Too Many Restrictions - Need Advice

[tpain]

A few months back I had a biopsy after years of thinking I may have celiac. My biopsy and blood test both came back negative for celiac, but i'm here anyway. I've recently started the gluten free diet and feel very limited to what I can have. I'm trying to do everything perfect from the start, but I have barely any foods left to eat. Right now i'm eating very clean with no dairy.

 

So -

 

If you don't have any villi damage, is there a problem with keeping dairy in the diet?

 

How many of you think anything of the FODMAP food list??

 

Are high quality gluten free products (udi's, Pamela's mixes, etc) advised against to start, or are they okay from day 1?

 

Do people with non-celiac gluten sensitivities seem to recover faster? How long is a general guideline for this without celiac/antibodies?

 

I've also read things about corn, soy, bananas, etc. It seems like there is nothing left.

 

I'm also trying to juggle an alcat test I had done into the mix, so that is also limiting things. I feel like since I don't have celiac disease I may do fine on a lot of the things I'm cutting out. I feel so limited I'm almost at the point of just water fasting for a few weeks.. frustrated

[LauraTX]

You certainly do not need to do a water fast.  That will land you in the hospital.  Generally, people who have problems with dairy are the ones with severe villi damage.  If all you are wanting to do is start a gluten-free diet, I would not exclude dairy unless you start to suspect it is giving you problems.   I think I am lacking information on why you are thinking of excluding many other food groups.  If you are going to eliminate gluten, do that first, and see how you feel.  After that if you want to see how other things eliminated affect you, do them one by one.  

 

The easiest way to start eating gluten-free is to eat foods that are naturally gluten-free.  Meat, veggies, fruit, etc.  If you are having severe gastrointestinal symptoms you may want to avoid processed food for a while until you start to feel better, then slowly add them in.  If you think dairy may be a problem for you now, you can leave it out and add it in later.  What you want to avoid doing is eliminating too many things at once, then if you improve you don't know which food item was the one causing problems.

 

If you are up to giving us a little more information on what your symptoms are and what specific tests you had done, and if you were eating gluten at the time of the tests, we will be able to help you more.  Also if you can check out the "Newbie 101" thread under the "Celiac Disease- Coping with" subforum.  I hope we are able to help

[eers03]

If you are not experiencing flattening of the villi, I don't think there is a reason to stay away from dairy.

[w8in4dave]

Like stated from LauraTX, start out with fresh foods. Don't jump on a bunch of Gluten Free stuff. keep with the fresh stuff. Keep with the milk products and corn products. If you still have a problem cut out the milk products. If you still have problems cut out the Corn. it really is a process of elimination. And honestly I have heard that even tho your biopsy came out negative doesn't mean you don't have Villi damage, they just missed it is all. So you may. Don't think you don't have anything to eat. You have all the fresh stuff to eat! learn to read every label. It's not as bad as it seems at 1st. I havn't been doing it a year yet and I am getting so much better! I have learned to eat alot better. lost alot of weight. Good luck! There are alot of people here that have been doing this diet for years! So they know what they are talking about. And the Newbie Thread is great!!  Good Luck! Hope to read how well you are doing soon!

[notme]

i am confused as to why you are starting a gluten-free diet.  what sort of issues are you having?  and what tests (besides celiac) have been done and what were the results?