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Gluten Free Guerrillas

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New here, just signed on

23 Replies

Hi all, I just signed up for this forum. I'm not celiac, but I found out that many people have experienced relief from arthritis by giving up gluten, so I did, and I won't go back. Since I'm not highly allergic to it, I haven't looked for all the hidden gluten in stuff, but have eliminated by far a huge percentage of it, and it has really helped my joints. Thought I'd monitor what goes on here to see what all gluten does to some of you, and tips on what you eat/don't eat. And just recently I decided to try dairy free to see if it helps with restless legs. I think it does! But fake cheese- yuck! I didn't see a dairy free community, but I noticed some of you are doing that too. I'm mostly just working on getting away from processed junk and eating real food.

23 Replies
Julesboz profile image
Julesboz

Hi there, I have several food intolerances (gluten, dairy, soya and alcohol). I also have osteo-arthritis and mild chronic kidney disease. I've found that if I eat the foods I'm intolerant to (particularly dairy) my kidney function suffers, and vice versa, however I haven't noticed any difference in my OA. From what I've read, cutting out gluten does seem to help with RA, as it does with quite a lot of inflammatory diseases, but I think you have to avoid all gluten, including reading labels to get the best benefit. I wish it would help with OA but that, for me, seems to be entirely independent of diet.

Cooper27 profile image
Cooper27

I quite like violife for a cheese alternative. It's not like the real deal, but does make a decent cheese sauce.

in reply to Cooper27

Thanks, will check into that.

KaroM profile image
KaroM

I was diagnosed with OA and in fact one doctor wanted to do a hip replacement on me. I decided to keep looking but never found any real help. One day someone suggested to me the book Grain Brain and after reading it I decided to give GF a try. Within a month I was noting an important difference. I have been almost GF for a year and have only minor joint pain now. I read somewhere that it can take up to 4 years for your body to completely recover. Let us know if you improve.

in reply to KaroM

Yeah, I found Grain Brain too, and Wheat Belly at about the same time. Real eye-openers, aren't they?? Been having some sharp pain in one elbow just lately, so I'm watching more closely what I eat, though my hands are still doing quite well. Used to eat occasional fried chicken at a restaurant that does it wonderfully, but no more. And I think I heard that commercial french fries (fast food) are dusted with flour. Stuff's in everything, isn't it? So how's the hip now? Do you take glucosamine/chondroitin?

KaroM profile image
KaroM in reply to

Hi, my hip joint is now much better but not completely recovered. I once looked at the sicentific evidence for glucosamine/chondroitin and could not find anything convincing. Maybe there are new studies more conclusive now. I was taking it for a while on doctors orders, but did not really find any relief, but that was before I stopped taking gluten. If you have any new information on these supplements, please let me know.

Hi I am new here too. I am a coeliac have been GF for many years. Yes going GF will certainly improve the inflammation in your joints. But if you want the real truth look at the animal world. Vets have been giving cows the mineral BORON / also known as BORIC ACID for over 100 years to relieve their aching joints and inflammation. We can buy it as BORAX in the pharmacy. You can aslo get it at some supermarkets.

See this link earthclinic.com/borax-remed...

There is loads of info and videos on borax in the internet.

If they ask you at the pharmacy why you want it tell them the vet said to put some in your old dogs's water. That way they will not be worried about you taking it.

Also give up deadly nightshades- ( potato, tomato, capsicum, spinach, etc)

in reply to

Thanks for the suggestions. Funny you'd mention that- there's a guy, Joel Wallach, that looks for mineral deficiencies first before anything else, and he got veterinary training first before the MD. The borax thing reminded me of him; I think he's got a website. As for the nightshade thing, I know it would be worth it, and may have to. As it is, I can't have chocolate, coffee, gluten, grain products in general, sugar, now working on dairy......

in reply to

Hi again- yes I have heard of J. Wallach. He wrote the book" Dead Doctors Don't Lie" I had the audio tape of this many years ago and it is fascinating. It is all about minerals and nutrition. I think it was he who says doctors only have about 19 hours of nutrition training in their degree. His point is the medical profession are so sick, drug users and smokers and high stress. They die of more nutrition related deaths than any other working group.

I have been researching and learning about nutrition and diet for 40 years. I have many books on various topics..In my next life I might actually do something about this interest haha

in reply to

Wow. Sounds like we're on the same page. I too have been looking into prevention thru nutrition for decades. I find it fascinating. I'd forgotten about the cassette tape Dead Doctors Don't Lie. Thanks for the memories! That was a good one. So it's in book form now? Will look into that. His approach is so unique, it stuck with me all these years. My first info into the nutrition thing included Wallach's tape, Jean Carper's Stop Aging Now, Morter's Your Health Your Choice (the pH theory, later at least partially disproven) and the progesterone guy, John R Lee. (What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Menopause). I have since added to my ever-growing library Grain Brain, Wheat Belly, Undoctored, The Truth about Sugar, Bit Fat Surprise, I could go on and on! What's interesting is that focus in now shifting to the gut, and the whole wheat/gluten thing is at the center of that, with dairy a close second. Oh- Grain Brain guy has another out, Brain Maker that focuses on the gut. Nice to meet you clear across the world over there!

KaroM profile image
KaroM in reply to

I would be worried about taking anything that was not certified for human consumption. The quality control on that would be lousy and you may be consuming a lot of dangerous chemicals used in its manufacture. If it was helpful it would surely already be marketed for human consumption. Be careful!

in reply to KaroM

Rubbish! Boron is a naturally occurring mineral and is essential need for the human body. It is found in nature like rocks etc just like silica and other trace elements. We get tiny amounts from food but for most of us it is one of those trace minerals that can be missing in our diets. Boron works in our bone cells to preserve bone density and also help the body utilize calcium, Vitamin D, magnesium, and others. It is perfectly safe to take the tiny amount recommended and then you have a break and start again. If you look on some multi-vitamin tablets it would be included in these also so check your vitamins if it is there- as then you would not need extra.

Don't make comments on topics you know nothing about. thanks!

KaroM profile image
KaroM in reply to

Koala9, are you a chemist, medical doctor, or pharamacist, or are you just an enthusiastic and carefree blogger? As far as science has been able to discern, boron is not an essential element for animals, although it is for plants. Humans are animals, not plants. Furthermore, boron never comes alone, but in mineral complexes. To refine boron from those minerals requires a chemical process. There are completely different standards for refining boron to be used as a cleaning agent as compared to refining any element for human consumption. My point is that you should not be telling people to ingest something which does not have FDA aproval. Your last sentence is the most revealing; "If they ask you at the pharmacy why you want it tell them the vet said to put some in your old dogs's water. That way they will not be worried about you taking it." Do you really know what you are talking about?

I used to have every kind of pain around my body, mostly joints. Every time I used to consume dairy and gluten products I used to get a lot of brain fog, nasal congestion, stomach issues a big list and persistent pain around my body. I started to think that I was developing fibromylagia or MS and anxiety makes you think the worst scenarios. Never thought it was gluten and dairy related. I went to do tests and they discovered I'm gluten and dairy/casein intolerant. Waiting to go for a celiac test now. I completely changed the diet I used to get(mostly gluten and junk)to gluten free and dairy free and noticed a lot of the symptoms I used to get 75% of them has disappeared. I switched to soya products, eating a lot of vegetables, fruit, fish, poultry, meat and every morning I do take porridge with berries and hemp seeds. I noticed a lot of difference.

in reply to

So just out of curiosity, did your doctor suggest testing for food sensitivities, or did you have to ask? I find it pretty frightening to realize how awful our food supply has been! And I guess there are many doctors that haven't made the connection yet.

in reply to

I did a lot of research, asking people who has been diagnosed with it and I decided to go get tested. Yup unfortunately now a days food has become very awful and I believe many diseases are connecting by what food we digest. In my opinion doctors only supports the pharmaceutical option.

in reply to

Got that right. So many are just mercenaries paid off by drug companies.

in reply to

Well done- you are making lots of positive diet changes. One thing about the coeliac test- the one where they take a biopsy from the intestine...It will not work- if you have been on a GF diet for a while. Because the villi are returing to normal so therefore will show negative. To have the test you need to be eating lots of gluten for 4 weeks prior- so lots of bread and cakes- pasta etc. You need to look into this as good be waste of time and a lot of drama for an invasive test.

in reply to

I can feel very good now a days since I changed the diet. Really about the coeliac test that doesn’t show up if you no longer eats gluten? It’s not nice to start eating gluten again after the symptoms I used to get, very awful. So as you said it’s wasting of time then.

Shamrocks profile image
Shamrocks in reply to

I was diagnosed coeliac 20 years ago after years of feeling ill,I was so thin my bones were depleting,after 3 days of gluten free eating I felt well...a miracle,I was diagnosed by endoscopy,I had somewhere to go after so didn't have any medication,the doctor a young Aussie guy, who performed the endoscopy asked as I sat up had I ever heard of coeliac disease? I had,he said that's your problem,I asked how do you know?he said because my stomach was shiny on the inside...the villi were worn and flattened,no food absorbtion,diarrhoea...after gluten free diet plenty of absorption and weight gain....every cloud ...

Penel profile image
Penel in reply to

coeliac.org.uk/coeliac-dise...

Penel profile image
Penel

If you are looking for some good gf recipes, try the Healthy Eating site.

healthunlocked.com/search/g...

Perhaps also have a look at the Autoimmune Protocol way of eating if you still have issues you want to address through changing your diet.

thepaleomom.com/start-here/...

in reply to Penel

Thanks for the links!

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