<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Warning this is long and rambling! Dear List-- Here is a long summary (mostly me rambling) about my increased 'bone cracking' upon starting to restrict my diet to control my blood sugar levels, which were out of control and making me sick. I am still unsure about what exactly caused the increase in cracking, which had abated after going gluten free, but returned on this diet. Essentially I was eating only dairy (which I hadn't eaten for some time) and vegetables. I had increased bloating, which I now partly ascribe to the dairy, but suspect it could also be related to being constipated and retaining water (it is about 99 degrees here in the desert--drink more water! Although, drinking more water didn't solve the problem--eating more fiber in whole brown rice did). I am in the process of experimenting with how dairy effects me. I discovered that many people who responded to me said they were once vegetarian but when they ate meat they felt great, instead of really answering my question. Rest assured, I am not going to eat any meat! I deduced that the bone cracking --when I walk my joints sometimes make a lot of noise, especially in the morning and when I am really tired, when I feel great I have no noise--has nothing to do with not eating meat, as my mother has the same problem and she does eat meat, and the fact that it has almost disappeared in the past day since I"ve introduced more food into my diet. My mother also has multiple allergies, including wheat, soy, corn, mold etc, and she never really did anything about it. Her "noise" started 15-20 years ago (she's 55). She hasn't been tested for Celiac tho perhaps she should be. She has also been drinking a cup of coffee a day for some time. She cut this out, but the bone noise still continues. Maybe it is more of a malabsorbtion issue, calcium/bone/cartilege loss issue (yikes! I am only 22) as a result, or some kind of arthritis, although there is absolutely no pain involved--maybe there would be if it continued to wear the cartilege down after a long time. In regards to a hypoglycemia diet I had many questions asking what the Krimmel Program was, and a few recommendations for the Zone Diet. I decided just to bag the entire first phase of stabilizing my blood sugar levels. I am combining several principles of all these things and tailoring it to myself, which I'm now able to do as I have more of a grasp on what my body needs. I can't handle the ascetic approach I was following, so I will have to take a little longer to reach an equilibrium. I started eating small amounts of brown rice again (which has a lot of carbs), more nuts, no sugar in any form, less dairy although some yoghurt, small snacks and wow did I start feeling great! I really learned how to listen to my body, and eat something when I feel agressive or tired. I was also constipated only eating dairy and (non-starchy) vegetables. I was told that starch converts easily to glucose, which in the beginning phases of blood sugar stabilization is too much. I was retaining a lot of water so much so that my legs started hurting--once things were back in action all of that disappeared! IT is amazing how much the colon influences how I feel. When I was on my death bed before I discovered celiac an enema made me feel like a human again. I dug up my old candida yeast guidebook (by J. Martin) and realized that that was when I felt my best. At that point I didn't know I had gluten intolerance--but it is when I discovered there was something to cutting out wheat--so this time I"m cutting out all the grains she uses but the rice, and minimal corn (which is also tough on the blood sugar, according to the Krimmel book). My bone creaking has lessened, so I really suspect that I wasn't getting enough nutrients (which one can get from other sources besides...meat! Too bad I can't have soy. But let's not get into that issue). That or a reaction to foods I don't know about (dairy?), although since it has improved I've not cut anything out entirely, only less dairy. One response posed that it was due to exercise, although I don't seem that effected, although if, during a creaking session, I start jogging, it generally improves. A few people said they had always experienced this cracking--so maybe it isn't a malabsorbtion thing for them? One person responded that her cartilege was the problem, and it sounds like her creaking is similar to mine , except much more severe. Maybe because I caught all of my celiac/low blood sugar problems earlier and am younger it hasn't become very bad? I don't know. I am still left wondering. Thanks for all the responses. THe actual responses will follow. Please email me with any comments or additional information. I think this is an interesting topic. I won't harrangue my mother about her cracking too much today, considering it is Mother's Day. My best to all of you-- Saskia