Trying to go gluten free

A little background info, I've had an under active thyroid for more they 20yrs, I recently found out I have hashimotos and have read lots about the benefit of going gluten free,

I've been trying to get my head around this for a few weeks. What have noticed since going gluten is that I am craving sweet things, I've always had a sweet tooth but this is on another level, I'm also craving bread ( I'm eating gluten free bread) something I've never really been bothered about previously plus got really bad wind, can feel it rolling around my stomach plus very bloated

Any advice would be very welcome

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Following as I discovered I have B12 deficiency maybe caused by thyroid issues caused by gluten (can you tell I'm still figuring it out?!).

I gave up gluten and dairy ten years ago after reading the fake doctor gillian mckeith's you are what you eat books and went from 17.5 to 12.5 stone & felt fab but didn't realise I had issues with gluten so have been back on it. After a while I got to understand my blood sugar levels which tbh I'd never noticed before, and worked out a routine for me - Flanahan's porridge made with water in the morning (and a bit of honey, now a banana) which took a while to get used to but gives me the energy to get through till lunch. Then usually a bigger lunch and a smaller evening meal as needed the energy in the afternoon. Even managed to give up coffee but not managed that quite yet this time round, makes a big difference though, you realise the coffee makes you more tired.

I used to snack on sunflower seeds but they're bland as, plus on looking they don't seem to be that more healthier than a few nuts.

I think the main problem is when you've been addicted to the carbs for so long it takes a while to "go through the change", but I do remember once I was in control I just didn't have the cravings any more because I knew what to have to take me up or down sugar levels.

I eased myself into it, some fruits quite sugary so good to start with those then taper off. Apart from that it's googling recipes and listening to your body and mind when it goes 'ooh that sounds nice/ok/horrible' and trying stuff out, everyone's different. For a start I tried the gluten free bread but never found anything that tastes remotely like bread so just don't eat it rather than putting myself through the misery of eating some dry horrible stuff and feeling worse after wishing I could have some real bread.

Still have to widen my recipes though, I mostly live on a thousand variations of chilli. Damn good chilli though Oh, and frozen fish parcels with increased portion size than they say - good for quick evening meals when you can't figure out how or what to cook. Certainly didn't fancy those when on carbs, but they're pretty good and cheap to make, I batch make like the chilli:

bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/micr...

And this one I've made a few times which is nice, just get the coconut curry from aldi/lidl I think they're half the price of main supermarkets:

minimalistbaker.com/30-minu...

Just learning all this stuff again & realising the benefits of quinoa for the protein, I think for me it's the protein I crave more.

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Thanks for sharing, I think it's going to be a long road rather than the short one I was hoping for, forgot to mention I also make kidney stones so need to be on a low protein diet as well...got a lot to learn

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Huh yeah I didn't expect to be ordering B12 from Germany and learning how to inject myself and that my entire life has been made a little crazier than it could've been just cos I've been eating the wrong kinda food lol!

Glad we have the interwebs though, there's so much out there it's a case of connecting the dots. For example I think my protein addiction has probably been more to do with not converting / using too much of / I don't know / the B12, cos it turns fat & carbs into protein, so if that's not working then no protein. But I dunno, lots to learn but variety the spice of life eh, I'm sure you'll get there, I'm determined to as remember how great I felt last time!

[Penel]

Hi PinkF

The additives (emulsifiers) in ready-made gluten free bread can upset your stomach. The highly refined starch used will also give you a sugar high followed by a crash and feelings of hunger. Perhaps try getting your carbs from other sources, like sweet potato or make some buckwheat pancakes/ wraps.

[Bigums]

Take Iodine in either liquid form "Lugols" or a high quality Iodine supplement in pill form. Try Amazon. Take a Selenium supplement as well to help use the Iodine. Many gluten free breads and pastries will still cause similar problems because of the chemicals used and the grains involved in the process. Remove all grains. Very little if any at all.