Detox cleanse?

[MsSassyBaskets]

I'll clarify. My thoughts on it are this:

1) If you feel you benefit from a gluten-free diet, it is possible you have a medically diagnosible intolerance or celiac disease. It is hugely underdiagnosed, and way more people have it than think they do.
2) If you go gluten-free without a test, it is possible that you will get a false negative on a future test. I believe that when people do a diet change without a diagnosis they tend to take it less seriously, as it is not a medically prescribed diet. But gluten intolerance is something to be taken very seriously -- I'm at higher risk for lymphoma, osteoporosis, thyroid issues, and other inflammation and malabsorption-related issues unless I follow a very strict diet.
3) A gluten-free diet can be very emotionally trying -- realizing you're at a work function where you can't eat anything, never eating at someone else's wedding again, realizing you forgot to bring your own snacks on a plane, etc... I just wouldn't want anyone to have to go through that unless there's a reason!

[Michele]

I haven't really researched celiac and such. I only read labels when I made cookies for Thirteen one year. I highly doubt I have anything diagnosable. I was going to try it to see if I felt better like all the hype. I have always had a "sensitive stomach" according to my mom and over the years I've just gotten used to dealing with my random gut issues. Now with all the gluten-free hype I'm tempted to try it and see if I like it.

I know if I do it, I'll only end up eating fresh fruit and veggies and meats and nothing else. Which isn't a bad thing either just would make long term difficult if it actually works.

I see what you are saying about diagnosis though. Is there a good checklist or anything that could help me decide to go see a doc before trying it on my own?

[MsSassyBaskets]

I haven't really researched celiac and such. I only read labels when I made cookies for Thirteen one year. I highly doubt I have anything diagnosable. I was going to try it to see if I felt better like all the hype. I have always had a "sensitive stomach" according to my mom and over the years I've just gotten used to dealing with my random gut issues. Now with all the gluten-free hype I'm tempted to try it and see if I like it.

I know if I do it, I'll only end up eating fresh fruit and veggies and meats and nothing else. Which isn't a bad thing either just would make long term difficult if it actually works.

I see what you are saying about diagnosis though. Is there a good checklist or anything that could help me decide to go see a doc before trying it on my own?

Here's an interesting recent article that basically frames the issue: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/0...eed-it-or-not/
I'm not saying you would have to have celiac to benefit from a GF diet -- many people test positive for the gliadin antibodies without having enteropathy. It's a hairy subject. I'm probably oversensitive to the "fad" nature of the gluten free diet because it means that waiters/cooks/hosts think that it's a fad and a lifestyle choice rather than a medically prescribed diet for me. I'll back off. All I really want to say is don't jump into it uninformed.

[Michele]

All I really want to say is don't jump into it uninformed.

You mean like exactly what I'm doing??? :big grin: I'll read the article. If I'm honest with myself, dairy is more likely the culprit, but I can't bear to think of a life without cheese! And fake cheese is NO WHERE CLOSE as a substitute.

[MsSassyBaskets]

You mean like exactly what I'm doing??? :big grin: I'll read the article. If I'm honest with myself, dairy is more likely the culprit, but I can't bear to think of a life without cheese! And fake cheese is NO WHERE CLOSE as a substitute.

Ugh, I have ongoing inflammation issues too, and I think it's dairy related but I'm a dairy addict. Ideally I would do a full elimination diet to pinpoint my sensitivities above and beyond gluten, but I so resent the restrictiveness of my diet already that I can't bring myself to do it. Especially not in the middle of winter when I'm craving comfort food.

[Michele]

I was careful about gluten for 2 days and noticed a change. It was more pronounced when I added back pudding/graham crackers and pizza and king cake. I wonder if it might be related to sugar as well....but even those two days that I avoided major sources of gluten, I ate milk chocolate chips.

I'm going to an allergist tomorrow. And if he won't test me, I'm still going to give up gluten for "Lent". (I'm not a practicing Catholic).