In The Beginning...

[ciavyn]

I've been gluten free since...well, it's been almost a month. I feel great some days...and other days, I can't figure out why I've got GI symptoms again (mainly gas). It seems that I can usually trace it back to a specific problem food, but other days...I can't figure out anything I've eaten that would cause it. I have made all my meals, avoid packaged food, and stick with pretty mainline ingredients for my cooking. Most days, on a diet like what I ate today, I feel great. Other days, it's less great.

My question is this: it's my nature to attempt to figure everything out, but I've also read that it takes at least 6 mo. to a year to heal the gut. Could some days just be rough because of the need for my system to heal? Can you have symptoms even when you haven't eaten anything that normally causes them? Or should I be even more vigilant than I already am?

I'm not as nutty as this sounds, but as I was thinking over what I ate today, I honestly can't see where the GI issue came from...and it's not awful, just mildly annoying, as opposed to what it was a month ago. This I can live with, but I'm just curious if I'm over-reacting, and just need to be more patient.

[Ahorsesoul]

Could it be related to cross contamination? Is your kitchen gluten free, did you replace your plastic ware, bread boards and coated pans and cast iron cookware? Is someone putting a gluten knife into the butter you are using. Have you checked your personal care supplies. Depending on how sensitive you are, it could be something very strange.

Did you go dairy and soy free for awhile? Might help.

[ciavyn]

I'm working on replacing things, but unfortunately do not have a budget that provides an immediate switch. So yes, I'm doing the best I can, and I'm off dairy. Soy has not seemed to be related, and I don't eat a ton of soy, anyway. I've been trying to stick with whole foods as much as possible. Hm, I really hope it's not something from CC. I don't think I'm that sensitive, but maybe it's wishful thinking...how would I even know, yet, right?

[mushroom]

I would say that at only one month in it's still too early to expect to have perfect digestion every day. Give it another couple of months of really careful eating and see how you are. So long as it is not something that is happening every day, the chances are that some things your intestines are just having a harder time digesting than others. Sometimes it can be simple things like the the high fibrous cruciferous vegetables, skins on apples and tomatoes, that give the digestive tract some problems. You might want, if you are not doing so already, to add some digestive enzymes to help your system out for a while because you are most likely deficient in the digestive enzymes; I know I was and they really helped me.

[ciavyn]

Thanks, Mushroom - I'll try that. I just got some, but I haven't figured out how consistently I need to use them. I'll add them in a bit more and see if that helps.

[mushroom]

I would take them with every meal

[GFinDC]

I don't think it is unusual to have varying reactions at first. My own big think on that is there is a lot of adjusting going on as your intestines heal and start to actually work somewhat normmally again. They are muscles after all and they can get stronger and more active when they aren't irritated constantly. Also when you change your diet you are changing the nutrients you feed to your friendly and not so friendly gut bacteria. So the population balance of various bacteria colonies can change. Some of them make lots of gas when the grow. Taking it easy on sugars might be a good idea at the beginning. I was surpised to read that about 50% of the dry stool weight is bacteria.

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You may also find you have other food intolerances going on.