Complete Personality Change.

[talula2]

I just wanted to share with all of you my amazing progress so far and it has only been 12 days. Little background first. Had allergy testing done 2 years ago and discovered, wheat allergy, dairy allergy, and soy as well. I was told my wheat allergy was not much of a big deal just don't ingest too much in one sitting ( big bowl of wheat cereal as he said). I didn't really see it as such a big deal so did what he said and just really limited my wheat. I noticed constant bloating, swelling throughout my entire body as well as water retention and horrible mood changes almost like anger and depression. It took me days to recover form this. It seems to happen with all grains After celiac testing was done just a few weeks ago ( still no one can figure if my tests results show anything at all) I decided to go gluten free anyway. I noticed a change almost right away in my joint pain and mood as well as energy level, but I continued to have bloating severly when I ate carbs. I read the post about the SCD diet and gave it a try.....WOW what a difference this has made for me in just 12 days. I have energy to burn, I am in a great mood almost always, I am not snapping at my kids, the bloating getting better day by day. I feel like I have a better quality of life just after two weeks. My dr said not to read into too much that it is just because I have changed my diet and am eating healthier, I think he is dead wrong I have always been a healthy eater that is why I included more grains to begin with, I make all my own food and don't eat anything un natural. I have never been over weight and exercise 6 days a week, but continued to be very unhealthy. I believe that it is 100% related to my diet, I am convinced more than enough to never eat gluten again...ever. I haven't felt this good in 10 years. I certainally don't need a positive test result to tell me I have gluten issues. Taking out the carbs to stop the fermentation and let the gut heal convinces me even more that I had some problems going on. I can only imagine what I will feel like in 6 months from now. Oh another thing after my last baby I had this horrible mask of pregnancy, in the past two weeks it is nearly gone, my guess is it has been quite some time since I have been absorbing vitamins properly, my skin is radiant. Just thought I would share my experience.

[OptimisticMom42]

Glad you are feeling better!

Please remeber that many of us felt great for a little while then had a bit of a relapse. If this happens to you don't worry it gets better again pretty quickly.

Take Care

[Garnet]

I have been gluten free for only 5 days and realized today I need to go dairy free as well. I felt better in the first 24 hours but after eating ice cream twice and drinking more milk, probably due to the gluten withdrawal, I felt depressed and lethargic. That is when I figured I needed to go off of dairy as well. My primary reason for going gluten-free is mood disorders, constipation, bloating, gas and poor digestion. I am also hypoglycemic so I eat 5 small meals a day.

I had thought I would eliminate grains first and then dairy but changed my mind when I connected the dairy cravings and reactions. Also read that milk casein is similar to gliadin, the protein in grain that becomes gluten.

I enjoyed reading about your rapid progress. In researching on this forum there are some people who have said it took them up to 18 months to feel less depression and anxiety. It might be up and down but getting an immediate improvement sure does encourage you to stick with it.

I enjoy cooking from scratch too so it is not such a big change. It actually feels good and gives me a nice reason to eat "slow" food.

[talula2]

I never realized just how damaging it was eating things I shoudn't. Amazing what can happen to your body. I am still feeling better than I have in years and that is more than enough to stick with it. I thought I would feel realy limited but I am actuall never hungry, with all the extra protein it keeps me full longer and the awful cravings are gone. I know I will have bad days but I think they will be easier to handle now seeing my progress. Good luck to you as well. Gluten free, dairy free and soy free and loving it.

[Garnet]

Changing my diet has been easier than I thought it would be too. The idea of giving up so many of the foods that I love, that I thought made me feel good seemed overwhelming when it was suggested to me. I had an irrational fear that I would feel deprived and depressed, but in fact I feel more clear and energetic most of the time. Any depression or fatigue is clearly connected to temporary withdrawal or the dairy I was eating.

Funny how much I have heard over the years about other people being sensitive to gluten and dairy and never even considered it a factor in my health.

The difficult part is learning, at 55, that diet has probably affected my behavior for much of my life. At times I think how different our culture could be if everyone knew this. No wonder our ancestors who lived on farms and ate a more simple diet were healthier and had fewer emotional problems.

[Becci]

I have been gluten-free and DF for about two months now. Not completely, as I am still looking into everything, and having problems getting into foods that are glutenizing...

I notice that when I do get glutenized, I turn in to a WITCH. My husband says I turn around completely and act crazy. I know I get mean, and I will fight at every little thing. I got glutenized today again (for the fourth time in three weeks), and I just wanna GRRRRR at everything!

I have no money, as my job is a 'get paid when you can find work' basis, and doind that, I cannot afford to buy the books and other stuff with information on Celiac disease... So, I am having a hard time adjusting as of yet, but hopefully everything will work out.

Good luck to everyone with the moodiness. I know it has almost caused me to call of my wedding a month ago, just from being mad over nothing....

[Angels~Exist]

Becci, I understand that completely! One day I got glutened very badly from spices containing maltodextrin. (of course I didn't know that at the time) And the next day I couldn't even get out of bed and was yelling at everyone who came in to check on me. (not me at all!!) Now that I have been gluten-free for 2 months I am feeling so much better and like me again!

[wildwood]

I have been gluten-free and DF for about two months now. Not completely, as I am still looking into everything, and having problems getting into foods that are glutenizing...

I notice that when I do get glutenized, I turn in to a WITCH. My husband says I turn around completely and act crazy. I know I get mean, and I will fight at every little thing. I got glutenized today again (for the fourth time in three weeks), and I just wanna GRRRRR at everything!

I have no money, as my job is a 'get paid when you can find work' basis, and doind that, I cannot afford to buy the books and other stuff with information on Celiac disease... So, I am having a hard time adjusting as of yet, but hopefully everything will work out.

Good luck to everyone with the moodiness. I know it has almost caused me to call of my wedding a month ago, just from being mad over nothing....

Do you have a local library? I was able to find several books including Dr. Green's my local library and the best thing is the library is free. I can tell how prevalent gluten intolerance is becoming because for some of the books I had to go on the waiting list, but I did get to check each of them out eventually. The library system for the county I live in even has their catalog online and you can reserve any books you would like online. I then receive an email when it is available to check out.

[soma1980]

Hi, i'm new on here and just read your post which is giving me hope that I may finally have found what is wrong with me!!! firstly can I just say i'm happy that your life seems to have improved after going gluten-free, i'm a 28 year old lad from England and have an appointment with my doc tomorrow to discuss the results of my celiac test - i'll be amazed if it's not positive!! I only learnt what the condition was a few weeks ago and can't believe how closely my symptoms match those expected of a celiac, I was diagnosed as clinically depressed when I was 18 after just ONE visit to my doctor and have been on anti-depressants ever since - over the course of the last year i've started to question whether my problem IS simply depression as I have so many other symptoms other than just being sad such as constant and severe mood swings, frequent headaches, bloating, toilet habits differing from constipation to diarrhea, anxiety, disjointed sleep patterns, chronic fatigue etc etc etc........the chance that these problems may be solved by going gluten-free is like a biblical moment for me (without being to dramatic)!! As with you it will completely revitalise my life and I now find myself hoping that the doc tells me i'm a celiac this time tomorrow!!

I love my food so going gluten-free will be a big challenge but the potential benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, I just hope that in a few weeks time my story will be as positive as yours xxx

[hippo33]

I just wanted to share with all of you my amazing progress so far and it has only been 12 days. Little background first. Had allergy testing done 2 years ago and discovered, wheat allergy, dairy allergy, and soy as well. I was told my wheat allergy was not much of a big deal just don't ingest too much in one sitting ( big bowl of wheat cereal as he said). I didn't really see it as such a big deal so did what he said and just really limited my wheat. I noticed constant bloating, swelling throughout my entire body as well as water retention and horrible mood changes almost like anger and depression. It took me days to recover form this. It seems to happen with all grains After celiac testing was done just a few weeks ago ( still no one can figure if my tests results show anything at all) I decided to go gluten free anyway. I noticed a change almost right away in my joint pain and mood as well as energy level, but I continued to have bloating severly when I ate carbs. I read the post about the SCD diet and gave it a try.....WOW what a difference this has made for me in just 12 days. I have energy to burn, I am in a great mood almost always, I am not snapping at my kids, the bloating getting better day by day. I feel like I have a better quality of life just after two weeks. My dr said not to read into too much that it is just because I have changed my diet and am eating healthier, I think he is dead wrong I have always been a healthy eater that is why I included more grains to begin with, I make all my own food and don't eat anything un natural. I have never been over weight and exercise 6 days a week, but continued to be very unhealthy. I believe that it is 100% related to my diet, I am convinced more than enough to never eat gluten again...ever. I haven't felt this good in 10 years. I certainally don't need a positive test result to tell me I have gluten issues. Taking out the carbs to stop the fermentation and let the gut heal convinces me even more that I had some problems going on. I can only imagine what I will feel like in 6 months from now. Oh another thing after my last baby I had this horrible mask of pregnancy, in the past two weeks it is nearly gone, my guess is it has been quite some time since I have been absorbing vitamins properly, my skin is radiant. Just thought I would share my experience.

i was reading over that scd diet and was wondering if it would be good for me im in the canadien army and do a lot of weights in the diet what would u recomend me to eat for more energy,more fruits or fats?

[Garnet]

Hi, i'm new on here and just read your post which is giving me hope that I may finally have found what is wrong with me!!! firstly can I just say i'm happy that your life seems to have improved after going gluten-free, i'm a 28 year old lad from England and have an appointment with my doc tomorrow to discuss the results of my celiac test - i'll be amazed if it's not positive!! I only learnt what the condition was a few weeks ago and can't believe how closely my symptoms match those expected of a celiac, I was diagnosed as clinically depressed when I was 18 after just ONE visit to my doctor and have been on anti-depressants ever since - over the course of the last year i've started to question whether my problem IS simply depression as I have so many other symptoms other than just being sad such as constant and severe mood swings, frequent headaches, bloating, toilet habits differing from constipation to diarrhea, anxiety, disjointed sleep patterns, chronic fatigue etc etc etc........the chance that these problems may be solved by going gluten-free is like a biblical moment for me (without being to dramatic)!! As with you it will completely revitalise my life and I now find myself hoping that the doc tells me i'm a celiac this time tomorrow!!

I love my food so going gluten-free will be a big challenge but the potential benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, I just hope that in a few weeks time my story will be as positive as yours xxx

I know what you mean about a Biblical moment! <smile> It's hard to believe it could be this simple. I had heard for a long time that anyone who is blood type O should not eat grains but I never recognized the symptoms of sensitivity. Like most people I thought food allergies caused rashes or symptoms so severe they could not be missed.

At first the diet was a big change for me and I craved either the grains or dairy products. I was surprised by the dairy cravings until I learned that the milk protein Casein cross reacts with Gluten. I did notice I felt better within 48 hours of stopping all grain products including oats and corn. This helped me believe in the value of a gluten-free diet.

I allowed myself a period of weeks to totally eliminate both Gluten and Casein. I easily eliminated the Gluten when I was still allowing myself milk. But when I took the milk away I had more cravings. I have even heard people say it took them 18 months to feel the full benefit. Makes sense in a way since it is suppose to take up to a year to eliminate Gluten from you body. I guess it is in body tissues and keeps coming out for a while.

I also had to prove to myself that it was the gluten making me feel bad by testing myself with an occasional grain product and noticing how I felt. I have done this three or four times in the past month and I definitely feel worse the next day, or two and then better when I am GC Free again for a couple days.

One interesting aspect I read recently is that modern wheat has much higher gluten levels than what our ancestors grew up on due to hybridizing and genetic manipulation. So it is even more of an offense to our systems if we are sensitive. I also believe that because we are exposed to many toxins and stressors every day our bodies are more sensitive to everything. There is just so much we can process in a healthy manner before being over taxed.

It would make more sense if doctors were required to examine diet and environmental toxins / stressors before handing out pills.

[Garnet]

i was reading over that scd diet and was wondering if it would be good for me im in the canadien army and do a lot of weights in the diet what would u recomend me to eat for more energy,more fruits or fats?

Fruits are going to give a more immediate energy boost because the fruit sugar is more quickly digested than fats. But fats are going to last longer, slower digestion and have twice the calories per gram as fruit sugars.

A fruit smoothie with a tablespoon of Walnut Oil for instance will be a very good energy boost. I recommend Walnut Oil because it is very high in Omega 3 and has a very neutral taste. Great on salads.

Omega 3 is something most people do not get enough of in their diet, particularly if they eat a lot of processed foods that are high in Canola Oil as that has a lot of Omega 6, which means you need even more Omega 3 to balance the 6. Omega 3 helps reduce inflammation and boost your immunity. It is good for you in many ways. Most oils do not have much 3 and the ones that do taste weird like Flax Oil or Fish Oil. Smoothies are easy to make too.

[Ms Jan]

i was reading over that scd diet and was wondering if it would be good for me im in the canadien army and do a lot of weights in the diet what would u recomend me to eat for more energy,more fruits or fats?

Good suggestion on fruit/oils. Also coconut oil is great for energy.

I've been on the SCD for almost 6 mths now. And besides oil, I munch on nuts to keep my energy levels up, now when I get hardly any carbs. Starchy vegetables like cauli flower works well for me, and some lentils/beans are also legal on the diet and have a good effect. I have an intolerance to meats, but if you can eat them, that'll also keep you going long term ...

[Garnet]

Good suggestion on fruit/oils. Also coconut oil is great for energy.

I've been on the SCD for almost 6 mths now. And besides oil, I munch on nuts to keep my energy levels up, now when I get hardly any carbs. Starchy vegetables like cauli flower works well for me, and some lentils/beans are also legal on the diet and have a good effect. I have an intolerance to meats, but if you can eat them, that'll also keep you going long term ...

I use almonds as my primary "snack" food to deal with the need for something to munch on between meals without going for the fruits every time. Being that fruits are high in sugars, even though they are "legal" on the SCD because they are simple to digest, I don't want to over do them. Almonds are also something I can add to salads or other foods to add crunchy

texture, something I miss now that I don't eat chips.

Almonds are unique in that they are high in Magnesium and have oils and protein. I have even eaten them for breakfast. As nuts go they are easy to find and rarely spoiled, although I generally go for the organic raw almonds, I know I can generally count on being able to find a good fresh supply.

Magnesium has been used to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is a mineral that most people can use a little (or a whole lot) more of in their diet. Stress makes us dump Magnesium instantly in our sweat to prepare our muscles for fight or flight by making them hard. But stress is constant these days and hard muscles hurt, not to mention the mood changes that stress causes. Magnesium is relaxing and helps with good sleep.

When I can find good fresh walnuts I use them in the same way as almonds but it is harder to find a good fresh supply. I found wonderful fresh English Walnuts last winter that were a special treat. I don't know the difference technically between what we normally see here but these had almost a sweet flavor and no bitterness at all. Toasted in a hot skillet and added to a salad they were fantastic, although raw is probably the best way to get the Omega 3s out of them.