[rubyred]

So after going gluten-free, I have obviously become very aware of what goes into my mouth. I react to soy and lactose too, so I try to avoid foods with those things as well. A few months ago, I used to eat a lot of Larabars without problem. Then all of a sudden, I began noticing that the bars were causing me lots of gas and stomach distress. So, I found a new gluten-free bar (Bora Bora) that was not mostly made of dates (which is what the type of larabar I was eating was made of). Just the other day, I decided to try a Think Fruit bar (which is gluten-free, dairy free, soy free). It's made mostly of dates, though. I decided to try it; I haven't eaten a larabar in awhile. Well, definite GI reactions!! Major gas, stomach pain, bloat. It's almost like I ate gluten or soy. Could it really just be the dates that I react to? Is this common? I know some foods occur in groups that people are intolerant to, are dates a part of any group like that? I know raisins usually cause gas for me but not as bad....I can drink wine. Any ideas or can anyone relate? I think I need to start keeping a food journal....

[dtgirl]

rubyred, on Jun 27 2009, 06:13 AM, said:

So after going gluten-free, I have obviously become very aware of what goes into my mouth. I react to soy and lactose too, so I try to avoid foods with those things as well. A few months ago, I used to eat a lot of Larabars without problem. Then all of a sudden, I began noticing that the bars were causing me lots of gas and stomach distress. So, I found a new gluten-free bar (Bora Bora) that was not mostly made of dates (which is what the type of larabar I was eating was made of). Just the other day, I decided to try a Think Fruit bar (which is gluten-free, dairy free, soy free). It's made mostly of dates, though. I decided to try it; I haven't eaten a larabar in awhile. Well, definite GI reactions!! Major gas, stomach pain, bloat. It's almost like I ate gluten or soy. Could it really just be the dates that I react to? Is this common? I know some foods occur in groups that people are intolerant to, are dates a part of any group like that? I know raisins usually cause gas for me but not as bad....I can drink wine. Any ideas or can anyone relate? I think I need to start keeping a food journal....

I have the same reaction. I retain a lot of fluid, really really bloated, gas, bubbles in my stomach, and I actually get C, not D. I cannot eat any dates, dried fruits, or most fresh fruits.. but dates are REALLY bad for me, as are prunes, figs, etc. I love lara bars but react horribly to them so I have not had one in about a year. Do you react to nuts? I react to most, macadamia nuts and brazil nuts are safer for me. I keep a food journal, it is very helpful.

[Michi8]

rubyred, on Jun 27 2009, 08:13 AM, said:

So after going gluten-free, I have obviously become very aware of what goes into my mouth. I react to soy and lactose too, so I try to avoid foods with those things as well. A few months ago, I used to eat a lot of Larabars without problem. Then all of a sudden, I began noticing that the bars were causing me lots of gas and stomach distress. So, I found a new gluten-free bar (Bora Bora) that was not mostly made of dates (which is what the type of larabar I was eating was made of). Just the other day, I decided to try a Think Fruit bar (which is gluten-free, dairy free, soy free). It's made mostly of dates, though. I decided to try it; I haven't eaten a larabar in awhile. Well, definite GI reactions!! Major gas, stomach pain, bloat. It's almost like I ate gluten or soy. Could it really just be the dates that I react to? Is this common? I know some foods occur in groups that people are intolerant to, are dates a part of any group like that? I know raisins usually cause gas for me but not as bad....I can drink wine. Any ideas or can anyone relate? I think I need to start keeping a food journal....

Could very well be the dates, or another ingredient. Because Larabars are made of raw ingredients, I can only eat two of the flavours (cashew cookie and pistachio)...I am allergic to raw tree fruit and raw almonds due to OAS.

Michelle

[AliB]

Dates, although tasty, are a very concentrated sugar hit to the body, albeit a natural one - raisins the same, but less so. If SIBO or Candida is a problem then anything sweet (or high-carb in general) will be problematic. The more of it we eat, the more they grow, and the more we 'nurture' them.

Our sweet tooth feeds the beasties.................

[rubyred]

I don't react to nuts, although I hugely react to peanut butter. Peanuts alone do not cause reactions but whenever I eat peanut butter, I have the same GI reactions as when I eat dates. Do you have any idea what in the peanut butter I could be reacting to? It must be the oil(s) in it. Peanut butter doesn't have soy, right?

It could be the sugar content. I mainly eat very healthy and try to limit the sugars I eat. I do eat lots of fruits. My diet includes at least 4-5 servings of fruit everyday and I don't seem to have a problem with raw fruits. How would I know if Candida is the problem? I'm taking probiotics and eat non fat greek yogurt everyday (don't know if this matters, but I'm trying to produce more healthy bacteria). Thanks for the help!

[AliB]

Things like SIBO are not always easy to pick up. Gas and bloating is an indication. With Candida overgrowth, there are sometimes external signs like thrush, athlete's foot, dandruff, itchy armpits/groin (the charmingly named 'jock-itch'), fungal nail infestations - these can all be an indication that you are a 'fungus factory'!

Having said that, there are not always external indications, well at least not until it has really taken over.

Many of us seem to have issues digesting carbohydrates properly - it seem to be endemic within the 'Western' diet, which does heavily feature carbs, and particularly processed carbs and sugars. We have gradually adopted, and adapted to, a very sweet tooth and many find the 'healthful' foods too bland and uninteresting.

Carbs have always been an issue for me - I have had blood sugar and insulin issues - hypoglycemia for years, weight gain and now latterly diabetes and sadly I am one of many. Apparently whilst about 20% of the population can cope with the carbs, 80% can't and I am one of them.

Peanuts, and peanut butter are actually pretty high-carb and many brands of peanut butter have added sugar. If sugars are a problem for you, then, like me, you will have difficulty dealing with them. When sugar and carb digestion is impaired then it means they are not digested properly and microbes like Candida love nothing more than undigested carbs.

Instead of working through the system properly they end up fermenting in the gut causing gas and bloating and discomfort. If you are having several fruits a day already, you are getting quite a bit of sugar, albeit natural. A Candida diet would have you eating no fruit at all in order to get it under control, so that is an indication of how little can encourage the beggars! The yogurt will help, as long as that has no added sugar or fruit...........

Can I ask why you prefer the non-fat yogurt over the full-fat one?

I have a theory that when we deprive the beasties of their main food - the gluten-based carbs, they then turn their attention to other carbs, which may well be why some find that sooner or later they eventually end up reacting to other foods, like soy or corn - or dates and peanut butter!

If you can't do without your peanut butter, you could try finding some without any added sugar or other additives to see if that makes any difference. It may not be quite as tasty as the sugar-rich stuff - but you do get used to it.

I wouldn't think it was the oil though it is possible that the butter could be contaminated during the processing - it is more likely something that has been added to it. The natural organic butter I use here in the UK is just peanuts, salt and palm oil, and that is fine. What does yours list on the label?

[grainfree]

Loved dates. Loaded with B vitamins. But can be covered with powdered gluten to keep them from sticking. Same goes for many dried fruits. Not at all labeled when I looked.

[Northmount]

rubyred, on Jun 29 2009, 08:12 AM, said:

Do you have any idea what in the peanut butter I could be reacting to? It must be the oil(s) in it. Peanut butter doesn't have soy, right?

In the US Soy is subsidized so soy oil is low cost. Peanut oil is expensive, so many peanut butters have the peanut oil removed and replaced by soy oil. So yes, peanut butter can have soy oil.

[RiceGuy]

rubyred, on Jun 29 2009, 11:12 AM, said:

I don't react to nuts, although I hugely react to peanut butter. Peanuts alone do not cause reactions but whenever I eat peanut butter, I have the same GI reactions as when I eat dates. Do you have any idea what in the peanut butter I could be reacting to? It must be the oil(s) in it. Peanut butter doesn't have soy, right?

It could be the sugar content. I mainly eat very healthy and try to limit the sugars I eat. I do eat lots of fruits. My diet includes at least 4-5 servings of fruit everyday and I don't seem to have a problem with raw fruits. How would I know if Candida is the problem? I'm taking probiotics and eat non fat greek yogurt everyday (don't know if this matters, but I'm trying to produce more healthy bacteria). Thanks for the help!

My first thought was the sugars too. If your peanut butter is one of those "junky" ones (my word for the cheap stuff full of fillers and additives), try natural peanut butter. It's just peanuts and salt. Since plain peanuts don't bother you, the natural stuff shouldn't either. Once I tasted what real peanut butter was like, nothing else compares!

Unlike most fruits, the type of sugar found in dates is mostly sucrose, which is what ordinary white sugar is made of.

Sugars do feed yeasts like candida, though yeast is obviously not the only possibility for the cause of your reaction. What happens if you eat a teaspoon or two of sugar? Do you react to things like jelly beans, gum drops, candy corn, lolly pops etc? All of these are mostly sugar.

I'm not familiar with diabetes and other conditions which sugar effects, so I can't make any suggestions there. But if candida is what's causing the reaction, it'd probably be well worth getting one of those candida fighters, such as the one from NOW Foods. Start slowly, so you won't be overwhelmed by the die-off.

[Ahorsesoul]

Try eating some plain dates.