[nikki2008]

Is yogurt plus Lactaid ok? I don't know for sure if I'm lactose intolerant (never was before).

Are hardboiled eggs and salmon ok?

Thanks!

[babysteps]

Unfortunately the answer is, "it depends" - mostly on your own gut

I am fine with eggs, but they are a common allergen
(and though as I understand it a gut reaction is a sensitivity symptom, not an allergy thing, there seems to be a big overlap between 'most common allergens' and 'most common sensitivities')

same with salmon - I am fine with plain, simply prepared meats of all kinds, but fish is one of the top 8 allergens too (not in order, the top 8 are fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, and soy)

when I first cut out gluten, dairy was an issue for me, so I avoided it for a few weeks - but when I reintroduced dairy I was okay. So on my own tender gut, I would steer clear of yogurt w/lactaid, but it could work for you

try rice - relatively few (but not zero) people are allergic to rice, and you can "overcook" it (use more liquid than called for) to make it easy to digest

consider lightly steaming or microwaving vegetables, sometimes raw is a challenge on a cranky gut

for protein, if you eat meat I'd try plain, not-too-fatty cuts of beef, lamb, chicken or turkey (if you're extra-cautious, avoid ground as it tends to be fattier) while gut is upset. if not a meat eater, quinua (south american, technically a seed, but eats like a grain) is worth a try (it's high in protein). Soy or nuts would be good for non-meat protein but again are among the top 8 allergens, and nuts probably don't fit on anyone's list of best items for a cranky gut.

Sweet potato often makes lists of 'easy to digest' foods - you can bake it, or puree it to make it even softer (note this isn't actually a potato, so isn't in the nightshade family - potato, tomato, eggplant, bell peppers - nightshades aren't a top 8 allergen but do seem to pop up for many people as a sensitivity)

I hope that helped a little??

Try starting with something (anything) that works, and introducing other items one at a time so you can tell if they are an issue for you or not. Unfortunately if I try 4 things at once that's usually when I get a reaction, and tough to tell what it was

Hang in there!

[nikki2008]

Thanks so much for your very helpful, very edifying response. Do you personally make the choice to eat something like a dried apricot which is gluten-free, but comes from a facility that processes wheat, or something made on machinery that processes wheat? I found that yogurt irritated my stomach more than a little hard cheese when I tried it, so I'm wondering if something like cheddar cheese with Lactaid is safer than yogurt, but since yogurt contains all those good bacteria, it's counter-intuitive. Do you personally have any idea how long it takes other symptoms to abate after your intestines have calmed down -- symptoms such as bloating, hives, and water retention. Before I found out I have celiac, I found that I can only eat small amounts of chicken, rice, and boiled carrots by trial and error, and then everytime I felt better, I would celebrate with a slice of pizza, and I'd be in agony and not know why. From your own personal experience, does your body ever really get back to normal. I have so much more energy after two weeks gluten-free, but I've begun to wonder if the other symptoms will ever go away. I'd really appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

[Jestgar]

I'm afraid the answer to most of your questions is probably 'it depends'. Of the 10,000 or so people on this board, you'll find 10,000 unique experiences. Some people recover the ability to eat all food, others don't.

If cheddar cheese isn't bad, but yogurt is, it might be lactose. You could try taking a lactaid tablet before having your yogurt and see if it works. You might also want to consider a more natural yogurt with few additives (Nancy's here, not sure what you have available).

You're right about the bacteria being helpful, but there are tablets that you can take if the yogurt isn't going to work for you. Babysteps laid things out quite nicely. You just have to do it on your own.