Is It "dangerous" To Eat Other Foods You Are Intolerant To?

[Guest cassidy]

Since going gluten-free I have determined that I have a problem with Nightshades, chocolate and oranges. They give me heartburn, a stomach ache and gas. These symptoms are nothing compared to the pain I feel when glutened and it really doesn't bother me that much.

would never cheat and have gluten partly because I feel so crappy and partly because I know it causes damage whether I realize it or not.

Do other food intolerances cause damage? Is there any long term problem with eating things that don't agree with you other than the temporary discomfort? Will it get worse over time?

I'm pregnant now and having a very hard time finding food that I want to eat. I'm constantly starving and each meal is a battle. I don't want to eliminate mashed potatoes and spaghetti sauce because they are pretty easy to get down right now.

[Ursa Major]

Cassidy, even though other foods you're intolerant to won't cause intestinal damage, that doesn't mean they don't do damage elsewhere. They can cause irreparable neurological damage in the end, I believe. It would be better for your health to eliminate known allergens/foods you're intolerant to.

You can eat white spaghetti sauce, I've seen a gluten-free Alfredo sauce before.

[Guest AutumnE]

I do have damage from intolerances. I get diarrhea, nausea and sciatica pain along with tiredness and joint pain. It's not as bad as gluten and doesnt last as long but I know I will get vitamin deficiencies if I continue to eat those foods.

Ursula is right there is a classico alfredo sauce and it is tasty, all their pasta sauces are gluten free. This coming from an alfredo snob Im picky. I also have homemade recipes if you would be interested.

I have a recent diagnosis of glaucoma and ursula helped me find some links showing vitamin deficiencies leading to it. So what Im saying is it could get worse. Mine did, my symptoms became worse because it took some time for me to pinpoint it. Im still healing with my sciatica and Im hopeful it will go away soon. My carpal tunnel is acting up again and hasnt since may of this year when I went gluten free so I'm assuming its from my corn intolerance.

I know how difficult it is to be so limited, especially during pregnancy when you may be dealing with morning sickness, but if your intolerances are making you vitamin deficient they could harm your baby.

Turnips for me are a great alternative to potatoes. I also love cauliflower fake mashed potatoes ( a popular recipe for people who follow the atkins diet). I will post some recipes if you want for these also.

Autumn

Edited to add- if it is morning sickness, it could go away if you avoid the intolerances since mine cause me nausea.

[KaitiUSA]

Well if you are intolerant to something obviously your body is having some kind of reaction so you should avoid them depending on how severe the intolerance is. If it's not severe you may be able to have some of it occasionally

[Guest cassidy]

I think it really depends how much I eat. I can have a little and not have many problems, but if I eat a whole jar of spaghetti sauce in one day, I'm in for it. Unfortunately that is how my cravings have been going - one day all I want is spaghetti and the next day it is something else. I like alfredo but not the fat and calories. I'm sure I could make it healthy myself, but that requires cooking and not just opening a jar and lately I haven't felt up to much.

I think I'm going to try to limit my exposure to everything that doesn't seem to sit well. I know there are alternatives - mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato fries and those things are good, I just have to get some in the house. I think potatoes are the worst on me.

Tomatoes are the hardest for me to give up because I like the flavor and spice of salsa and nothing really takes the place of that.

I forgot about the mashed cauliflower. I tried that when I went low-carb - before I realized it was gluten that was the problem, and I liked it.

Thanks for the info.

[acousticmom]

Intolerances can be quantity-related. If you think yours are, I'd suggest being really systematic--cut them all out, then add one in a very small quantity, then try a little more of the same thing, and then a little more. Find out how much is okay. Then take it back out until you're done going through all of the suspect foods the same way.

I've read that eating foods you're intolerant to can cause leaky gut. That's a problem, because partially digested foods get into your bloodstream where they don't belong, and they can cause all kinds of problems. Knowing what you can tolerate & eating that way should give your gut a chance to heal, especially if it's already battered from gluten damage.

[Ellen]

The pregnancy itself may be causing an increase in the intolerances. I couldn't touch tomatoes when I was pregnant...but I love them now. The chocolate you may want to double check...alot of chocolate has malt (from barley) in it. Most just list it as "natural flavoring". Also, careful on the amount of chocolate you eat while pregnant anyway. It has tons of caffeine in it. Honestly, I didn't go a day through both of my pregnancies that didn't involve indigestion, gas and bloating.

[pixiegirl]

If in fact your intolerances are allergy related then you can do damage there as well, if you continue to eat an item that you are allergic to, your body continues to mount an allergic response to it each time you consume it, often this response gets more severe each time you consume the food, leading to more allergies and more serious allergy.

I think when you react to anything.. food, lotions, hayfever, your body is telling you that whatever is causing the reaction is NOT good for you.

I have food allergies and I test "slightly allergic" to a variety of items and some doctors say that you can eat those items occasionally, but for the most part I just avoid them, I can't believe when I have a reaction its good for me.

Susan