Kosher Diet And Diet Helping Clarify Indicators

nicole1975 · September 12, 2011

I'm starting to think that glueten might be my problem. I can remember even as much as about 15 years ago, my friends teasing me because I burp and fart so much more than the average person. Now, in the last year, I've really started feel so embarrassed about it more than in the past and determined to figure out how to stop it or at least maybe fart when no one is around. Sometimes I wake up with such horrible gas and then I rip a giant fart and feel so much better but I noticed that when I'm dieting and losing weight my gasiness is no where near as bad. (At which point I'm mostly eating fruits, vegetables, meat, potatos rice fish.... no cookies and less bread/pasta. I don't like them and feel they are a wast of calories better "spent" on things healthier or tastier) Well, I'm dieting now. However, I went out to eat one night and got a sandwich. I felt fat and bloated, gassing and my stomach was gurgling, diahhrea and constipation (when I finally go it spits)... it eventually went away but the next time I went out to eat with her I got a sandwich again. Well, I had all the same stuff going on.

It's not lactose intolerance because I get gassy etc when I'm eating no dairy whatsoever for three days straight (as is done when Jewish holidays fall right before the Sabbath) I had been thinking I had IBS but sometimes I feel fine for days. I don't have health insurance so I think I will try cutting out the gluten for now and see how I feel. I'm so fed up with this gas. It's really something chronic and extensive not just a little.

Does anyone know, though, if let's say I were celiac and I just put up with the gas and ate gluten, I read there are possible long term effects. Does anyone know what those are? I tried to find by googling and found something here on symptoms.

glutentheintolerant · September 12, 2011

From what I understand continuing to eat gluten-rich foods might (eventually) lead to bowel cancer or a complete inability to digest lactose. (Assuming that you have celiac's disease)

Not to mention a whole lot of other side-effects from a stomach that is incapable of properly assimilating nutrients. Even if you do not have celiac's disease, this will be a big problem.

I guess there's a problem with certain Jewish traditional meals because they might involve eating gluten-containing foods?

In Catholicism, it's the communion bread that must be made from wheat. You could consider that your 'challenge' after having lived gluten-free for a while, I suppose.

I think I noticed the change of switching to a gluten-free diet after only a few days. Did get mixed signals due to my newfound lactose-sensitivity.

So yeah. Try it on and see if it fits.

nicole1975 · September 14, 2011

I last had gluten on Saturday. I had a sanwich. On Sunday, I had painful gas and explosive diahrhea (and all I had eaten yet when that happened was watermelon and a tomato). I've had some gas but nothing painful. I'm still consuming dairy.

The thing about kosher is three day holidays, we have meat and we don't mix meat and dairy so there's no dairy for 3 days, but I still get gassy/diarhea etc. (meaning it's not lactose intolerance) Then during Passover for 8 days straight we don't eat any leavened grains. Matzah, the unleavened bread, is supposed to constipate but for me I get diarhea. Then once the seders are over, I feel great. At that point, I'm not eating gluten because it's not kosher for passover (mostly).

glutentheintolerant · September 14, 2011

For me switching to a gluten-free diet almost meant an instanteneous change but judging from what I have read on this forum, it takes many months for some before they start seeing any improvement. And a few of them, including me, have problems with dairy products although for me that didn't happen until after I went on a gluten-free diet.

I think you should try to get tested. I haven't been tested yet but after having scoured this forum for a bit, I'm convinced I need to go back and see what my options are and what it's going to cost me.

If you don't want to get tested or you can't afford it, I guess the next best diagnosis would be to go gluten-free. That's what I did at first and it changed my life.

You have to be very strict about it, though. Eating from a table where gluten-containing foods are present is bound to get your food contaminated. Not to mention that it might take a while before your stomach recovers from the gluten-intake so if you've been gluten-free for a while and then ingest something with gluten, you might be experiencing some down-time for a few days ...

These are the grains you have to evade; Wheat (including kamut and spelt), barley, rye, malts and triticale.

And you'll have to stay away from processed foods that aren't guaranteed gluten-free.

You should check out some of the other topics. Many people come here considering to go gluten-free and there is also a lot of information on American doctors, I think.

ravenwoodglass · September 14, 2011

It would be a good idea to get tested however since you have been really low gluten you need to go back to eating gluten ay least 3 times a day for at least a couple of months to have any chance of an accurate results. That said you don't need a doctors permission to be gluten free but it is helpful to have a diagnosis so the doctor can screen you for bone density and do vitamin and mineral panels. Since all your first degree relatives should also be screened if you are celiac that is also a factor. Some are able to be gluten free strictly based on how they feel but others need a doctors diagnosis to stay compliant and to keep family from not taking the precautions with our food that need to be taken.