I have DH and was diagnosed in December. Before I was diagnosed the pain/itching was so bad I'd cry into a bowl of ice cream every night. After going gluten-free I didn't gain, but after I started my DH meds, they made me tired and weak and I've gained at least 8 pounds. I'm weaning myself off the awful medicine, fortunately. I have a nasty case of plantar fascitis which is making exercising a challenge, also. My big problem is carbs (the gluten-free kind)...sugar, sweets, cookies, ice cream, etc. Especially in the late afternoon when the kids are napping and after 9 when they're asleep...it's like someone turns on the sugar switch and I become a monster.

Any suggestions to get off this rollercoaster? I"m contemplating going sugarless for a week to see if I can reset my body to not crave carbs, has anyone tried this with success? I have yet to start counting calories, I think that will open my eyes to how much I"m actually consuming. I have two little kids, so there's always food around, unfortunately! It's healthy, but I think I end up eating waaay too much of it.

Tips, anyone ? and Thanks!!

Do you crave sweets, carbohydrates, or both? I mean, does a pile of mashed potatoes hit the spot, or a bowl of ice cream or slice of cream pie? In the case of just sweet stuff, there's always Stevia. You can whip up all sorts of yummy treats with it. However, carbs might be a bit different. How about sweet potatoes, winter squashes (like pumpkin), or other carby veggies? Do these alone satisfy, or only sugary goodies?

Boy, do I have experience with this, and what my personal experience tells me is that a multitude of things can set off carb cravings. Here's my list:

1. MSG
2. Low-fiber complex carbs (potatoes, white rice or rice pasta, etc.)
3. Fatigue and/or lack of restful sleep
4. Dehydration
5. Sugar

You'll notice I've put sugar at the bottom of the list, and that's where it belongs for me. The other four things cause cravings that are much more intense than the cravings I get from eating sugar. And MSG is an absolute monster that causes me to binge eat (or want to) nearly every time I ingest it.

Good luck with it. A bit of stubbornness will be required to help you through the first few days of withdrawal. If you can manage the first two days, it gets easier after that.

Coffee helps me, but then, I drink mine black. But it does take the edge off a craving pretty reliably for me.

Janie

Edited to add: When the cravings hit, have a spoonful of peanut butter, or an ounce of cheddar cheese, or a couple of scrambled eggs. These foods help stabilize blood sugar.

Nothing creates more cravings than caving into them. Seriously you just need to stop eating the stuff you crave. If it helps, make substitutes using non-caloric sweeteners (loads of them out there nowadays, many very natural options). I used to make sugar free cheesecakes and use nuts for the crust. I can point you to a cooking forum specially for low carb sweet options. If you're interested, PM me, I don't read here all that often any more.

This was my problem too -- about 4 years of gluten-free carbs gave way to diabetes 3 weeks ago. Now I'm counting carbs and calories.
It's amazing how much we consumer when we do count. I'm still looking for solutions since there is only so much spinach and lettuce I can consume!

good luck

Thanks for the tips!! As for cravings, a bowl of ice cream beats starchy carbs (pasta, rice) anytime. Wal mart has their 2009 calendars on super clearance, I bought one with enough space to write down my calories every day. I actually grow Stevia every summer and dry it in the microwave to use in iced tea. I'm a tea junkie (but a purist, please...only sweetener in black tea!) so hopefully I can use that as a no calorie substitute for my cravings.

Bee-Jr, for me my list would be stress, fatigue, sugar, then white starches. I became a stress eater during my last year of grad school (imagine that!), so this is a habit I need to break. I"m on my way to the kitchen to get a huge glass of ice water on this humid day.

Have you had your sugar levels checked. You could be Hypoglycemic and it is setting off what you believe are cravings but is really low blood sugar.

I have Reactive Hypoglycemia which I've had all my life but really came to the surface when I went gluten-free and started substituting all the higher carb flours and such. The cravings were terrible and my blood sugar was on a rollercoaster. To keep this in check I really have to balance low carbs with protien at each and every meal or snack.

I have had to cut out all flours, grains (including corn and peas), and sugar (only honey is allowed), already off dairy because of intollerence so no ice cream for me. I've been on this new diet for 4 weeks and after about 4 days all the cravings stopped. Now when I want something sweet it's and apple with peanutbutter or a banana. The only time I have had cravings is when I accidently got glutened and boy it was a rough 4 days but I stuck it out and everything calmed down.

This sounds just like me. I find it really hard to fight the cravings and eventually give in... my doctor suggests i try the candida diet as well to help with my sugars and really bad "lows" my numbers are constantly going up and down.

Are you taking vitamin and mineral supplements such as calcium, magnesium, and the B vitamin complex ? The disease damages the lining of the digestive tract and interferes with absorption of nutrients, which in turn can cause cravings.

A lot of people forget to eat enough vegetables and protein and good fats such as found in olive oil, nuts, avocados, hard cheeses, and coconut oils, and instead on a gluten free diet, try to substitute easily digested and starchy gluten free flours high on the glycemic index for wheat carbohydrates. Allow yourself to "eat like a guy" and increase your portions of proteins and fats, the fats, especially, will act as slow burning fuels. The fiber from the vegetables helps to slow down the digestive process and hold water in the intestines.

Blood sugar levels OK, I had a lot of bloodwork done recently and other than the celiac everything is fine. I take a multi (iodine free, I have DH) and extra calcium. I have two kids so I eat healthy with them, fruits and veggies. My problem is I loooooove to bake. I've had to find new hobbies because the gluten-free goodies are too expensive to make tons and give away. It's a case of getting the nasty foods out of the house so I don't eat them. Tonite after a *lot* of shouting at crazy hyper kids, I went straight for the ice cream. While I was watching the Biggest Loser finale. A ha!!! Stress! Tiredness!!! I think the best thing for me is to do what my Mom used to do, after dinner the kitchen is CLOSED!!!

One thing that helps me, it's not foolproof but it has cut short my eating many an evening, is brushing my teeth. I can't stand to go to bed w/o brushing so if I do it early and feel my teeth all smooth I don't want to get them dirty.

So Gluten Intolerant sufferers craving for gluten / sugar/ carb is quite a common thing?

I am aware of craving the offender foods but sugar thing, I thought it is just me.
A bit like you, I have lately became a sweet fanatic.
Despite never having a thing for chocolates all my life. The only occsasions I would have them were through receiving them as gifts, quick energy boost and only liked dark chocolate as well but never bought a big bar for myself.
But this all changed since last month when I began buying a big bar of dark choc occassionally.
I just had BIG craving for them and normally digest them really well. Infact it helped me return my poor digestion and appetite.

But since they fill me up too quickly, I adventured down the SWEET aisle.
I HATE cheap junk sweets and hardly ate them especially things like spaghetti jelly, flaying saucers, jelly beans but they have become my everyday diet now. At first just like chocolates, I had MASSIVE craving for them and they did boost my energy and helped me get through the day. Plus they have been reasonably good substitutes for gluten products ( I miss baked goods! ) plus cos of work & indigestion, my sleeping pattern has been off for almost a year now, stress level is quite high, etc so having sugar in my diet became a quick fix??? But now, even though I don't crave it at first, when I start indulging on them..I can't stop until I finish the whole packet ;

Some would advise into getting more sleep and rest but that I can not afford. Too much work on hand.
x

How about substituting to

*FRUITS- They taste much nicer and cos of the water contents, they seem to give a better sense of fulfillment.
*Green tea- they are not of sweet nature but this tends to fill your tummy up and it has a nature to relax your mind.
*Dried fruits- just as sweet but with better nutrients. Don't go for fried or coated ones though.
*Move around- get some exercise. Schedule a late night or evening walk or something so instead of adding more sugar into your diet, you get to go out and burn those calories away.

I've been using.....
a huge glass of hot water
2 tb. real tart cherry juice concentrate from Traverse City, MI (55 calories per tablespoon)
2 tb. real maple syrup (50 calories per tablespoon)

as a desert/treat. It cut the cravings and I've lost about 10lbs.

If you google tart cherry juice you will find articles about reducing inflammation.

Maple syrup is a very good source of many vitamins and minerals (potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese) and aids in digestion by speeding up the chemical break down of foods eaten.

Oh, I'm a celiac w/C not D so this didn't seem to effect me but if you suffer from D be careful with this one.

Hope this is helpful to you,
OptimisticMom42

Thanks for the tips! Optimistic Mom, I have DH, which means I break out in a nasty rash when I eat gluten...I have absolutely no GI symptoms. Most DHers do have some villi damage, even if they don't have symptoms.

The bowl of ice cream I had while watching Biggest Loser was the clincher. No more snacks after the kids go to bed for me!
I'm a tea fanatic, so I think I"ll break out the decaf/herbals and my nice Japanese tetsubin and make a cuppa tonite.

You may be subconsienciously rebelling against your mom and her "kitchen is closed after dinner" rule and going there just to spite her. I know my friend and I (who are in our sixties now) had very controlling moms and we have talked about the fact that we still could be rebelling against our moms when we overeat (the pattern was formed so long ago). We both are doing Weight Watchers for the umteenth time. I do believe that drinking sweetened drinks either artifical or sugar loaded makes you crave more food. I am a water drinker now, at times with a little lemon. I have never done this before, but I think it is an important part of the puzzle for me. I don't crave like I used to, either salty or sweet, as much.