Gluten-Free Carbs/grains

[maridadi]

So I've been back and forth over this gluten thing for quite awhile now. Since my last "denial" phase, which consisted of about 2 weeks of incorporating a lot of gluten back into my diet, I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I do have celiac. So, for the past week, I have eliminated gluten, this time for good. I also decided to eliminate dairy, as I've read a lot about casein being a problem. I've been eating mostly eggs, vegetables, chicken, fruit, nuts, sweet potatoes. Now as far as the gluten being gone, my anxiety/nervousness has decreased remarkably. I do miss cottage cheese, CHEESE, and yogurt a lot. I also am really not doing grains so much, as I am a gluten gainer and have read that the paleo-oriented diet has helped a lot of people lose the excess. But I'm feeling really deprived and I've felt very lethargic and have had zero energy this week. And it doesnt seem to matter how much chicken or egg whites I eat, I can't stop being hungry. I don't know if my adrenals are just getting a break or if this is withdrawal or what, but I'm used to exercising tons and at least feeling motivated to be up and about. But I have been so lazy and tired it's scaring me.

So, this afternoon, I stumbled upon a box of Rice Chex and put my face in it. After eating the cereal I finally felt a little better, but now I'm worried I've messed up this paleo thing I had going. Are grains bad if I want to lose the excess weight I've gained from the gluten business? I gain sooo easily it's freakish when I'm eating gluten.

I guess I'm just looking for a little advice. Sorry if this is an incoherent ramble. Such is the current state of my brain.

[Bubba's Mom]

I don't follow the Paleo diet so I don't know if you are allowed to have nuts, Avacados? You need some healthy fats to feel satiated. Olive oil, coconut oil, and fish oil supplements may help you?

The diet is a bit lower carb than the typical American diet. It's hard to feel satisfied on mostly veggies. Adding in some good fats should help?

[Skylark]

Have you read the paleo book? Egg whites and chicken are not going to fill you up because they are mostly protein. Carbs or fats are fuel and without a lot of carbs you need fat. Nuts, olive oil, avocado, whole olives, seeds, or I make a low-carb coconut flour bread with eggs and coconut oil that's very filling.

Here's the recipe I use.

Open Original Shared Link

[eatmeat4good]

I'm Paleo and I'm a "Gluten Gainer" to put it mildly.

At my sickest I was 200 pounds of depressed and anxious fibromyalgia ridden fatigued woman.

But I'm really Celiac.

I lost steadily being gluten free.

But when I started eating way more meat and vegetables is when I really started to gain energy.

Do you eat red meat?

You might try it. I find it much more satisfying than chicken.

I am off of all grains and it has improved my recovery fast and my energy is great.

I weighed myself today and I'm 110. Not trying to lose weight anymore...just trying to be healthy.

But at 5 ft...I guess 110 is a good weight.

Who knew there was a skinny chick inside just dying to come out of the flour bin?

I'm very happy with Paleo, but...

every once in while....

Like nearly every day....I eat a few Dove Chocolates.

(Don't try the chocolate covered almonds though, they are made in a facility that processes wheat and made me sick)

You haven't ruined anything by planting your face in a box of rice chex.

Life is a process...and you have a right to give in to a craving when you want to.

The main thing is getting rid of gluten.

Paleo is about eating enough protein to maintain your muscle mass and promote healing and reduce inflammation.

I think you will find a really big difference in how your body handles those episodes of giving in to cravings now that you are gluten free. What seems like weight gain may really be an inflammatory response to gluten. If this is a long term decision for you...you will see improvements as time goes by...but it does take time. And you do NOT have to be perfect about eating Paleo...you just have to be perfect about avoiding gluten.

It is a good idea to eat the good fats. Fats are very satisfying. You might be eating too lean. Use avocado, olive oil, coconut oil and butter if you tolerate it. I fry all of my meat in beef tallow. Yummy and it has made a huge difference in my hair and nails.

Nuts are great.

But be sure they are gluten free. A lot of them are processed on shared lines with wheat.

Check out the Nut.com for certified gluten free nuts and nut flours.

I make chocolate chip cookies with almond flour in place of flour.

That makes the cookies Paleo...except for the choc. chips.....but then again...maybe cacao is a vegetable right?!!

You should feel full and satisfied on Paleo.

the withdrawal from sugar can leave you hovering over a few bowls of rice chex until you figure out the right level of protein and fat intake for you...and chocolate of course!

Good luck! Nice to know another Paleo! Grok on! As Mark would say.

Check out Mark's Daily Apple if you haven't yet. It is amazing.

And no...he doesn't say chocolate is ok....

But we all get to make our own rules right?!

[eatmeat4good]

Have you read the paleo book? Egg whites and chicken are not going to fill you up because they are mostly protein. Carbs or fats are fuel and without a lot of carbs you need fat. Nuts, olive oil, avocado, whole olives, seeds, or I make a low-carb coconut flour bread with eggs and coconut oil that's very filling.

Here's the recipe I use.

Open Original Shared Link

Oh Yummy!!

[maridadi]

Thank you all soooo much for your responses. I am so amazed by how supportive this board is. I have not read any Paleo books, specifically. I am just trying to stick with whole, unprocessed foods at this point. I've read some threads here about how people have been negatively affected by (non-gluten) grains, so I figured I'd steer clear for awhile. Also cut out sugar (aside from fruit) and dairy and peanuts, which has been hard for me.

I think I'm getting a lot of fat because I'm eating lots of guacamole and tons of nuts, and using some coconut oil for cooking.

I don't really like red meat, never have, but maybe I'll try to incorporate some ground beef, at least.

Maybe I've made too many changes too fast, but I'm the kind of person that doesn't do anything halfway. I hate being at this weight, I sure didn't eat myself fat and I'm desperate to lose it. I know how to eat balanced and healthily, and I value the ultimate goal of moderation, but everyone speaks so highly of this Paleo lifestyle that I feel like I am doing the wrong thing by keeping grains and chocolate in my diet. I just feel like my body does better with them, or maybe I'm just addicted? Like, will I ever stop wanting cereal and cheese and chocolate and all the things I love? Do I really have to restrict all this stuff if I want to lose weight, or will getting rid of gluten alone do the trick? I also have years of metabolic damage from not eating enough and overexercising to slow the insane gains.

After I had the chex I had some chocolate too, and I felt way better. Even had the energy (sort of) to push myself to go for a bike ride. Does my body need these things or have I just not made it through the withdrawal phase yet?

Maybe I really do just need to find what works for me. I guess I'm just feeling impatient and wanting to do The Right Thing. I read about people on these elimination diets who are finally losing weight and it makes me afraid of eating anything. Part of me wants to give my digestive system a much needed break and stick to very limited foods, possibly uproot addictions (intolerances)... and part of me wants to give my brain a break and eat balanced everything aside from gluten. I have suffered and fought my body for so long because it hasn't made sense.

I wanna lose it all as fast as I've gained it, but I guess if it is inflammation it will take some time to heal.

What you said about not needing to be perfect (except for, of course, gluten) and about being patient really were exactly what I needed to hear. I'm so scared of messing up. Thank you for sharing your experience and giving me the reassurance I so desperately needed to hear.

And thanks, skylark...that recipe sounds yummy!

[Skylark]

Glad you all like the recipe.

It took a little time for me to get used to GAPS, which is grain-free, starch-free, refined sugar-free. I don't tolerate dairy either so I'm pretty close to paleo. I read Cordain's book and I'd recommend it. I do still have sushi sometimes when I eat out and like you I have not given up a little dark chocolate. A girl's gotta live!

I think it's easier once your metabolism gets more accustomed to using more fat and less sugar as an energy source. It's sooo much nicer not to have my blood sugar bouncing around. I can skip meals without getting light-headed now! That is totally new for me. I used to get dizzy and hypoglycemic.

I'm personally making better diet choices without the grains. If I don't put the rice on my plate, I replace it with spinach and some avocado. I skip the gluten-free processed bread and have an apple. Spaghetti sauce goes over spaghetti squash now. Instead of gluten-free cookies I have a couple dates or dried figs. Veggies are so healthy, I feel like I'm eating way better than I was before.

I have a friend who lost 150 lb by eating the foods her grandmother used to farm in the Ukrane. She thinks that we need to eat a diet that matches our genetics or things go badly. Everyone gains weight in America because the food here is so heavily refined and mixed up from all over the world. There is no "One Right Thing" because we're all different. Don't be afraid of food. Choose healthy, nutrient-dense foods, avoid processed foods, and emphasize foods your grandparents ate.

[Kjas]

Paleo may or may not be for you. Have you done a nutritional type test?

Aside from that, it sounds like you are trying to do paleo but that your diet is not well balanced. From what you've posted, it sounds like you need to eat better balanced meals and either bigger meals or more often. If you're feeling weak and after eating chex you feel better, I would guess that you blood sugar level has dropped enough to be causing you to feel that way. If you're not used to exercise and you have just started or decided to do more or more intensity, that would also contribute to the blood sugar issue.

Also, if you're eating paleo, you need to remember to eat enough. If you compare a plate of pasta vs. the same plate and amount of some meat, veggies and healthy fats, the calorie count is going to be radically different (not to mention the calories are coming from completely different things). Processed food is very calorie dense, where as for the most part, natural food is not as calorie dense and has more volume. Without knowing it, you are likely restricting yourself because you are trying to lose weight, not realising that you don't need to restrict yourself as much on paleo as the sheer volume of food required to overeat would probably be difficult for you to consume comfortably. For example, before eating processed food, I would eat 3 meals per day, but on paleo I have to eat 6-9 meals just to maintain my weight. Also, if you track your current food and caloric intake I would guess that it is way below what your daily intake should be. If you want to lose weight, you don't want to push your body into the starvation zone or it will start storing more fat instead of losing it.

I think since you are new to paleo, you are also probably going through something called ketosis, which is uncomfortable at first. Ketosis is when instead of burning glucose (sugar) you start burning fat instead as your energy source. It can be uncomfortable but is not harmful. It passes after the first 3 days - 4 weeks or so for most if you stick to the paleo and don't cheat.

I would say the lack of energy and feeling weak is probably due to all these things at once; you're trying to lose weight, you're exercising more, your blood sugar is crashing because you're not eating enough food or frequently enough or the right balance of protein, veggies, and fats and you're going through ketosis which your body is completely unfamiliar with. It's a lot to handle for your body all at once, is it no wonder you're feeling out of it?

I would suggest that you get someone who knows what they're doing with paleo give them all the info they need and ask them to put together a meal plan for you that is balanced. After you get used to eating this way, you will be able to eat without using the meal plans. In the meantime, I would read up on paleo and familiarise yourself with it so you understand what you're dealing with and what you're trying to achieve. It's hard to do something the right way if you don't know the ins and outs of it.

[Kate79]

I'm also paleo-ish - I drink gluten free beer and wine, and occasionally eat dairy and chocolate - and I can't totally give up corn tortillas and corn chips, but I definitely limit the amount. I haven't read any paleo books, but there's a lot of good websites out there with suggestions and recipes. Mark's Daily Apple, mentioned above, is good - but just google 'paleo diet' and you should find tons of stuff.

It sounds like you may need more fat in your diet - and more calories in general. Even if you are trying to lose weight, you don't really need to restrict yourself so much on paleo. When you cook, go ahead and use healthy fats like olive oil. And (unless you have high cholesterol) eat the whole egg and not just the whites. You'll feel a lot more satisfied. Avocados are also really good and filling.

I also agree with those who said they need to eat more often on paleo. I usually have breakfast around 6 a.m. (almond butter on celery, fried eggs, vegetable pancakes, nut& flax granola, etc.) Then I have a snack of fruit and/or nuts around 10:30, a big salad w/homemade dressing and some kind of protein around 12:30 or 1, more fruit/nuts in the afternoon, and then dinner - which is usually beef or pork with a large serving of vegetables. I've been slowly losing the last 5-10 pounds I want to get rid of eating this way, along with 30-60 minutes of exercise 4-5 times a week.

[Skylark]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only person eating all the time on paleo-ish. (As I sit here at my desk eating blueberries.) It seems like I'm constantly nibbling on something. I am doing GAPS diet in the hopes of controlling my thyroid autoimmunity and getting rid of some food sensitivities. I can't tolerate dairy so my food list is almost the same as paleo. I wasn't specifically trying to lose weight but I've dropped a couple pounds nonetheless.

I think it's really funny that we're all refusing to give up chocolate.

[Kjas]

"I have a friend who lost 150 lb by eating the foods her grandmother used to farm in the Ukrane. She thinks that we need to eat a diet that matches our genetics or things go badly. Everyone gains weight in America because the food here is so heavily refined and mixed up from all over the world. There is no "One Right Thing" because we're all different. Don't be afraid of food. Choose healthy, nutrient-dense foods, avoid processed foods, and emphasize foods your grandparents ate. "

That's interesting Skylark, I've found that to be true for everyone who grew up in the same village as me as a kid. They get sick once they stay in the industrial world for a period of time. In fact, I can't think of anyone who left and didn't get sick. Something interesting to ponder, thank you for mentioning it.

[Skylark]

That's interesting Skylark, I've found that to be true for everyone who grew up in the same village as me as a kid. They get sick once they stay in the industrial world for a period of time. In fact, I can't think of anyone who left and didn't get sick. Something interesting to ponder, thank you for mentioning it.

Wow, that's scary. It seems like there is something really wrong with industrial "food".

As I think about it, there are also chemicals in the water and air so it may be more than just food. But food is pretty important since we eat so much of it!