Feel really weird on gluten free

[zentg]

So benefits of gluten free:

- no longer crapping myself, which also means less laundry

- i feel like my nasal congestion is cleared up significantly and i can breathe better

Cons:

I have no appetite for any food. Everything without gluten taste awful to me. Even if I make a really tasty rice noodle with seasoning and everything, after a couple bites I Don't want to eat it. Gluten free foods just don't have the same OOMPH that gluten containing foods have. I know if I eat gluten foods I will feel sick, but if I don't eat foods with gluten, I feel like I am not eating any real foods cos all these gluten free foods feel like fake foods to me. In a way I feel like I am starving myself and I feel terrible! I know gluten is bad, but i feel like if I don't eat the gluteny foods I will die. 

 

Anyone else experience this? What to do?

[trents]

That is not my experience, at least of late. Almost 20 years ago when I was diagnosed with celiac disease I would have been more in agreement with you. But the food industry has made great strides in producing gluten-free offerings that taste very good. Some of them even taste better than their gluten counterparts. Is that true for every gluten-free alternative? Certainly not. But there is enough variety out there that you should be able to find things that you like. I am speaking of processed foods at this point.

You do not mention how long you have been eating gluten-free. It does take a while to getting used to things tasting different. But after awhile, different becomes the new normal and you enjoy them just like you did their gluten counterparts. When I was a kid I used to hate some foods, like coconut cake or coconut macaroons. Now I love things that have coconut in them. Our tastes do change over time. So give it time.

Now, let's move away from processed foods. Many things you can still eat that you make at home that never contained gluten in the first place and will not have changed. Focus on these dishes. Focus on simple, fresh foods such as fresh meat, fruits and vegetables, eggs, etc.

Join a gluten-free support group where recipes are shared. Research gluten-free recipes on the Internet and try a variety of things. I think you will over time find dishes that are both gluten-free and delicious.

There are still things I sometimes miss and crave. Every time I smell fresh sour dough bread baking I crave it. But I am grateful for the improvement in the quality and quantity of gluten-free foods now available and count my blessings with regard to knowing that there are still many things I can eat without damaging my body. And when I think about it, eliminating gluten from my diet probably has eliminated a lot of unnecessary calories that aren't good for me.

[trents]

Also, have you been checked for COVID? Loss of taste and smell is one of the symptoms.

[zentg]

45 minutes ago, trents said:

Also, have you been checked for COVID? Loss of taste and smell is one of the symptoms.

yeah i got tested for covid a couple weeks ago and it was negative. I don't think its covid cos i can still smell pizzas and sub sandwiches and other tasty foods that healthy people can enjoy

[trents]

How long have you been eating gluten-free?

[zentg]

2 minutes ago, trents said:

How long have you been eating gluten-free?

today will be day 4 - it's especially difficult because i've been a fast food addict and pretty much living on fast food for the past 10 years. I am 32. 

[DJFL77I]

1 hour ago, zentg said:

 

Everything without gluten taste awful to me.  I know gluten is bad, but i feel like if I don't eat the gluteny foods I will die. 

you woulda died much faster eating the way you've been eating

 

[trents]

Four days? That long, huh?

My friend, be patient. Realize that it can take months, even more than a year for your small bowel villi to heal. In the meantime, you need to focus on learning where gluten shows up in the food supply, how it is disguised by terminology and how cross contamination occurs in the food production and delivery industry. It's not about avoiding major sources of gluten such as bread, pasta and noodles, it's about totally eliminating it from your diet. Did you know that almost all canned soups have wheat in them? Would you expect tomato soup to have wheat? But it does. Check the labels. Did you know that most soy sauces contain wheat? Have you thought about the fast food eatery where you order a burger patty without bun but didn't realize they cooked the burger on the same grill where they cooked breaded chicken nuggets or the fires were cooked in the same vat with breaded chicken patties? Or the chef sliced your roast beef with the same knife he used to slice someone's sandwich. And what about pills and supplements? Sometimes, wheat starch is used as a filler in meds. Every episode of "glutening" will set the healing back.

It can be daunting at first but you will catch on.

Edited January 3, 2021 by trents

[Pat Jackson]

I was diagnosed (by biopsy) early in the pandemic, after suffering for many, many years.  Going gluten free has not been easy, but has been absolutely worth it.  I had already eased off most gluten, because I had known for years that it was a problem.  I thought it was just an allergy, as I had many of those.  I live in a household of 5 adults, so we often had things like pizza and carryout Italian.  I would have just 1 piece of pizza or just half of my spaghetti, and then get so bloated that I couldn't stand the waistband on my pants, even the really stretchy ones.  

Going gluten free had an immediate effect on the daily bloating problem for the first couple of months.  I was still getting carryout, but concentrating on only things that would be considered gluten free.  However, I learned that cross contamination became a big issue for me, and became more so as time went on.  Now, I never eat food I haven't prepared myself, and things are a lot better.  I eat mostly whole foods, and very little prepared foods, but sometimes its nice to have something really easy.  I really miss restaurant food, but here's my advice based on what I've done that helped a lot:

1.  Concentrate on those foods that you like and can prepare for yourself.  I just allow myself to eat whatever I want that makes me happy.  Fortunately, I love vegetables, so sometimes that's all I eat for a meal.  My body seems to let me know when I need more protein, as I start wanting it more.  I now try to pay attention to getting an overall balanced diet, but in the beginning I worried less about that and more about finding satisfying foods so I didn't feel so deprived.

2.  Find substitutes for the foods you really, really miss.  For me, that involved a lot of experimentation with pastas and frozen pizzas.  Many were huge disappointments, but I now have 2 really good frozen pizza choices, and I just found a good pasta at Whole Foods.  I don't even eat those very often, but somehow just knowing that they are there for me when I want them really helps.

3.  Concentrate on the positive.  Instead of thinking about how much you miss the fast food, think instead about how happy you are that you feel better.  I am never, ever tempted to eat anything gluten, because I know what will happen if I do.  But accidents happen, and when they do, I think its best to think of it as a learning experience.  I think of it as a "glass half full" vs. "glass half empty" kind of thing.

4.  Give it time.  You need to retrain your body.  In time, I suspect you will begin to enjoy food again, but it will be different foods.  I found that I don't even like anymore some of the foods I used to love.  For the most part, that's a good thing because those foods were the unhealthy things that I used to eat.

Good luck.  You can do it!

[zentg]

thanks everyone,  yeah I agree it may be uncomfortable now but it is necessary and I'm sure I'll get used to it before too long and then I can reap the health benefits!

[ButWhatCanIEat]

On 1/3/2021 at 8:46 AM, zentg said:

So benefits of gluten free:

- no longer crapping myself, which also means less laundry

- i feel like my nasal congestion is cleared up significantly and i can breathe better

Cons:

I have no appetite for any food. Everything without gluten taste awful to me. Even if I make a really tasty rice noodle with seasoning and everything, after a couple bites I Don't want to eat it. Gluten free foods just don't have the same OOMPH that gluten containing foods have. I know if I eat gluten foods I will feel sick, but if I don't eat foods with gluten, I feel like I am not eating any real foods cos all these gluten free foods feel like fake foods to me. In a way I feel like I am starving myself and I feel terrible! I know gluten is bad, but i feel like if I don't eat the gluteny foods I will die. 

 

Anyone else experience this? What to do?

I don't really eat the "gluten free" fake bread and noodles. I think they taste terrible and do not make good substitutes at all.
It was a rough adjustment as I had been mostly vegetarian but I have switched more to a meat and vegetable based diet. Just skip the noodles and bread substitutes altogether. Try experimenting with spices and sauces (homemade, unless you can find good gluten free ones) until you can find a flavor mix that works for you.
Good luck!

[DJFL77I]

Gluten free Elbow noodles taste just as good or better but are made with corn which might be a problem for some

[ButWhatCanIEat]

24 minutes ago, DJFL77I said:

Gluten free Elbow noodles taste just as good or better but are made with corn which might be a problem for some

I should try those

[ronaboat]

There are SO many brands now of frozen dinners, pizza, pasta, lasagna etc that I’m sure you will find a fav amongst them. A surprise is the Sam’s Choice gluten-free bread (white and multigrain) which I only found by accident in a Walmart because it is NOT FROZEN but sits with their regular bread choices!!! Who knew?  It doesn’t even need to be toasted and makes great soft sandwiches. I love the brand SAFFRON ROAD and EVOL for my main frozen dinners but there are many more. UDDI’s Lasagna is tasty but in the UK you can make your own with ground beef, white & red sauces and flat lasagna pasta strips & cheese. I still haven’t found a lasagna white sauce in Texas yet. Still...You can’t go wrong with fresh meat, mash potatoes and veggies! Or fish or shrimp .... Sausage, eggs & bacon with Van’s blueberry waffles and mayple syrup or bagels or instant gluten-free oatmeal to start the day!! You can eat just as “unhealthy” and fattening as before if you like and still be safe!!! Give it some time!! Our caterers on the film sets cook virtually everything gluten free and everyone loves it. 

[DJFL77I]

On 1/4/2021 at 10:31 PM, ronaboat said:

There are SO many brands now of frozen dinners, pizza, pasta, lasagna etc that I’m sure you will find a fav amongst them. 

you shouldnt be eating that package stuff..  guarantee you there's gluten in there somewhere