New And Worried

[SteampunkTeapot]

I'm a 21yr old female. I have been on medication for depression, anxiety and ADD for several years now. I'm overweight, yet anemic despite my attempts at keeping a good diet and exercising. I also have nearly chronic heartburn/indigestion and seemingly random bouts of stomach flu-like symptoms that come and go suddenly.

I'm concerned that I might have Celiac disease and intend to try a month gluten-free to see if that helps any of my symptoms. I must admit though, I'm rather worried about adjusting to gluten-free food. Most of my favorite foods contain gluten.

I'd love any suggestions and/or advice on the subject.

[ktotheroll]

I'm a 21yr old female. I have been on medication for depression, anxiety and ADD for several years now. I'm overweight, yet anemic despite my attempts at keeping a good diet and exercising. I also have nearly chronic heartburn/indigestion and seemingly random bouts of stomach flu-like symptoms that come and go suddenly.

I'm concerned that I might have Celiac disease and intend to try a month gluten-free to see if that helps any of my symptoms. I must admit though, I'm rather worried about adjusting to gluten-free food. Most of my favorite foods contain gluten.

I'd love any suggestions and/or advice on the subject.

Gluten free isn't as hard as it sounds. I was really worried too, because I used to be the person that would have meals of bread & butter, lol, but after some time passed, it got a lot easier. Plus, I felt SO much better after just a couple of weeks. It's definitely worth a try! My advice is to stick to natural foods first: meat, vegetables, fruit, and dairy are all naturally gluten free. Chex cereal is gluten free, as is rice, coffee, popcorn, etc. And then slowly try replacing pastas and breads, etc. Udi's bread has been my favorite so far, Udi's also makes really good muffins. I love the pizza crusts from Kinnikinnik. They would all be in the frozen section of the natural foods. The point is, there are a LOT of things that don't have to change and a lot of options to replace the things you miss. Good luck!

[SteampunkTeapot]

Gluten free isn't as hard as it sounds. I was really worried too, because I used to be the person that would have meals of bread & butter, lol, but after some time passed, it got a lot easier. Plus, I felt SO much better after just a couple of weeks. It's definitely worth a try! My advice is to stick to natural foods first: meat, vegetables, fruit, and dairy are all naturally gluten free. Chex cereal is gluten free, as is rice, coffee, popcorn, etc. And then slowly try replacing pastas and breads, etc. Udi's bread has been my favorite so far, Udi's also makes really good muffins. I love the pizza crusts from Kinnikinnik. They would all be in the frozen section of the natural foods. The point is, there are a LOT of things that don't have to change and a lot of options to replace the things you miss. Good luck!

Thank you so much!I'll see if I can find those products~

I've always been a big baker, so going gluten free makes me kinda sad... Not to mention I have trouble not being picky when it comes to unusual textures...

[cahill]

Thank you so much!I'll see if I can find those products~

I've always been a big baker, so going gluten free makes me kinda sad... Not to mention I have trouble not being picky when it comes to unusual textures...

This is a link to a site that has great gluten free baking tips and recipes

Open Original Shared Link

Welcome to the forums

[krystynycole]

I was the same way. I had pasta at least 3 nights a week and a large portion of bread to go along with it! I didn't see any way to survive happily. However, the pay off will be more incentive that you can imagine! Hang in there! I personally don't eat gluten-free bread, though many find it worth while. If you are a baker I know people have a ton of success making it from certain blends of bread. Check out the baking forum on here for tips on that. I just use gluten-free betty crocker bake mixes. I also use gluten-free bisquick for a ton of different stuff. I still eat pasta. My favorite brand is tinkyada. It is a brown rice pasta and isn't too bad. Hang in there and stay on this board...you will find encouragement!

[domesticactivist]

Before you go gluten-free you should note that by doing so you eliminate your ability to get test results without going back on gluten for a long time, in high doses. It might make more sense to get a celiac panel done before your gluten-free test.

When you do really go gluten-free, you won't necessarily feel the difference if you don't actually eliminate the gluten completely. I have a post about how to do it on the blog linked from my profile.

And... I agree completely with the others who say stay away from the "gluten-free" products, at least at first.

[domesticactivist]

You might also look into the GAPS diet (Gut and Psychology Syndrome). I have a resource page on the same blog mentioned above. It is all about the connection between gut health and mental/emotional issues.

[sb2178]

I'm a 21yr old female. I have been on medication for depression, anxiety and ADD for several years now. I'm overweight, yet anemic despite my attempts at keeping a good diet and exercising. I also have nearly chronic heartburn/indigestion and seemingly random bouts of stomach flu-like symptoms that come and go suddenly.

I'm concerned that I might have Celiac disease and intend to try a month gluten-free to see if that helps any of my symptoms. I must admit though, I'm rather worried about adjusting to gluten-free food. Most of my favorite foods contain gluten.

I'd love any suggestions and/or advice on the subject.

Ditto the get testesd suggestion first if it's at all possible that you'll have a hard time with wondering whether you have celiac without doing the full medical work-up. I did all the testing and then did a strict elimination diet with a gluten challenge and felt a little bit like I was dying for a few days during the challenge. Mind, I ate gluten for 36 hours after 3 weeks of no gluten, no major allergens. It was pretty miserable, and I don't think I could have eaten it long enough for testing results to be valid.

I also found it easier to stick to non-gluten based foods that I like for the first few months. So, think tortilla chips, tortillas, rice, curries, risotto, polenta, lentils, veggies, spring rolls, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, fruit, good chocolate... if you have any particular favorite you'll die without, post it up and we'll see what we can think of. It's also not a bad idea to keep a few things on hand for the first few weeks in case you find yourself sobbing from the frustration of wanting a feakin' cookie. Even if they are less than perfect, it might help you maintain the diet through the first and roughest stage.

[beebs]

I agree about getting tested first. I did what you want to do, went gluten free with full intentions of doing a challenge and getting tested at a later date. I have eaten gluten once since then and ended up in hospital. I actually can never eat gluten ever again so I doubt I will ever get a proper diagnosis. Not saying you really need one - but it is rather frustrating when talking to Drs etc.

[SteampunkTeapot]

Thank you everyone for the kind advice! I have a doctor's appointment scheduled so I can get tested ASAP! I'll probably try going gluten-free afterwards, regardless of the result though.