<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> I had many interesting answers to my question of the stomach ever going down to normal. Most people wanted me to summarize what I found out. Some people said it is hereditary. Some said they've had it forever and have been GF and still have it. One said a protruding stomach can be a sign of parasites and to get a stool test done. One said Pilates work on reducing the pot belly. Others said it takes 2 weeks to years for it to shrink. Some said to cut out dairy. One said she was sensitive to carbs - fruits, potatoes, etc. and that makes the stomach bigger (hence the Atkins diet). I guess all we can do is be GF and see if our abs shrink:) Bev from Milwaukee gave me this to think about. I wanted to attach the Word document she sent to me, but it came back, saying the listserv doesn't accept attachments. So, here's a synopsis of what she said. > I bet if you look through the long list of symptoms at www.celiac.com, > you've probably had celiac since you were little. If that's the case, you > probably don't have very good muscle tone in the tummy area, so exercise > would be good but you still need to let your body heal. > > <<I've also always had constipation problems. > > Some get diarrhea, other get constipated. That will make you look > bloated. > > Sometimes metamucil can help keep things moving along. You just have > to experiement w/ that or fresh fruit or vegetables, brown rice & > other sources of fiber to see what works best w/ your body. Make sure > you drink enough water too. > > << I've been GF since April, when I was diagnosed. However, I have > cheated a little since spring. > > I think of this research everytime I think about cheating... > > --Food for ThoughtaEUR| The following article is from Gluten-Free > Friends, Winter 1996 (Vol.2,No.4) R. Jean Powell, editor, Montana > Celiac Society, Bozeman, MT It comes by way of the MGIG Feb. 1997 newsletter. > > A Little Won't HurtaEUR|Will It? > > "The body's primary defender in the immune lymphatic system is the T- > cell, which recognizes antigens (foreign proteins) in the body and > produces antibodies to neutralize them. It has been suggested that a > celiac's immune system may mistake the gliadin protein from wheat (and > similar proteins in rye, barley, and possible oats) for an invader > such as a bacterium or virus. > > According to Jerry Crabtree of Stanford University, when the T- > cells are activated by an antigen, for the next two weeks they will > proceed step by step through a very precise pre-programmed sequence of > events. Some 200-500 genes will activate, one after another, ticking > off like soldiers standing up to be counted, and will do so the exact > same way each time, with each gene producing its own particular > protein. To make all of these proteins, the immune system needs about > two weeks. Once a cell has passed a critical point in the activation > process (which happens within an hour) it is committed to it. If you > take away the stimulus (the antigen) at that point, the cell would > still tick along through its two-week sequence. ("Conversations in a > Cell:, Gary Taubes, Discover Feb. 1996, Vol 17) For celiacs, > occasional accidental ingestion of a minuscule amount of gliadin could > presumable still lead to a two-week activation of T-cells. If gliadin > is consistently ingested, the immune system theoretically might > continue indefinitely on its endless rampage. Is it any wonder that > celiacs sometimes feel weary?" > > If I only cheated twice a month, my immune system would be 'hot' the > entire month...Not good for my celiac & not good for the health of my > immune system which could lead to other conditions-lymphoma, > fibromyalgia, thyroid disease. > > You will get more than enough gluten in your diet by accident without > deliberately adding more. > > Also, once you start absorbing food, you body will need time to > rebuild your muscles & bones & nerves since these weren't being fed > properly, so it may take quite a while to see any results. If you are > exercising a lot, you need to make sure your body is getting enough > calories to rebuild AND also to provide energy. Then it becomes a > matter of eating smart--get the calories from foods you body needs & > can use, watch out for empty calories that have no nutrients. > > Unfortunately, while we can identify which foods are gluten-free, > there is no gluten-free diet that is right for everyone. You need to > figure out which gluten free foods work best with your body. An > interesting read is Eat Right for your Type by Peter D'Adamo. Says > immune system is determined by blood type & the proteins the body > recognises are friend or foe are found in both germs & food. Has long > lists of whole foods & only one group contains gluten. It's much less > discouraging than the 'don't eat" lists which offer > no help on what to eat & leave you hungry. > > I'm attaching a copy of an article I wrote for our newsletter. > Hopefully, it will help put things into perspective. > > Bev in Milwaukee I hope this isn't too long. I had a lot of people with this same question. Kelli/Michigan