WWoTE (Wise Women of TE)

Hello all you wonderful ladies! I need some: advice?, reassurance?, alternatives?

As some of you know, I have very strict dietary requirements which doesn't allow for sugars, grains or starchy vegetables. I had added grains back into my diet in a limited quantity since I starting cycling but it just isn't good for me. I've taken them back out the past 2 1/2 days and have felt much better - better than I have in a long time. I did still eat a cup of pasta or rice at night but last night even that was too much.

My question is: every meal I eat has a fruit, a protein and a non-starchy vegetable - every meal. On the rare occassions I snack, it's usually a protein and/or a fruit. Is there enough carbs in that combo to allow me to continue to ride the distances I have been? I'm just wondering since we don't store carbs like men do, would I be ok with what I'm eating??

If yes: thank you very much for the reassurance

If no: any suggestions for alternatives since I don't tolerate grains or starchy vegetables.

Your help/advice/reassurance/suggestions/comments in general are greatly apprciated as I want to try back-to-back 1/2 centuries this weekend.

Corsair, how do you tolerate stuff like quinoa, amaranth, oats?

Have you every spoken with a sports nutrionist/registered dietician?

Sarah

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

Corsair, how do you tolerate stuff like quinoa, amaranth, oats?

Have you every spoken with a sports nutrionist/registered dietician?

Sarah

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oats are grain - the last time I ate oatmeal for breakfast - I was starving within 2 hrs, even down to the tummy growling and cramping like I hadn't just eaten recently. I haven't spoken with a sports nurtitionist but my intolerace was reconized by a registered medical nutritionist and she was the one that set my diet. At the time I wasn't riding but I was running 5 days a week (which I still am) so the question didn't come up.

I've never tried quinoa or amaranth - are they a grain??....the problem is: I seem to convert the starch to sugar which is what creates the imbalance. Depending on how starchy or "surgary" it is, it could even cause blood sugar spikes and drops - hence no carrots. I had a cup of pasta last night around 7:30 and by 9 I felt like I was hungover and I was very sleepy. The better the grain - like whole wheat - the worse the reaction.

http://www.quinoa.net/ Quinoa is very high in protein.

Someone else may be able to answer this but aren't there differences between grain, grass and rice?

More links randomly found on the web.

http://www.nuworldamaranth.com/conte...hyamaranth.asp

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Originally Posted by SadieKate

http://www.quinoa.net/ Quinoa is very high in protein.

Someone else may be able to answer this but aren't there differences between grain, grass and rice?

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hmmmmmmmmmm - 30 grams of carb.....this might be worth looking into. and yes - there is a difference between the 3 but I don't see where quinoa is a grass??...it's listing it as a grain - low glycemic but still a grain?.

Off to research quinoa - and thanks SK! *hugsssssssss SK hugssssssssss*

Somewhere in my little pea brain, I also recall that wild rice isn't really a rice. Anyone know more?

Lessee, amaranth is not a grass, it's more related to lamb's quarters (yes, the weed) than anything else I can think of. It cooks much like a "real" grain though.

Quinoa, I don't think is a grass, either.

Wild rice isn't a "real" rice, but is a grass.

All three are "New World" crops.

Does that help?

As to whether or not Corsair can tolerate them, I'd guess some very careful experimentation is in order. I'd take any excess quinoa off her hands if it doesn't work for her. :)

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Originally Posted by MomOnBike

Lessee, amaranth is not a grass, it's more related to lamb's quarters (yes, the weed) than anything else I can think of. It cooks much like a "real" grain though.

Quinoa, I don't think is a grass, either.

Wild rice isn't a "real" rice, but is a grass.

All three are "New World" crops.

Does that help?

As to whether or not Corsair can tolerate them, I'd guess some very careful experimentation is in order. I'd take any excess quinoa off her hands if it doesn't work for her. :)

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Wild Rice is a grass??................that might be worth looking into??

Instead of taters or rice can you eat squash, like acorn, butternut, spaghetti squash?

They can be filling; you can 1/2 'em and bake 'em like a tater or cube 'em and steam them, eat them cubed or mash them. And you can season them with whatever your palette desires.

spazz

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Wild Rice is a grass??

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Yep, most grains are. Corn is just a Very Big grass - as is bamboo. Amaranth is the only grain (a very minor one) that I can think of at the moment that isn't.

Corsair, why doesn't the same sugar conversion problem happen with fruits? Seems they would be even more of a sugar spike producer. Sounds like you are on the caveman (cavewoman) diet. A friend had this recommended to her recently - only fruits, vegs, and meat to help reduce her reactions to foods. Can you eat beans/legumes like lentils or are they too starchy or allergenic as well? You poor girl - life without pasta! Waaah!

I'll second the question about beans, legumes and even peas. Those might not cause as much reaction since they are high in fiber as well. There is also a grass called Spelt. It is an old Egyptian grass they used instead of wheat. If you google it you'll find several sites. One makes bread, pasta, etc from the spelt. It may be worth a try. I have a teacher at my school who is allergic to wheat but can eat this. It's pricey but she says it's worth it. ;)

Donna

Try this site. www.purityfoods.com

Yes I can eat legumes but only 1/2 a serving size coz it seems to cause problems also: either the sleepies and/or acid reflux. and Nut - your friends diet and mine are the same.

I did find a sports nutritionist (thanks for the suggestion SK) who said while veggies are a complex carbs, it wasn't enough to support my activity level. He recommended I try gluten-free grains like:
Amaranth, Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat and Rice.
So this morning for breakfast I had some rice. I"m in the waiting stage right now to see if I get any reaction from it.

As for fruit, I have to be careful with that also. The higher the sugar content of the fruit - like dates - the worse the reaction.

wow, corsair! this is wicked stuff you have to deal with!! I see others have asked about beans and legumes, and quinoa....I haven't seen mention of kamut yet. No, I have no idea what it is but my gluten intolerant friends cook with it.

Is there anything in the cocoa family that could help with the carbs? I've found a number of chocolate bars that are gluten and dairy free, good hardy dark chocolate, mostly made of chocolate liquor (not alcohol)...

just grasping, here...

I can't imagine a riding life without potatoes! or enjoyable eating without chickpeas! humous anyone?

good luck!!

~T~

Ah, humus, the food of the gods!!! Well, the garlic gods anyway. Corsair, buckwheat is mighty good eatin' - hope you can work it into your diet. Why, give us a chance and we'll come up with a Cavewoman Cookbook for you! Once you've got all the right stuff figured out, give us a list and we'll come up with the recipes. You never know what strange culinary "dark alleys" we grew up eating in!! ;)

I switched over to gluten-free grains last Thurs and have had no problems since. LBTC: according to my whole grains guide Kamut isn't gluten-free so I'm staying away from it. It says Spelt can be tolerated except by highly-sensitive individuals so with my track record I'm staying away from that one too. Right now I"m eating all types of rice, buckwheat (which was so stimulating I was up all night - might be a good breakfast food! :rolleyes: ) millet, and quinoa. I even found Rice Tortillas so I can have tortillas for lunch. I'm going to try making some Moose Goo tomorrow using Teff Flour, agave honey and sunflower seed butter and see how that works out.

Thanks everyone for your advice, help, support and just overall being there.

Cool! Very good news!

CorsairMac sorry to hear about you dietry woes,,you can't eat corn either canyou?
spelt(dinkel or german wheat) is not gluten free.Becareful to check label for g/f ingrediants in your tortilla etc .Sounds like you have sensible and variable diet,that include lots o fiber while you chase up your carbs.Basmati is a good low gi rice. Steamed rice with yoghurt,sultanas and sprinkle of G/f museli isa good start to the day... My friend whom lives in states brought back some g/f quinoa to aust and made a yummy american indian dish.Amaranth and quinoa both amazing foods from the americas.
p.s You may want to think about getting tested now if your going g/f from now on ,as, if you want to get tested later you may have to go on an unpleasant gluten challenge (and all the good work gets ruined) and you suffer too. :( good luck

CorsairMac have you ever been tested for Celiac disease? Just wondering because my sister in law had all kinds of allergies, and after years of allergy medications and vitamins and whatnot, she went to a specialist and finally they picked up on the fact she had Celiac disease. Nobody caught it till she was in her mid 30's. There are lots of online stores and most health food stores now are carrying gluten free products for celiac patients.
Just a thought. Might be something to get tested for.

The same thing happened to a friend of mine. She had chronic hives for about six years before she finally got tested for coeliacs pretty much because that was about the only thing she hadn't been tested for yet. The amazing thing was that she had a strong family history of the disease and noone had thought to test for it because she was only suffering from the secondary symptoms rather than all the nasty gastro-intestinal stuff.

Good luck with the whole finding things to eat thing Corsair.

I've heard that eating protein first then carbs helps prevent the sugar drop, i.e., sleepies. Supposedly the protein slows the absorption of the carbs and their breakdown to glucose. If you haven't tried it, it might be worth a try.

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Originally Posted by pkq

I've heard that eating protein first then carbs helps prevent the sugar drop, i.e., sleepies. Supposedly the protein slows the absorption of the carbs and their breakdown to glucose. If you haven't tried it, it might be worth a try.

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I had never heard that but switching to gluten-free foods has made a HUGE difference in my life! I had even forgotten about this thread since I've been doing so much better. For my cenutry Sat I just took some rice cakes with PB and rode all 109 miles just fine. I've actually gone the Other way now: I don't get hungry between meals anymore and I'm wide awake at 10-11-12 at night!! wheeeeeeeeee I have so much energy (guess I need to go out and ride!)
There were other issues besides just the sleepies - stomache issues that lead me to believe I may be in the same group as tlks friend, the sypmtoms aren't acute enough to scream "celiac" even though that may be what it is.

Well, I'm glad to hear you're doing a whole lot better in the food and energy department - I was just wondering about it the other day. If you ever want to get tested for Coeliacs you will have to go back on the gluten for a bit.

a good periodical to look into...lots of ideas, recipes, tips, and stories

http://livingwithout.com/

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Originally Posted by CorsairMac

I had never heard that but switching to gluten-free foods has made a HUGE difference in my life! ....

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CMac, it's great to hear that this is working for you. I have a few friends who do have Celiac's disease, and it's a pretty serious health issue for them. Before Jenny was diagnosed, she pretty much metabolized NOTHING that she ate. Couldn't keep weight on, at all. On a gluten-free diet she does quite well.

It doesn't sound like your gluten problem is so severe, but it does certainly affect your well-being. Have you ever read about the blood-type diet? Heck, you may even be following it, unknowingly. Here's the website:
http://www.dadamo.com/
...but the book, Eat Right for Your Type by Peter D'Adamo, is far better reading. I'm pretty sure that, per this diet, for most blood types, wheat gluten ranks as a non-beneficial nutrient, or as an even harmful "nutrient".

I had a massage therapist recommend that I try it (something about my joints just not loosening up the way they should, over several months?) a few years ago. I tried it for 2 weeks, lost a few pounds and generally felt a bit more alert than before, perhaps even a bit more limber. Aside from cutting corn, wheat, oats, and a few dairy items from my diet, it wasn't too hard of a diet to try. I started taking a mineral supplement, to get the calcium I wasn't getting in milk, but aside from that, I was pretty sure that I was still getting my needed nutrients.

Meanwhile I sent the book to my dad the cardiologist, who found huge gaps in D'Adamo's research & so advised me to toss the diet as bunk (thus we witness the western vs. non-western medicine battlefield). I'm a doctor's kid, one not schooled in medicine or nutrition, and didn't see a huge benefit, so I dropped it. [And, well, beer is hard to totally give up]. However, I continue to take the multi-mineral supplement, which really does seem to help my muscles relax and recover.

Honestly, though, even if the research is hinky, D'Adamo's argument that each of us needs a slightly (or largely) different set of nutrients, seems quite sound, and worth a shot. Western medicine needs to play nicer with nutrition. I may give the diet another shot, just to see what happens. These joints aren't getting any younger...

Anyway... just my few-cents worth on a gluten-free diet. Good luck!

I also have a type of celiac disease, called microscopic colitis, and avoid gluten, which is hard, it is in so many things, one needs to read labels carefully. I also can't do most grains, even potatoes. There are a number of gluten free products out there--pancake mix, even brownie mix :D , although they often contain other grains, so important to read the label. I was a vegan for many years, but now can't eat soy or grains, so it is pretty much veggies, fruit and meats. Coincidentially, this is the kind of "hunter-gatherer" diet that the eat for your blood type folks recommend for my O blood type. I also found the whole premise of it pretty questionable, but this is how I do best eating. Generally, people with this need to be careful about many of the things in cycling supplements--bars, drinks. Sometimes I just decide to use them and take the consequences for a day or so.

...what type of diet is recommended for those of us with type A (positive, if it matters) blood?

Just interested - don't have the book.

I find that I do really well on lower carbs (not super low, just balanced) and higher protein, moderate fat (more than recommended on low-fat diets) Discovered this several years ago and lost 15 lbs, which I've maintained ever since. Feel better too! I'm just wondering if this is the type of diet the book happens to recommend for blood type A.

Thanks!
Always-curious Emily :)

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Originally Posted by emily_in_nc

...what type of diet is recommended for those of us with type A (positive, if it matters) blood?

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Emily: Of course now I realize that Dad still has the book. But a quick Google search got me this page that outlines D'Adamo's recommendations for blood type A people:
http://healing.about.com/gi/dynamic/...bloodtype.html

A quick excerpt/summary: "...people with type A blood have sensitive immune and digestive systems and should comply with a diet that is high in carbohydrates and low in fats."

CorsairMac go get tested girl!!! Even though your symptoms aren't severe, if you do have Celiac it could be destroying your intestines. We want you to live long and prosper, oh and give us grief in the winter. ;)

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Originally Posted by Surlygirl

CorsairMac go get tested girl!!! Even though your symptoms aren't severe, if you do have Celiac it could be destroying your intestines. We want you to live long and prosper, oh and give us grief in the winter. ;)

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Yes Ma'am! *looks humbled (which is very hard for me I might add)* I plan on setting up the appt for my physical when I get back from Hungary and that is one of the things I want to talk to her about!! But I'll tell her Surly said I have to be tested. *nods head* ;)