I'm New Too

[SBisglutenfree]

Well, I've been gluten-free (hopefully) since last Wednesday, March 11, 2009. I'm trying the diet since alot of my family members have celiac and/or food allergies and I seem to have the symptoms. My doctor stated a couple of weeks ago that he thinks I have fibromyalgia or possibly heart disease. I asked if I could test for celiac and he asked me if I have diaherra all the time and I said not all the time and he said "then you don't have it". Well, after reading the posts and researching celiac disease, he pretty much lost his credibility with me.

It's only been just shy of a week now and adjusting to the diet has been extremely frustrating. Even at Trader Joe's, I felt like I was on a treasure hunt (I even had the list they printed out for me). I've come to realize that I'm a carb addict. I've been mostly dairy free for about 5 years now, since diagnosed with early stage emphysema, and now it seems I'm taking away most of my diet. No wonder I wasn't feeling well! I was eating everything I shouldn't eat. I've read that we should eat like the cavemen did (no processed food) to stay healthy. I'm only 43 and with the emphysema (just tested positive for the rare alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) gene) and now most likely celiac, I'm a little overwhelmed with the genes I've been handed. Sorry, I'm whining - I know it could be worse... I think I'm looking for encouragement maybe.

I actually have a question: Did anybody do a detox at the start of this diet and do you think it would be beneficial to the system?

Thanks,

Sandi

[cat3883]

There is so much you can eat. Meat, veggies, and fruits are fine. Just make sure any marinades used on the meat are gluten free. This is the forum for you. You will get alot of information here. I too love carbs. But the bottom line is I had to give up most of them to be healthy. I have not had a piece of bread since October. I never thought I could live without it but now I dont miss it at all. I am sorry about the emphysema issue. I too was tested for the gene due to the history of emphysema in my family. The test was negative for me. Please take care of yourself.

[GFinDC]

You might be thinking about the paleo diet or Aktins diet. Or the SCD diet, but that one uses a lot of yogurt. Different people have different intolerances, so the best diet for you will be something you need to discover for yourself.

I eat lots of rice and quinoa, so I am not following the carb free plan. I did do an elimination diet to discover some of my food problems. That is probably a helpful thing to consider doing.

I didn't do a detox myself other than getting the gluten out, that was enough of a change to deal with. I was already dairy free for 10 years at that point. I suggest concentrating on the gluten first and foremost. I eat almost all home cooked foods,and avoid processed foods 95% of the time. Seems to work for me.