Ravenously Hungry, Bloated, And Gassy From gluten-free-Diet

[ladolcevita]

So to start off, I have not been tested for Celiacs disease. I don't think I've shown any symptoms of having Celiacs so as of right now it is unclear whether I have the disease or not. However, I'm on this site because I thought it would be a place I could learn more about the gluten-free diet and the effects I am having from it. 

I am currently on a gluten-free diet because I suffer from a different autoimmune disease called Alopecia. I've read that people with autoimmune diseases such as mine would benefit from excluding gluten from their diets and so I decided to try it. It's been a few days since I went gluten-free and mostly I've just been sticking to whole foods but finally I decided to try out some prepackaged gluten-free foods because I cannot live without my pasta and bread. I'm fine with the bread but when I eat the gluten-free pasta (I use Schaers gluten-free spaghetti for reference) I get RAVENOUSLY hungry 15 minutes after I just ate an entire plate of pasta. I thought maybe this is because gluten-free pastas contain less fiber than gluten pastas but this doesn't explain why I continue to get insanely hungry directly after I eat other things (such as fruits and other snacks) in an effort to try to appease the hunger. 

On top of this, I got bloated right after eating the pasta and also gassy. It's like I'm having Celiac symptoms from eating gluten-free foods! So strange... Can anyone explain why this is happening? 

[1desperateladysaved]

My tummy experienced more bloating than ever when beginning a gluten free diet. I do have celiac, though.  One would wonder if you do.   I considered any change in symptoms to be a good sign.  We often recommend sticking to basic meals of meat, vegetables, and avoiding processed foods.  They can have cross contamination or surprises.  You might try this non-processed foods only and see if it does help.  Do you bloat after every meal?

 

Perhaps you should be tested for celiac.  But if you do, you need to discontinue the gluten free trial for testing purposes.

 

I recommend keeping track of your symptoms when you go gluten free.  Any change may meaning something.

 

D

[w8in4dave]

I also was having symptoms when eating gluten-free processed products , come to find out I am intolerant of corn. They replace alot of Gluten with corn. You may be intolerant also. 

[GF Lover]

Most processed gluten free food has more sugar and empty calories.  This is why we advise Celiac's to eat whole foods and stay away from processed foods.  

 

Colleen

[Fenrir]

The nutritional value between the typical gluten-free pasta and regular pasta isn't all the different. Slightly less protein and fiber but otherwise similar. You can even find some gluten-free pastas with slightly better nutritional value.

 

However, if you make a big change to your diet you should expect a change in bowel function for a while as well.

[IrishHeart]

You may want to continue ingesting gluten and have a celiac test done. Alopecia Areata is associated with celiac.

[livinthelife]

Agree with everybody about eating non processed foods. I use quinoa as "pasta" when I need a fix. It's very yummy and a whole lot healthier. I use quinoa for almost everything! Just an idea for you.

 

Knowing how much better you feel when eating whole foods that you cook yourself will be all the encouragement you need!

[MGR]

I have to be careful and make sure the pasta I eat is not made with corn as it does not agree with me either. The same is happening with soya. In general, I try to keep to quinoa, rice, potatoes, buckwheat I mix in salads as the taste is very strong and I am not sure I like it very much...

[GF Lover]

I use "Thai Brown Rice Pasta"  The size is like a fettuccine.  They also make a Stir-Fry option.  It cooks up better than any other pasta I've used and keeps its integrity left over.

 

Colleen

[Fenrir]

I use "Thai Brown Rice Pasta"  The size is like a fettuccine.  They also make a Stir-Fry option.  It cooks up better than any other pasta I've used and keeps its integrity left over.

 

Colleen

Yeah, that's the kind I eat as well. Just had some pasta and red sauce on saturday, it was quite good with the brown rice noodles.

[124chicksinger]

Interestingly, I am not craving pasta, and I was a pasta fiend.   I did at the 4 week mark of eating gluten-free buy Barilla gluten-free pasta and my feeling on it now is "meh".  It was ok.  I actually preferred spaghetti squash over the gluten-free pasta.  I definitely don't crave gluten-free pasta~!  Perhaps you'd do better by using spaghetti squash also, or zucchini ribbons, and skip the pasta altogether.

 

I tried the Snyder's gluten-free pretzel sticks, and I think they are superior in crunch and taste to their regular, however, I also found that eating them doesn't agree with me.  Basically, they are made of starch - and I felt like they sat in my stomach like wall spackle and I didn't feel well afterwards.  Live and learn.  

 

The gluten-free foods are hybrids of substitutes, and some of them good, made from good ingredients, and some of them a really bad choice.  It pays to keep a food diary.

[janiney08]

I tried 2 types of Gluten-free pasta so far, the quinoa was a corn/quinoa blend and it was yummy! I tried the Ronzoni which is a brown rice blend and I was a bloated gassy mess. Sticking with the quinoa/corm. Live and learn I guess.