Food Cravings

[LuvMoosic4life]

Does anyone feel like they want to keep eating after they have been glutened? Not neccesarrily right after it happens, but for like a day or two afterwards....

I wonder if it is because my body is robbed of nutrients when it is glutened....ugh....so frustrating, especially since I'm feeling bloated and crappy to begin with and heartburn stays with me for a few days....you would think the last thing I would want to do is keep eating....

[AliB]

My belief is that many of us have poor, very unbalanced gut flora with rogue bacteria and/or parasites. Some of them feed on the gluten and produce toxic by-products that contribute to our ill health.

When we don't ingest gluten the bacteria and/or parasites become dormant within our gut. Eat gluten and they are woken up and start clamouring for the stuff.

The same thing happens when you go low-carb. For a few days you crave the stuff something chronic, but eventually it settles down and you don't crave it any more. But woe betide you if you have some - the craving picks back up and you can't stop eating it! All the little beasties are in there, jumping up and down shouting 'Feed me Seymour'!

The bloating and gas is definitely an indicator of bacterial activity. Gas is a by-product of fermentation, and fermentation is caused by bacteria. Whilst good bacteria does produce a little gas, the baddies produce a lot of obnoxious stuff!

[purple]

My belief is that many of us have poor, very unbalanced gut flora with rogue bacteria and/or parasites. Some of them feed on the gluten and produce toxic by-products that contribute to our ill health.

When we don't ingest gluten the bacteria and/or parasites become dormant within our gut. Eat gluten and they are woken up and start clamouring for the stuff.

The same thing happens when you go low-carb. For a few days you crave the stuff something chronic, but eventually it settles down and you don't crave it any more. But woe betide you if you have some - the craving picks back up and you can't stop eating it! All the little beasties are in there, jumping up and down shouting 'Feed me Seymour'!

The bloating and gas is definitely an indicator of bacterial activity. Gas is a by-product of fermentation, and fermentation is caused by bacteria. Whilst good bacteria does produce a little gas, the baddies produce a lot of obnoxious stuff!

I love reading your informative posts. Whats the difference between "beastie" gas and "beanie" gas? I eat beans all the time and I don't think I have ever had a yeast infection except once about 15 years ago. I did have a bad "spit" test once when I had a toothache. Thanks for your input. ( this post should have a thread of its own called: Which is it, the beanies or the beasties? ) Beans are not my best friend, but I don't smell like the sewer thankfully like my mom did when I was little!! Sorry this was off the topic of food cravings...hey,do beasties crave beans??

[AliB]

hey, do beasties crave beans??

Quite probably!

Elaine G (SCD) suggests avoiding certain legumes during the healing process as some of them are very high-carb which feeds the bacteria, especially in those of us whose guts are damaged to the point that we do not digest carbs properly. The undigested carbs feed them, not us!

It kind of begs the question that was raised in Blazing Saddles - why would cowboys, who presumably did not particularly eat a 'bad' diet, have a problem with beans? It seems that some beans just contain components that are not very digestible.

I wonder sometimes whether we have included foods within our diet that we are not designed to eat (well we have certainly included a lot of chemicals and other rubbish in our diet and I am darn sure we were never designed to eat that!). Certain animals probably eat beans and quite likely have stomachs designed to cope with them, but does that mean that we should? I mean, Cows have two stomachs ideally designed to digest grass and Koalas eat eucalyptus leaves but I really don't fancy including them in my diet...........

Some animals are designed to eat certain foods that would actually be pretty toxic to us.

Although I do not know any personally, the stereotype of cowboys makes me think that they usually imbibed a considerable amount of alcohol - that in itself contains a high level of carbohydrate which would contribute to an unbalanced gut flora, an overgrowth of non-beneficial bacteria and plenty of fermentation during contact with beans.

I wonder whether people who have excellent gut flora actually have any problem with beans?

The problem with the little beasties is that we are totally oblivious to their presence, well, certainly until we start to see 'evidence'. Depending on the type of bacteria, or degree of imbalance, we may be blissfully unaware that we have a problem, apart from perhaps some niggling health issues, digestive excursions, or unattributable neurological conditions.

It would be so lovely if we knew which types of bacteria produced which kinds of symptoms and what to do about it, but sadly this is a field of very limited understanding - I am not sure that what IS known is even correct anyway - it is so often found that a little way down the road a 'new' discovery will completely negate any previous understanding.

Your poor Mom. I can sympathise. I'm sure there are quite a few of us who have been there at one time or another...........

[supernova777]

yea thats what happens to me i had rice krispies this week by accidnet thinking they were safe and i ate off the whole box in like 2-3 days because i kept eating them

i should have realized what was goin on..

[ang1e0251]

I can relate. Was glutened this weekend at a wedding & Sunday I was eating everything in sight! I just let myself go though, I saw it for what it was & knew I just had to "eat" my way out. Water, tea, and B12 did ease the symptoms quite a bit. If you keep a food and reaction diary, look back & read about days when you felt well for inspiration.

[henny]

I have noticed that my appetite has really calmed down since going gluten-free.

I used to crave and crave, and my stomach would hurt from hunger all the time. I controlled it pretty well but when I did eat I would just want to stuff myself!

Since going gluten-free I am only hungry a couple times a day when it's time to eat. I am easily satisfied by small amounts.

I really think there is a link between unreasonable hunger and gluten when you have the intolerance. I think your observation is right on the money!

[knitaddict]

I have noticed that my appetite has really calmed down since going gluten-free.

I used to crave and crave, and my stomach would hurt from hunger all the time. I controlled it pretty well but when I did eat I would just want to stuff myself!

Since going gluten-free I am only hungry a couple times a day when it's time to eat. I am easily satisfied by small amounts.

I really think there is a link between unreasonable hunger and gluten when you have the intolerance. I think your observation is right on the money!

I was just wondering if there was something to this....since going gluten free, I've noticed that my cravings have lessened. I was worried that the cravings would be just AWFUL....but it's really just the first couple/few days.

[henny]

I was just wondering if there was something to this....since going gluten free, I've noticed that my cravings have lessened. I was worried that the cravings would be just AWFUL....but it's really just the first couple/few days.

I'm actually having a really hard time getting enough food in me each day because I am really not hungry!

I'm a little worried I might sabotage my metabolism by not eating enough calories...hopefully my appetite will pick up a little over time because right now it's really bleh.

[mslee]

I'm actually having a really hard time getting enough food in me each day because I am really not hungry!

I'm a little worried I might sabotage my metabolism by not eating enough calories...hopefully my appetite will pick up a little over time because right now it's really bleh.

I have the same problem when I eat something I shouldn't (still trying to figure out what is safe for me and what is not) I have to force food down the next few days. Still know I am not getting enough, just have a repulsed feeling towards food.

However if I eat corn or rice it's like it's crack (well from what I have heard about crack) and I just want to eat more and more and more meanwhile I get dizzier and dizzier.

I did test positive allergic to corn and rice, so will be seeing a dietitian to help me though this.

When I get safe food in me for a day or 2 I feel great and can't eat enough.

also I have read that eating gluten produces something similar to opiates in our bodies that could explain why we would want to continue eating it despite it making us feel sick.

[munchkinette]

Oh yeah- I totally binge eat after a glutening. This summer was the worst glutening I've had since starting the diet. Normally it takes one week to feel better, but this time it took two.

Let's put it this way- it was during a binge during this glutening that I actually stuck my finger down my throat to throw up. That is the first time in my life that I've ever done that. I felt that sick from eating that much.

I think I also tend to eat more after dairy, but I can't tell.

[henny]

Oh yeah- I totally binge eat after a glutening. This summer was the worst glutening I've had since starting the diet. Normally it takes one week to feel better, but this time it took two.

Let's put it this way- it was during a binge during this glutening that I actually stuck my finger down my throat to throw up. That is the first time in my life that I've ever done that. I felt that sick from eating that much.

I think I also tend to eat more after dairy, but I can't tell.

it's so funny you mention that....I got my first significant accidental glutening a couple days ago.

I CAN'T STOP MUNCHING! I have had to force myself to eat for months now and suddenly after a glutening I am gulping down gluten-free goodies like crackers, cereal, and bread like there's no tomorrow!

It's really weird and bad....gotta go back to basics (raw whole foods) and hopefully it will all calm back down!

In this case I'm not stuffing myself, but sort of continually grazing. I'm not normally a snacker at all!

Bizzarre.