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gluten-free?


Sat, May 01, 2010 4:33 PM

Recently, I was visiting my parents and my mom and I were talking about my Crohn's. She suggested that I try going gluten-free. Now, I've never had a problem with gluten before, so I don't really see the point. Plus, I've never really been a big believer in any sort of diet. I would love to here what anyone has to say on this. Thank you. Amanda

FPO mander
Joined Apr 26, 2010

Fri, June 11, 2010 12:00 AM

 Reply posted for mander.

I started by avoiding all foods with yeast in it years ago that helped then last year I also avoided gluten. It works great but this is only part of the problem. This will be 17 years for me and I have not needed any surgery up to this point.  

FPO long road
Joined Jun 11, 2010

Fri, May 14, 2010 2:45 PM

 Reply posted for mander.

for me, the specific carbohydrate diet has been nothing short of a miracle.  i've been on it for about 4 days.  bloating, bleeding, cramping is all gone.  i started feeling the effects the first day.

it sounds funny, but now my body kind of feels like a machine, i take in fuel, extract energy, eliminate what's left over.  before i felt the engine was all clogged up and not able to do what it was supposed to do.

i tried going gluten free before i tried the SCD diet but didn't notice much of a difference.  plus for some reason the times i tried it i got very "panicky" about not being able to eat bread.  the trick for me with the SCD diet was that i had been starving myself for a few days (only thing that made my stomach stop hurting) so i didn't really miss the starches when i finally tried it out.  i definitely spend more time in the kitchen now but really enjoy it knowing i will be able to eat. 

please email me any time if you have questions.  good luck!!!

rissa   joelrissa@aol.com

FPO rissa
Joined Apr 19, 2010

Mon, May 10, 2010 12:00 AM

 Reply posted for mander.

One of the reasons for going w/o gluten is that the type of protein in wheat gluten is a "sticky" protein, which is harder to digest. I've been avoiding it for about a  year, and it does seem to help.

FPO krii
Joined Jan 22, 2009

Wed, May 05, 2010 12:00 AM

 Reply posted for mander.

I've been gluten-free now for a little over a year. I could not happier with the decisions. While I don't think it will prevent or get one out of a flare, I do strongly believe it makes you feel all around better and provides more energy. I have personally noticed a few benefits since I have become gluten free, firstly I don't ever feel bloated after eating, which was very common when I ate gluten. I don't really belch anymore. I have far less discomfort in my stomach from food. And most importantly, it makes me think about what I am eating. Before I put something in my mouth, I ask myself: What are you about to eat? What ingredients does this have? By asking yourself these questions, you become far more conscious of the food you eat and as a result make better decisions, which helps manage the symptoms and life of one with IBD (I have crohns). 


I highly recommend it. Off course it is challenging, however communicating your needs to friends and family is one of the most important steps. I wrote a small blog post on the subject a few months ago, if you are interested: 

http://isaaccrohns.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/gluten-free-lifestyle-and-crohns/


Good luck and feel free to ask any questions! 

FPO kizel
Joined Dec 9, 2008

Sun, May 02, 2010 10:09 PM

 Reply posted for mander.

You may want to try cutting back on gluten. What makes bread dough rise? Yeast. Why? Because it produces gas. When you eat bread you are consuming yeast. What does yeast do? It produces gas. That gas  has to go somewhere. So if you cut your bread consumption in half, you're producing less gas. If you don't want to follow a diet, by doing this you're cutting back on one of the many dietary complications of having Crohn's. Good Luck. Marilyn

FPO marilynaz
Joined Jun 4, 2008

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