Going Gluten Free to Determine a Sensitivity

My daughter had intestinal pains and the GI specialist at Mass General Hospital tested her for celiac, Crohn's and lactose intolerance. The first 2 were determined via blood tests and the last by a breath test after drinking a lactose sweetened drink on an empty stomach.

I'm not sure if you have options like this in your area, but Dawn from New Dawn Health in Plymouth, MN actually does intolerance testing. It is not based on blood tests, which are rarely accurate for intolerances. The test was only $40. Mayo Clinic uses the same technology for their patients if all the blood tests come up negative.

You may be able to find something in your area. If not, call Dawn and see if she might be able to recommend someone.

Food: rice noodles in the Asian section of the grocery store; frozen bread (buy a new toaster that you only use for gluten free bread); avoid dressings and sauces, as those often have gluten in them (especially say sauce!)!

You may want to check out Paleo recipes online, as I know they are all gluten free. We are not Paleo, but very close. We go through a lot of rice and gluten free oatmeal in our house, and we use a lot of Paleo-style recipes, too.

Eat the way your grandma did . . . meat, potatoes, veggie. We also use quite a bit of rice.

There are many GF options at Whole Foods, and mainstream grocery stores now. Our Publix has one whole shelf.

We went GF about 5 years ago (with bouts off the wagon when we travel but we pay the price). When we first went GF we did too many processed foods which contain alot of sugar. Now we basically try to eat food as close to the way it comes in nature as possible.

With our son we could tell a difference fairly quickly, but many people say it takes weeks (if not months) to get gluten completely out of your system.

Good luck and hope you get some good answers.

The commentors are right; MSG, for the most part, is gluten-free here in the USA. However. MSG has many, many other issues--it's a neurotoxin--and enough bad issues all on its own that any sane person would want to stay away from foods that contain it. And that's getting harder and harder to do, because the food manufacturers are finding different ways of renaming MSG so that you don't know it's in the food you're eating. Read up on excitotoxins, and you'll see why it's imperative to stay away from MSG (and, indeed, almost all artificial sweeteners, as they work the same way as MSG).

It's scary, what they're putting in the food we're eating. That's why, as much as possible, you want to begin purging/cleansing yourself/your body of any and all foods that are not pure, whole, wholesome, and hopefully, organic.

When I removed gluten from my diet, my husband immediately saw in my eyes that my energy level was up. I felt so...up! I had to diagnose myself, after experiencing the sharp abdominal pains, tightness and soreness in my joints, huge lack of energy bordering on depression.... This was three years ago.

Are you familiar with which products contain gluten? If so, just figure out which ones you tend to enjoy and buy gluten-free versions. This diet is not as simple as not eating gluten. Long term, you'll need to substitute gluten free versions in order to meet all of your nutritional needs.

Also, it's not a bad idea to have celiac testing done once and for all. There are specific health risks involved if you actually have this disease that won't necessarily present with a "mere" sensitivity. To test for celiac, go completely gluten free for two to four weeks. Then, eat bread every day for one week, and then get tested.

I am gluten and lactose intolerant. Having to deal with this has set me on a journey, and I have discovered that there are many dangers in the grocery store. One of them is genetically modified foods, such as corn that includes it's own insecticide. The bugs that eat it die because their stomachs explode. Processed foods in the US are not required to state on their labels that any ingredients have been genetically modified. Could this have something to do with why so many people now are having so many digestive issues? I eat organic, had to learn how to cook - lol! I eat mostly quinoa, fruit and veggies, grass fed beef, free range chickens, organic blue corn chips and a few treats like SoBe coconut ice-cream. Another thing I found that upsets my gut is any kind of oil or fat that has been heated high enough to cook food. I have no problem with fat if it is cooked in my crock pot.

I tried to go gluten free because of research that suggests that Rheumatoid Arthritis, which I have, could be related to a reaction to gluten. No one seems to really know what causes it. Anyway, I was hungry and cranky a lot, because I couldn't figure out how to keep myself full, or at least satisfied (I am also a pescetarian so that makes it even a little harder). Here is what I have learned: just because it is marked gluten free does not mean it has any other redeeming qualities. A lot of gluten free foods substitute corn, which provides little nutrition and is hard for the body to digest. I found the brown rice pastas to be a good way to go. You can make a lot of bread products or recipes that call for flour using gluten free substitutes such as almond flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour (although this has a definite nutty taste that doesn't go with some recipes) or gluten-free all purpose flour. Bob's Red Mill Brand makes all these and many grocery stores carry them. Many stores also have a free-from aisle that sells gluten free breads, cereals, granola, etc. etc. I use eggs a lot and various veggies and avocado in cooking to fill up. You will probably experience some moodiness and hunger in the beginning till you figure it all out, but I have found that I have much more energy since greatly reducing gluten (I do eat it sometimes, when necessity or lack of will power calls for it).
As a side note, given your symptoms, you may also want to give aloe juice and/or apple cider vinegar a try in your diet. Both help with digestive issues as well as joint pain, and have dozens of other benefits as well.

Blood tests are accurate for Celiac disease, but perhaps not so much for a gluten sensitivity. My youngest has Celiac disease, though, so hopefully I can offer some good advice. If you indeed have a gluten sensitivity you will notice improvement almost immediately, but it is important to eliminate ALL sources, which I'm sure from your own research you know includes wheat, barley, rye, and likely oats.

First, think whole foods. Fresh meats, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, most fresh dairy, etc...these things are naturally gluten free, and really what we should all be eating.

Second, think "avoid the middle" as in, stay clear of the aisles in a grocery store...in general. Of course you can still buy certain products (a lot of Hormel products are gluten free, if you like chili, for example...Chex cereal and some others (Fruity Pebbles!) are gluten free)...but a LOT of food you'll find in the middle isn't...and just isn't good for you anyhow. Again, there are still your things you know are gluten free in the middle...cans of tuna, etc, you get the idea.

Good replacement products...I like Ener-G Light Tapioca Loaf for bread. We have tried pretty much every GF bread on the market, and NONE of it is "really good" compared to actual bread, but this one is passing fair. They ALL need to be toasted, or they just fall apart and have a very dry texture.

Delimex makes beef tamales that are SUPER good and gluten free. You can find them in the frozen section at WalMart, and probably other stores.

I love Kinnikinnick brand GF food...my toddler (who has CD) likes their homestyle frozen waffles (spread with peanut butter) and I buy their pizza crusts, which are actually some of the best pizza crust I've ever had. You can find the specialty foods in the health section at your local grocer, etc.

I see you are in IA...do you have a Hy-Vee? At ours, Wed. is 20% off in the health market, where all the GF food is. I save a lot of money buy only buying my GF stuff on Wednesday.

Things to avoid...okay, TV dinners. Smart Ones makes some sort of chicken lemony rice one that is gluten free and yummy, and that's the only one I've found. Obviously, anything breaded. Most soups. I have a WONDERFUL recipe for making your own "cream of whatever" soups...it's a powder base, super easy to make, and I just throw it in my casseroles. Costs me about 15 cents per use, versus paying 3 dollars a pack for GF cream of mushroom soup.

Sorry, need to get lunch on the table...if you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

(***I also want to clarify that MSG is NOT gluten, as suggested below. MSG made in some countries can "contain" gluten, so obviously should be avoided, but any product made in the USA with MSG...the MSG should not be a source of gluten. Just wanted to clarify.)

***MORE*** :) We do eat a lot of rice. That's pretty much our replacement grain for our toddler. We've tried a few of the ancient grains, but even I can't get on board with how they taste. Probably an acquired taste (that I don't care to acquire.)

I'll second what a few other people have said, too...if you don't have a gluten sensitivity or CD, a gluten free diet is NOT the way to go. Sure, we should all eat more whole foods and eliminate processed garbage, which just naturally cuts down on unnecessary gluten...but for example, a piece of true whole grain bread is much better for you than my GF tapioca bread. Same goes for pasta...most GF pasta is made from rice or corn and the true whole grain pastas are better for you. So there is something to be said for testing...if you don't NEED a GF diet, don't do it. It's not a fad diet. I hear so many people saying "Oh, yes, I'm GF because it's so healthy!" when they should say, "Oh, I cut out processed garbage because it's so unhealthy!"

(Also, not saying this is you...you sound like you have actual concerns so I would go ahead and try it. If you feel better, stick with it!)

Google "Wheat Belly" and it will come up with a blog based on the book. Lots of good information.

I've been trying to go gluten free for a few months now and it's hard to stick with. I'm pretty sure I am gluten sensitive also.

Good luck.

Remember just because gluten free is the newest buzz word doesn't mean it is your problem, but it can't really hurt you to try it either. However, you might want to get tested, because it may be more than JUST gluten, and if you go gluten free and see no improvement, it can be discouraging, when in reality you may need to remove dairy too or something else altogether, so if you can find a Dr. who will help you figure this out, that would be best.

The safest/cleanest way to go gluten free is to just give up on breads and all baked goods and cereals and sweets. Just eat veggies, fruits, meats, and potatos and rice - maybe even try quinoa or amaranth for variety! There are gluten free oats/oatmeal too, but make sure you buy the certified gluten free, or they will be "infected" with gluten from the way they are harvested/processed. Processed gluten free foods can be just as bad for you as the processed regular foods - loaded with sugar and chemicals - try to go with whole foods like they come from nature as much as possible - carry mixed nuts and an apple or banana in your purse with you in case of emergency need for a snack. There is really NO fast food you can eat, and you have to be very picky at restaurants too, remember flour is often used as a coating, a thickener, a filler, etc. You have to plan ahead for you meals and snacks and aways have an emergency stash of something you can have, cut up veggies, fruits, raisins, nuts, LARABARS if you must, in your glove box. Be sure to read ingredients carefully MSG is gluten, and anything that just says "spices" may have MSG - Taco seasoning packets - skip it, just make your own, read chicken broth/stock cans, read the boullion cubes ingredients - or make your own.

I was feeling the same as you and my general practitioner Dr. was just throwing a pill at each symptom I told him about - I want to find the root of the problem and solve it, not put a bandaid on every side effect. So I sought out an "integrative medicine" Dr. one who was trained as a regular western medicine internist, but then went back to school for more training in holisitic medicine, nutrition, and many other types of therapies that she combines with our typical western medicine. She had an ELISA test done on my blood and it showed that my body was making antibodies/having an immune system reaction to Basil, Gluten , Caesin (milk protein), Lactose (milk sugar) , egg yolk, yeast, coffee, coconut, pineapple, pears, and watermelon. So she told me to cut out all those things, plus any added sugars, fruit juices and dried fruits and vinegars (so as to not feed the probable yeast issue in my intestines), and artificial sweeteners. This was in mid September - I have to stick to this elimination diet till January, and then we will systematically start adding foods back in to see what is the main culprit.

Basically I eat like a cave man/ or I am a gluten free vegan who eats meat, LOL - mine is ALOT of things to take out, but I have to, to let my intestines heal form all the inflammation/damage. Dr. also put me on fish oil, good multivitamin, probiotics, and an aloe/licorice powder to help heal my gut. I won't try to say its simple, it is hard to get used to , and especially hard to stick to when you are out of your home for any period of time, if you don't pack a cooler to go with you, but it is working so far. I must say the holidays are going to be rough, but I have found some recipes I can have, in some great allergen free cookbooks, and I will be making them and bringing them with me to every holiday meal we go to. Within a couple weeks I was sleeping better, less bathroom emergencies, less tired and achy, and as a bonus, without feeling like I am on a weight loss diet (as in, I am not starving, I eat all the time, and still fill myself all the way up at every meal) I have lost 8 pounds in 1.5 months ( with no added exercise - if only I could get myself motivated to add that in).

I would suggest getting some type of food allergy testing done, I have heard of the ELISA tests I had and ACAT I think is another diagnostic test - see an allergist, or a naturopath, or an integrative/holistic doc and see if they can do something for you - BTW, my new special Dr. doesn't take insurance anyway, so we are paying in cash - but if it makes me feel better, I am all for it.

Sensitivity/intolerance testing has to be done before you start an elimination diet for the results to be accurate, so please see your doctor to be tested first.