Totally Corn Free Now

[CarolinaKip]

I went "corn free", but continued eating hard candy etc. I finally cut out all forms of corn and I've had a few days of feeling like a human again! Why was I so stubborn? I feel like I've given up just about everything, but to feel like this, I will give up corn and all forms of it. I still have some discomfort, but I'm pinpointing it. I have a question to those of you who went corn free, have you been able to add it back into your diet when you started to heal? How long where you corn free? I know we are all different, but would like to hear from you. Thanks!

[Skylark]

I went soy and dairy free for about nine months and was able to add them back. Maybe corn will be that way for you.

[lisa25]

I have been corn free for about 9 months. My main symptoms from corn are immediate stomach bloating and delayed mental fuzziness. At first I just went free of all visible corn like corn starch and high fructose corn syrup. Eventually I cut back more things like I made homemade vanilla for baking instead of using McCormicks which has corn syrup in it. The only thing I know for sure that I still eat that "corn allergy" people avoid is xanthan gum and citric acid in things like canned tomatoes (I don't know if all citric acid is from corn, but it can be). I seem to do okay with very small quantities. It has been really tricky figuring out all the different names corn can go by and this is what I struggle with most. For instance, I decided to try Ener-G Egg Replacer. I really liked the way it worked in baked goods. After about a week of eating baked goods with it, I noticed my brain getting fuzzy...I figured it just took a bit to build up in my body for a reaction. After contacting the company, I learned two of the ingredients were derived from corn. I know I should have checked before using it, but didn't. So far I haven't been able to add corn back into my diet. I don't know if this helps at all...

[jenngolightly]

I have been corn free for about 9 months. My main symptoms from corn are immediate stomach bloating and delayed mental fuzziness. At first I just went free of all visible corn like corn starch and high fructose corn syrup. Eventually I cut back more things like I made homemade vanilla for baking instead of using McCormicks which has corn syrup in it. The only thing I know for sure that I still eat that "corn allergy" people avoid is xanthan gum and citric acid in things like canned tomatoes (I don't know if all citric acid is from corn, but it can be). I seem to do okay with very small quantities. It has been really tricky figuring out all the different names corn can go by and this is what I struggle with most. For instance, I decided to try Ener-G Egg Replacer. I really liked the way it worked in baked goods. After about a week of eating baked goods with it, I noticed my brain getting fuzzy...I figured it just took a bit to build up in my body for a reaction. After contacting the company, I learned two of the ingredients were derived from corn. I know I should have checked before using it, but didn't. So far I haven't been able to add corn back into my diet. I don't know if this helps at all...

I also went totally corn free 8 months ago and had to replace things like vanilla extract - who knew there was corn syrup in that?

Corn has been the hardest thing to eliminate because it's in practically everything. I eat no processed food now (or canned goods because of the additives to keep things from spoiling), and feel completely better -I also eliminated soy, sugar, dairy, all grains, and starchy veggies. VERY difficult, but well worth the health I've regained. I'm a little confused on what and how to start adding things back, but soy and corn will be the last ones because they're the highest probability for my health problems. Are you going to add corn back into your diet?

[ENF]

I stopped eating corn products shortly after going gluten free, about 5 1/2 years ago, but began to reintroduce Corn Chex, tortillas, and other products to my diet starting about six months ago, with no bad reactions. I think that it took about five years to heal sufficiently from the damage done by gluten. I still don't use cow's milk at all, because of casein, and only occasionally have goat cheese or milk products after taking DPP-IV (for Casein) and Lactaid.

[domesticactivist]

My son very obviously needs to be corn free but we're finding it really difficult. Hidden corn is everywhere. Last week he came back from his dad's all reactive from who knows what, and he had the stuffy nose the whole time he was here. Then he went back and it cleared up... until today, when his dad took him out to a restaurant with gluten free options. Ds got all stuffy again AND did his crazy allergy behavior and ended up injuring himself within a couple hours of eating, just in time to come back to my place. I read the menu from the restaurant they went to, and sure enough, the gluten-free bun they use had corn starch in it. Now I get to deal with his stuffy head and messed up behavior for the next few days, so that he can be all better when he goes back to his dad's!

We talked about it a bit when he was here dropping the kids off, in an investigative sort of way, not a pissed off kind of way. But now I'm getting angry. We're pretty new to being gluten free and have been discussing doing GAPS so that we can really heal and figure out all the other food issues that are in the mix... but then stuff like this happens. I don't feel like our kids' dad is taking the other food issues seriously, and even though he is taking the gluten seriously, he's not asking questions when he sees "gluten free" on the menu, and not remembering that CORN and SOY and YEAST all showed up on the boy's allergy test and most gluten free bread products involve those things. On top of that, for all we know, the gluten free option is cooked and handled with the gluten at a mixed restaurant. Ugh. I know he's trying. I guess I just needed to complain. Sigh