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Eight Months gluten-free & Struggling - Paleo?

WendyLee

By WendyLee
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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WendyLee Rookie
WendyLee
Posted

Hi guys, I come and lurk in here every so often and get encouraged by everyone's posts but I've hit the brick wall.

I was diagnosed in March of this year [2012] and started GFD on 17th March to be exact. As far as I know, no gluten has passed these lips since. My Dear Husband [DH] has had Chronic Fatigue for years so his diet is restricted and we're just so careful, neither of us want any food reactions. Both of us drag around the house, now. I use to be the fit one [Ha ha].

But I feel like s$#&e. I have no interest in food at all, I wake feeling nauseous almost every morning and generally have no energy to do most stuff. Hot sweats. No two days are the same. I have lactose free dairy, eat almost no bread, have cut back on the sugar intake but I know I'm not eating nearly enough fresh veggies, just can't seem to get them passed my mouth!

Rice porridge or smoothies for breakfast, stuff all for lunch, soup or porridge, then chicken or steak with lettuce and boiled potatoes for dinner. I know it's not ideal but I just don't feel like eating.

I've been taking probiotics, digestive enzymes, Vits B6/12/C/D/E, zinc, magnesium until about two weeks ago when I just couldn't face taking any more pills. I know I'll have to start again cause I need them. Have just ordered some Glutamine online.

I've been reading about Paleo diets and wondered if I need to go down this road in order for my gut to even try and heal but I really don't know where to start. Having been a fairly high carb eater it's all a very new form of eating for me. I was always skinny as a kid and adult until menopause when I put on some pounds around the middle, so what I ate was what I felt like eating. Never a bad diet but not over the top with veggies. I do like fruit but not eating much of that either these days.

I think I should be cutting out all dairy and grains, but it's all just got too hard. After years of being careful of what to feed my DH you'd think it would be easy but it got harder would you believe!

I was always capable of tackling any problem that came my way but now I find at 65 my sponge is full and as Scotty said "she just cannae take any more!". I need a diet coach. Do we have such ppl in Australia?

Any ideas/suggestions will be gratefully received :o)

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rosetapper23 Explorer
rosetapper23
Posted

First, let me say that you are SO fortunate to live in Australia! I wish I could retire there--the awareness of celiac is so great, I always feel safe when I dine there. My daughter is a permanent resident, so I visit once a year. That said, I'm wondering from your description if you might have Hashimoto's. Have you been tested recently for thyroid problems? I'd really recommend it.

Regarding the primal/paleo diet, I can't say enough good things about it. If you'd like to learn more about it, the best book (in my opinion) is, "Primal Body, Primal Mind." The author, Nora Gedgaudas, discusses celiac quite a bit and emphasizes why it is important to go grain free and dairy free.(though I do eat some cheese and yogurt). Her explanations are backed up by excellent science, and her book is a fast, interesting read. Hands down, I think it's the best book I've ever read in my life.

I hope you are start feeling better soon!

WendyLee Rookie
WendyLee
Posted
  • Author

First, let me say that you are SO fortunate to live in Australia! I wish I could retire there--the awareness of celiac is so great, I always feel safe when I dine there. My daughter is a permanent resident, so I visit once a year. That said, I'm wondering from your description if you might have Hashimoto's. Have you been tested recently for thyroid problems? I'd really recommend it.

Regarding the primal/paleo diet, I can't say enough good things about it. If you'd like to learn more about it, the best book (in my opinion) is, "Primal Body, Primal Mind." The author, Nora Gedgaudas, discusses celiac quite a bit and emphasizes why it is important to go grain free and dairy free.(though I do eat some cheese and yogurt). Her explanations are backed up by excellent science, and her book is a fast, interesting read. Hands down, I think it's the best book I've ever read in my life.

I hope you are start feeling better soon!

Thank you so much for your reply, answer to the first question, my last bloodwork didn't show any thyroid problems but I have tests again next week for liver function so will be seeing my Doctor, will ask about that again.

I've been able to download Nora's book onto my iPhone so will be reading that tonight. Thank you again for that information. There's a tonne of books out there on paleo diets, could grow poor and old reading them all!

We are lucky down here as far as gluten free is concerned. Our food is labelled mostly very well and eateries are gaining awareness, quickly. Lots of $$$ to be made in gluten free merchandise these days :o)

IrishHeart Veteran
IrishHeart
Posted

I echo Rosetapper's suggestion and offer you some additional FREE internet resources as well!

Mark's Daily Apple -he has provided a primal shopping list to download

Open Original Shared Link

and google:

Elana's Pantry

This generous woman (a celiac who is also dairy free) has posted many recipes, including a first week's " get-started " menu.

I went primal myself 2 weeks ago to see if I can reduce the inflammation in my body and get out of pain.

I have already noticed my heart palpitations have decreased and my sleep has improved.

Fingers crossed for more progress.

Every single person who goes paleo or primal tells me they feel great. Every single one.

Best wishes! I hope it helps you.

Lady Eowyn Apprentice
Lady Eowyn
Posted

Hi guys, I come and lurk in here every so often and get encouraged by everyone's posts but I've hit the brick wall.

I was diagnosed in March of this year [2012] and started GFD on 17th March to be exact. As far as I know, no gluten has passed these lips since. My Dear Husband [DH] has had Chronic Fatigue for years so his diet is restricted and we're just so careful, neither of us want any food reactions. Both of us drag around the house, now. I use to be the fit one [Ha ha].

But I feel like s$#&e. I have no interest in food at all, I wake feeling nauseous almost every morning and generally have no energy to do most stuff. Hot sweats. No two days are the same. I have lactose free dairy, eat almost no bread, have cut back on the sugar intake but I know I'm not eating nearly enough fresh veggies, just can't seem to get them passed my mouth!

Rice porridge or smoothies for breakfast, stuff all for lunch, soup or porridge, then chicken or steak with lettuce and boiled potatoes for dinner. I know it's not ideal but I just don't feel like eating.

I've been taking probiotics, digestive enzymes, Vits B6/12/C/D/E, zinc, magnesium until about two weeks ago when I just couldn't face taking any more pills. I know I'll have to start again cause I need them. Have just ordered some Glutamine online.

I've been reading about Paleo diets and wondered if I need to go down this road in order for my gut to even try and heal but I really don't know where to start. Having been a fairly high carb eater it's all a very new form of eating for me. I was always skinny as a kid and adult until menopause when I put on some pounds around the middle, so what I ate was what I felt like eating. Never a bad diet but not over the top with veggies. I do like fruit but not eating much of that either these days.

I think I should be cutting out all dairy and grains, but it's all just got too hard. After years of being careful of what to feed my DH you'd think it would be easy but it got harder would you believe!

I was always capable of tackling any problem that came my way but now I find at 65 my sponge is full and as Scotty said "she just cannae take any more!". I need a diet coach. Do we have such ppl in Australia?

Any ideas/suggestions will be gratefully received :o)

Hi there

So envious of Australia and appreciate the Star Trek reference.

Just to agree with the other posts really - I struggled too and am definitely helped paleo style, kind of back to basics eating.

I find I need plenty of protein (I'm talking meat, fish and eggs) - not large amounts but regularly through the day. If not I start to feel low blood sugar and hungry and end up dragging myself about. (Nuts too - that's the edible kind but also applies to me :P )

I'd be going nowhere with the daily example you gave above and quickly discovered when gluten-free that I couldn't eat rice (that was a blow) or potatoes.

Just about to order that book too :) - anything that might help.

Lady Eowyn Apprentice
Lady Eowyn
Posted

Back again

Plenty of veg and some fruit too!

WendyLee Rookie
WendyLee
Posted
  • Author

Many thx girls, I'm reading Nora Gedgaudas's book and I think my neighbour has a paleo/primative book, will borrow that. Need to do some shopping, though and it's raining and I've got the "can't be bothers".

Dear Husband worried about me coming off rice and dairy and not being able to go back onto it again as this is what happened to him years ago when he did the elimination diet for Chronic Fatigue, but I'm so sick of being sick that I really don't care, I'll try anything.

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GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

Low thyroid is very common as people get past Star Trek age. I am not sure when that is exactly tho. :) It's actually almost a guranateed thing. So certainly something to have checked. Hot sweats could mean a minor infection or a reaction to something in your diet. Inflammation in the gut coud cause that. Sometimes it is called low-grade fever. Trying paleo/primal is not a bad idea to start troubleshooting the diet side of things. Beyond that an elimination diet may help.

WendyLee Rookie
WendyLee
Posted
  • Author

Low thyroid is very common as people get past Star Trek age. I am not sure when that is exactly tho. :) It's actually almost a guranateed thing. So certainly something to have checked. Hot sweats could mean a minor infection or a reaction to something in your diet. Inflammation in the gut coud cause that. Sometimes it is called low-grade fever. Trying paleo/primal is not a bad idea to start troubleshooting the diet side of things. Beyond that an elimination diet may help.

I've been trawling the net for info on paleo/primal diets and came across Specific Carbohydrate Diet. A sort of precursor to paleo I suppose. So I'm going to start off with their intro diet of chicken soup, meatballs, pureed carrots for a few days then try introducing foods that haven't been through a factory! They have quite a few eggs, not sure about that, they might have to be given a miss or at least scaled down. I might have a problem with eggs, not sure yet.

So here goes .......

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

Sounds good Wendy. SCD has a lot of dairy in it, which is why I never did it myself. But you could always skip the dairy stuff. The reason they have so much dairy in it is to introduce natural probiotics from the yogurt cultures. You can also make sauerkraut and get natural probitoics that way instead. If you have a dairy problem that is.

WendyLee Rookie
WendyLee
Posted
  • Author

I began the SCG Intro diet today. No dairy. Just chicken soup, plain meat balls, pur

GFinDC Veteran
GFinDC
Posted

I hope it helps Wendy. Don't be in a hurry to add things to your diet. If you pick out a meat you can eat and a few veggies that is all you really need for a couple weeks. Slow and steady wins the race they say. Them people that say these things usually haave some reason for saying the things they say. It's faster in the end to go slow, rather than havnig to start over from scratch again and again because you added foods back in too quickly. And add foods one at a time for 3 to 5 days before adding another food. Reactions can take a few days for some people and build up over time. So you have to give that process a chance to happen before you decide a food is safe.

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