cornbread

I read a summary that said the difference is that allergies are an immune reaction and intolerances are not (ie: lactose intolerance is due to a lack of the lactase enzyme, not an immune response). However... wouldn't that make gluten intolerance an allergy, rather than an intolerance? Our reaction to gluten certainly involves the immune system, and it's a lot more serious than lactose intolerance.

Also, there's a 3rd thing to add to the confusion - food sensitivities (IgG). I believe THESE are dose-dependent, and they're also reversible. Whereas classic allergies (anaphylactic types) and the gluten thing are NOT reversible. So wouldn't that make it a true allergy also? Our problem with gluten is nearer to the life-death problem IgE anaphylactic allergic people have to deal with than it is to lactose intolerance!

In addition, for me (and a lot of you too, I know), my reaction to gluten is not dose dependent at all - I can get just as sick from licking an envelope as I can from drinking a beer.

I prefer to refer to my condition as an allergy - I find it helps people understand the seriousness of it (ie: a tiny bit DOES matter), and also that this is a life long permanent thing, not a passing sensitivity or a digestive problem like lactose intolerance. I appreciate of course that it's not a classic allergy, that if I do accidentally consume gluten I won't actually die right there at the restaurant, but for the sake of dealing with waitstaff etc. I find "allergy" makes their ears prick up, and helps them take the cross-contamination issue more seriously. (Usually!)

Mongoose, it sounds like casein intolerance. I found I had that a few months after going gluten free (both things give me that depressed/angry/irritable thing, amoung other symptoms). Casein is the protein in dairy and it's VERY similar structurally to gluten, about 70% of gluten intolerant people also react to casein.

You can have a simple test done for $99 at Open Original Shared Link.

Good work so far btw!

Since a skin prick test pricks your skin with a small amount of the allergen, then yes, no doubt that could cause a reaction, I would think. I mean, they are LOOKING for a reaction when they do the test, so why are they so disbelieving that they might've provoked one? Grrr, makes me mad! So sorry you had to go through that.

You can read some excerpts here:

Open Original Shared Link

Anyone heard of DH *not* itching? I get blistery flat spots whenever I get glutened, and they are often symetrical (in same place on either side of my body). They usually appear on my upper chest and on my midrift. I did have them on my inner arms once too. I usually only get 2 - 3 'pairs' at a time, but they ONLY come after a glutening and fade afterwards. They reappear (same place or new places) if I get more gluten. They also show up for casein and yeast (which I have tested IgA positive for an intolerance to). But they are not itchy at all.

Thanks Nancy!

Sure beats my dreams about eating half a piece of pizza before thinking about what I'm doing!

I have nightmares about eating something with gluten/casein etc. in and then frantically trying to spit it out, rinse my mouth, etc. Very good feeling to wake up and realise it was just a dream!

I want to see CORN DOGS, light flakey donuts like Krispy Kremes, gluten-free biscuits IN A CAN!!! gluten-free cinnamon rolls IN A CAN!

Something about reading that whilst looking at your Beavis avatar cracked me up!

You can get tested for casein intolerance here:

Open Original Shared Link

Laurie, is the vomiting related to what he eats, ie: is it on days he has consumed gluten (wheat, etc.)? Very often the celiac blood tests are negative even when people have celiac - the catch is that it's an intestinal disorder, so the antibodies are in the intestinal tract and don't always reach the blood. The most sensitive test is a stool test. You can order one at Open Original Shared Link for $99. You don't need a doctor's referal, you can just go to the site, order the kit, they send it to you, you send your sample back in and you have results within 3 weeks (via email if you like).

I gain weight if I consume gluten - it's definitely a myth that all celiacs are skinny.

If you have celiac it is VERY likely your son does too. I would follow this path and exhaust it before you consider anything else, it just makes too much sense.

Good luck and please let us know what you find out.

Sorry, I thought my answer was helpful!

Here's a more straightforward version... This is what I have learned based on 12 months of bloating, post-gluten-free diet. Hopefully it will save you all the same:

1. Get tested for other IgA food intolerances. Open Original Shared Link is a very good place to start

2. Get tested for leaky gut. Open Original Shared Link

3. Consider trying the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Good intro: Open Original Shared Link

Official site: Open Original Shared Link

Grrrr....

Steve, there is gluten free Challah bread! Search the forum - someone posted a recipe, plus I remember posting a link to a lady who bakes gluten-free stuff to order, and she had Challah bread. And also I think a store in NYC that sold it.

Julie, you can read the intro diet instructions at the SCD web site:

Open Original Shared Link

That way you can get started before your book arrives. It's very important to do the intro diet for at least 2 days. I didn't think it was because I didn't have D, so I just looked at the legal food list. But the legal food list was basically what I was eating anyway. So I couldn't figure out why the diet worked, and presumed it wouldn't work for me. When I went back and carefully read the whole book (on my 4th time through right now), it started to make sense and I saw that the intro diet was important to the whole thing working, even if you don't have D. The intro diet basically 'preps' your body for the whole thing. Gets your GI system back to basics. That way, when you steadily start adding new foods, you can properly gauge which ones your system is ready for. All the while you are consuming a good nutricious diet that is feeding YOU whilst STARVING your gut bugs! It's genius in it's simplicity!

PM me if you want any info - I just started the diet on Friday so I'm All About SCD right now.

BTW, if you have C rather than D, here is Elaine's advice: Open Original Shared Link

I got by without the stewed prunes, thankfully!

I am/was in exactly the same boat (or should that be bloat ). I was reacting to almost everything I ate, bloating out and sometimes getting stomach pains too. My Dr. is sure I have a leaky gut (just to make sure, I did a test and will get the results next week). I've just started the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to get all this fixed once and for all. Within 2 days, bloat gone, stomach pains gone. It will be a long process to be properly healed, but I think we need to concentrate on getting our gut flora back into balance if we want to stop getting more and more reactions to more and more foods, otherwise, where does it end?

You may also be reacting to other things like casein, soy, etc. I was, and removing those foods (and others) helped, but it got to the stage where I was bloating just from eating anything.

Hi Dani,

Elaine said that she approved of flax oil (in small amounts) but not of flax seeds, because they are tough on the system. My recent posts were re: flax meal, which makes things even more confusing! So yes, flax oil is officially ok by Elaine, although it wasn't mentioned in the book itself.

I think raw foods are just too much work for out delicate little insides right now. My 'theory' was that if I was eating foods with their enzymes intact, that would give my body a break from using it's own enzymes to digest and it could concentrate on fixing me. I think it worked to a degree (I did feel good), but I don't think my GI system was ready. It's incredible to me that within one week I have gone from eating mainly raw to not even being able to tolerate a banana! I think this is GREAT though. I feel like the SCD gives us a level playing field again, so that we can actually tell what's going on. I don't care if it takes me a year or more to get back up to eating raw fruit and veg, I will know when I do get there that my body is really ready.

Re: coffee, the beans are fermented prior to being washed and dried. Even 'dry-process' coffee (old fashioned method of production where beans are dried in the sun right after harvest) still allows for some natural fermentation as the beans dry (I tried 'em all! ). I also have bad environmental allergies, the worst being to mould, so I don't think that helps matters for me when it comes to fermented foods/drinks. I don't get GI symptoms from them, just serious brain fog/fatigue and weird rashes. The yeast intolerance has been the hardest one for me - wine and coffee in particular. I got very into wine after going gluten-free, and suddenly it was off the menu. So I got into coffee - even roasting my own beans, etc. A month of so later, started reacting to that too. :( I'm seriously hoping that when my gut is healed I can start tolerating a few of my treats again.

Nessa, I had my 30th birthday 2 weeks after I got my diagnosis, and my mother ordered me a gluten-free birthday cake from these guys: Open Original Shared Link

It was the BEST cake me or my husband (who is not gluten intolerant) had EVER eaten!! We couldn't get over how insanely delicious it was. It was a chocolate one. They do mail order and make a range of different cakes, you can speak to them and request whatever.

PS: Your Mother-In-Law is being selfish and ridiculous!

Judy, Claritin (and Claritin-D) have casein. I found this out after I'd been taking it for 3 months! (I'm casein intolerant). It was a low enough dose to not exactly mess me up big time, but it was keeping me from feeling as well as I could. I found that most of the over the counter anti histamines have a lactose/milk-derived base. I went to People's Pharmacy and got them to make me a compound version of Claritin-D with zero extra stuff in it, just the medicine in a capsule. You will need a prescription for it though, I got one from my allergy doc.

Nancy, I've also had no luck with probiotics in the past (I've been on them solidly since November), but I've ordered some pure acidophilus to try with the SCD, since I can't do the yogurt. They're being shipped on ice from Kirkman Labs. I'm hoping they won't be DOA! The probiotic blend I was taking before contained some of the bifo- strains that Elaine's web site tells us to stay away from. I'm hoping a straight up simple dose of the 'good guys' will help, in conjunction with the SCD not feeding the bad guys anymore. I might also try coconut water kefir. I'm a bit worried about how I'd react to that though, having dietary yeast intolerance.

I know what you mean on the cooked food thing - I'm a little torn too on the pros vs cons, but the brief time I spent 95% raw I felt mentally great (until the stomach ache kicked in!). I felt really alert but with this incredible sense of calm at the same time. And younger! After years of brain fog and no energy, that was a great feeling! So, once the SCD has done it's work, I'd like to very slowly work up to mainly raw and try it for 6 months and see how I feel. Maybe start with juicing, try and incorporate that as soon as I can. I may well get the benefits I want just from that.

To be honest, the reason I started looking into it was that they pretty much only eat what I can eat anyway, so their 'cook' books opened up this whole new world of amazing, delicious recipes, all made of Paleo foods I wasn't allergic to. Also, raw I was eating much higher carb than I usually do, but I was losing 0.2 lbs a day at a steady rate. The idea to me that I can eat as much fruit as I want (I LOOOOVE fruit!) and not gain weight is very appealing! Also, I travel a lot, and the idea of eating raw makes so much sense for someone who is away from home but can't eat in restaurants anymore. I couldn't go totally raw though because, unless the price of sashimi comes down, that would mean being vegan, and I feel best with meat in my diet.

Oops - sorry to ramble!

Of course you will feel better very quickly because you are staying away from processed foods, but to be truly healed in SCD sense, it is going to take a while, so please stay away from flaxmeal.

I've actually not had any processed foods in months because I can't eat any grains, dairy, soy, eggs or yeast. Yes yeast, so that also means no coffee , black tea or alcohol. My diet could not have been cleaner. I have been on a strict, Paleolithic home-cooked diet (grass-fed meat, fresh wild fish, organic fruits, organic veggies, a few organic almonds) for months. Apart from a couple of pieces of fruit per day it has also contained very little sugar - not the honey-fest it now is! I was consuming a lot of my veggies (and all my fruit) raw, and I think this is where I was going wrong. Things got really bad when I tried to ramp up to ~90/95% raw (all raw except a piece of cooked fish/meat at dinner). I still believe a mainly raw diet is best (enzymes, etc.), and that's what I will work towards eventually, but I know now that first my gut has to heal.

If you have C, the best thing I have found is mashing up carrots that have been cooked into oblivion. I make a puree using a blender and truthfully it goes right through me after just eating that and simple meats for 2 days straight. I just sort of started the intro diet again just to clean out.

As stated in my earlier post, the C has now cleared thanks to the SCD. I truly appreciate your concern but the diet (with a little organic flaxmeal in my case) is working for me and has worked this way for others in the past. I respect your choice to not eat it though. It's unfortunate that the Drs Haas are no longer with us to further evolve their diet. But since they're not, we have to make our own decisions on these things. I'm sure there are a million schools of thought on exactly which supplements one should or shouldn't consume on the diet, but of course every body is different and what works for one may not work for all - much like the diet itself.

Apart from the C clearing and the post-meal pains/bloating gone, I have further proof that the diet is working: Yesterday I ate a banana that clearly wasn't ripe enough for me (it had brown spots, but only a few). Within 10 minutes the old stomach pains and bloating came back. The pains subsided within an hour, but it was clear proof to me that the theory behind the SCDiet is sound. I'm glad it happened because without D I was wondering how I would be able to test new foods when I introduce them. Now I know!

Thanks greengirl - I just read that article. It amazes me to read over and over again how 'restrictive' people feel this (or even just the gluten-free) diet is. I pretty much ate the SCD way (minus dairy and all legumes) for 6+ months before starting the SCD, purely based on eliminating foods I felt bad eating, and it left me with a Paleolithic diet - the very diet humans were designed to eat! People (esp. doctors) who consider a diet like this restrictive should take a long hard look at their own issues with food and addiction to it, IMO! It's simply not that hard or restrictive to live on meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and nuts. It's horrifying that there might be people who could benefit from a simple dietary change (ie: cutting out all the crap we weren't supposed to eat in the first place) but they are steered away from it by doctors and into a lifetime of drugs to mask their symptoms.

Rachel, I've found it helps me and the diet is still working, so I'm not afraid to use my personal discretion on this one thing, esp. since I had C (past tense! woo hoo! ).

There's a guy who has kept his Chron's in (drug-free) remission with the SCD since 1997, and his blog (Open Original Shared Link) has multiple references to eating flax seeds. So although I can see how the seeds might be tough on the system at first, I don't think they will prevent the diet from working. Flax meal isn't any tougher on the system than almond meal once you're at the muffin stage, and in cases where people have C rather than D, I think it is probably very beneficial. But of course, it's a personal choice. For those lucky enough to be able to eat eggs, it's probably very easy to say everyone should stick rigidly to the book because it works 'as is' for them. For the egg-free, dairy-free types, there need to be some inventive workarounds!

Speaking of which... anyone tried Young Coconut Kefir? I'm not going to be able to do the yoghurt, and this seems like a great, dairy-free alternative. Open Original Shared Link

FLAXMEAL? BAD, VERY BAD. That is why you are not healing faster.

Erm... at 4 days in I said it appears to be working! I'm not sure how much faster it could be going! Are you getting me confused with somebody else?

I agree on Hula Hut. Very careful/courteous waitstaff. They will run and check on ingredients for you and suggest ways you can have a dish prepared safely, ie: substituting stuff. Great place for kids and adults alike.

If you plan on having a special meal without the kids, Sullivan's steakhouse is awesome and has never glutened me. Speak to your waitstaff and they will go all out to prepare you a safe meal.

I've also had good results at Magnolia Cafe (open 24 hours, all types of food, casual and but great food and very friendly and very very 'Austin'). They have a few 'branches' around town. Once again, speak to them and they will deliver. I CAN NOT say the same for Kerbey Lane however, who are the other 24/7 place. My husband and me used to go there daily before my diagnosis, but once I started going and asking for stuff to be prepared a certain way I got glutened. More than once. And they appeared not to care about losing 2 of their most loyal customers.

Mexican... you can't come to Austin without having some Tex-Mex. I highly recommend Maudie's (same deal - mention you can't have wheat and check what you're ordering has 100% corn tortillas and that there's no gluten in the sauces). They have a few items to choose from for the gluten-free, and it's worth a visit alone for their tortilla chips. Another good option for Tex-Mex is Guero's. For proper Mexican (ie: interior not tex-mex) I can very very highly recommend Manuel's. It's at 310 Congress. Make sure you get corn tortillas and have them check the dish you want, etc.

PM me if you want more info!

I'm on day 4. Based on Elaine's recommendations for those who have C rather than D, I've added in the muffins after day 2:

"Get on the introductory diet for two days. Then introduce the muffins, one per day, along with COOKED AND PEELED vegetables and fruits. Raw fruit and vegetables (with the exception of the ripe banana) can aggravate both diarrhea and constipation."

So now I'm eating the soup, grassfed beef patties, well cooked zucchini/carrots and drinking 3 litres of water per day, one glass of grape juice and one cup of green tea (she recommended a hot drink with breakfast and I can't do coffee yet). Oh, and baked apples with honey and cinnamon or baked pears. Mmmm!

I'm very tired and my skin is breaking out, which I guess means I'm detoxing (?). I'm now going to the bathroom after each meal (not saying something happens each time, but the urge is there now at least! ) and I've had no stomach pains or bloating at all since starting the diet. Compared to the previous week when I was bloated and in pain after eating anything. So I think it's working. Nothing dramatic, but baby steps. My stomach feels so calm these days that it actually feels odd! Isn't that depressing? I'm sure you can all relate...

Re: the muffins, I can't eat eggs so I substituted 1T flaxmeal and 2T water for every egg. Works a treat in the muffins, but I'm not sure how 'legal' flaxmeal is. The book doesn't mention it. It's given me no problems (only 3T flaxmeal per batch of muffins though), and if anything I think it's been a benefit for me, being on the C rather than D end of the spectrum. Any clues?

I also took a leaky gut test today. So I guess today I was off the diet, as you have to drink a lactulose/mannitol mixture. I should have the results in 7-10 days.

I'm also doing a 'Colonix' cleanse, whiich I started the same day as the diet. I guess it could be that which is causing me to feel 'detoxed'.

I think I'm going to try eggs soon. I don't have an intolerance to them, just a sensitivity (IgG) and I intend to get them back into my diet as soon as possible. I want to retry them every few weeks whilst I'm making progress with the SCDiet. Anyone got any pointers on when we should retry foods we couldn't handle before? Is 1 week too soon?