Gluten Free Diet?

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I wasn't sure whether to post this in here, in the Barber Shop, or in the fitness section, so I posted it here, because it relates to food. Please move it if it belongs elsewhere.

On Sunday, the first of the week and the first of the month, I am going cold turkey on gluten for an undetermined length of time to see if the change has a positive impact on me. I have not been diagnosed with Celiac's, or even a gluten intolerance, but I have found that I regularly suffer from many of the symptoms associated with the intolerance.

One of the things that inspired me to do this was an article in The New Yorker that I just read about the tennis player Novak Djokovic, who credits eliminating gluten from his diet for taking his career to the next level. I don't expect to win Wimbledon, but I am hoping that I see an increase in my energy and less moodiness. I am, at times, grouchy enough to have walked out of a Dickens' novel, except that I am 30 and not an old codger with a furrowed brow.

Has anyone here had any experience(s) with this, positive or negative?

 

[Commander Quan]

I have eliminated all grains with the exception of some occasional corn from tortilla chips and have never felt better. In the afternoons around 2 or 3 I always felt like I needed a nap, now that is gone, along with heartburn and some other GI issues.

 

[YetiDave]

Couldn't do it. No way. Half of my cooking relies upon gluten. Be careful to make sure you're not losing out on the vitamins and minerals associated with products that contain gluten. Chances are that you will see an improvement in your mood simply because you want and expect to, I wouldn't jump the gun and quickly accredit it to a gluten free diet

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I have eliminated all grains with the exception of some occasional corn from tortilla chips and have never felt better. In the afternoons around 2 or 3 I always felt like I needed a nap, now that is gone, along with heartburn and some other GI issues.

Couldn't do it. No way. Half of my cooking relies upon gluten. Be careful to make sure you're not losing out on the vitamins and minerals associated with products that contain gluten. Chances are that you will see an improvement in your mood simply because you want and expect to, I wouldn't jump the gun and quickly accredit it to a gluten free diet

It's not going to be easy for me. I've been eating oatmeal nearly every morning for 14 years, since I was 16 and a sophomore in high school! I will have to find a breakfast cereal to replace it.

I have, however, hit a wall in my life and I'm treading water. My energy level is lousy and I'm grumpy all the time and both of those things are probably the biggest reasons that I'm not as productive as I want to be, or should be. I am willing to do whatever it takes, now that I'm about to hit 30, to correct this. I'm aware of the placebo effect, but, honestly, I will take any spike I can get, even if it's psychosomatic.

There is the general state of lethargy and lassitude that persists throughout the day (I feel like I need a nap almost as soon as I wake up), but there is also a feeling of complete exhaustion after I eat. Wednesday night, I ate two whole wheat pitas with my dinner at around 6:00 p.m. By 7:00 p.m., I was on my bed, fighting off sleep and trying to talk myself into getting up. Between about 7:35 and 7:55, I must have actually fallen asleep, because I have no recollection of that time. I woke up to a text message from a friend. Had that not happened, I may have just slept.

The other issue, separate from energy and psychological state, is that since the end of 2011 I have been getting excruciating stomach aches. Not mild tummy aches, but stomach pains so bad that I have considered calling 911. They persist for about 12 hours and when they happen, I am completely incapacitated. By that, I mean that I am incapable of doing anything other than trying to find the position in which to sit, stand or recline that makes my stomach feel the least awful. I have noticed that they usually happen after eating grains. For instance, one of the more brutal ones happened not long after I ate two large plates of whole wheat linguini.

I haven't been checked for gluten issues, but I've had blood tests and been to a doctor and other than high blood pressure (which I think is partly genetic and also because I use way too much salt [another thing I have to try to eliminate]), I am healthy.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Luc]

My other half has a mild gluten allergy. It's mostly abdominal pains that she gets. She she stays clear from beer, bread, etc that contains gluten. She does have some when she goes out to a nice restaurant or something as once a week is okay for her. But other than that, we cut it to a max.

Corn tortillas are regulars for us during the week (and week-end). I'm working really hard at making gluten free pizza that actually taste good and it's starting to get right. I mean, it's not the same because I don't use wheat but we had some really bad tasting pizza that were GF before and now, I do my own mix and it's getting better.

Same goes for pasta but those are tricky. Gnocchi are easiest to make GF for me.

I am not arguing with anyone but I was told that oatmeal was actually GF so that's part of the main ingredient to make what I have to make. I grind it in the vitamix to get a flour out of it and use corn flour to do my mixes. It's working fairly well. If you are interested, I can post the proportions that I do.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

I'm no savant about this. What I read is that somehow, during the manufacturing process (I guess), oatmeal is often adulterated by grains that mix into it. I have no clue how this works, as I don't know a thing about farming or agriculture or how food is made, but that's what I read. The recommendation was to avoid any grains, including oatmeal, unless they are listed as gluten free.

My goal is to be as gluten free as possible, within reason. For instance, I read that you should only eat meats that come from animals that are grass fed. I think that's a great idea, but I don't have a lot of money, so I'm not going to drop $15 for two days worth of meat. I can't afford it. I will have to eat the regular meat in the meat section.

I'm going to do my best, but I'm not going to be paranoid about it.

 

[JoshuaNY]

I have eliminated all grains with the exception of some occasional corn from tortilla chips and have never felt better. In the afternoons around 2 or 3 I always felt like I needed a nap, now that is gone, along with heartburn and some other GI issues.

I have also eliminated all grains. I stopped eating legumes as well. Been doing it for about 4 weeks. Not only does my stomach feel better, but I have lost 10 pounds in a few weeks with no change to activity level. I also do not have anymore carbohydrate induced energy peaks and valleys. Steady energy throughout the day.

I admit, I do indulge everynow and then, but always regret it afterward.

Good luck to you sir.

 

[mretzloff]

At the beginning of July, I watched Food, Inc. and Fat Head. Food, Inc. is on stream on Netflix, and Fat Head can be legally streamed for free on YouTube. Since then, I have completely changed my diet. I have eliminated all grains and pseudo grains (e.g. wheat, quinoa, corn, etc.), legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, etc.), sugar (both natural an synthetic), starchy foods (e.g. potatoes), and most carbohydrates. I have dramatically increased the amount of healthy fats (e.g. extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed butter, etc.) and vegetables in my diet. I have lost 24 pounds so far. I am never hungry after a meal and never pay attention to calories.

Unfortunately, this diet is fairly expensive. I cannot afford grass-fed or pastured meat, but I try eating as many organic vegetables and pastured organic eggs as possible. Once you start doing some research, you will see that the food pyramid, which suggests six to 11 servings of grains a day, is a result of industry lobbying, not scientific fact.

 

[ouch]

How do you know someone is on a gluten free diet?

Spoiler

They'll tell you.










Also works for vegans.

 

[SalvadorMontenegro]

Did a little research (emphasis on little) and it seems that there's some dispute as to whether oatmeal is gluten free, or not.

I've been eating eggs and oatmeal for breakfast every morning forever. I'm going to try to do away with the oatmeal, but what the heck is a suitable replacement? I went to the grocery store and the only gluten free cereal type of products I could find were Rice Chex and Corn Chex. There's no way that Rice Chex or Corn Chex will fill me up.

I intend to swap vegetables and rice for bread during lunch and dinner, but I need breakfast recommendations. I don't want to eat a bowl of rice for breakfast.

I have also eliminated all grains. I stopped eating legumes as well. Been doing it for about 4 weeks. Not only does my stomach feel better, but I have lost 10 pounds in a few weeks with no change to activity level. I also do not have anymore carbohydrate induced energy peaks and valleys. Steady energy throughout the day.

I admit, I do indulge everynow and then, but always regret it afterward.

Good luck to you sir.

Thank you!

At the beginning of July, I watched Food, Inc. and Fat Head. Food, Inc. is on stream on Netflix, and Fat Head can be legally streamed for free on YouTube. Since then, I have completely changed my diet. I have eliminated all grains and pseudo grains (e.g. wheat, quinoa, corn, etc.), legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, etc.), sugar (both natural an synthetic), starchy foods (e.g. potatoes), and most carbohydrates. I have dramatically increased the amount of healthy fats (e.g. extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed butter, etc.) and vegetables in my diet. I have lost 24 pounds so far. I am never hungry after a meal and never pay attention to calories.

Unfortunately, this diet is fairly expensive. I cannot afford grass-fed or pastured meat, but I try eating as many organic vegetables and pastured organic eggs as possible. Once you start doing some research, you will see that the food pyramid, which suggests six to 11 servings of grains a day, is a result of industry lobbying, not scientific fact.

I've had Food, Inc. on my Netflix queue for years! Should get around to watching it.

My brother is an organic farmer in Austin, TX. He's always preaching about organic, but it is so much more expensive. Regular grapes are about $1.99 a pound. Organic grapes are about $3.99 a pound. For some that might not be a big deal, but for me, it is.

Yesterday, walking by a bedding store, I saw a sign for "organic mattresses." (?!?!?!?!)

How do you know someone is on a gluten free diet?

Spoiler

They'll tell you.









Also works for vegans.

Hope you sleep well tonight. Hope you don't lie awake in bed, thinking of all the cute, innocent wheat stalks that screamed in abject terror as they were cut down and butchered in the fields to make your linguini!

 

[mretzloff]

I intend to swap vegetables and rice for bread during lunch and dinner, but I need breakfast recommendations. I don't want to eat a bowl of rice for breakfast.

I've had Food, Inc. on my Netflix queue for years! Should get around to watching it.

My brother is an organic farmer in Austin, TX. He's always preaching about organic, but it is so much more expensive. Regular grapes are about $1.99 a pound. Organic grapes are about $3.99 a pound. For some that might not be a big deal, but for me, it is.

Yesterday, walking by a bedding store, I saw a sign for "organic mattresses." (?!?!?!?!)

If you were to completely eliminate grains from your diet, you could eat things like bacon and eggs every morning without having to worry about gaining any weight. Rice is still a grain, but it is a lot better than bread. Basmati and other high-quality white rice is the one to eat.

Organic food, especially animal products, is definitely more expensive. I envy the people who can blow hundreds of dollars at Whole Foods without blinking. I would start by Googling "dirty dozen". There are 12 foods (bell peppers, grapes, tomatoes, etc.) that are generally recommended to be always eaten organic. There are also several foods, such as broccoli and honey, where organic makes little to no difference. I would start at a local farmers market. Since most small farmers cannot afford to be USDA certified organic, they are not legally allowed to claim that their produce is organic, but it usually is. Farmers markets are also a lot cheaper than Whole Foods and even Trader Joe's. Just make sure to do your research because a lot of organic food, such as organic macaroni and cheese, is still unhealthy, and many of these terms, such as "cage free", mean nothing and are unregulated.

 

[YetiDave]

At the beginning of July, I watched Food, Inc. and Fat Head. Food, Inc. is on stream on Netflix, and Fat Head can be legally streamed for free on YouTube. Since then, I have completely changed my diet. I have eliminated all grains and pseudo grains (e.g. wheat, quinoa, corn, etc.), legumes (e.g. beans, lentils, etc.), sugar (both natural an synthetic), starchy foods (e.g. potatoes), and most carbohydrates. I have dramatically increased the amount of healthy fats (e.g. extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed butter, etc.) and vegetables in my diet. I have lost 24 pounds so far. I am never hungry after a meal and never pay attention to calories.

Unfortunately, this diet is fairly expensive. I cannot afford grass-fed or pastured meat, but I try eating as many organic vegetables and pastured organic eggs as possible. Once you start doing some research, you will see that the food pyramid, which suggests six to 11 servings of grains a day, is a result of industry lobbying, not scientific fact.

Thats gotta be one very boring diet..

 

[Andy]

Plenty of different things you can have for breakfast.

Almond meal pancakes, apple fritters, crepes, Bircher Muesli, French toast, omelets, scrambled eggs, quiche, bacon and eggs.
In my book, anything with bacon in is a win!

Check out Taste - Gluten free recipe collection
4 Ingredients Gluten Free is a fantastic book (all above ideas are from this book), it helped immensely when I first started the Gluten Free lifestyle.

 

[mretzloff]

Thats gotta be one very boring diet..

It is not boring, it is just how we are supposed to eat.

 

[YetiDave]

Yeah, because we've not been eating grain since thousands of years ago

 

[ouch]

 

[August West]

I am on the Four Major Food Group Diet.
Alcohol
Nicotine
Caffeine
Sugar
Seriously, whatever works for you. The right deal is a state of mind.

 

[Joe_Karp]

It's not going to be easy for me. I've been eating oatmeal nearly every morning for 14 years, since I was 16 and a sophomore in high school! I will have to find a breakfast cereal to replace it.

I have, however, hit a wall in my life and I'm treading water. My energy level is lousy and I'm grumpy all the time and both of those things are probably the biggest reasons that I'm not as productive as I want to be, or should be. I am willing to do whatever it takes, now that I'm about to hit 30, to correct this. I'm aware of the placebo effect, but, honestly, I will take any spike I can get, even if it's psychosomatic.

There is the general state of lethargy and lassitude that persists throughout the day (I feel like I need a nap almost as soon as I wake up), but there is also a feeling of complete exhaustion after I eat. Wednesday night, I ate two whole wheat pitas with my dinner at around 6:00 p.m. By 7:00 p.m., I was on my bed, fighting off sleep and trying to talk myself into getting up. Between about 7:35 and 7:55, I must have actually fallen asleep, because I have no recollection of that time. I woke up to a text message from a friend. Had that not happened, I may have just slept.

The other issue, separate from energy and psychological state, is that since the end of 2011 I have been getting excruciating stomach aches. Not mild tummy aches, but stomach pains so bad that I have considered calling 911. They persist for about 12 hours and when they happen, I am completely incapacitated. By that, I mean that I am incapable of doing anything other than trying to find the position in which to sit, stand or recline that makes my stomach feel the least awful. I have noticed that they usually happen after eating grains. For instance, one of the more brutal ones happened not long after I ate two large plates of whole wheat linguini.

I haven't been checked for gluten issues, but I've had blood tests and been to a doctor and other than high blood pressure (which I think is partly genetic and also because I use way too much salt [another thing I have to try to eliminate]), I am healthy.

Thanks for the replies!

Me too. I have the same symptoms and have been allergic to wheat for many years, probably always. Yep, oatmeal has been the standard since I have trouble finding wheat-free products, and as well feel lethargic and grumpy, plus I am certain it comes from what I eat. Since getting diagnosed, most bread flours except Spelt and Kamut are avoided, yet like you guys it's hard to not get traces or outright reactions when we go out...it's in Tamari, beer, many wines, and in general I simply feel better and have lost weight since eating more protein and veggies has become a part of my daily diet. Not easy is it??

 

[mretzloff]

Yeah, because we've not been eating grain since thousands of years ago

Do you not think that might be because we did not have access to modern science back then? No one here is trying to force a gluten-free diet on you, but there is overwhelming evidence linking grains to obesity and disease. I love bread just as much as the next guy, but eating it is not normal.

 

[YetiDave]

It's entirely normal - otherwise we wouldn't have been doing it for thousands of years it's that very fact that makes it normal