Gluten free diet?

[buckeyegirl]

Hello everyone,

Anyone here on a gluten free diet? I am intrigued and tempted to give it a go. I have been plagued with GI issues - constant bloating, either constipation or diarrhea most of the time and have even been to the ER twice within the last 6 months for acute abdominal pain (we're talking intense waves of abdominal pain - think labor of the intestines...miserable)

I did have multiple abdominal surgeries after a botched csection with my 12 year old and they aren't sure if it's secondary to that - as in IBS or even related to adhesions,etc. Basically, they don't know why this happens and I don't really want to go thru the rigors of more diagnostics. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in pain every day or miserable, but it's the gassiness and bloating that bugs me most.

I talked to two of my relatives over Thanksgiving that are gluten sensitivie - one of my cousins was tested for it and was negative but did a diet trial anyway, and has had remarkable improvement.

Anyone on here ever been officially diagnosed? On a gluten free diet? Does it help? How hard is it to attempt gluten free when the rest of your family isn't? I know it's mostly bread and pasta, but I also know gluten can show up in odd places in ingredient lists.

Any advice or experience you can throw my way would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

 

[chefkate]

Hello there! I only have a few minutes but here goes....

I have gone on a gluten-free diet for belly issues as well. Without going into too much detail on an open forum about my bowels I will say that it was very helpful to me. I had my 2 oldest daughters on a GF diet for different reasons and my husband as well. DD1 had asthma-type issues and DD2 had severe abdominal cramping. DH was having acne issues. We went GF and all of our troubles went away. It was like flipping a switch. Really amazing.

You do need to pay attention to things you wouldn't even think of - like soy sauce! You will find that most restaurants will be accommodating to your requests to eat GF. It really isn't too difficult to go GF.

We don't go strictly GF anymore but I do limit the amount of bread-y foods my family eats.

 

[chefling]

I've been gluten free for about 3 years now. It is like flipping a switch. I remember being amazed at how quickly I felt better.

I'm the only one in the family that eats GF although I have tried to convert several. It's not that difficult, when cooking at home I continue to cook pasta and gluten dishes for my husband and just cook separately for myself. When eating out, I tend to get salads (watch out for the crotons). It's not necessary but it's easier otherwise you have to be careful of the sauces, rubs, etc.

Typical day... breakfast -1 egg w/ 2 egg whites, sliced tomatoes maybe cottage cheese. Lunch - 2 slices of swiss cheese rolled with natural deli meats (an oxymoron I know but they are suppose to be nitrate free) along with an apple, Dinner - Grilled chicken, roasted sweet potatoes w/ onion and green beans.

I stay away from all the GF alternatives, in my opinion they are just overpriced junk food. But you do have to watch out for food pushers. Everyone tends to feel sorry for your limited palate and tries to buy or bake all these goodies for you.

My problem now is wanting to go dairy free and sugar free for the new year in an effort to drop some pounds. I came on to ask a Q for tips on doing this. Dairy is a big culprit in IBS and bloating issues so you may want to consider that too.

 

[JT]

thanks for this thread, I've started thinking about switching over myself. the more info, the better.

 

[kathryn]

Not on a gluten-free diet per se, but I do avoid wheat and rye. I stick with non-gluten grains and pseudo-grains like buckwheat (no relation to wheat), quinoa, etc.

I have tried some specifically 'gluten free' breads (YUK!) and other products, but found them to be either disgusting (in flavor and/or texture) or just junk, as chefling mentioned. They are also very pricey.

One suggestion I wanted to pass on to you is to use romaine leaves instead of bread for sandwiches or wraps. "Greens instead of grains" as it were.