<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Listmates, I'm such a baby. I'm all better now. I was whining about my escalating GI symptoms that were so severe, it was interfering with my ability to work. I've been off eggs & yeast, most sugars & starches except for one or two small servings of rice every day for a week now. I've been living mostly on lean meats, veggies, a few fruits & tofu. I can't believe how much better I feel. Now that I'm feeling better, I remember feeling this way when I first started the GFCF diet -- euphoric -- before I started GF baking. In retrospect I can trace all my current GI problems back to August when I began GF baking which relies heavily on eggs, yeast and of course carbohydrates. I guess I went overboard, for my personal tolerance level that is. I was also whining about how I was going to manage my diet plus the diets of the three men I cook for (two of whom are GFCF, but tolerate starches & sugars well.) Below is the jist of some wonderful suggestions & advise. [My comments in brackets.] I know for sure now that eggs & baker's yeast are the major part of the problem. I'll continue to experiment a bit to discover what else I have to give up! ~Valerie in Tacoma, WA ------------- Hi! MANY MANY Celiacs also have other food allergy problems! I was diagnosed as being celiac, and I didn't get any better after a year and a half of being totally gluten free! I was so short of breath I was on steroids and breathing treatments 4 times a day! ... I found out that it was ALL caused from food allergies, (which are VERY common with Celiacs). I had my blood tested by a lab in Fla.... I have no problems with breathing now and most of my other symptoms are either totally gone, or MUCH better! I was literally bedridden before and I have my life back! If you are interested, call Lisa Durow at Better health U.S.A. at 1-800--684-2231 ext. 6251. Their website is www.betterhealthusa.com. --Lisa Hughes ------------- Get a book called "Nourishing Traditions", by Sally Fallon...It is a combination nutrition basics and cookbook. Although it is not a GFCF cookbook, she does not believe in a heavy grain/starch diet ... Also, Dr. Mercola has diet guidelines on there which are grain-, sugar-, and dairy-free...he has an online cookbook (for a nominal fee) that he claims will help you follow this diet. --Mel ------------- Soy gives me the same symptoms as gluten... I never got better until I found that I had a problem with soybean. I understand that 50% of the normal population is soy sensitive, so chances are that might be the problem... [Thankfully, I'm one of the 50% who are not soy sensitive.] ------------- If you have not found Lucy's Kitchen Shop, you need to. She has a cookbook that is wonderful. I feed my very picky husband and 2 small children without a complaint. --LJ --------------- After being diagnosed with Celiac disease, I followed a strict gluten free diet. After 18 months on the diet, I was still experiencing severe diarrhea daily and my health was getting worse. This past August 1st I decided to start the SCD. After the first month on the diet, I started seeing improvements in my condition, (slowly but surely). I was so sick, I was desperate to try anything and I'm glad I did. It states right in the book, "Breaking the Viscous Cycle", that if your condition doesn't improve after 1 month on the diet, the diet isn't going to work for you. What is a month when you have been feeling crummy for so long?!? --Judith -------------- As you know I'm also GF with fibro. The HG diet [a low carb high protein diet] is really not bad and once I got used to it carbs don't interest me at all anymore. Even acorn squash tastes too sweet for me. I had to go cold turkey. Even cut out Atkins bars. But my IBS has improved substantially. I eat really creative things - salmon with caviar and seaweed, steamed greens. (salt has become my new sugar - which is useful since I have such low BP). All kinds of burgers (buffalo, turkey, lamb) can make a great stir-fry. I add plantains for sweetness. Sometimes some cranberries but I take it easy on fruit. Throw in mung beans, red-peppers, parsnips, scallions, etc. It's actually really satisfying. I have huge sardine salads for breakfast with ground flax seeds and avocados and arrugala, some blueberries. Etc. You can really indulge a high protein diet and still enjoy eating. There's also a chocolate powder drink mix from Ah-laska that has no carbs. This will also stabilize your blood sugar and make you less tired / less mood swings. You'll also lose weight and people will tell you how toned you look.Take care. --Steve [Hmmm......I'm just imagining: "Honey, what's for dinner?" "Salmon with caviar & seaweed." "Sorry, I gotta run, Dear, I'm late for an appointment at McDonalds."] ----------------- I urge you to remain open to a modified Paleo Diet along with food rotating. Not a silly rotating diet but the real thing. I got excellent results by combining my list of identified allergy triggers with Nicolette M. Dumke's book "5 Years Without Food" (Amazon). I stayed on it for over a year. I never had a bad meal and actually enjoyed the challenge of exploring paleo and rotation. Rotating my food allowed me to clearly identify what I was allergic to beyond the lists my blood test provided. I kept a food diary which also helped. I was especially surprised at the immediate relief at rotating my oils! Never suspected them at all. As for the 3 men in your life, most men I know actually like the paleo thing better. It's usually habit that wants bread and processed foods. My solution for processed carbs and potatoes is exploring ethnic markets for simple root vegetables and treats. I live in a Pacific Rim city so Asian produce is readily available. I replace mashed potates with Taro or Name or yams. Potato chips replaced by taro chips. There hasn't been bread in my house in 15 years. And i don't miss it! I discovered Southeast Asian GFCF pastries which are heavenly. There is hope. Be patient and vigiliant about keeping records and you will find your personal solutions. Good cooking and good luck.- Joelle -------------- I hear ya! I finally started the SCdiet and it has really, really helped me. I felt deprived in the beginning but what Elaine G. says is correct--there is a bacteria that causes many of our problems. Once I cut out complex starches, including corn, potatoes, rice,etc---I started to detox rapidly. I also cut out sugar--all of it. And,--I am getting better. There are many, many ways to cook on this diet--and I know you do cook. Lorri ---------------- I just read an article from Gluten Free Living regarding how many Celiacs have other problems including Soy, Lactase Enzyme (lactose intolerant), Sucrose (table sugar) and Maltase Enzyme deficiency. You may want to get a copy of this and take it to your doctor. It is the November/December 2000 issue. Email [log in to unmask] to see if they have any left. -Mike -------------- ..The leader (Sandi) was a nutritionist at Nutrition Works in Seattle. She explained the differences between allergies and intolerance's. Her husband is Celiac. She also shared with us what different foods and/or ingredients could do to you if you were allergic or intolerant. Why don't you check out their website at nutritionworkseattle.com (if that doesn't work just look up Nutrition Works, it SHOULD pop up. She was very knowledgeable and maybe could be of some help to you. -Kim -------------- You may be getting some gluten unknowingly. [A distinct posibility.] Canola oil has been problematic for me and then I found out that it is usually contaminated from the process of rotating crops in the fields... When I stopped with that, I pretty much returned to normal...I also carry small containers of salad dressing and other condiments that are GF with me to restaurants. It is too difficult to interrogate the wait staff. -Cherlyn -------------- It took me two years to discover that I had a soy intolerance. I was almost to the point of dying because of all the nutritional problems I had. I did it by elimination, then going back on soy, and doing that again and again until I pinned it down. Now I get very weak if I get even the slightest exposure... I was tested by a RAST test for these things, and they say I have no allergies. My body totally disagress. The doctor says that food intolerance testing is not very accurate. Food allergy tests more easily, but unless it is a serious one, still not too accurate.-Carol [My boss is so allergic to nuts & other foods he has to carry a bee sting kit with him every where he goes, yet his allergy tests showed absolutely nothing and he's had every kind of test available on the market today. Allergy testing for food is apparently a hit or miss proposition.] -------------- Do the three men in your life need to avoid all starches, too? If not, then at least they can continue to eat all that starchy stuff that's causing you problems. If it drives you nuts, make THEM cook it. ;-) - Pam [ Hmmm... I like that advise!] ------------- I'd have to say try it, with the encouragement that as your body heals, you'll very likely be able to be able to tolerate starches again. GF/CF is for life, but the other stuff seems to be periodic. When you're feeling good, add back in the potatoes and rice first, then the refined baked goods. You can cook a lot of meat and veggies, and put rice and baked potatoes on the side for your men. They're not much extra work to cook, so I at least, wouldn't have a problem adding them to the other plates on the table (I'd just give myself the biggest steak, and an extra helping of veggies :-)) Corn on the cob can also satisfy the feeling of "that plate needs a starch". -meredith --------------- The sugar could cause your trouble! Try no processed sugar expect honey, Honey! -Kevin ------------------ Your experience sounds familiar--I had terrible gut aches, both upper and lower, and even after I had been GF for several months, I still felt like hell. I had all the of barium tests and gut scopes. I saw several dieticians, and I finally got the message: when one is Celiac, and has sustained intestinal damage over the course of years, it does indeed take awhile to repair. For me. the key to repair was protein. I had been a semi-vegetarian for many years, and apparently I was just not getting enough protein to repair and maintain my gut. ...So I started eating lots of fish, more chicken, egg whites (the fat in the yolks is too much), soy products (these may be tough for you), and beef. I worked hard at getting about 70 grams of protein per day. I dropped dairy entirely, and this made a big difference. I eat a lot of well cooked veggies, and have introduced salads back as I have been able to tolerate the roughage. If you are enzyme deficient, and may celiacs are, then you are not fully digesting the carbohydrates you are using. This, of course, causes gas and gut disturbance. I had terrible painful bloating, and eating the protein really helped calm things down. You may want to try supplementing enzymes. This trail and error approach took me about eighteen months to cycle through--and I am healthy and my guts feel great now. -Chris --------------- There was a mention in the Seattle Times on Sunday that someone was having a terrible time with "the green apple quickset" and I don't know if this was one of your problems. Anyway, it was confirmed that eating a couple of coconut macaroons greatly reduced the problem. The response was that there is something in coconut that is helpful to the intestines. - Jeremy --------------- It is difficult and I didn't get a lot better for at least twelve months and feel it was around the 2 year mark I felt good. It seemed also with me that as I omitted one food another one wuld upset me, so another one was omitted. I have looked at both diets you are considering and felt no I couldn't cope. so I gradually eliminated foods as I found they upset me... Have you considered you may be getting hidden sources of gluten check out this list http://www.celiac.com/safe_forbidden.html www.anzfa.gov.au/Documents/Food_Additives_Shoppers_Guide <http://www.anzfa.gov.au/Documents/Food_Additives_Shoppers_Guide> -Christina --------------- Are you eating Tempeh? I cut it into portions size squares and fry it. You can bake it too, but I have not. Everyone, including men, love it fried in sesame oil with GF soy sauce. I add some water to the soy sauce and let it soak into the tempeh the it while it cooks. Then saute garlic, onion, peppers (red) and mushrooms and serve on top. If you fry it in olive oil (garlic) and smother it w/ tomato sauce, it tastes a bit like chicken parm. Hope this helps, check out Earl Mendell (sp?) Soy Miracle cookbook. Good stuff. -Nancy Mitchell -------------- Perhaps you have a candida like condition, I found I had to be on a yeast free, carbo free except for vegetables for nine months. Try finerhealth.com see entrolab and look at how yeast acts like gluten for some people. You may have a lot of damage to your intestines which takes time to heal I found when I got my test back from Dr. Fine I stopped using brewers and bakers yeast and feel much better. Yeast feds on sugar, and carbo's. - Marlene ---------------- Bread also feeds yeast, If I was you I would only drink water and not eat anything. ( Laughing right now ) I know it isn't funny but you got to laugh or you will go crazy. Todd [Wise counsel!] ---------------- Here's a good general resource url: http://www.candidapage.com/ The questionnaire is located at: http://www.howdyneighbor.com/jbayliss/ -Leif --------------- I went thru the same thing in my first year being gf but after staying really clean for a year i now have very few problems with feeling crappy. one of my favorites is pizza: Corn tortilla shells the pre cooked flat ones put tomato paste on it thin layer. season w/ Italian seasoning and garlic salt. for a dif use olive oil for sauce cheese if not lactose probs. pepperoni i love Hormel it says gf right on the lable put it in the broiler and watch when it browns slightly its done i cut them in 4's and it makes a great break from the mundane it helps with the gf blues we all get -mark s Connely