Gluten free. Yay or nay?

[Beebop]

Hi!

Just a quick question... Is gluten free a good thing for Crohn's people? As I have slow reacting crohn's (no D just a slow build up of pain etc) I find it really hard to know how to adapy my diet but have heard good things about gluten free. What do you think? Is it a good way to go?

Thanks, Bridget

 

[Jennifer]

Might as well try it if you're willing (I'm of the belief that diet doesn't play a role in achieving long term remission). If it works, great if not, well at least you tried. From my understanding is that its hard to do because gluten is in a lot of things, even sauces when you go out to eat so you'll likely have to make all of your own food from scratch. There are a lot of things out there that say they are gluten free but do your research and make sure that its actually free of gluten rather than low in gluten.

 

[ArinMelissa]

Gluten free has helped me bunches so far. If I eat one small thing with wheat I won't die but after a few servings of gluten and I get pretty sick. Same goes for dairy, it seems.. so I'm currently on a whole foods- no gluten, no dairy, low glycemic diet. It's not as bad as it sounds. Good luck!

PS- I find that I actually prefer good gluten free cereals and breads to regular. Rudi's, Udi's and Whole Foods make excellent options.

 

[Z_Ghost]

I try to limit it as much as I can and it seems to help me.
I know I'm not gluten free as it's really hard to do.

 

[kllyeve]

I have been told that I should be trying to be gluten free and I go through spurts where I do get it down to almost nothing. I do feel somewhat better when I limit it.

I just have a hard time going completely gluten free - it's a huge pain in the ass. I love to bake and just have a hard time contemplating giving it up entirley.

 

[Sophia]

Yay! I did gluten and lactose free and 'low carb' - basically fish, chicken, vegetables, nuts, seeds and berries and went in to remission two years ago. Slowly went back to normal habits, and it's been fine until now. Think I have a slow reacting Crohns too, as you describe it. I'm back on my diet now, to try and get rid of this flare. good luck to you!

 

[Kittee]

Gluten free has helped me bunches so far. If I eat one small thing with wheat I won't die but after a few servings of gluten and I get pretty sick. Same goes for dairy, it seems.. so I'm currently on a whole foods- no gluten, no dairy, low glycemic diet. It's not as bad as it sounds. Good luck!

PS- I find that I actually prefer good gluten free cereals and breads to regular. Rudi's, Udi's and Whole Foods make excellent options.

I just went gluten free and now I'm going dairy free. It's working great for pain control. High gluten products hurt me something fierce and dairy (especially cheeses) make me so nauseous.

I don't go crazy with it, like looking for every hidden speck of it in foods but I do stay away from breads, pastas, cereals.

Chex makes excellent gluten free cereals. That with some almond milk is DIVINE! Good luck.

 

[Beebop]

Awww you guys are all so helpful! Unfortunately here in NZ we are really limited with lots of our options so I don't really know the brands you are recommending but they sound good :0). I have been doing mainly gluten free for three weeks now and I think it is helping. It's def helped with my energy levels which is interesting. I found a really good gluten free flour the other day which makes baking so much easier... Its all premixed so is just a straight substitute and it comes in self raising. My partner didn't even realise his muffins were GF. I think I might keep going. Not so keen on giving up both dairy and gluten as that seems so hard as it would mean an increase in fruit and veg which is not always the best for me. Hmmmm lots to think about that's for sure. Thanks for all the help and suggestions so far.

 

[David]

I'm at the point where I suggest everyone with a diagnosis of IBD try going gluten free to see if it helps their symptoms. Considering there is a strong overlap with gluten intolerance and sensitivity, it's not surprising it helps many.

I'm of the opinion that diet plays a partial yet pivotal role in symptom control and maintenance of remission for many.

 

[KatyBuckeye]

Skip gluten free and go grain free. Grains of all types are pro-inflammatory. I'm on the SCD diet, which is grain-free, sucrose-free, lactose-free, and all additives, preservatives, and processed-foods free. I've taken it a step further and made it casein-free as well, since dairy products don't agree with me at all. The diet is helping a lot already. I'm of the belief that diet plays a critical role in controlling symptoms.

 

[mussen]

I have been gluten and dairy free for 4plus years now, it helped a lot with symptoms etc and just generally felt a lot better! I would never go back to a normal diet!
I am also in N.Z there are quite a few gluten free options here, you just need to know where to look!
It definately costs a bit more, so its a good idea to shop around. I do alot of my own baking etc but buy in bread.
pak n save and new world usually have gluten free sections and are generally cheaper than specialty shops. there are a lot of shops that have websites you can buy directly from,
There are a few gluten free bakeries online e,g bakeworks, phoenix bakery.
the Coeliac n.z website has a lot of helpful info,there is a gluten free food list for n.z, I just can't remember where to find it!!

M

 

[mussen]

Oh I forgot there is a Gluten free and Allergy show every year it is in Wellington at the end of the month, sorry I not got time to find the link for you......
they have good info and products to try.

M

 

[Sophia]

Not so keen on giving up both dairy and gluten as that seems so hard as it would mean an increase in fruit and veg which is not always the best for me. Hmmmm lots to think about that's for sure. Thanks for all the help and suggestions so far.

I gave up most dairy, but kept cheese, which made it a lot easier.

Good luck with your diet! I'm struggling to stay away from sugar...

 

[bangarang]

Yes everyone should experiment with gluten free to see how they feel. Some people feel better once they get rid of gluten. Maybe you'll feel 85% percent better or maybe you won't never know till you try.

 

[Ckt]

I did gluten free but found the biggest thing for me had to do with high carbs rather than the gluten..could be all my resections though and not the crohns

 

[Mehita]

My son was dx with Celiac and Crohn's at the same time. He immediately went gluten free for the Celiac and was able to stay off Crohn's meds for three years before he had his first flare up. He, too, has slow reacting Crohn's and his ped GI believes removing gluten from his diet helped significantly.

Being the mom, I have to try and put things in a positive perspective for my son to help him cope with all this. Regarding the gluten free diet... as soon as we just accepted it as our new "normal" and got through the first year, it really isn't so bad - and we have to be 100% strict about it. Over time you find the brands you trust, you figure out the whole flour blend thing, you find recipes that you like and you just adjust.

My only word of caution - if you do go gluten free and then slip up or get cross contaminated and start to not feel well, it's sometimes hard to figure out if you're on your way to another flare of if you're just reacting to gluten.

Good luck!

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

I tried it, but it did nothing for me. I'm glad I gave it a shot, though. It never hurts to try!

 

[Crohny]

Going gluten-free has given me my life back. No more symptoms for me!
+1 on Udi's bread (expensive, but tastes the best) and Whole Foods bread (better value, slices are larger and taste/texture is more like sourdough). I find myself alternating between the two for variety.
Target "Market Pantry" makes the best pasta, says my Italian wife, and I agree
Betty crocker makes a pretty tasty cake mix.
Chex is coming out with more flavors, and is always a great breakfast or snack.
I pretty much stick to a GF diet and don't eat beef, and I feel great!
Good luck!

 

[leighlu]

I did gluten free but found the biggest thing for me had to do with high carbs rather than the gluten..could be all my resections though and not the crohns

I too think my symptoms are due to extended right hemi and not the crohns. On Humira - going well. If I have something relatively hight in fibre then I suffer a lot. I also react badly to high fats and too much red meat. I have a big sweet tooth but I am also very healthy, go to the gym 3 times a week and would just love to be able to eat as healthy as I would like but if I did my tummy would be bubbling and making me have a lot of gas and just be uncomfortable. I have to eat white carbs in moderation and a small serving of veg but only certain ones - same with fruit rubbish but necessary.

 

[Ckt]

I too think my symptoms are due to extended right hemi and not the crohns. On Humira - going well. If I have something relatively hight in fibre then I suffer a lot. I also react badly to high fats and too much red meat. I have a big sweet tooth but I am also very healthy, go to the gym 3 times a week and would just love to be able to eat as healthy as I would like but if I did my tummy would be bubbling and making me have a lot of gas and just be uncomfortable. I have to eat white carbs in moderation and a small serving of veg but only certain ones - same with fruit rubbish but necessary.

Don't you just hate limiting veggies and fruit??i was huge into whole foods when I was diagnosed..sadly,not so much now!im hoping to do a juice cleanse for 3 weeks under medical supervision..I think this will help so much..no or very low fiber and tons of fresh unadulterated veggies!!yummo!!:thumleft::thumleft::thumleft::biggrin:

 

[leighlu]

Oh, sounds interesting, could you give me some more info on this juice cleanse thing, might have a look into it myself

 

[Ckt]

Sure!i have a champion juicer..that's the brand but another good one is omega..the base will be carrots and it takes a lot of carrots to make a glass of juice!ill supplement it with celery,ginger,kale and/or spinach. There's some good books on juicing at your local food coop or a whole foods. You could even find one at the local library. My chiropractor will be supervising me and if I Ned labs I know I can go to my gi. There's also a website:hacres.com. Its Christian based so just be aware they come from that viewpoint. However,they have so much great info about juicing and sell some supplements or ready veg powder if you have the money. I dont think I do but it looks good!

 

[Beebop]

It can be so hard working out what to eat. Think I might keep going with the gluten free as it seems to be working... In saying that I also think dairy free or limited dairy would be good. Might give that a go as well for a wee while. I got given a juicing book and am thinking about doing more of that especially as some are great for tummies. What do people eat a lot of? What are people's safe foods?

 

[leighlu]

I am going to cut out diary. I have been having Lactose free milk which has worked because I noticed that when I had normal milk, cheese, yogurts, my tummy would go crazy and be very bloated. I am going to switch to almond milk. I eat a low fibre diet, following surgery in 2005 and 2006. As I am unable to cope with anything too complex. I have tried gluten free but I think my problem is the fibre and it is hard to work around. I have started to keep a food diary and I think in a months time, I will be able to clearly see patterns of reactions to certain foods.

 

[Ckt]

Leighlu..I so admire you!i have completely undisciplined in keeping track of my food intake via a diary.i kept rationalizing that I keep a running tally of things I cannot handle in my head!LOL!:wink:Yeah..THAT hasn't worked out so good for mE!!so you have motivated me to start one tonight and see the patterns. I am also returning to my gi doctor at the end of next month for any new clinical treatments and to be further evaluated for anything that can be done to increase my quality of life. I figure any information I can hand over will be that much more they can use to help me!
I also have to say I am impressed that you are able to work out as much as you do..may I ask how you got started?i have tried but my energy level is so dang low that maintaining it is just way more than I can do right now.
Do you have any suggestions on what I could do?i was thinking if I could even do things at home when I can't go out(which is too often right now) due to mostly diarrhea. It's frustrating the hell out of me!each time I get started into a routine it is inevitably disrupted by more symptoms like the dreaded D!!hard to go when I'm miss poopy pants!
Thanks a bunch! I know this is absolutely vital in getting my energy levels up and my feeling of well being much improved!

 

[leighlu]

Hi, sorry for the late reply. I have been terrible in the past with eating whatever I like and suffering the consequences as well as not keeping a food diary. I was going around in circles and my partner (who is excellent) has encouraged me to stop being so careless and take my illness more seriously. So I have cut out all the bad foods - high fat, high fibre, oily fish, spices and rich sauces. It is rather bland but I have learnt ways to make it more tasty. I have soya yogurt and peaches for example after my dinner as a treat or 3 squares of 70% dark chocolate. I have had the food dairy for a week now and I am hoping that I start to see a pattern. I made lemon chicken last night which consists of cornflour, lemon juice, soy, honey and chicken stock. I had this with rice and some skinless carrots. Well, my tummy didn't like it at all, went berserk, grumbling away ALL eve and night, slept badly as it was making so much noise and the discomfort (no pain) woke me up! So it went into the food diary and I will steer clear of it until I work out the culprit.

Gym-wise - I have always been into the gym but have had years of going, not going, not working out properly due to lack of knowledge. I started reading up on the science of fitness and my interest has grown (try www.muscleandstrength.com - amazing, and another is www.bodyrock.tv - home-based, there is also a lady on youtube called Jenny Aguirre - looks awesome and has crohns - fascinating strong minded woman). I would recommend Jenny's stuff or bodyrock tv as they're home-based and you can tailor it to your ability. I am currently well, only reacting to foods but nothing too bad. I have, in the past, been very ill with it but right now, I am good. So, I am making sure I keep in tip top shape as you never know when it might rear its ugly head.
Don't put pressure on yourself, that's the main thing. Be kind to yourself. Start off with some mat work, use some resistance bands and watch the videos on bodyrock. See how you get in if, you're up to it and let me know how you get in

 

[EDZEL]

I'm at the point where I suggest everyone with a diagnosis of IBD try going gluten free to see if it helps their symptoms. Considering there is a strong overlap with gluten intolerance and sensitivity, it's not surprising it helps many.

I'm of the opinion that diet plays a partial yet pivotal role in symptom control and maintenance of remission for many.

Interesting! So are there likely to be certain types of foods which may exacerbate UC symptoms? Can you recommend any publications which might give me a clue where to start finding out what might work for me? I get that people may have different triggers, but is there a guide to basic groups of foods known to be problematical to many, for instance? It's hard to know where to start!!

 

[David]

It's very difficult indeed Edzel. God knows I've been running around pretty much blind for the last couple years trying to figure things out. I don't think diet is the answer for everyone, but I think it can help most. Some more than others.

There aren't any publications specific to IBD that I've found that I really liked. There's little studies here and there and lots of theories. I like the paleo diet and specific carbohydrate diet for a few reasons:

1. They force you to consume whole, healthy, fresh foods.
2. They are gluten and grain free
3. They are potato free
4. They are mostly dairy free
5. They are sugar and artificial sweetener free
6. They are systemized diets with lots of recipes and guidelines

Now, I think some of those affect some and not others. I have no doubt that some on those diets could incorporate some of those back without ill consequence. But if they're doing well on the diet, I don't think it's worth it personally.