Stuck In A Rut

[anaclare]

Hi All

My husband got diagnosed about 6 months ago. He's 30, and his symptoms were pretty bad for the last year or so.

We've made the house gluten-free, and he's great about sticking to the diet.

But - he's developed a recurrance of symptoms recently - and seems really apathetic about taking care of them. He is frustrated and tired of being sick, but also tired of thinking about and talking about the disease - I don't blame him. It must be really hard. He even has given up dairy for now, since there seems to be an intolerance until people heal up some.

I'm at a loss as to the next step: how do I keep him motivated? He's sticking to the gluten-free diet, and we've been through the ingredients lists and calling companies for everything (soap, cosmetics - you name it). But - he won't go back and see a doctor (I even got him a list of Celiac friendly ones from this site - thanks!) to see if there is another allergy - or if he is just still healing.

Any advice? Do you know what motivated other celiacs?

Thanks for any help!

Anaclare

[RiceGuy]

It can get frustrating, and I've felt that way at times. I think we all do though.

Recently, I've been able to dream up new ways to make food interesting, and it does help a lot. Like when it hit me one day that it would be easy to make gluten-free pies, even after considering all the things I can't have. That includes sugar, dairy, eggs, and a few other things.

Don't ask me about doctors though - I learned not to trust the medical industry long ago, so I'm biased against them in the extreme. I know I'm the best qualified to say how I feel anyway This site has probably been the best resource for most of the things I've had to deal with, and I'm not the only one who'll say that.

Some baked things that are easy to do gluten-free include crackers, cookies, casseroles, pies, muffins, biscuits, and probably a bunch of stuff I'm forgetting ATM, or haven't yet thought to try.

I'm sure others will have some great responses for you.

[anaclare]

Thanks!

I really apprciate the advice. I made some new & exciting dishes (scallops, a new type of bread) and re-de-glutened the house (just in case).

And it's always nice to know we aren't the only ones going through this.

Thanks so much!

anaclare

[gfpaperdoll]

I think that one thing that happens about the 6 month stage is that you start adding in some gluten free replacement foods like bread and crackers & some of us cannot tolerate those things. I do not tolerate most foods that are processed & eat none of the mixes for things like bread etc.

I cannot tolerate tapioca flour, soy flour, bean flours and a lot of the other grains. & I have a problem with rice now, so I limit it to no more than a small amount once a week. Instead of most every day, like I was eating. I have finally settled on a few flours to keep in the freezer for when I want to bake cookies or something, which is not very often. I use sorghum flour, coconut flour, almond flour, corn flour, & corn meal. I use coconut milk as my replacement milk in cooking.

I get a complete glutening from eating the Diamond Thin Nut crackers, & no Quaker rice cakes for me. Brach's candy is also not gluten free although you will not see it on the ingredients.

also your hubby might be reacting to lectins, especially if he has upped his bean consumption. I recommend that he read "Eat Right for your Blood Type". Also white potatoes are a problem for a lot of us. try sweet potatoes instead. He might want to also read the "Paleo Diet" by Cordain.

the most important thing is that he start taking a B12 every day. It will help a lot with energy & mood. I take 5,000mcg a day.

going gluten free is a process and you will continuously learn about foods & what works for you. I have adjusted my diet, for the better, several times in the past 4 years. & I spent 10 years before that thinking I had a wheat allergy, before I knew about gluten. Unfortunately, I was all too familiar with food allergies.

[AliB]

Apparently, whilst 20% of the population can tolerate carbohydrate, 80% can't.

Gluten intolerance may actually stem from an inability to process carbohydrates per se. Whilst gluten based carbohydrates may be the major antagonist, it is likely that all carbs will have a detrimental effect sooner or later. Sugar is also included in the carbohydrate group.

I have found carb intolerance to be my main problem. I know that the two times in my life when I went low carb I was a lot better, so have started to do that again. I have dropped dairy, virtually all carbs apart from a little occasional gluten-free and the small amount of natural carb from fruits and veg, and make sure I get plenty of protein and fats. The only sugar I have is a little in the occasional gluten-free and some fruits.

This not only helps with weight-loss, as the body will not burn fat whilst it is being fed carbohydrate as fuel. Carb is meant as an occasional short-term fuel burst, but if we eat it continuously the body has no need to use fat and actually ends up storing any fat we are eating adding to what it already has. Our society is absolutely dripping with carbohydrate. It is no wonder that obesity and diabetes are on the increase.

I know going low carb is hard but it does get easier. The longer we go without it the less we actually want to eat it.

Protein regulates the blood sugar, keeping it stable. It avoids the tiring constant peaks and troughs of hyper and hypoglycemia that many people often experience. It helps diabetics as it does not raise the blood sugar as much or as radically as carbs do and it, along with fat is much more filling and keeps the digestion satisfied for much longer.

I wonder whether your husband might find any benefit of trying this for a while? It means a whole new mindset and thinking outside the box. It means thinking more about eating savoury things rather than sweet, although fruit is fine - high carb fruits like bananas need to be limited but others can be eaten fairly freely.

If you can eat tolerate dairy, you can have unsweetened fruit with cream which is very satisfying as a sweet treat.

We are always urged to go low-fat, but it is not fat that is the problem it is carbohydrate. The only time you see a fat Eskimo is when he (or she!) eats a high-carb, high sugar western diet! Their diet consists of predominantly fish, meat and fat and they are extremely healthy with little or no incidence of any of the diseases of our carbohydrate-ridden society.

[Healthy Girl]

Thanks AliB:great info! I have been thinking on the same lines. Do you know of a good book/resource that may help?

AnaClare:

ALOT of celiacs also have trouble with corn (as well as other grains). Your husband may want to try eliminating a few more for a bit to see if it helps. For me, corn, sugar, and dairy made a bid difference. Good luck!

A

[anaclare]

So - it turns out he has some further allergies / intolerences! Things we used frequently, like garlic and soy and coffee - and brewer's yeast (good bye gluten-free beer).

Luckily, we have an amazing doctor/naturopath, who suggested that he do an extended allergy work-up.

Now - finally! - he is getting much, much better very quickly. And now that he is feeling better, he has got some of his motivation back (i'm sure vice versa, too).

This forum is great - source of information and support!

[Rissmeek]

I had no clue where to start in this forum so I just picked here. lol My husband has been diagnoised for almost twenty years now, though we've only been married four. For the first 3 years of our marriage he wasn't on "the diet" he had been on it when he was first diagnoised but after a few years he was tired of it. He just didn't eat a lot of wheat products and if he went into a big flare up as he called it he would just eat rice for a couple of days and all would be better. He finally had a flare that he couldn't control and decided to go back on the diet. I cried when my first batch of gluten-free bread came out of the oven. I have cooked award winning breads, cookies, and pastries and here sat a door stop. I thought I was alone. I even recently started a blog so others could find out they aren't the only ones. It is a journey that is for sure. We've been battling a flu/pnomnia type thing in the house and this place has been a God send. I have been able to look up each med and find out if it is ok for him.