I am trying to eliminate gluten from my diet over a few months. I recently started enjoying 3/4 cup whole wheat pasta with some marinara sauce for lunch. It's low cal and very comforting.. but I know the wheat pasta is full of gluten!
Anyone with experience with no gluten, what do you eat? Also, I am trying to eat less meat.
Any advice would be great.
(The reason behind the gluten free idea is because I have pcos and trying to curb some of the symptoms that are really bothering me)
Did you see research relating PCOS and gluten? I haven't seen anything to that effect! Normally, people with PCOS need to watch their carbs and blood sugar effect, but gluten really only affects those with gluten sensitivities or allergies ie celiac. I'd be curious what made you decide to give up gluten.
Regardless, there are gluten free pastas available, including those made from brown rice, so if you want to eliminate gluten, search out alternative pastas! Whole Foods and Trader Joes both carry a nice selection, if you have one nearby.
I also have PCOS as well but I just try to watch refined carbs/added sugars. I don't like pasta for the most part so I generally don't eat it but my husband loves pasta so sometimes I'll make it for him.
I actually did do some research with PCOS and Gluten. Some Drs say that the reason "low carb" diets work well for those with PCOS is because it's actually low/no gluten.
Also I read something from a Dr that said 85% of her clients with PCOS actually have a gluten sensitivity.
I also saw some research indicating that gluten affects fertility.
I also read on gluten free message boards once people gave up gluten their periods became regular.
I just figure it's worth a shot at this point. I've had two people in my life recommend giving up gluten, one of them lost 100lbs doing so and still enjoyed brown rice, etc. The other person is a Raw Vegan who said gluten was bad for you. *Shrugs*
I'll try anything at this point! It gets confusing sometimes, with all these lifestyle/diet choices. Some people swear up and down different stuff is the answer and I guess it's just about finding something that works for you.
Also in this video this dude said that gluten in the processed starches is what's so damaging to the body: 7:04 ish and then he recommends eating gluten free grains. They are both raw foodists.
I will say that a lot of people will say a lot of things, doesn't mean I believe them.
I get Matt Monarch's newsletter and I take what he says with a grain of salt. He has some good info but I will also say that a lot of (not all) raw foodists often seem to believe claims that just aren't true. I say this as someone who has read raw vegan books and read a raw vegan forum or two.
I believe I may be gluten intolerant and am trying a gluten-free diet.
I have found gluten-free cereal that I eat with fruit in the morning, salads with gluten-free dressing for lunch, 100 cal popcorn for a snack or more fruit, and then meat with rice and veggies for dinner... this has been a typical menu that I can stick with. I found out just making substitutions for foods made with wheat flour are easy once you know what to look for. Going gluten-free mostly means you cut out most processed foods, or just substitute with items make from corn or potatoes.
I don't have PCOS, but I do have autoimmune disease, osteo and perhaps rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and PMDD (think PMS on steroids - hubby calls me werwolf if I'm not on the right bc). I've also read a lot of the literature linking grains and/or gluten grains to
inflammation, autoimmune disease, and hormonal issues. But the thing is some of these authors link EVERYTHING to grains or gluten. To understand any of it, you need to go back to the research their citing and know how to interpret and evaluate the research (my psych degrees help, but even the researchers themselves are subject to overreaching in their conclusions - again because the mind wants to make those connections).
If you are able to, I would recommend the celiac test while you're still eating wheat (if you are tested after you've been gluten-free for a while, you can get a false negative result).
I've found that I do have a profound reaction to wheat. If there's a trace of wheat in something I might get by symptom free, but anything like bread, cookies or pasta and I'll have a flare of symptoms (skin rash, joint pain, ibs). I was very skeptical, and you have to be, because the human brain wants to make connections, so coincidence and placebo affect can convince you that there's a link when you're only noticing the symptom (such as headaches) when your eating whatever you're suspecting of causing them (and forgetting the headaches that occurred at other times). So you have to repeat your experiments over and over and over, to make sure you're seeing a real effect.
I especially recommend a detailed symptom and food journal (like the healthminder or memoryminder I bought from amazon. I realized after buying it that I could have easily created my own. You can search inside the book on amazon and use it for inspiration in creating your own. You can add things they missed).
I regret not getting tested when I was eating wheat, because I don't know whether I'm dealing with a gluten allergy or sensitivity (and I don't know if it did any intestinal damage or if so how severe), or whether it's an allergy or intolerance specifically to wheat. Should I be avoiding gluten religiously, or can I just be "reasonably careful." Can I eat non-wheat gluten grains? Should I be eating grains at all? Is it an issue of carbs or of grains?
I have been convinced that there is something to the ancestor diets (and the theory that humans, for the most part, don't digest grains, large amounts of sugar or dairy particularly well), but I don't know how far I need to go.
I will tell you that going entirely gluten-free is a gigantic pain in the butt. Which is the biggest reason testing can help. If you know that you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO eliminate gluten it's a lot easier to stick to the diet than when you think you "maybe possibly should."
FWIW. I have a friend who is gluten intolerant. So she says. But she sucks down my choc chip cookies and buttermilk biscuits like there's no tomorrow.
There are so many *trendy* allergies/ailments, and many people just looking for a quick fix suddenly become lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, allergic to peanuts, allergic to eggs...and on and on.
Yes, SOME folks do have true medical reasons to avoid certain foods, but before you jump on any particular bandwagon, speak to your physician. Have boodwork done. Make sure that you really know if there is a problem and the best way to deal with it. Jumping around from diet to diet and ailment to ailment is no help and in fact in the long term is likely doing more harm than any good.
For most of us, the key is moderation, less junk, more "whole" foods, less fat, less sugar, leaner protein...and more exercise. And also for most of us, there are regrettably few shortcuts or exceptions to the calories in < calories out == weightloss.
Here's a post from another form that's kinda cool:
Those of you with PCOS might want to be screened for gluten sensitivity. You don't necessarily have to have full blown celiac disease to have a problem with gluten. Many people who are gluten sensitive have symptoms ranging from diabetes, autoimmune diseases,migraines, overweight or underweight, PCOS, infertility, thyroid problems, connective tissue problems or depression and do not have celiac disease. This is called NCGS - non-celiac gluten sensitivity and is common among those of Northern European descent. Just make sure your doctor runs the new antibody screening tests when you are still eating gluten. Otherwise, you will test negative. If you go gluten free then get the genetic test as it is reliable whatever you eat. Good luck finding a doctor who understands this. In the meantime, try a gluten free diet and see how you feel. However, this is an all or nothing proposition. There is no such thing as moderation on this diet, but if you are sensitive to gluten you will see good things happen in only a few days. I went from bedridden to walking and jogging within a month and my arthritis, tendinitis, migraines, rashes and hot flashed disappeared. There is a big side effect - if you need to lose weight you will - I lost 20 pounds the first month and have lost over 50 pounds so far. Went from a tight size 16 to wearing sizes 4 & 6 in months. I see a chiropractor who is also a board certified nutritionist. Because of the gluten sensitivity I had malabsorption and blood tests found I was seriously deficient in many nutrients in spite of taking a boat load of supplements. I was not absorbing anything. Have to have the blood work redone in a month and hopefully things will have turned around.
Protein Power probably works for many because they reduce the amount of gluten in their diets. Many of those who did Atkins successfully (induction phase) only to see the weight come back with a vengance when they stopped are probably gluten intolerant.
I will say that if you want to be tested for celiac, go to a doctor. However, if you aren't diagnosed, you can order and online test from enterolab for gluten sensitivity...I've had a endoscopy done and they are rather useless sometimes because they only catch celiac in advanced stages.
No gluten diet.
