Reactions To Enjoy Life Products

[shayre]

Okay, so I've been trying to figure out some possible contamination issues in my house. I just had a handful of Enjoy Life choclate chips and 20 min or so later...I feel sick. I didn't think that I had a problem with their stuff, especially since it's made in a gluten free facility. Could I be wrong? I am already glutened, so maybe I'm just having some sickness kick in from that...or maybe it's the choc chips? I feel a little sick on their cookies, so I don't eat them often. I will also have a sunbutter crunch bar in emergencies. Thoughts?

[GlutenFreeManna]

I've never had a problem with anything from Enjoy Life. Maybe you are sensitive to chocolate? What are your symptoms?

[T.H.]

Are you exceptionally sensitive to gluten?

The good thing about Enjoy Life is that they are certified by the GFCO. Their products will be tested and they should be 10ppm or less. It's possible that a batch might not have been tested, but if you do well with food that is usually 10ppm or less, the gluten probably wasn't an issue, at least not with the chocolate chips.

If you have any issues with cocoa or sugar cane, that could be an issue. I am allergic to sugarcane, and these chocolate chips have less processed sugar cane so they have more of that allergen in them.

[shayre]

Are you exceptionally sensitive to gluten?

The good thing about Enjoy Life is that they are certified by the GFCO. Their products will be tested and they should be 10ppm or less. It's possible that a batch might not have been tested, but if you do well with food that is usually 10ppm or less, the gluten probably wasn't an issue, at least not with the chocolate chips.

If you have any issues with cocoa or sugar cane, that could be an issue. I am allergic to sugarcane, and these chocolate chips have less processed sugar cane so they have more of that allergen in them.

You are the one that I have had further questions to, because I'm starting to think that I'm at least in your ballpark of sensitivity...but I don't know yet. I am pretty sure that I react to 10ppm or even less, but I'm still working on that. I also don't know if my reactions to the known ppm are because I've already got UNKNOWN ppm in my system. I guess that will just take a while to work through. I have been following you somewhat closely, because I know that you have had success with all of your hard work. I actually don't think that I'm as sensitive as you, but enough to learn and benefit from you. Like mushrooms...do I react because of gluten from straw or just an intolerance to mushrooms? Those are also things that I'm paying attention too now. I will keep the sugar cane thing on my mind and try to start paying attention to that too. It might just take forever to know...ugh.

GlutenFreeManna...I don't really know what my symtoms are with that, because I don't know how to seperate it out from gluten or other intolerances. However, today I felt sick right after I ate the choc chips...and a little more bloated. I had eaten nothing else. It seems that I feel a little more bloated on the choc chips than I do the dark choc bars. I at least am reassured that I'm not reacting to gluten...if you guys do not react. I always have choc and choc chips in the house though...yummy. My kids love the choc bars better than normal bars. I felt some breathing difficulty after having had the lemon cookies from Enjoy Life. I started thinking that I might have a lemon allergy, but then again...I was glutened a few times over the last couple of weeks...so maybe chest tightness and pressure came from that? It's a big mystery to me.

[GlutenFreeManna]

You are the one that I have had further questions to, because I'm starting to think that I'm at least in your ballpark of sensitivity...but I don't know yet. I am pretty sure that I react to 10ppm or even less, but I'm still working on that. I also don't know if my reactions to the known ppm are because I've already got UNKNOWN ppm in my system. I guess that will just take a while to work through. I have been following you somewhat closely, because I know that you have had success with all of your hard work. I actually don't think that I'm as sensitive as you, but enough to learn and benefit from you. Like mushrooms...do I react because of gluten from straw or just an intolerance to mushrooms? Those are also things that I'm paying attention too now. I will keep the sugar cane thing on my mind and try to start paying attention to that too. It might just take forever to know...ugh.

GlutenFreeManna...I don't really know what my symtoms are with that, because I don't know how to seperate it out from gluten or other intolerances. However, today I felt sick right after I ate the choc chips...and a little more bloated. I had eaten nothing else. It seems that I feel a little more bloated on the choc chips than I do the dark choc bars. I at least am reassured that I'm not reacting to gluten...if you guys do not react. I always have choc and choc chips in the house though...yummy. My kids love the choc bars better than normal bars. I felt some breathing difficulty after having had the lemon cookies from Enjoy Life. I started thinking that I might have a lemon allergy, but then again...I was glutened a few times over the last couple of weeks...so maybe chest tightness and pressure came from that? It's a big mystery to me.

Are you keeping a journal of what your eat and your reactions? My gluten reactions usually do not start until 24-48 hours AFTER I get contaminated. The only exception is if I get a large amount (like when I was given regualr pasta instead of gluten-free pasta at a restaurant). In those cases I'm very sick within 20 minutes and usually start throwing up. Anyway, it can be very hard to track down the source if you have delayed reactions.

Another thought on the chocolate chips since you said your kids like them too...was the bag open? Any chance your kiddos reached in with a hand that had previously been eating gluten and contaminated the bag?

[shayre]

Are you keeping a journal of what your eat and your reactions? My gluten reactions usually do not start until 24-48 hours AFTER I get contaminated. The only exception is if I get a large amount (like when I was given regualr pasta instead of gluten-free pasta at a restaurant). In those cases I'm very sick within 20 minutes and usually start throwing up. Anyway, it can be very hard to track down the source if you have delayed reactions.

Another thought on the chocolate chips since you said your kids like them too...was the bag open? Any chance your kiddos reached in with a hand that had previously been eating gluten and contaminated the bag?

I used to keep a food journal, but i haven't done that in quite some time. I have thought about doing it again, but I eat so little that I would think that I could tell what is bothering me....but maybe not. And no...kids don't have gluten in the house or around me, and they are around me most of the time. The bday party was an exception. The bag is also kept high so that they can't get it. Now...my hubby is another story. He doesn't have gluten around me, but maybe during his work day. I will have to question him. Ok, I'd have to really be angry if someone gave me regular pasta...omg...I hurt for you! I do think that I have delayed reactions and sometimes not...so I really don't know. Nothing is clear cut for me usually. Sigh...

[GlutenFreeManna]

I used to keep a food journal, but i haven't done that in quite some time. I have thought about doing it again, but I eat so little that I would think that I could tell what is bothering me....but maybe not. And no...kids don't have gluten in the house or around me, and they are around me most of the time. The bday party was an exception. The bag is also kept high so that they can't get it. Now...my hubby is another story. He doesn't have gluten around me, but maybe during his work day. I will have to question him. Ok, I'd have to really be angry if someone gave me regular pasta...omg...I hurt for you! I do think that I have delayed reactions and sometimes not...so I really don't know. Nothing is clear cut for me usually. Sigh...

Definitely watch the hubby closer. My husband has gluttened me just by eating fast food and then driving my car. When I drove after him then I got glutened. Now he knows the rule is he has to wash his hands after eating gluteny stuff. Fortunately, he doesn't eat it very often anyway because I send most of his lunches from home and we are 100% gluten-free at home now. Sometimes he will have cake at the office when they celebrate a birthday though or someone will bring in cookies. So I still ask him 99% of the time before I kiss him. Our routine has gotten to be more like, I greet him with a hug instead of a kiss and while I'm hugging him I ask if he had any gluten. If he had gluten he'll kiss me on the forehead or the cheek and then go brush his teeth. He has "forgotten" a few times and kissed me when they had cake at work and it always gets me. So he knows he can't get away with lying or being careless about it. He feels aweful when I'm sick over something so small. I feel so blessed to have someone so understanding. I hope your hubby is willing to make changes and understands cc, otherwise it could be difficult to pin down some possible sources of cc.

[CyMars]

I was googling reactions to enjoy lofe chips and came across this post. I have had a reaction to enjoy life chips too. Not my gluten reaction but similar to my dairy reaction, bloaty, gassy. My daughter in law doesn't react to them, she has an issue with gluten too. So it has to be something else in the chips. Anyone react to cocoa butter or chocolate liquor?

[Ennis-TX]

6 hours ago, CyMars said:

I was googling reactions to enjoy lofe chips and came across this post. I have had a reaction to enjoy life chips too. Not my gluten reaction but similar to my dairy reaction, bloaty, gassy. My daughter in law doesn't react to them, she has an issue with gluten too. So it has to be something else in the chips. Anyone react to cocoa butter or chocolate liquor?

Other food intolerance issues is not uncommon with this disease, many of us get them. I get rolling intolerance myself, but my thoughts are on perhaps you have another issue. How are you with sugary foods? Gas and bloating can be caused by gut bacteria going a bit rampant, if you have a SIBO or Candida overgrowth set it then they would react to sugars this way. Other thoughts, chocolate is high in tannin and histamines if you have issues with those these could be causing you issues. Try keeping a food diary and seeing if anything else might cause these kinds of issues. If you want I can get you links on stuff related to intolerance and food sensitivities.