Sweetfudge

Thank you all so much for your feedback! This has given me some great ideas. I don't think we have the money or room for an extra freezer right now, but I'm sure my in-laws, who live nearby, would be willing to share some freezer space! Great idea, I will plan on making some meals for them to store. I have also heard of people preparing food to throw into the crock-pot, and freezing it in a gallon ziplock bag. I think I am going to try a few of those meals as well. For those questioning the regional food-giving thing, yes, out here in Utah it is twofold - we've got a lot of Mormon neighbors and friends, and that is a common thing. The church also organizes things like this that help out families going through diffulties, and for many people, making an extra plate of whatever they're preparing for their own family's dinner is quite common. It also seemed pretty common when I was growing up in Portland, OR. I think that for those who do insist on bringing something over, I will have a little list of our favorite fruits/fresh food, gluten-free pre-packaged goods, and favorite restaurants for gift cards. Thanks again! You are all great! I feel SO much better about this now

Hi all, I'm expecting my first baby in January. I do all the cooking in our household (my husband is in grad school, and has very little time these days. Plus, he kinda sucks at cooking...). I know I'm looking a bit far into the future, but I am worrying about how to deal w/ people bringing food/offering to bring food over once I have my baby. We don't have a lot of freezer space, otherwise I would just pre-make a million meals to reheat and eat. I do plan on doing as much of that as I can. But I'm assuming most of the food we eat once our baby gets here will either have to be freshly prepared, or provided by others. I have a decent network of people (church community, family, friends) who I'm sure will offer to bring stuff over. My question is, how do I ensure that I am not getting food that's going to make me sick? #1 - How do I deal w/ cross contamination issues from those not familiar w/ gluten-free cooking?! #2 - I have multiple foods I am intolerant to, so even if they get the gluten-free concept, how do I convey that I ALSO can't eat any dairy, beans, potatoes, onions, etc. I don't know if I should just make some sort of blanket statement (post on FB/my blog/make handouts for anyone who offers food) saying, "These are the things I can't eat, and these are some ways to avoid making me sick." I suppose I could provide a list of ideas of things that we like/can eat that are simple enough to prepare... Or should I just gratefully accept the meals, and if I feel like it's trustworthy, eat it, otherwise, let my hubby take care of it? The main issue w/ that is, he's slightly picky...so if it's not something that fits into his "comfort" zone, he won't eat it, and it will just go to waste. Or do I just plan on making all of our food once the baby arrives? I don't want to seem ungrateful or entitled by asking so much of people. I don't want to offend anyone who is obviously trying to help me out. But I also don't want their efforts to be wasted, if I can provide a way to make it beneficial for both them and my family. Any suggestions, advice, and/or comfort would be much appreciated Thanks!!

On the paleo diet, I have eliminated red meat, pork, coconut and broccoli (the last two I was already avoiding, but lots of paelo people eat them a lot). Basically, I'm eating fish, chicken, turkey, eggs, veggies, and a little bit of fruit. Occasionally will have some dark chocolate (dairy free).

Hi all, Been awhile since I visited the forum. But I need some help. My history in a nutshell: I've been gluten-free 5 1/2 years, DF on and off for the past few years (and off for good the past month), following a paleo diet for the past 6 months, also avoiding a few other foods (see my signature). I feel like the paleo is working for me in some ways - I feel stronger, I'm slimming down a bit (not exercising much, and I know that would help). However, I feel like I have been having some sort of stomach pain/cramping/bloating/constipation/diarrhea (and possibly related occasional joint pain/headaches) every day for the past month or two. I've tried eliminating suspect foods, but nothing seems to work. The more I read about leaky gut, the more I think I need to explore it. My husband also keeps telling me I need to do an elimination diet to figure out what's bothering me. The problem is, I don't think I'm eating any one thing consistently enough to pinpoint it as a source. Hence the need for a very restricted diet. Does anyone have any ideas or advice? Any good websites that detail an elimination diet for leaky gut? Also, is a cleanse/detox something I should look at prior to starting the diet? Thanks so much!

Lisa, When you did this elimination diet, did you follow a specific plan (ie, a book or website?) or did you just go based off of your reactions to foods? I've been looking into leaky gut and an elimination diet, but am a little lost on where to turn exactly. Thanks!

I've been doing a lot of research over the last few weeks, and really like the concept of the paleo diet, even if I don't end up following it 100%. I've mostly been eating leaner foods (meat, dairy free, etc) lately, so worry about adding back in all that red meat, bacon, and butter. Tried a few paleo recipes so far, and really enjoyed them. Interesting that you mention the FODMAP diet. I've had a couple of other people strongly recommend it to me. I think it really makes sense, and am leaning toward trying this one. Sounds kind of like an elimination diet, but with a bit more structure, imo. Did you purchase any books about the diet, or just try it using online sources? I have kind of done the same thing with all the different diets I've tried/researched. I think it works best to incorporate what you find works best for your body. Thanks for sharing what's helped you. P.S. I'm curious, what grains are you still able to tolerate?

When I started taking Align, my GI warned me it can cause some bloating/flare up of symptoms, which I noticed for probably the first week. Definitely nothing as bad as what you experienced. That's horrible. I hope you find something that works for you.

Lol @ the chocolate thing. Have you tried dairy free chocolate/dark chocolate too? I think I would die without that I do need to start keeping a food diary again, good call on that one! Thanks for sharing your experience on the lifestyle. I've ordered the primal blueprint, and have read through the blog. It is the best one I've found! You know, I'm not really worried about my weight right now, just feeling better. But if it helps me lose those last 10 lbs, I wouldn't complain I've done a couple of tests on my supplements, and definitely come up worse for wear when I don't take the probiotic. It's Align, designed specifically for "IBS-symptoms" so I'm pretty sure it's not causing my problem. I take acacia fiber, made by a company who specializes in "IBS-friendly" products, that don't cause the same problems as most supplemental fiber. I've tested it, and it definitely makes a positive difference when I'm using it. Good point though Current symptoms are almost constant gas, quite often stinky. Almost daily I notice cramps, and usually have some constipation, as well as urgency when my body does decide it's ready for me to go. Occasional diarrhea and bloating (once a week or so). Haven't done any challenges on recent food items, just supplements. Feeling like symptoms are so random, that I'm not sure where to start. Thanks all for your help

p.s. I am not looking to lose any weight, I am just looking for a fix to whatever is ailing me. I eat relatively healthy, avoid all the foods listed in my signature, don't eat a lot of red meat or fatty foods, don't eat out, rarely eat processed foods, pretty much just drink water and teas (and definitely drink enough in a day), take fiber and probiotics, as well as occasionally remembering to take vitamins/minerals.

I'm trying to figure out what to do here. I'm having pretty regular symptoms the last few months, and really can't pinpoint the cause. The paleo diet, lectin intolerance and elimination diet have all been recommended to me by people. But I don't know what to do. Any suggestions/experience with any of these, or recommended resources? Thanks all!

This sounds a lot like what I'm going through. Eliminating just about everything, and still getting sick. It sucks! I would suggest looking into the IBS diet guidelines. I am not so sure I believe in 'IBS' but I do pretty well when I follow the diet (as was recommended by my doctor, when celiac dx/dairy free wasn't enough). It's helped, and though I'm not feeling 100% it may be something to look into, at least. There's a great website - google "Help For IBS" and you'll find it. I also suggest a couple of the supplemental items recommended on the site - I drink fennel tea at least 1-2 times a day, and take the acacia fiber supplement before each meal. Both have been tremendous help for alleviating my symptoms. The best thing to do is to listen to your body, and try and figure out what trends happen when you eat certain foods. I hope you're able to get on top of all this and start feeling better soon.

I'm having similar frustrations with additional foods I'm sure are causing me problems, but I haven't pinpointed them yet. I'm debating whether to try a lectin-free diet, or elimination diet (which I don't really wanna do lol) or paleo-diet. It all feels so confusing

3/4 times when I ate potatoes (sneaking my husband's fries, mashed potatoes, etc) I reacted. So I determined that I am potato intolerant. I did a test to be sure I was, by not eating any potatoes for a couple of weeks, then eating some very simple, bland foods (rice, bananas, gluten-free bread, etc) for a couple days to calm my system down. Then I threw some potatoes into the mix. I just used plain, skinned, boiled potatoes, mashed up, and definitely reacted to them! It sucks to give them up, and while this is not really a "substitute" for potatoes, I have discovered that I really enjoy sweet potatoes. They don't taste much like regular ol' spuds, but they're a good sub in some dishes. I think I might have a lectin intolerance...looking into that next. I think for most of us, we've had to do the detective work on our own. Doctors just want to diagnose what they recognize, and if it's too hard to figure out, they pin a label on it that makes no sense. My philosophy is to listen to your body, it knows what it can and can't handle better than any doctor.

I have been gluten-free for 4 years, and dairy free mostly for 2. I have gone through phases where I feel better, and then don't. But I definitely notice a difference taking probiotics. I was recommended Align by my GI. It's a probiotic specifically for people with IBS-like symptoms - gas, bloating, cramps, etc. Lately I was wondering if it was working, so I stopped taking it for a couple weeks. Boy, did I notice a difference! Definitely helping! I would look into Align, see if it sounds like it would help you. It has a minute amount of dairy in it, but that really hasn't bothered me.

I take a fiber supplement in addition to eating lots of whole grains and veggies. I take acacia fiber, which is made specifically for help with GI problems (bloating, gas, etc), and easy to digest. You can google "Heather's Tummy Fiber" for more info. I buy mine in 1 lb bags at the HFS, and it lasts me a good month and a half. I take 9-12 grams a day (1 1/2 - 2 tbsp). I definitely notice a difference when I'm not taking it.