Problem Going gluten-free

[JSegura226]

I have been gluten free for 48 hours now and am starting to feel somewhat better. My problem right now is my insides have been through hell and back this week and I am having trouble digesting food. Chewed up food seems to go through me and is not being fully digested (which i am currently taking Ultra-zyme for)..

I just want some suggestions on what foods I should be eating for an extremely sensitive stomach right now and how should I be preparing them.. I want my Intestines and Colon to take it easy while I try to heal.. As of now I am sensitive to Broccoli, Milk and Eggs... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[eatmeat4good]

Hi and welcome! It's a good thing that you figured out the intolerances to milk and eggs since that is very common. It took me a while to figure those two out for myself.

As to what you should be eating, I would stick with lean protein like chicken breasts and really any meat or seafood that you enjoy or tolerate. Avoid frying in oil as that will be hard on your digestive system. It was on mine. You can broil in the oven or stir fry or cook things like soup in the crock pot.

Many people cannot tolerate raw vegetables at this stage in recovery. You can cook them well done and then puree them for a kind of "soup" that is much more easily digested. This helped me a lot in the beginning and I did this for about 3 weeks. Salads were the worst. I didn't eat anything raw for quite a while. Eat as much protein as you can, it will help you feel full and help your healing.

[mushroom]

Avoid anything with tough skins like tomatoes and apple skin - eat applesauce instead. Don't eat any raw foods because they are much harder to digest. Get your fiber from cooked veggies, not from traditional sources. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins and fiber. Baby your gastrointestinal tract for a few weeks and give it a chance to heal, rather than presenting it with conundrums And stick to whole foods wherever possible, not processed. You can make fantastic soups in a crockpot, stews too. And it is so easy!

[GFinDC]

I suggest you look for a digestive enzyme and a pro-biotic to take. Make sure they are gluten free, casein free and especially soy free GFCFSF).

Stay away from dairy, all soy, and nightshades also. Nightshades that typically can cause reactions are white potatoes (sweet potatoes or yams are ok), tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. Also avoid any sugar. Avoid all processed foods also, and stick with whole foods cooked from scratch.

Limit the spices you use to salt, pepper, and other single ingredient spices, no spice blends or flavorings. You want to know exactly what you are putting in your digestive system.

Going off gluten means you are changing the food that the bacteria in your intestines live on. It can take a while for them to establish a new balance and the pro-biotics and no sugar can help with that.

Do eat meats that you cook yourself, cooked vegetables, fresh fruit. Cook with olive oil, not a blend (most have soy oil), or steam or boiling.

Be careful to clean all your pots and pans well, don't use an old toaster without massive cleaning first, or an old colander.

Watch out for gluten in kisses and cosmetics.

Vitamin pills and medicines need to be checked also.

Think about writing down foods that work for you, but remember that early on your system is going to be adjusting and may not react the same later.

And remember that the gluten-free diet is just learning a new way to eat, and like any habit you can learn new habits if you put your mind to it. Then it becomes the new habit and it is easier.

[GlutenGladi8or]

Let's not talk eating right now, let's talk drinking (now that you are embarking upon the gluten free lifestyle)

With that said, your system is in serious need of a flush. Now, I know this might sound like a lot but, try and drink 80+ ounces of water throughout the day.

Here are some hints that will make more water consumption easier:

- Add one part All Natural/Organic juice to 4 parts water. I personally like pomegranate juice, acai, or grapefruit. Make sure the juice has no sugar added and ESPECIALLY no High Fructose Corn Syrup

- A squeeze of lemon or lime

- No ice cubes... you can chug/gulp more that way

- Put a tea bag (at room temperature) into a cup and it will give it flavor

- Spring is here... starts a sun tea jar

I'll get back to you on the food suggestions/deletions after you have adopted this strategy for a few weeks.

Good luck and welcome to the gluten free lifestyle.

[JSegura226]

Let's not talk eating right now, let's talk drinking (now that you are embarking upon the gluten free lifestyle)

With that said, your system is in serious need of a flush. Now, I know this might sound like a lot but, try and drink 80+ ounces of water throughout the day.

Here are some hints that will make more water consumption easier:

- Add one part All Natural/Organic juice to 4 parts water. I personally like pomegranate juice, acai, or grapefruit. Make sure the juice has no sugar added and ESPECIALLY no High Fructose Corn Syrup

- A squeeze of lemon or lime

- No ice cubes... you can chug/gulp more that way

- Put a tea bag (at room temperature) into a cup and it will give it flavor

- Spring is here... starts a sun tea jar

I'll get back to you on the food suggestions/deletions after you have adopted this strategy for a few weeks.

Good luck and welcome to the gluten free lifestyle.

Thanks for the advice everybody..You are making this transition much easier for me. This whole situation has made me an extremely emotional person this last 4 weeks lol and I cant say thank you enough..

AS far as drinking lots of water.. I did end up in the ER yesterday for deyhydration and an allergic reaction to some gluten free crackers that contained milk, soy, and nuts (Missed the small print YIKES!)...Today I have already downed almost half a gallon of water and am going to continue drinking large amounts of water through out the next few months. Also the pain in my left side inside my pelvis disappeared this morning..I have had that pain for almost 3 years now!!

**UPDATE**

well it looks like Im allergic to something in this Nature's plus Ultra-Zyme.. not sure what ingredient yet but trying to put my finger on it..My throat swelled up 2 hours after taking it just like yesterday and all i had was fish and avocado for lunch which I have never reacted to before..

Supplemental facts here: Open Original Shared Link

Possibly the lactase enzyme?

[GlutenGladi8or]

I should have posted earlier about water consumption and perhaps I would have saved you a trip to the ER

While you are drinking the recommended amount of water, please ask your primary care physician if you can take gluten-free supplements as well. Here's my short list, but make sure you get the green light from him:

- Milk Thistle (cleanses the liver)

- Fish Oil (I would be typing for HOURS if I listed all of the benefits. Google it)

- Flaxseed Oil

- Fiber tablets

- Good multi vitamin

The board will help get you back to good health, step by step. Keep cleansing now.

[Kate79]

Plain grilled or broiled chicken, rice & cooked veggies should all be easy to digest. Plain gluten-free cereal (rice checks, maybe?) might be a good snacking choice, too. Also gluten free vegetable or chicken broth or a chicken & rice or veggie soup would be easy and would help to up your liquid intake. I've found a good probiotic to be very helpful in getting through these issues.

[JSegura226]

Just wanted to update.. coming up on DAY 11 of the gluten-free diet... Still losing weight but not as fast . All of your suggestions have helped me tons people! This forum is a lifesaver..

My diet has consisted of chicken breast, fish and occasional red meat. My veggies have been smashed steam yams, carrots, asparagus and green beans. Yesterday I started introducing nuts back into my diet. I have gone from sleeping 3-6 hours a night to almost 12 hours. Still having issues with food not digesting all the way but its getting better..Also going from C to D every other day ( i wish it would stay one or the other)..

Also wanted to add that My naturopath appointment went really well yesterday. They sat down with me for about an hour and got all my past symptoms and problems and the ND was really knowledgeable on things like leaky gut and he literally sat on his computer for an hour after making sure that everything he wanted me to take was Gluten free. He really impressed my VERY skeptical parents as well..He gave me an IV full of vitamins (which made me smell like garlic for 24 hours lol) and also put me on a probiotic and a few supplements which I will be starting today. As of now he has me taking..

-HLC synbiotic intensive Probiotic for 2 weeks, once daily

-Vickie Sorensen's Nature Works Vegi Plus Super food (2 tbs in 16 oz of fruit or vegetable juice daily with breakfast)

- Carlson's Cod liver oil liquid ( 1 tbs with breakfast and 1 tbs with dinner)

-Pure Marshmallow ( 2 droppers in a glass of water twice daily to help with inflammation)

I also just ordered 2 Cases of Larabars in Apple and Cherry pie! Cannot wait for them to come in..

I will let you guys know how it goes...

[mushroom]

Awesome!!

[GlutenGladi8or]

- Carlson's Cod liver oil liquid ( 1 tbs with breakfast and 1 tbs with dinner)

Great news. Check with the ND and see if he can suggest a fish oil capsule (preferably triple distilled). They are SO much easier to take and you don't need a spoon. Plus, they are much more mobile and you can take them to work, the gym, out of town.

Also ask him if he thinks you need a fiber supplement as well.

Continue to keep us posted.

[tarnalberry]

Great news. Check with the ND and see if he can suggest a fish oil capsule (preferably triple distilled). They are SO much easier to take and you don't need a spoon. Plus, they are much more mobile and you can take them to work, the gym, out of town.

Also ask him if he thinks you need a fiber supplement as well.

Continue to keep us posted.

If you're taking that sort of dose, the liquid is WAY more convenient than trying to swallow a bunch of pills, and also much more cost effective. (My chiro recommended a 6g (yes, gram) per day dose for me given a number of issues. WAY easier to get it in liquid form than capsule.)

[GlutenGladi8or]

If you're taking that sort of dose, the liquid is WAY more convenient than trying to swallow a bunch of pills, and also much more cost effective. (My chiro recommended a 6g (yes, gram) per day dose for me given a number of issues. WAY easier to get it in liquid form than capsule.)

CLARIFICATION:

Easier to travel in and out of airports for those of us who don't check luggage and are frequent flyers. Liquids are difficult unless they are less than 3 ounces. But, at home they are good.

Regardless, keep taking that fish oil in ALL forms folks. SO good for you and plenty of research to substantiate that.