gluten-free & Dairy Free

[AshleyS]

So,

I recovered from severe Anorexia about 3 years ago. After one year of recovery, I started having stomach problems. I ignored them and they got severely worse. Finally I was diagnosed with Lactose Intolerance. Once I eliminated Dairy, I started feeling a lot better but for the past 2 yrs have had bad stomach problems. I never knew the cause, I ate pretty healthy, but didn't know why I always felt bloated, gassy, ucomfortable and would have random D or constipation. Embarassing.

A little over a month ago, I was diagnosed with Celiac and strted to feel tons better after eliminating gluten. Since Christmas though, my stomach has def been irritated. Especially at night...

I think it is due to Xanthan Gum being in some gluten-free foods, natural/artificial flavors, and (hopefully not) alcohol. I was curious if anyone else was still feeling symptoms after eliminiating Gluten and relating products. Any special triggers? I have been have the same problems as before, and had trouble sleeping at night- due to stomach discomfort and getting up to go to the bathroom several times. It sucks.

I was also curious how common it is for gluten-free people to lose weight? Because I've heard that it is a common occurence when starting a gluten-free diet, but I have not lost any weight. I exercise and eat healthy (nuts, fruit, veg, wine, chips&salsa, soy cheese, clif bars, etc..) but my weight is stable..I don't understand.

Any feedback would be awesome.

Thanks,

Ashley

[Mother of Jibril]

Hi Ashley,

My symptoms were in my intestines instead of my stomach... cramps, bloating, constipation, and gas. I felt a lot better after I took gluten out of my diet. Then I discovered that corn is a problem too. Corn is tricky to eliminate (it's in about 90% of processed foods), but I feel SO much better now. Unless I slip up, I never have those symptoms.

What is your BMI like these days? If it's in the 21-25 range, I wouldn't worry about it! IMO, your goal should just be to look and feel healthy. Some people get very skinny before their diagnosis and need to gain weight... others are overweight and start to lose it once they take gluten out of their diet. It really depends on the individual.

[AshleyS]

Hi Ashley,

My symptoms were in my intestines instead of my stomach... cramps, bloating, constipation, and gas. I felt a lot better after I took gluten out of my diet. Then I discovered that corn is a problem too. Corn is tricky to eliminate (it's in about 90% of processed foods), but I feel SO much better now. Unless I slip up, I never have those symptoms.

What is your BMI like these days? If it's in the 21-25 range, I wouldn't worry about it! IMO, your goal should just be to look and feel healthy. Some people get very skinny before their diagnosis and need to gain weight... others are overweight and start to lose it once they take gluten out of their diet. It really depends on the individual.

Thanks for that reply! I never thought of corn as being a problem- maybe I don't want it to be...that's just another thing I can't eat to add to the list.

I guess my symtpoms are in my intestines also, it just feels like the stomach..I have all the same as you. Do you find that Xanthan Gum is problematic for you? I think it is for me. What about dark chocolate? I ate soy chocolate pudding nd it gave me a lot fo truoble.

Hansen's sodas bother me also ( i think any soda would)- I think because of the natural and artificial flavors.

[Mother of Jibril]

Xantham gum is derived from corn So are a lot of the "natural flavors." I didn't notice that any specific ingredient was a problem for me (xantham gum, cornstarch, corn syrup, citric acid, etc...), but when I got really serious about cutting all of those derivatives out of my diet I did notice a difference.

Here's the advice that people gave me:

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=53613

For years I thought I was just lactose intolerant I'm fine with dark chocolate (it's the one processed food I'm still eating on a regular basis), but some people can't eat it because of the soy lecithin. Soy is another common irritant... like corn, it's in everything How are you doing with the Clif bars? I'm not sure what ingredient(s) were bothering me, but I had to stop eating them shortly after I took gluten out of my diet. Those have soy too.

It does stink, having to change your diet in such a radical way... I'm discovering some new favorite foods. Like goats milk yogurt with almonds, coconut flakes, and sliced bananas. I've also been eating avocados and (for a treat) making "milk shakes" with coconut milk and frozen fruit. That really satisfies my cravings for dairy. I think it's important to find foods you really like that don't make you feel sick. If you feel deprived you won't be able to stick with the changes.

[lizard00]

The first thing I thought was ditch the clif bars.

I'm looking at one of my husband's right now: It has no wheat in it, but it has malt extract and oats. The malt extract is bad enough on it's own, and the oats are more than likely contaminated with wheat dust/flour.

From their website:

Are any of your products gluten-free?

While CLIF Nectar, Twisted Fruit, Luna Sports Products, CLIF SHOT gels, CLIF SHOT BLOKS, and CLIF SHOT Energy Drinks do not contain any gluten ingredients, they are not produced in a gluten-free zone. All other CLIF Bar products contain gluten as an active ingredient.

Cut them out and see if that helps.

[AshleyS]

The first thing I thought was ditch the clif bars.

I'm looking at one of my husband's right now: It has no wheat in it, but it has malt extract and oats. The malt extract is bad enough on it's own, and the oats are more than likely contaminated with wheat dust/flour.

From their website:

Cut them out and see if that helps.

Thanks! Both of those posts were very helpful. The Clif bars, I noticed, do have oats and malt flavoring, but I haven't noticed any bad reactions, really. I think I'll take your advice anyway and just stop eating them and see how I feel.

-ashley

[ksymonds84]

Hi Ashley, as I have said on another post, I've narrowed down that Xantham gum as a problem for ME. I am not allergic to corn and can eat corn chips and tortillas with no problems. The only thing that I can think of is that I am very allergic to mold and xantham gum is produced by a process involving fermentation of glucose or sucrose by the Xanthomonas campestris bacterium. It is typically fermented on corn. Fermentation is basically making mold, at least to my sensitive body. I am only intolerant to xantham gum, giving me milder gluten symptoms but enough that I don't want to deal with it. Latley, I've been subbing all recipes calling for xantham with double the amount of gelatin, and that seems to work for me.

[MaryJones2]

Thanks! Both of those posts were very helpful. The Clif bars, I noticed, do have oats and malt flavoring, but I haven't noticed any bad reactions, really. I think I'll take your advice anyway and just stop eating them and see how I feel.

-ashley

You might consider keeping a food journal. It really helps a lot when you are having sporadic issues.

[harp1]

:P After reading these very intelligent posts in response to your question - I thought of digestive enyzmes like Papaya. You're probably still working on healing internally, so determining what you're allergic to is critical. Just thought I would bring up the enyzme. If taken with food it helps digest the food.

About weight, I follow weight watchers as a life time member with this crazy diet. It really helps me stay on track weight wise (BMI was a good thing to look at). I joined WW because I was gaining weight on the gluten-free diet. Good luck! Susan

[AshleyS]

I don't understand how people gain weight once going gluten free?? When there are fewer available foods..

I have been eating more fruits and veggies, nuts, and been making gluten-free breads and the like...

[psawyer]

I don't understand how people gain weight once going gluten free?? When there are fewer available foods..

I have been eating more fruits and veggies, nuts, and been making gluten-free breads and the like...

For me, it was like this. Due to prolonged malabsorption during my pre-diagnosis period, I had lost about 75 pounds. I was emaciated, as my wife described it, "just skin and bones." My ribs were clearly visible front and back.

Once my villi started to heal, I began absorbing nutrients again. Even if you are eating less on the gluten-free diet, you will be digesting and absorbing more.

[Mother of Jibril]

Some people need to gain weight because they were so malnourished. Gaining weight can be part of the healing process.

Also... a lot of the gluten-free goodies (cookies, breads, muffins, etc...) have more calories than the originals. Foods like nuts, avocados, and coconut have a LOT of calories!

[lizard00]

I don't understand how people gain weight once going gluten free?? When there are fewer available foods..

I have been eating more fruits and veggies, nuts, and been making gluten-free breads and the like...

Just because you cut gluten out of your diet doesn't mean that you can't make the gluten free counterpart of cupcakes, cakes, cookies, etc. I lost weight initially because I didn't eat any gluten-free subsitutes. Then I started baking and found gluten free beer, etc. And gained a few pounds back.

The gluten-free diet, is, by nature, healthier. And I'm healthier than I was, but if I wanted to be unhealthy, I could.

Focus on being healthy. That's why we gave up this stuff.

[Sweetfudge]

Just because you cut gluten out of your diet doesn't mean that you can't make the gluten free counterpart of cupcakes, cakes, cookies, etc. I lost weight initially because I didn't eat any gluten-free subsitutes. Then I started baking and found gluten free beer, etc. And gained a few pounds back.

this is what happened to me from the start. i was trying so hard to make "normal" foods that i ended up gaining weight from all the cookies/bread/cake.

in my experience, having all the elements of your health lined up is the best way to get to your ideal weight. i've been trying to lose weight for 5 years, and only this last year was i able to. i had gotten off all my medications (birth control, anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds), i stopped eating dairy, i got my thyroid levels normal, and i started taking a bunch of supplements. i also started an IBS diet, which is basically a low-fat, no red meat, no dairy diet. the only processed foods i eat are tortilla chips, enjoy life chocolate chips and glutino (ritz) crackers, and those very occasionally. that combination, for my body, was what i needed to lose the weight i wanted to lose.

good luck

[purple]

this is what happened to me from the start. i was trying so hard to make "normal" foods that i ended up gaining weight from all the cookies/bread/cake.

in my experience, having all the elements of your health lined up is the best way to get to your ideal weight. i've been trying to lose weight for 5 years, and only this last year was i able to. i had gotten off all my medications (birth control, anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds), i stopped eating dairy, i got my thyroid levels normal, and i started taking a bunch of supplements. i also started an IBS diet, which is basically a low-fat, no red meat, no dairy diet. the only processed foods i eat are tortilla chips, enjoy life chocolate chips and glutino (ritz) crackers, and those very occasionally. that combination, for my body, was what i needed to lose the weight i wanted to lose.

good luck

Interesting, thanks for posting. My dd is trying to lose weight so she became a vegan 5 months ago which made her choose lots of veggies, fruits, low fat and low calorie foods. She does eat Rice Chex and Cocoa Pebbles (doesn't really like chocolate) on occasion and Fritos and tortilla chips with her mexican food and chili. Baked potatoes instead of greasy fries when possible. Now she is gluten-free to stop her itching. I think she will be able to lose the weight her body has been holding onto. She added nuts for protein to her stir frys and for snacks. No more fast food. She has learned alot about what she is putting into her body and she is 17. I wish I knew all this health stuff at her age! Her mindset is changed to eating healthy now...yay!

[lizard00]

this is what happened to me from the start. i was trying so hard to make "normal" foods that i ended up gaining weight from all the cookies/bread/cake.

in my experience, having all the elements of your health lined up is the best way to get to your ideal weight. i've been trying to lose weight for 5 years, and only this last year was i able to. i had gotten off all my medications (birth control, anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds), i stopped eating dairy, i got my thyroid levels normal, and i started taking a bunch of supplements. i also started an IBS diet, which is basically a low-fat, no red meat, no dairy diet. the only processed foods i eat are tortilla chips, enjoy life chocolate chips and glutino (ritz) crackers, and those very occasionally. that combination, for my body, was what i needed to lose the weight i wanted to lose.

good luck

Sweetfudge, I just wanted to give you a big ole high five!!! I remember some of your posts regarding weight and I'm so happy that you hit and went over your goal!