but find I now have far less appetite for cheese whereas before I devoured it. I still use a cupful of milk and a tablespoonful of cream per day. I don't waste time, money, and energy on trying to replicate the grain-based diet with concoctions of ground almonds, rice flour, coconut flour, and food gums.
I just feel so much better!
Wow, thanks everyone! That has given me the enthusiasm to give it a try. There is a strong link between celiac disease and nephrosys. People without celiac disease have reported big improvements in nephrosys after going true gluten free.
It's certainly worthwhile. Anecdotal reports from people newly avoiding gluten, such as those Dr. William Davis is collecting, are overwhelmingly positive. You have absolutely nothing to lose.
lessisbest
3-25-15, 5:40pm
WE are gluten free because of my sister's and daughter's celiac. It's a little tough when you first start but you can quickly adapt. Especially now that there are so many gluten free products on the market. Like lessisbest, we pretty much make our own foods. It isn't hard to make up your own mixes for pancakes, cupcakes, biscuits etc...My sister, who used to live with us, complicated things by also having an allergy to corn and rice. Both are lactose intolerant, but that's no problem at all really.
The real problem is learning to read labels. You must suspect everything and don't assume it does or does not have gluten. Soy sauce has wheat, except lite soy sauce for some reason. or at least the store brand we use doesn't. Beef broth in the can has gluten, but not the broth in the cartons. Go figure!
It really won't hurt you to try out a gluten free diet, then after about 2 or 3 weeks, reintroduce it to see how you feel. At least you'll have a better handle on what is or isn't bothering you.
lessisbest, if you could share your pizza crust recipe in recipes that would be great. I can do a decent pizza but I'm always on the look out for different ones.
Peggy,
Sorry I missed your request for the pizza crust. The most recent iteration of pizza crust I have been using was a recipe I saw while waiting to check out at the grocery store in a copy of "First for Women" October 6, 2014 magazine. http://www.firstforwomen.com/food/gluten-free-pepperoni-pizza#.VRMpEGc5B1O
What I do different from the recipe....
1. I don't bother using a food processor, I just mix the cooked quinoa with the rest of the crust ingredients.
2. Pat the mixture onto a 12-inch pizza pan (no holes in the pan), well-sprayed with PAM (cover the mixture with a sheet of plastic wrap or "wear" a plastic fold-top sandwich bag over your hand so you can pat the dough out).
3. Pre-bake the crust for 15-20 minutes, until it begins to brown. I run a long thin bladed spatula under the crust and flip the loosened crust onto a pizza pan that has holes on it and bake for 5-10 more minutes. Using the holey pan helps get a crispy crust, which is what we like.
4. Top crust with sauce and pizza toppings and bake until cheese is bubbly.
I've stopped eating most grains since Dec. and have lost 10 lbs. Actually I'm a bit too thin now. However, my stomach is never bloated and gassy anymore, I sleep deeply every night and have more energy. Occasionally I'll have a gluten-free treat, such as cookies or an ice cream cone, but haven't needed to replace bread/waffles/crackers.....I just don't even miss them. Oh, I also cut waaaay back on all the junk and sweets I was eating too and most processed foods.
A lot of the gluten-free alternatives are loaded with starches.
FWIW, a co-worker highly recommends the gluten-free pizza crust at Costco.
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