WWoTE (Wise Women of TE)

[nuthatch]

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!!

[CorsairMac]

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! ) 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.

[SadieKate]

Cool! Very good news!

[oroight]

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

[Surlygirl]

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.

[DirtDiva]

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.

[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.

[CorsairMac]

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.

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.

[DirtDiva]

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.

[bouncybouncy]

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

http://livingwithout.com/

[RedCanny]

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

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!

[wabisabi]

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 , 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.

[emily_in_nc]

...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

[RedCanny]

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

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."

[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.