Baby Food To Help Healing?

[Alexolua]

I don't know if anyone has had this idea, but thought I'd pose it to see if anyone had thought of it or tried it.

When going off gluten, and going gluten free.. would going to a diet of just baby food be easier on the system to help it heal? Was thinking since baby food is for young or developing internal systems, it should be easier on ya, and should be less stressful on the system so it can focus on fixing the damage done to it.

Maybe I'm wrong there, and I don't know if baby food is gluten-free.. lol.. but anyone got any thoughts on this? LOL

[kejohe]

This is a good question and one that I would like to hear some responses on. I tend to wonder if it may be a bad idea because baby food is too easy to digest. What I mean to say is that when my son was really sick, the doctor actually prescribed a diet high in fatty foods because it is more difficult to digest, so it slows the bowels down and allows for more absorption. That being the case, if he ate too many "easy to digest" things, it would just slide right through the intestines without ever being absorbed.

Anyway... it's just a theory. But I really think balancing the type of food you eat will be better, not just fruits, veggies, protiens, but also how it is prepared. Foods that are steamed are easier to digest than roasted or broiled foods, etc.

[Guest gillian502]

I've been considering the same idea for a few months now, and I know that Gerber has some gluten-free baby foods. However, I've also come across information in my research of this that it isn't a great idea to make things TOO easy on the digestive system, because of the risk of developing a "lazy bowel" which can lead to problems later on. I doubt if a short-term stint on baby foods would create any major problems, though.

[Alexolua]

Yeah.. that's one drawback I was thinking of, that this would make it too easy, and might cause new problems.

[newlife]

I just went to a nutritionist yesterday and her advice was lots of protein. She said that our bodies are very damaged right now and the protein aids in healing. She also has me eating every three to four hours. I get a terrible gnawing feeling in my stomach and she thinks this is because I'm not absorbing my foods and It's actually hunger pain.

She suggested starting out the day with a yogurt or energy bar. Three hours later I'm to have a muffin and a glass of milk-I'm actually consuming a little gluten now for testing purposes. For lunch she suggested tuna or deli meat on a gluten-free roll-she recommended Gillian's. You could also have a salad with meat or chicken on it and cheese. Afternoon snack she suggested some fruit and nuts. Finally for dinner any meat with potato and vegetable. Late night snacks consisted of another round of nuts or yogurt or even just a glass of milk.

Today's my first day so we'll see how I do. So far it's worked well, the protein does seem to be helping my gnawing feeeling. Hope this was helpful for you!

Good Luck!

Lisa

[Alexolua]

Does sound helpful, yes. =)

Though for me, my villi are fine (according to biopsy and Enterolab), so lucky there.. so I should absorb everything alright, it's I think the large intestines that has the most damage, which isn't so lucky, lol.

Does yogurt have any milk in it though? For some reason I'm thinking it might.. or doesn't, can't remember. The cheese and well, milk though, I think be best to aviod since casein came up as bad for me as well. And nuts, I think I've had a reaction to in the past, not sure. So think I'd hold off on those till maybe I could get some testing there.

So, that leaves a lot of meat eating!

Thanks for the reply, and good luck with your diet. =)

[kalo]

When my doctor started me on this diet he gave me a sheet that listed dairy as a no no but yogurt and kefir as ok. I belong to a kefir group. Kefir is like yogurt only with more kinds of bacteria in it and we make it from live kefir grains. They say that it digests better than regular milk and many with problems to milk etc can handle fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir. Try it and see. Hugs, Carol B

[tarnalberry]

All dairy products - and a lot of products that aren't specifically dairy - have casein. I think, technically, butter does too. Casein is a milk protein, and what gives yogurt and kefir it's protein content. They are often on "ok" lists because they are both cultured products, which means that bacteria have been added which convert the lactose into it's two simpler sugars, making it less likely to give problems to someone who is lactose intolerant. But it makes no difference to someone who is casein intolerant.

[celiac3270]

I actually never thought about that (baby food) and I can see both points (easier on digestive system, but too easy). We're probably just better off eating normally (gluten-free, though, of course) and over time, our villi will heal...

[Alexolua]

tarnalberry: So since Enterolab said I should aviod casein, I shouldn't eat yogut then? Oy.. and I was thinking being gluten-free would be hard enough, lol.

I could be totally wrong, but for some reason I thought casein might be in nuts too? Wrong there? Wouldn't be the first time. =)

But what you said about the lactose and casein makes sense to me, since I figure the products that are supposed to help people who are lactose intolerant break the sugars down for them? I've tried those, and they didn't work at all.. but I didn't know about casein then either. So things for lactose intolerant people, wouldn't work for me then.. if I follow right.

Thanks to all who have responsed. =)

[hsd1203]

nuts have no casein, but careful with anything pre-made that isn't even something you'd consider to be "dairy" lots of margarines and dairy-free cheeses have casein as an ingredient, and they even add it to white wine sometimes (yikes).

Soo... always read the label! Living without magazine has a really good page in every issue (comes out 4 times a year I think) that lists all the things that casein hides as... although I'm sure you could find a list like it somewhere on line too. And bring it to the store with you so you're not standing there scratching your head trying to remember the 50 things you can't have!

If you're really missing yogurt (and not soy sensitive) they do have a soy yogurt. I personally never really liked it even back when I could eat soy... but might be worth a try... everyone has different tastes

You will learn and this does get easier, promise!!!

[kalo]

This has been some great info. One question I have. Is casien allergy a life long thing like celiac or can you out grow it? And will it also damage the intestines or just cause symptoms? Hugs, Carol B

[Alexolua]

The soy yogurt anything like Soy Milk? Cuz if so, YUCK! LOL Though I don't miss yogurt, never really got into eating it. So no real loss there, and thanks for the info hsd1203.

kalo, I don't know if it's a life long allergy (casien), but I had never had any problems with milk growing up, use to love ceral, icecream (Who doesn't though? lol), but then noticed milk or icecream left me feeling not so good the next day, maybe within the last 3-4 years.

So if really lucky, maybe after everything has healed, the allergy to it will go poof. Hopefully at least!

[kalo]

That's interesting. I have read that those with a milk problem can go back to dairy once their intestines begin to heal. I don't know though if they meant lactose intolerance or milk allergy. Hugs, Carol B