VioletBlue

The biggest problem with this is what you're talking about is that it's anecdotal information. It's not statistics, it's based on personal memories which are subject to all sorts of conditional issues. To just look around and say "Boy people are sicker today" doesn't mean much without numbers or verifiable information. All of us, our memories and experiences are subject to so many influences from where we lived to how we were raised and taught that one POV or even 12 can't be trusted to determine with certainty what is or isn't so.

Then you throw in the influence of the media and it has even less meaning. My background and education is in media and advertising and marketing. One of the very first things I was ever taught in Media 101 way back when is that we are the dog and the media is the owner, not the other way around. Media more and more each day determines what you believe and feel and think, not the other way around. Media influence us, we do not influence media. They tell you what to buy and what to think feel and believe; that is the literal meaning to The Medium is the Message.

Thirty years ago there were no ED commercials, and in fact no drug commercials on period. The initials ED thirty years ago did not mean to anyone what they mean to the average consumer today. Heck, ask a 12 year old on the street today what ED is and they'll probably know. Can you imagine anyone in the fifties sixties or even seventies talking about ED much less a commercial on TV? The media, which is backed by the huge pharm industry, determines what you see. How they present what you see determines how you feel about it. It's in their best interested to make you believe we're a very very sick society who desperately needs their drugs. It's in their best interests to make you afraid and paranoid in the hopes that you'll go running to them for the answers.

Personally I think allowing the pharm industry to air commercials for prescription medicine was the beginning of the end of any rational discussion about the state of American health. The entire discussion is now framed by commercials that make you believe a single pill will cure you of a disease you didn't even know you had. And consequently it makes creating new diseases so much more attractive. And it certainly makes the average consumer so much more aware and afraid of the effects of heart disease, high blood pressure ED and who knows what else. That is a double edged sword.

It annoys me no end to see how many people are manipulated into fear and terror everyday by a media that makes death illness and destruction seem like the norm rather than the rare exception.

You wouldn't have had autistic children in public schools back then, at least not those who had a severe case of it. They would have been institutionalized or kept at home; that's a sad reality. Or you may have had a kid in your class who had attention issues but autism wasn't a known named disease back then the way it is now. I remember a kid in Junior High who was mainstreamed into our classes. We were told he has "issues" but no one gave it a name back then. Looking back, this would have been the early seventies, it's obvious to me now, he was severly autistic.

Again, we've gotten better at diagnosing autism and in particular mild cases. Though that is one disorder that has grown to some would say epidemic porportions just over the last ten years.

If a kid disappeared from class say when you were in the fifth grade and never came back, unless you knew that kid well would you have known he was undergoing cancer treatment? As adults we're more aware of things like that now when they happen around us, then children are. And again, back then people just didn't talk about stuff like that as openly as they do now. There was a stigma and a sadness to childhood illness that people dealt with by hiding it and not talking about it. Think back to how radically different we treated illness of any kind twnety or thirty or forty years ago compared to how we treat it now. We've learned the benefit to the patient and families of being open and forthright about it rather than hiding it.

So I think you truly have to be careful about comparing what you remember life being like when you were ten to what life is like now. Society has changed, and you perhaps weren't as aware then as you are now.

There is some truth to what you are saying Violet. But also, as a kid, I dont remember ANY autistic children at my school. Only a few kids had allergies. And it was VERY RARE that a kid in any of my schools up through HS got cancer. It is not the same anymore, from what my daughter reports and from knowing other families with children around my neighborhood and at her school.

Farmer Johns skinless links and patties are gluten free and nitrite free as well.

I have to be careful because some of them, the mixes in particular, have potato flour or starch in them. But I LOVE the ones I can eat. The organic peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are TO DIE FOR! They're better than any other cookie gluten-free or not on the market I think. You have to try those if you haven't already and can handle the ingredients.

It took me about six months being gluten free to see an improvement. No infusions, just oral supplements and an odd craving for pate that I indulged, go figure. Going gluten free is the best treatment though. It allows the damaged villi to heal so they can start absorbing the iron you consume.

Thanks for the info and the welcome! My hemoglobin was down to 4.9, which is when they finally decided to do a transfusion. The hemotologist said it's a wonder I wasn't in a coma! Even after all the infusions, the highest it's gotten up to is 11.8, which is still below the reference range. I sure hope being gluten free helps. I'm tired of being sick and sick of being tired!

I think you have to be careful about saying that these disorders are new or unheard of in past societies. "Consumption" was kind of a catch all way back when for wasting diseases which Celiacs would qualify as. We did not have the tools back then to diagnose the diseases currently in vogue. I doubt statistics would say we're any more sick now than say 100 years ago. The biggest difference is that we have names for things and we turn conditions into diseases now and we keep track of every little statistic with national databases in a way we never could before. Acid Reflux is a classic example as is IBS. Those things have always been present and probably indicated the presence then of the same underlying diseases as they represent now, we've just given them a name in the last twenty years and thrown a bunch of pills at them.

You have to step back and realize that you are being bombarded daily with ads for this cure or that cure for this or that condition. It may well look or feel like you're surrounded by a sick society, when more likely you're surrounded by a medical and pharmaceutical industry gone wild. I don't think illness is necessarily any more prevalent, but talking about illness, running TV ads in every commercial break for drugs and huge billboards along the freeway and doctors constantly pushing new pills on you for every hiccup is at an all time high. What you may perceive as a physically sick society could more likely be called an out of control marketing bonanza. Bottom line, people are living longer now than they did 100 years ago. And the mostly likely reason for that is because we've gotten better at figuring out the human body and diagnosing and treating disease.

I think you are absolutely right about 'leaky gut'. That sneaky little Candida (and other similar yeasts) have a lot to answer for, but at the end of the day, they will only get out of control if we allow them to. Some of us seem to have a disposition that finds it hard to process sugars and carbs and the yeasts take advantage of that.

We are a very sick society. Whilst there has always been disease, we are now plagued with things that were unheard of in history. I believe that most of this has come about over the last few centuries as sugar and carbohydrate has become such a huge consumption. We are surrounded and overwhelmed by sugar and stodge. The concept, except for within a very few (pretty healthy!) groups in the World, of not eating sugar is just unheard of.

Whilst sweetness may have been consumed occasionally in the past in the form of honey (the real high-value McCoy, not from sugar-fed bees), most of what was eaten was savoury protein and fats (Nomadic tribes and Eskimos have lived on a protein and fat diet quite happily for centuries!). Carb in the form of fruits, veg and bread (in its low simple chromosome form, unlike the modern complex protein form today) may for some have been a regular but certainly not over-exposed food group. Today we are over-exposed to way too much, especially to high carb, empty calorie sugar and wheat-based foods and derivatives, not to mention the chemical additive bombardment. It is killing us.

It does get easier. You come to remember what is and isn't gluten-free. You learn where gluten can hide. It gets easier. You will find your own way to cope. The whole mourning period is major grief, but that gets better too. There will always be issues becuase we live in a gluten laden world, but adjusting your own POV and dealing with the loss does happen and you do get past the worst of it It just takes time. Try to be patient with yourself. It took me about three months to figure out simple was better and safer, and six months to really get it all down, remember it, and have it be second nature.

hi out there,

I am a 26 year old female and i was just diagnosed with Celiac...I have been spending the week mourning the loss of cake and Chinese food, but really happy they finally figured out what was wrong with me. From reading so many of your posts it sounds like it was a long journey for most to finally figure out what was wrong as well. Anyways, as a new Celiac I was just hoping someone could tell me it gets easier to read food labels, and gets easier to figure out what I can and cannot eat. I am feeling SOOO overwhelmed at the moment and feel like I have so much to learn, and if I dont learn it fast I keep feeling bad. Anyways, how long does it take to really feel like you have a good grasp of what to eat, and it becomes almost second nature?

You sound a lot like me 12 years ago. I'm 46 now. I went the whole range of tests, from nerve conduction tests to testing for arthritis and lupus and anything else they could think of. I would get terrible attacks of joint pain that would last for days; this terrible aching that Advil never really touched. The worst of the pain was concentrated in my wrists and forearms and shoulders so they thought perhaps I had carpel tunnel. A series of tests for that showed nothing. I've also had sciatica since I was a teenager, though nothing shows up on x-rays. It's a radiating pain that literally hits every joint from the hip on down. Even my ankles and sometimes toes hurt from it. There have been times when it's gone up and into one of my shoulders and arms as well.

The attacks of joint pain slowly went away after going gluten-free. The last one was last year I think and it was nothing compared to the past. I've been gluten-free since Dec 06. The sciatica isn't completely gone, but it's so much better. And since I started working on the treadmill and stretching it's almost non existent.

I have many symptoms of celiac and for the past 7-8 years, i've had nerve pain in my legs and feet...along with joint pain and terrible aching, that I would compare to arthritic pain....although I'm only 29. For years, my doctors have assumed I had sciactica due to back/disc related issues. Although my mri's have shown nothing and my emg showed no damage, I still suffer with this. The doctors are baffled and can't seem to figure out what's going on. Would this potentially be considered a celiac symptom? I know that neuropathy is one of the 'symptoms' for some people, although I have no idea what that includes or really means.

Does anyone have any opinion on this..or can you describe YOUR nerve pain, if you are experiencing symptoms such as these?

I have not officially been diagnosed with celiac..i had a negative blood panel, made an appointment with a new dr. and the wait was so long I decided to start the gluten free diet b/c I was in pain. The diet works for most o fmy stomach issues. I meet with my new dr. next week...but wanted know peoples feelings on the nerve related pain that can be associated with celiac too.

I'm gonna say this and then I'm outta this conversation. I've already broken my own rules in this conversation. It's your lives, do what you want with them. Mine is the only one I can control so I'll go do that.

If you've got a wheat allergy or non Celiac gluten intolerance it's apparently a different issue for you. Congratulations on that, you're freaking lucky. Celiacs however face at the very least intestinal damage from even the smallest CC. So you avoid CC at all costs. You certainly don't try to mask it, if this product does actually mask it. If you succeed in masking it you'll never know it happened at this friends house or that particular restaurant and you'll probably go back there and do it again. I'd rather know than not know so I can act accordingly next time. This is also why I'm as informed as I can be, and as I can understand about how the digestive system works and how gluten effects it when one has Celiacs. I don't buy marketing spin anymore. I've spent twenty years in sales marketing and advertising. I know all to well how the game works and I don't fall for much anymore, particularly when my life and health is at stake.

The glaring inconsistencies in the pro arguments are almost laughable. First it doesn't prevent damage it just masks symptoms. Now it prevents damage AND masks symptoms. Which is it? And if it's not a Celiac treatment then they need to retool their marketing because right now that is how they're positioning this product and that ought to be a crime. One sentence of disclaimer does not invalidate all the rest of the hype. You can point to this sentence or that one and ignore the rest of the hype you've created, but that doesn't excuse you from the overall impression your marketing campaign makes on a person.

The results of exposure to Gluten is too life threatening for a Celiac to contemplate accidental exposure, again IMHO. My life is way to precious to me to risk it on the basis on someone's non tested, non scientific mumbo jumbo. Show me some double blind studies, something signed off on, something scientific and I'll buy it. My life is way way way to precious to allow some marketing person with no medical degree to endanger.

So you're now claiming WITH NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE TO BACK YOU UP that this product does indeed prevent intestinal damage. "I disagree that the product doesn't prevent intestinal damage. The offending molecule is broken down by the enzymes "before" it causes damage. Hey, we're all different. It works for me."

That is what snake oil is, an untested product being sold on the premise that it cures ailments you can't prove it cures.

The offending gluten protein is a chain of 32 peptides that the vast majority of people who consume it DO NOT succeed in breaking down. That includes Celiacs, non Celiacs and everyone in between. Breaking it down or not breaking it down has nothing to do with the damage it causes to Celiacs. The damage is caused by the auto-immune reaction that takes place in someone's intestines and throughout their body. At best, at very best this product MIGHT mask symptoms. But your assumptions about the benefits of breaking down gluten is faulty to begin with. Break it down, don't break it down, the immune reaction occurs either way. And once the immune reaction occurs, intestinal damage happens. Mask it if you like, if this product actually does do that, but you're still doing damage to a Celiac body.

First of all, an apology to the entire board that I mentioned my website. I am currently trying to edit the post or have it removed. I am waiting for an answer how to do that since I had already edited it once. I am truly sorry, and the references to my website will be removed as soon as possible. I did not read the board rules, but have been to many boards that eventually become more spam than content. I understand the reason for the rule.

Secondly, I do not take enzymes so I can cheat. That is not the intent of most people who take them nor does the manufacturer make these claims. I take them on the rare occasions of eating (supposedly) safe foods in a restaurant, or if we have guests in our home who don't seem to understand that they can't dip the knife back into the jar of mayonnaise or the butter dish. I am so intolerant that a toast crumb in the butter dish could set me off for three days.

I disagree that the product doesn't prevent intestinal damage. The offending molecule is broken down by the enzymes "before" it causes damage. Hey, we're all different. It works for me.

I hope people truly do go to that linked site and read with a critical mind. The first three words there are "Gluten Intolerance Treatment". How many people new to Celiacs would read that and think "HEY, a cure." The entire thing is worded in such a way that the pseudo science takes over. It's not the digestion or incomplete digestion that gets us, IT'S THE GLUTEN. It doesn't matter how well we do or don't digest a slice of wheat bread, the same reaction is going to happen no matter what, villi damage.

Or how about this quote "The main treatment for gluten or casein intolerance has been to remove offending foods from a person's diet, also known as the Gluten-free Casein-free (gluten-free, casein-free) diet. Though effective in the short term, removing foods does not provide an ultimate solution. Once those foods are reintroduced to the diet, the symptoms return."

Since when is the gluten-free diet NOT the ultimate solution for gluten intolerance? The science here is just plain bad. It's snake oil and it's harming people.

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Choose what you will, but to ME it's a no-brainer, with NO "bash" to those that do.

What pisses me off the most about this is the pseudo-science being used here. Most people in the U.S. have a minimal grasp of science to begin with and can't always distinguish between the nonsense and the honest real stuff.

The best test in the end is whether or not the product has gone through scientific testing by reputable labs with published results. That takes years and a whole lot of money to do. This product has not going through any testing. It's claims have not been verified by any known scientific organization. It's claims cannot be trusted. Your doctor will never prescribe this. It's junk. The science being offered here by the shills is phony science.

It's hard enough just convincing people to stick to a gluten free diet without people like this coming in and whispering in their ear "You can eat whatever you want." Where are these whisperers going to be ten years down the road when someone is being diagnosed with intestinal cancer?

What these shills are doing is cruel and vicious and they're most likely being paid to do it. Please don't listen to their phony science. They do not care about your health or well being, they only care about PROFITS.

This is another shill. Is there a way to report these to moderators?

Jack, [censored] you. You may be getting paid to do this poop but you're spreading misinformation which could cause great harm to an individual. What's to happen when some parent, who doesn't know any better, reads this crap and purchases it for their sick kid?

Self decency, you should look it up. You apparently sold yours for less than minimum wage.

Shaking can also be a sign of hypoglycemia. Had it been awhile since you'd eaten, or had you eaten something high in sugar or carbs? Hypoglycemia can accompany Celiacs. It's low blood sugar as opposed to hyperglycemia which is high blood sugar.

Hi all

I am new to this forum so if this has been answered in the past I apologise now.

I have just come home from work because I had cramping and bloating in my stomach. But the the main reason I came home was I was sitting at the desk and all of a sudden just started to shake uncontrollably If anyone else as had this happen to them or knows of someone else who as a celiacs that its happened to please let me know.

as it freaked me out.

I love Oscar Meyer. They have a "naturals" line that is nitrite free as well as gluten free. It's the only hot dog anyone sells up here that I can eat because I'm terribly allergic to nitrites. Their whole naturals line is preservative free. And the hot dogs taste wonderful as long as you heat them up. They have a nice smokey flavor to them.

I'm not a fan of Oscar Mayer either, but I do like Ball Parks and John Morrell, both of which are gluten free.

Wow, you're lucky. Last time I accidentally ingested a large amount of gluten a couple months ago I was violently ill; we're talking projectile vomiting and intense stomach pain here. And my "large" dose was nothing compared to what you ate. I've been eating gluten free for over 18 months. It doesn't take much gluten now to make me sick as a dog.

So maybe the question is how sick will gluten have to make you to convince you that you can't safely eat it? If you're not convinced yet, give it a few more months and try that experiment again Soone or later if you keep at it maybe you'll get to the point where your body convinces you.

I flew to NYC yesterday for a meeting, and had a few hours to kill before my flight home. So I met my brother up in Harlem at a place called Sylvia's. I guess it is Bill Clinton's favorite place to eat. I decided to see what would happen if I ate the corn bread, and then I had banana bread pudding for dessert, which contained vanilla wafers. About an hour after eating, my lips and tongue started tingling, then a few hours later the gas and rumbling started, which continues today. This morning included a runny BM.

I guess I should have stuck with the Salmon, collards and candied sweet potatoes. The meal was fabulous, and I guess I better start listening to my wife and admit that I have a problem with gluten. She says I am in denial. I have tried eating it 5 times now since going gluten-free, anf each time the results are the same. I keep hoping it is coincidence

Walt

I BBQ a lot in hot weather. I use Kingsford charcoal which is gluten free. I usually do a meat and a veggie on the BBQ. My favorite is long spears of green squash coated in oliver oil and garlic. I also do ears of corn in foil and love how it turns out. When I need to pre-cook something like chicken I do it in the microwave.

NOW vitamins are also gluten free. I take a Nature Made multi vitamin and several NOW supplements as well. I don't bother with any brand that does not clearly state on the bottle that it is gluten free.

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia is not generally considered a classic symptom of diabetes. As a rule, the only time diabetics experience hypo is if they overdose on insulin or medication by not properly gaging their body's needs. Too much insulin eats up the blood sugar.

High blood sugar or hyperglycemia results from too little insulin and is a common symptom of diabetes.

Hypo is considered by some to be a symptom of Celiacs though.

My best friend has pre-diabetes IMO but will not go to the doctor to test it. Her mother had diabetes and died from complications. So I watch my dear friend get major hypoglycemia sometimes. She shovels candy in her face to make it stop. Up and down....up and down. Her poor pancreas is gonna give out. She wont even check it with my monitor. She doesnt want to know......

What can you do?

You cannot make anyone do anything. There is NO magic phrase or word that will make someone do something they're not ready or able to do. People change when they're ready to change.

They have a right to choose to believe in their doctors and to make their own choices in life no matter how much we may dislike their choices, think they're wrong, or think their deadly. The only life any of us gets to control ultimately is our own. You have to live your life and allow others to live theirs.

Or the alternative is to keep bugging your friends and family until they refuse to be around you. What have you gained then?

Violet

The theory is that some of the proteins in oats are similar in structure to that found in wheat rye and barley. Some Celiacs may react to it while others may not. There are two peptides derived from oat avenin that are very similar to peptides of gluten.

The jury is still out on whether or not oats can be harmful to Celiacs or all Celiacs, aside from the cross contamination issue. There's so much contradictory info out there that you kind of have to make up your own mind; mostly likely through the old trial and error method.

The only brand that I have actually seen is Bob's Red Mill. There's probably others, but I am not sure. As the previous poster mentioned, the issue with oats is the contamination. However, some people with Celiac simply cannot tolerate oats; gluten-free or not.

Lucky you, Culver City would be about a three hour drive away for me. I looked at the bakery's website, but the shipping makes it cost prohibitive for me. Temecula would actually be a shorter drive for me but I'm still not sure with the price of gas that I'm willing to drive two hours for a pizza.

I get most of what I buy from the small local organic store. They carry some Food for Life things, but frankly FFL's whole approach puts me off, plus I haven't cared for what I've tried.

I am hoping pizzafusion will open something closer to Chino Hills....if not maybe driving to Temecula once in a while will be worth it...then freezing them. Also, I have been asking around for any good gluten-free bakeries in this general area....there is one in Culver City but that is over an hour away....any suggestions?

I'm located in Big Bear, 6700 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains. I get down to the SF Valley on occasion.

Just wondering how many of you are located in So Cal?

I usually buy Bertolli extra virgin. But that's largely a price issue for me. It seems to be the cheapest of the decent olive oils. I don't trust the store brand to really be extra virgin. There's a lot of lee way in how olive oil is labeled versus what it actually is. It will indeed be olive oil because they cannot misrepresent that, but as to whether something is extra virgin or even a 100% italian olive oil as some claim is open for debate.

I prefer extra virgin, but that's a taste choice I make. You can always experiment with small bottles of different grades and brands and see what you like best.

I am wanting to buy some olive oil but not sure what brand to get.

I was at the store last night saw Classico and Bertolli (which were the only two names I recognized) along with a couple other brands.

What is a nice brand to get? My husband doesn't really have any interest in using it so it would be just for me and with how much it is I just want to get one that would be useful and taste good.

I have read how people put it on noodles with shredded cheese or home made fries in the oven so thought it would be a nice addition to cooking.

Any input is appreciated

Thank you!

I miss the peppers more than I do the potatoes in the end because it means I can't have anything with heat in it. Most hot sauces or foods have some form of peppers in them. Same with tomatoes and tomato sauce. Lunch today is rice pasta with left over roast beef cubed and thin sliced green squash with some garlic and butter for flavor.

If you can handle sunflowers, there's something called sunchokes, which are sunflower roots. When boiled or broiled they have a similar consistincy to potatos, though not the same taste. Some people can also tolerate yams as they're not a nightshade. I also love winter squashs for their consistancy. Most edible roots can be boiled and mashed, it's just a question of whether you like the taste or not.

I am having a real hard time making meals up, that are gluten free, minus the potatoes etc, also I'm wondering if soya and eggs are affecting me. are there any good suggestions for appetising meals that are basic in content, and gluten free? I'm getting so fed up getting ill from foods, or bored with them!!! Any suggestions for tasty safe recipies would be VERY much appreciated!!

Better yet, buy self sealing envelopes. I make up a page of labels for all the bills I write on a regular basis; water co, gas co, electric etc. So I use self sealing envelopes with a label instead of having to seal the envelopes that come with the bill. Whether the glue contains gluten or not, I don't like the taste of most of the glues they use and would rather not lick who knows what off an envelope.

someone on the board actually called the only major manufacturer of adhesive for envelope glue, and nope - doesn't contain gluten. from all the checking up on it that's been done, it appears to be an urban legend. of course, it's a very easy thing to avoid - use a sponge, use a damp paper towel, use your finger (just once, of course!). I still avoid licking them even though I know it's a gluten myth.