No wheat or Dairy

[ACG]

I recently started seeing a Chiropracter. He told me that he doesn't want me eating any wheat products and any dairy products. He told me to eat seaweed - that's not gonna happen.

Sooo what do you all eat when riding, etc?

I mean all those great Luna bars, etc have wheat in them. There is also wheat in some other brands I have too. And I'm always starving when I ride.

Thanks much.

[Trek420]

Lara bars are wheat free, Cliff blocks too :D

[LBTC]

Hey, ACG!

Welcome to the gluten-free, dairy-free club! heh. Actually, there are a few of us on here who are in the same dietary boat, to various extents.

When I started this a year ago, it was painful - so difficult to make food, to choose food, to eat out in restaurants, etc. It has gotten a LOT easier! And now that I actually feel good, the diet doesn't seem so bad. In fact, I don't really miss bread at all, and there are lots of good options out there made from rice and lots of other grains.

As for energy bars: LARA bars, all the way! Lots of great flavours and none of the stuff you're supposed to avoid! There are a couple of other kinds, but they don't taste nearly as good: Maya, Simply 10 and I think Rebar would all be suitable. And elite electrolyte drops in water, not gatorade...

You can do this, and you might even like it (once you start feeling fabulous and you don't miss things so much).

Hugs and butterflies,
~T~

[Mr. SR500]

I would get a second opinion before going on the recommendation of a Chiropracter. There are tests that can be done to tell you what may give you problems. I don't have anything against Chiropracters, but they often tend to broaden their scope without proper training.

I've be gluten free for about 20 years. I'm lucky as I can "cheat" a fair bit, but have done the whole spectrum from dapsone to steroid shots.

Some of the low-card bars might be ok, otherwise rice krispies and fruit snacks seems to work.

[Dogmama]

Why does this chiro want you wheat & dairy free? Did he run tests to determine if you are lactose or gluten intolerant?

[Xrayted]

Why does this chiro want you wheat & dairy free? Did he run tests to determine if you are lactose or gluten intolerant?

What she sed. Is there some reason? I'm not sure I understand where he's coming from. I love going to the chiro and have had many good results but, if they told me that without benefit of some tests, I'd have to tell them they are talking out their azz. That's way outside the scope of their practice unless they are also a naturopath or other specialty. Ask more questions and talk to your family practice doctor. Get tested.

As far as the suggestions, they are all good ones to avoid gluten and lactose while keeping you energized. Good luck. :)

[OakLeaf]

Really, a challenge diet is more accurate and more comprehensive than testing anyhow (not to mention it's free). Give it a try. Stay clean of wheat and dairy for at least four days. (To be more accurate, you'd have to eliminate all common allergens - corn and yeast are the other two really difficult ones, then there's also eggs, soy, chocolate, strawberries, peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish - but wheat and dairy is a start.)

Then reintroduce wheat. Eat your accustomed amount of wheat for two days and record your symptoms. If you start getting symptoms, eliminate wheat again for four days. Then reintroduce dairy and do the same. If you find that you felt better without them, there's your answer. The key is to stay clean for at least four days before you start the challenge.

The other thing is that people with run of the mill allergies can usually tolerate trace amounts of the offending substance, unlike people with anaphylactoid allergies and/or celiac. You may be able to simply eliminate products that list wheat or dairy as an ingredient, not worry about whether they're contaminated in processing.

PS have you ever tried any sea vegetables? Ever eaten maki sushi? Miso soup with wakame? Hijiki is popular these days in a lot of restaurants too. You've probably eaten them without knowing it :D

--Oak, sneaking off to gnaw on a plain sheet of nori, one of my guilty pleasures

[ACG]

Thanks for the replies. He is also into homeopathy. He is under the belief that we don't really need dairy, we get enough calcium thru other foods and that dairy/wheat make us get food allergies. I've had a nutritionist tell me this too. Actually a lot of people I know do this. I miss my yogurt and my tortillas and now my luna bars.

[tulip]

some people are sensitive to wheat and dairy, no doubt.

But remember that eating is also about pleasure, good whole food, and culture. I'd hate to miss out on all that. There's a thread (or two) here somewhere about Michael Pollan and getting healthy by eating real food, including meat, wheat, and dairy (if you don't have problems with them, of course). I don't buy the argument that dairy is bad across the board; same for wheat. But there are folks who just can't tolerate them.

Seaweed is great by the way. I like the kind that they sell in Japanese restaurants as seaweed salad. It's a great way to get trace minerals. It's delicious, and makes me feel clean!

[Jolt]

some people are sensitive to wheat and dairy, no doubt.

But remember that eating is also about pleasure, good whole food, and culture. I'd hate to miss out on all that. There's a thread (or two) here somewhere about Michael Pollan and getting healthy by eating real food, including meat, wheat, and dairy (if you don't have problems with them, of course). I don't buy the argument that dairy is bad across the board; same for wheat. But there are folks who just can't tolerate them.


What she said.

[Grog]

Thanks for the replies. He is also into homeopathy. He is under the belief that we don't really need dairy, we get enough calcium thru other foods and that dairy/wheat make us get food allergies. I've had a nutritionist tell me this too. Actually a lot of people I know do this. I miss my yogurt and my tortillas and now my luna bars.

As a woman you need about 1200 mg of calcium a day.

A glass of milk is roughly 250-300 mg. A cup of broccoli is about 70 mg. There are better substitute sources, such as beans and soy products (which have their own problems that I worry about), but they are not so well integrated to the average North American diet. You can't just stop eating dairy and hope for the best.

I'm always wary of "experts" who have definite opinions on things and say stuff like "don't do this AT ALL", "don't eat ANY of this" or "eat ONLY that". A good diet is a balanced and varied one... and as the others mentioned it should also be one we enjoy enough to keep it going.

[Dogmama]

...and is the 70 mg cup of brocolli as easily assimilated as the milk? There are so many things to consider, like combining foods to enhance calcium absorption & what foods might block same.

I don't mess with 'dem bones. I want to be riding when I'm old & wrinkled & not have to worry about falling off & breaking a hip.

[OakLeaf]

As a woman you need about 1200 mg of calcium a day....I'm always wary of "experts" who have definite opinions on things ...

I'm also wary of experts funded by the dairy industry who tell me I "need" vastly more of a particular nutrient than my ancestors ever got.

Now, whether the nutritionists are correct - that the excess phosphorus and protein in an animal-based diet creates an artificial need for balancing calcium - I don't know. But I take it ALL with a grain of salt. (Including the recommendations for salt for athletes and nonathletes ;))

[Dogmama]

I'm also wary of experts funded by the dairy industry who tell me I "need" vastly more of a particular nutrient than my ancestors ever got.

))

You're right, but remember that our ancestors did not live as long as we're living. Osteoporosis is primarily a disease that strikes older women.

[KnottedYet]

I have celiac (genetic autoimmune disease triggered by gluten proteins). I get a variety of rather disgusting/ugly-looking /painful symptoms if I run across wheat, oats, barley or rye. I'm sensitive enough that drinking one normal beer made of barley and wheat can make me suffer for a week. Licking the adhesive (made from wheat) on an envelope can give me tongue sores for days. "Cheating" on my gluten free diet has absolutely no appeal to me, as it isn't worth the price.

Lactose is also a problem for me (though relatively minor), and it is often part of celiac disease. I can eat cheese and yogurt just fine, but not milk or ice cream or other dairy that hasn't had the lactose digested by some bacterial culture.

Perhaps your chiro has the celiac wheat/dairy link in mind, but if there is a chance you have celiac you should really see a gastroenterologist before you make any dietary changes. Do you have symptoms of celiac? (diarrhea, bloating, gas, osteopenia, eczema, mouth and tongue sores, peripheral neuropathy, anemia, low blood B12, blood sugar issues, thyroid problems, and so on. see my sig line for one celiac site)

[Bron]

some people are sensitive to wheat and dairy, no doubt.

But remember that eating is also about pleasure, good whole food, and culture. I'd hate to miss out on all that. .


What she said!
Why remove loads of nice things from your diet if you aren't allergic/intolerant to them and replace them with the product of a chemical factory?

How about taking some real food with you when you ride? Last time I checked, bananas and raisins were wheat and dairy-free. You could also make sandwiches (with rye-bread?) or flapjacks.

[OakLeaf]

Once again... what is the harm in just trying it for a few days or weeks and seeing if you feel better???

I'm not sure what Bron means about a "chemical factory." Actually, eliminating wheat and dairy usually forces you to eat MORE real food, because most processed foods include wheat. Never mind when you start eliminating corn and yeast (including any fungi and foods that are fermented intentionally or unintentionally). My main problem with adhering to my allergy diet is that it takes so much time because there is just NO processed food I can eat. No going out to eat... doing all my own baking... eating plain whole grains (rice, buckwheat, millet) rather than most baking at all... etc. When I'm being strict, about the most processing I can have someone else do for me is cutting and freezing veggies (not fruits, because they harbor mold), making rice noodles, or making tofu, and that's got to be very fresh which means none of that grocery store cr*p.

And... just because I can tolerate my food allergens without having a horribly severe reaction (provided the airborne allergens aren't too high), that doesn't mean it's good for me, or that I don't feel like cr*p when I'm off my diet. Most people with this type of food allergies have no idea, because it does take so long for them to clear out of our system. They think (as I did) that that's just how they always feel... because it is. It's hard on my heart, my lungs and of course my immune system when I cheat. I'm congested, infection-prone, fatigued, mentally fogged, achy, and prone to eczema and arthritis. And I was that way for literally decades, not knowing that it was something I had a choice about, until I finally saw an allergist for my inhalant allergies, and they explained food allergies to me and let me try a challenge diet.

You have nothing to lose by trying it, so I really don't get all the resistance. Yeah, it is a PITA, especially if you're also allergic to corn and yeast, but if you just give it a try and find out whether you're sensitive to wheat and dairy, then you can choose whether you're going to cheat or when you need your body to be really clean.

[KnottedYet]

Just a quick side note: if there is a suspicion someone has celiac, see a doc while still eating the normal wheat-y diet so they can do a simple blood test to check for antibodies. If you cut out wheat and it seems like *was* a wheat problem because you get better, you will have to do a gluten challenge later to get potential antibodies rolling again for testing.

It's quicker and easier and cheaper and less hard on your body to get the blood draw first, then change your diet as you like. The antibody tests can reveal quickly if you have celiac (with all its other associated issues that need to be monitored) or just dietary gluten intolerance. (there are debates about celiac vs. gluten intolerance, but that's neither here nor there)

[Dogmama]

Once again... what is the harm in just trying it for a few days or weeks and seeing if you feel better???

.

Nothing at all. Just remember that correlation does not equal causation. In other words, if you eliminate wheat & feel better, it could be due to many other different factors, i.e., hormone levels, airborne allergens, low grade infections clearing, etc. The body is extremely complicated.

I used to work with Andrew Weil. I buy organics, I don't buy boxed foods (read - hamburger helper, etc.) and I'm very careful to combine meals to insure maximum nutrition because my husband is a cancer survivor.

Having said that, I can tell you that lots of people grab onto fads & ride them forever. Food allergy seems to be the current fad. There will always be food substances that you don't assimilate as well as others, but does that mean you have an allergy? Doesn't allergy sound worse than "it just doesn't agree with me?" Of course it does. So, it sells books, supplements and weird breads (ever try kamut bread? Yuck!).

So, by all means, try it. Just remember that wheat and dairy contain very important nutrients that you will need to get elsewhere.

[CyclaSutra]

I'm on the second day of a candida control diet that my naturopath doc gave me ... no sugar, no alcohol, no dairy, no wheat, no soy sauce or anything else fermented, no Splenda, just zero to one serving of grain (oatmeal, quinoa) per day. The theory is that the candida is out of balance in my system and has grown little fingers out through my stomach and into my body, causing "leaky gut" syndrome, which makes my body think it's allergic to everything. Only way to kill yeast is to starve it, and it loooves alcohol and sugar, two of my favorite food groups.

Food sensitivity tests, off the chart on wheat and dairy. Candida test, it's definitely bigger and badder than it needs to be, but not quite "raging" yet, so just a month on this before I start to introduce food back in and see how it feels.

I was scared that it was going to be four months or longer... whew. But if I feel as good as they promise I will, I may not go back to my old ways. And I am not missing sugar that badly; cooking lots at home. Soup, curry, stir-fry, etc.

It takes a long time to make everything from a raw veggie, but I do feel pretty good. The main thing that's getting me through is hoping the scale will drop; I'm 20 pounds above average right now after an exercise hiatus.

I'm just glad that there's five feet of snow outside, 15 below zero and I can't bike anyway. Good timing.

Hang in there!

[Dogmama]

If your doctor suspects leaky gut, you'll need to avoid NSAIDs also. Be sure that you're getting good fish oils in your diet. L-glutamine is a supplement that protects the intestinal lining - you should have at least 2-3 grams/day. I hope you are also taking a good probiotic supplement.

[KnottedYet]

Celiackers also have leaky gut issues. It's a real bugger.

[CyclaSutra]

Yup, on several supplements: glutamine powder, probiotics, garlic caps, bio-gest, Candi-Bactin AR and BR. Apparently my results aren't bad enough to warrant a heavy drug like Diflucan, Nystatin or Nizoral. I hear those can really mess you up.

It's difficult to plan ahead for every single meal and snack, but working so far.

Next challenge: a baby shower to attend on Saturday.

[Dogmama]

...pass the strained peas...

[CyclaSutra]

Well, day five now of the candida control diet, and the scale results are more than enough to keep me eating rabbit food.

1.5 pounds each day for four days = six pounds lost! I'm not very good at math, so it's hard for that to sink in.

I'm sure some of that is just water and other crap my body has been holding onto... three of those pounds might also have been work convention/alcohol-related from last weekend ... but I'm not all that hungry with the veggie fiber etc. so I'm definitely not starving myself.

Everybody at work says I look more perky. Not a whole lot of energy/inclination for exercise, but did take a long walk with the DH and doggies today.

Maybe tomorrow is trainer time ...

[bitmap]

I have celiac (genetic autoimmune disease triggered by gluten proteins). I get a variety of rather disgusting/ugly-looking /painful symptoms if I run across wheat, oats, barley or rye. I'm sensitive enough that drinking one normal beer made of barley and wheat can make me suffer for a week. Licking the adhesive (made from wheat) on an envelope can give me tongue sores for days. "Cheating" on my gluten free diet has absolutely no appeal to me, as it isn't worth the price.

Lactose is also a problem for me (though relatively minor), and it is often part of celiac disease. I can eat cheese and yogurt just fine, but not milk or ice cream or other dairy that hasn't had the lactose digested by some bacterial culture.

Perhaps your chiro has the celiac wheat/dairy link in mind, but if there is a chance you have celiac you should really see a gastroenterologist before you make any dietary changes. Do you have symptoms of celiac? (diarrhea, bloating, gas, osteopenia, eczema, mouth and tongue sores, peripheral neuropathy, anemia, low blood B12, blood sugar issues, thyroid problems, and so on. see my sig line for one celiac site)
Are tongue sores a potential symptom of celiac? What type of tongue sores are you referring to here - something like canker sores that grow on the tongue?

[KnottedYet]

Plain ol' cancker sores are a big problem, and you can also get "bald spots" on the tongue.

Celiac causes the villi on the small intestine to flatten out (go smooth) and the same thing can happen to the surface of the tongue.

[TryingisDying]

Im wheat/flours/sugar free......My asthma totally changed for the better without the wheat.

[TrekTheKaty]

I also advise consulting a Dr. HOWEVER, you can get a false negative on the blood test--in other words, it's not definitive. I hadn't eaten wheat in 90 days when I went in for the blood test. With a negative result, he couldn't refer me to a specialist.

But like everyone said, it can't hurt. I knew within 48 hours that I felt better.

[KnottedYet]

Yup. And if you haven't been eating wheat your antibody test will be negative no matter what, like you found.

You need to be "fighting" the gluten protein for you body to be producing the antibodies. When my GI doc was talking about having me do an antibody or small intestine biopsy test, he wanted me to eat 6 slices of bread a day for 2 weeks to get the antibodies up to steam and detectable before the blood draw.

I said, "No, I'll die." And I was only being a little hyperbolic.

Since that earlier post of mine two years ago, the gold standard for celiac/gluten intolerance has changed. Now there are other blood markers that are turning out to be more reliable indicators, and the dietary change and symptom results are being trusted more. Quite a few researchers are doubting the idea that the small intestine biopsy is the definitive test. Insurance companies are lagging behind, but isn't that always the way it is?

Anyone who thinks they may have celiac should really do a lot of research before going for the various tests, including the genetic tests. (find out if your insurance pays for them, for one thing!)

[moonfroggy]

there are lots of people who don't have celiacs but are sensitive to gluten or wheat. i haven't been tested for celiacs but i know that when i avoid gluten all the terrible pain and various problems i used to have go away. so i figure i have something that makes me sensitive and i am better off without gluten.

i would get tested though if it was easier for me to do so with my insurance. anything with doctors requires more than an hour in the car and i avoid cars as much as i can.

[Ana72]

You can have wheat free and dairy free products through gillians foods, I’ve read some of the information about their products I’m a little impressed about it because they produce or make a products that would help some of individuals that suffer from allergic reaction that is from wheat and dairy. You could choose what kind of product you love to eat with, just try it. I’m not promoting or something I’m just hooked up in a kind of food they where making up with that’s why I’m recommending their products. Hope it does help a bit!