25 replies to this topic

[kathrynk]

I know meats are gluten free right? What if the animal was grain fed? Do grain fed animals contain gluten? The beef I buy is grass fed up until the last few weeks of its life, and then they grain feed. The chicken is not fed by products or hormones, but is "grain fed". Has anyone had reactions to grain fed meats?

[Skylark]

Grain fed meat is safe, and milk where the cows are fed wheat is also safe. You don't bleed orange juice when you drink it - it is broken down in your stomach and the components make your muscle, blood, and bone. Same with animals.

[Booghead]

I believe that there is no gluten in grain fed animals, think about it a little bit: grain goes into the mouth then to the stomach and a tiny bit to the blood stream, then it is pooped out. I would say if there was any gluten in the meat it would be way under 20 ppms(i think thats what they measure it in) if its less then 20 then its normally safe to eat for people with Celiacs. Unless you are hyper-super-sensitive ofcourse. Then you may just have to eat brocoli.

[kathrynk]

Grain fed meat is safe, and milk where the cows are fed wheat is also safe. You don't bleed orange juice when you drink it - it is broken down in your stomach and the components make your muscle, blood, and bone. Same with animals.

that makes sense, thanks!

[kathrynk]

I believe that there is no gluten in grain fed animals, think about it a little bit: grain goes into the mouth then to the stomach and a tiny bit to the blood stream, then it is pooped out. I would say if there was any gluten in the meat it would be way under 20 ppms(i think thats what they measure it in) if its less then 20 then its normally safe to eat for people with Celiacs. Unless you are hyper-super-sensitive ofcourse. Then you may just have to eat brocoli.

no, I'm not that hypersensitive, although I do love brocoli. I was actually in the process of cutting out meats and eating more grains and vegetables until all these health issues came about. Now I am reading a ton about the importance of meats-especially with my thyroid.

[IrishHeart]

Skylark answered the question for you , but in case you ask about eggs next (because many do ) here is a link to FAQ about gluten and if it is "passed through animals into their meat" or absorbed through the skin, etc.
If a packaged meat is marinated or has a spice rub or coating, however, then that's a whole different issue.

http://www.gluten-fr...disease.FAQ.htm

[Skylark]

Thanks IrishHeart. I remembered to mention milk but totally forgot eggs!

Kathryn, I have Hashimoto's too. What are you trying as far as diet for thyroid? I haven't had any luck so far feeling better since the last big thyroid slide.

[kathrynk]

Thanks IrishHeart. I remembered to mention milk but totally forgot eggs!

Kathryn, I have Hashimoto's too. What are you trying as far as diet for thyroid? I haven't had any luck so far feeling better since the last big thyroid slide.

I was just diagnosed with hashi about 2 weeks ago...I was told that based on my labs my thyroid is functioning within a normal range, so I am not on any meds. I am waiting to get my lab results so I can post them on here and gain some advice on how to progress. I do not have many symptoms-just cold intolerance, reynauds, and sometimes anxiety/heart palpitations (I think because I swing between hypo-hyper).

Any recommendations for thyroid diet? All I have read so far is lots of protein is good. I have been eating hard boiled eggs for breakfast-salmon or chicken for dinner. We use to eat a ton of tofu but I think I am reacting to soy-I get very gassy.

[Skylark]

Swinging between hypo-hyper is typical for early Hashi's. It's no fun at all!

This site has TONS of info about thyroid. Here is the diet page. Skip the tofu (it's bad for you anyway) and go light on raw cruciferous veggies.
http://www.stoptheth...com/goitrogens/

I've been trying a diet that's supposed to heal leaky gut and help autoimmunity but I don't feel much better so I'm afraid I don't have any other diet advice.

[kathrynk]

Swinging between hypo-hyper is typical for early Hashi's. It's no fun at all!

This site has TONS of info about thyroid. Here is the diet page. Skip the tofu (it's bad for you anyway) and go light on raw cruciferous veggies.
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/goitrogens/

I've been trying a diet that's supposed to heal leaky gut and help autoimmunity but I don't feel much better so I'm afraid I don't have any other diet advice.

thanks! and bummer that you are not feeling better
My Dr. has nicknamed me "autoimmune girl" however, she says it is all genetics...I don't buy that. I think food plays a big role. I am hoping to heal my gut as well!

[domesticactivist]

I don't believe the gluten makes it through to the meat. That said, there are lots of good reasons to eat meat that is pastured rather than grain fed. This page gives a nice summary:
http://www.sustainab...issues/pasture/

I have noticed that I react to soy fed eggs and not soy-free, corn-free eggs. This was interesting:
http://healthimpactn...hicken-tissues/

It does make me wonder if other proteins can make it through to meat as well, but I haven't seen evidence of that.

[domesticactivist]

I've been trying a diet that's supposed to heal leaky gut and help autoimmunity but I don't feel much better so I'm afraid I don't have any other diet advice.

I'm sorry you aren't feeling better I did notice from a couple other posts that you aren't really following the diet to the letter and didn't spend much time in intro... maybe that could be playing a part in it not working out for you yet? Most people I know who have experienced positive health changes on GAPS have found they needed to go back to intro and also that it took many, many months for them to feel healed. Of course, it's also a possibility that it's just not the answer for you.

[Skylark]

I don't know. The book says very clearly that if you're not experiencing many GI problems and doing the diet for neuro issues, intro is optional. I'm not having GI issues at this point. I work full time and doing intro for more than my first couple weeks was just not feasible. The diet seems to be for a stay-at-home mom feeding an autistic child, not a busy professional who works away from home. It's all I can do to keep enough bone broth and soup around. I cook all weekend. I am getting some benefits; it's just not as good as I had hoped. I wanted to be WELL.

About the only thing I'm not doing "to the letter" is eating a bunch of animal fat. Somehow I doubt that eating a bunch of tallow and chicken fat is some sort of magic bullet for health or autoimmunity. (I am using tallow or coconut oil for sauteing to avoid trans-fats.) I'm also staying away from dairy because I've reacted to it in the past, which means no yogurt or kefir. I have my lacto ferments going though and eat some with every meal.

I am still craving starchy foods, which seems odd six weeks off them. I caved and ate some brown rice this weekend and it gave me the first stomach ache I've had since starting GAPS so I won't be doing that again any time soon.

I do think GAPS is the right direction. It helps my asthma and I feel better than I did before, plus I'm eating much better in general. Problem is I still have the sense that something is wrong with my mind and body. I think it's thyroid related but my last round of bloods was perfectly fine. It feels like the thyroid is not making it to my poor addled brain. I might ask my Dr. for an endo referral.

[domesticactivist]

About the only thing I'm not doing "to the letter" is eating a bunch of animal fat. Somehow I doubt that eating a bunch of tallow and chicken fat is some sort of magic bullet for health or autoimmunity. (I am using tallow or coconut oil for sauteing to avoid trans-fats.) I'm also staying away from dairy because I've reacted to it in the past, which means no yogurt or kefir. I have my lacto ferments going though and eat some with every meal.

I am still craving starchy foods, which seems odd six weeks off them. I caved and ate some brown rice this weekend and it gave me the first stomach ache I've had since starting GAPS so I won't be doing that again any time soon.

Glad to hear digestion isn't part of your current issues! As for the rest, it seems to me the fat is important to healing neurological issues. Myelin is made primarily of fat, after all.

I also had a horrible time kicking sugar and starch - I'd say it took me nearly three months to not feel addicted any more. Staying completely away from it was key for me... as was eating enough fat. When I don't eat fat, I crave sugar.

I know you are concerned about fat and I'm glad to hear you're using the tallow and coconunt rather than transfats... but I think it might warrant more research.

[Skylark]

Glad to hear digestion isn't part of your current issues! As for the rest, it seems to me the fat is important to healing neurological issues. Myelin is made primarily of fat, after all.

I also had a horrible time kicking sugar and starch - I'd say it took me nearly three months to not feel addicted any more. Staying completely away from it was key for me... as was eating enough fat. When I don't eat fat, I crave sugar.

I know you are concerned about fat and I'm glad to hear you're using the tallow and coconunt rather than transfats... but I think it might warrant more research.

Thanks! It's good to know the starch cravings will get better. I haven't managed to stay 100% clear of starch. I had problems on Thanksgiving because the hostess baked me gluten-free bread and pie (against my wishes). Turning them down would have hurt her more than I cared to. The sugar isn't a big deal - it only takes a few days off sugar for me to not crave it.

I've actually done rather a lot of research on fats in the past couple months. Have you?

I'm seeing an enormous body of research showing that that consumption of large amounts of saturated animal fat is NOT beneficial. Saturated fats are bad for both CNS and cardiovascular health and promote inflammation. Campbell-McBride only cherry-picked 18 references for the fat section of her book (blithely ignoring hundreds that are contrary to her beliefs), and most of them are over 10 years old. Her comparison to the lipid content of mother's milk is patently ridiculous. If you postulate that adult diet should reflect milk, you should also be getting most of your carbohydrate from lactose. See how silly her argument is? Remember that GAPS was primarily developed on autistic children, and kids can deal with a high saturated fat load somewhat more easily than adults. As I mentioned, Cordain's paleo book is the best-researched book I've come across as far as dietary fat.