Gluten free?

Hello friends!
I was reading some information on gluten sensitivity/celiacs this morning and I came across something very interesting. One of the symptoms they listed was PSC. I have had the blood test for celiacs which came back negative, but have suspected I have a gluten intolerance since I first heard of it. I have only tried going completely gfree for a week or so at a time but have gotten lazy, especially while away from home and given up. I’m just wondering if anyone has done this diet modification for a longer period of time and had success? It surely cannot hurt and I need to focus on cleaner eating for overall health anyways.

Kate, you have to be gluten-free for six months for you to be completely clear of it. I have a friend who had to go GF and she's very smart, did lots of research, and that's one of the things she told me. She feels much, much better being GF!

Great post. I think Gluten bothers me too. :(

I agree with you, Gluten free is a hard diet. There are many people that do it everyday and think it is easy. I am lazy. I think it would be best to ground our own brown rice floor for everything. I'm not that great a cook. Then, as you say: when we're not at home. I feel better when I am gluten free.

i have been gluten free for 5.5 years. i feel great but it definitely is a life change that takes time to get used to. autoimmune diseases are typically caused by foreign materials our immune system react to. those foreign materials are very often food related. i suspect recurrence of psc after transplant is because the patient never removed the foreign materials causing the autoimmune reaction in the first place. it is not a liver problem, it is an immune system problem.

i suggest you read these links for more info:

http://robbwolf.com/2008/08/13/celiac-and-elevated-liver-enzymes/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=sclerosing%20cholangitis%20...

btw, you do not have to diagnosed with celiac to be gluten intolerant:

http://escapetheherdblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-anti-gluten-media-in-mainstream.html

http://escapetheherdblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/time-for-doctors-to-reconsider-gluten.html

Thanks guys. I made myself a calendar to put on the fridge and I’m giving it a go for 30 days. (hey it’s better than 7, right?) I’m not much of a cook either, so my diet has been heavy on the gluten containing meals/ processed foods etc. We are also on a budget as a young family so I have a hard time making myself and what i need a priority. I have noticed that my 1 year old has enjoyed the different things i have tried to cook gf. Thanks for the links bubba. I’m going to read them now:) also, do you have any tips/ meal ideas to make this switch easier?

tip #1, become selfish because no one cares about your health more than you. you need to carve out the time needed to maintain your health.

also, cook in bulk and learn to love leftovers. veggies, fruits, lean meats. i know fatty foods can be a problem but a fat digestion aid like ox bile has helped people with reduced bile with fat digestion. maybe utilize that if the fat content of a meal will be high.

Good for you, Kate. I'm behind you all the way. And as Bubba said, become selfish. You know better than anyone what you need to do for you. You go, grrl!

Kate said:

Thanks guys. I made myself a calendar to put on the fridge and I'm giving it a go for 30 days. (hey it's better than 7, right?) I'm not much of a cook either, so my diet has been heavy on the gluten containing meals/ processed foods etc. We are also on a budget as a young family so I have a hard time making myself and what i need a priority. I have noticed that my 1 year old has enjoyed the different things i have tried to cook gf. Thanks for the links bubba. I'm going to read them now:) also, do you have any tips/ meal ideas to make this switch easier?

I have gone gluten free a month ago after reading "wheat belly" by William Davis. In fact, I stopped eating all foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, wheat, corn) even fruits I eat only small amounts every day. In order to compensate for the energy usually gained from carbohydrates I added more fatty foods to my diet. I feel better, I lost about eight pounds, I am less tired after meals and the joint pain in my hands disappeared. I haven't been symptomatic for PSC for several years, so I can't say it helped with that as well. I am going to perform some blood tests in a few weeks to see if there is any change there.

Regards,

Chaim Boermeester, Israel

i read that book too. very enlightening.

Chaim Boermeester said:

I have gone gluten free a month ago after reading "wheat belly" by William Davis. In fact, I stopped eating all foods that contain a lot of carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, wheat, corn) even fruits I eat only small amounts every day. In order to compensate for the energy usually gained from carbohydrates I added more fatty foods to my diet. I feel better, I lost about eight pounds, I am less tired after meals and the joint pain in my hands disappeared. I haven't been symptomatic for PSC for several years, so I can't say it helped with that as well. I am going to perform some blood tests in a few weeks to see if there is any change there.

Regards,

Chaim Boermeester, Israel

That’s on my reading list too. Please let us know about your blood test results. Thank you all for the impute. I am very encouraged!

I tried GF but it really didn't make any difference for me. I do eat sprouted wheat bread by Ezekiel and the vegans like that. I honestly like bread. And I think it likes me just fine. Other stuff, not so much.

I have had Crohn's and PSC for 19 years and the Celiac was diagnosed 2 years ago but i suspect I've had it equally as long. I am a bread and pasta lover so the new Gluten free diet was a rough one for me. Especially since, like you, my family has a tight budget and lived on processed/frozen meals.I love to cook but never have the energy to do it. I started adding easy GF recipes to my repertoire as well as revamping my old ones to make life easier on me. You'd be surprised at how something so simple could be so tasty!

At any rate, when I first started the GF diet I struggled with it but once I did get on track, I noticed a difference in about 2 weeks. And as soon as something gluteny delicious would pass through my lips, I'd notice the change in my energy level, pain and overall mood within hours. It's tough but it can be done.

If you want you can check out my full story at asizCreatives

Yes, I liked the recipe you shared today on asizCreatives! A friend of mine who had to go to a GF diet said it actually takes 6 months for the gluten to be fully removed. But I believe you about feeling the difference in just 2 weeks. I tried it for awhile because I thought it might help with my PSC, but my hepatologist told me "it's not going to make a difference unless you have celiac disease...and you don't have it." So I pretty much stopped. I still eat bread but always buy sprouted whole wheat bread by Ezekiel. My key thing was that I really didn't feel any different after even a month GF.