ciavyn

Woot -- that is a lot of packaged food, which is tough to avoid in the beginning. If you can get away from it, and dairy, it may help. Good luck -- it is tough and frustrating when you are fist starting out, but it does get better.

Oh yeah, good times. Go through everything you are eating -- try to make sure as much as possible that you aren't getting cross-contaminated or anything with gluten. For me, I cannot eat any vegetables for a day or two, but stick with bland carbs. Oh, gosh, I remember those days. I went through it when I first went off gluten -- well, I had it bad BEFORE going off gluten, but then after I did, it was brutal for a few months. I never knew when something was going to set my system off. And then finally, it eased up, and now it's gone. So it does get better. But it is tough to go through. In the beginning, it's hard to know what you are reacting to as your gut heals. It also could be something that you are eating that you don't know has gluten. Avoid processed foods if possible.

I wrote to Diamond foods to inquire about the cocoa roasted almonds -- a friend gave me a baggie of them, but I couldn't find the nutritional info and ingredients online. Here is their well-written response:

Thank you for your recent e-mail concerning gluten in Diamond Foods

products.

The Emerald of California product line is produced and packaged at the

Diamond Foods processing facilities. Some of the Emerald snack nut

products contain gluten. They are as follows.

Emerald Honey Dijon Glazed Walnuts 'n Cashews

Emerald Backyard Grill Glazed Walnuts 'n Almonds

Emerald Honey Roasted Peanuts

Emerald Chocolate Brownie Walnuts

Emerald Dry Roasted Walnuts

Emerald Wasabi Dry Roasted Peanuts

Emerald BBQ Dry Roasted Peanuts

Emerald Chipotle Dry Roasted Peanuts

Emerald Berry Blend Trail Mix

Emerald Breakfast Blend Trail Mix

Emerald Tropical Blend Trail Mix

Diamond adheres to superior Good Food Manufacturing Practices, and all

processing lines are thoroughly cleaned between

packaging runs of the different Emerald products. However, there is no

way to be absolutely certain that our Emerald products

have not come in contact with gluten. Because of Diamond Food's concern

for those who have severe allergies, we want our

consumers to be fully informed so that they can make the appropriate

choices regarding using our products.

We appreciate your interest in our products.

Sincerely,

Marilyn Lindberg

Customer Service

Woohoo! I hope y'all are correct in saying that it may go away over time. I have panic attacks and anxiety, ADD, and a short-term memory deficiency that is really frustrating, as I'm an intelligent person, and therefore have a hard time when I feel like I'm acting "stupid." Brain fog is a great way to express it. Curious to see if after 6 months I can see a significant difference.

My friend who finally convinced me to try this diet is 67, and still travels at least 280 days a year for work. I am convinced both my mother and grandmother have it, and they are both over 60 (grandma is 85).