# Food sensitivity



## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

It is absolutely incredible what the wheat is doing to our bodies.... 
If I had been the only one who experienced it, I would be locked up in a loony bin. But I have the experiences of my DH and DS, and when I found the wheat. Elly blog, I realized the poison may not be an accident! 
I am now embarrassed to say that I have a degree in Agriculture, for that is where the problem begins.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I definitely believe that many neurological issues have a distinct relation to diet. I follow the "keto" diet, which was first developed to help children and adults with seizure disorders. I have ADHD-C as well as anxiety/depression issues and binge eating urges, and I notice that when I follow this way of eating I feel much better. I sleep better, and I can get through a day at work much better. When I eat carbohydrates at a "normal" rate, I have horrible cravings and feel hungry constantly, and I especially crave sugar and bread constantly. 

There is a lot of current science suggesting we eat far too many carbohydrates and grains, so it would definitely follow that you may have food sensitivities. I would suggest tracking your normal eating for a week, then cutting out certain foods for a week at a time to see how you feel. It's doable and it may surprise you.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Wheat and the gluten has been thro a lot of changes in the past 50 yrs. Back then people didn't experience these problems. A nutritionist told me that people often crave what they are sensitive to, and that wheat and dairy were the most common. I've begun to question the flour I buy. I can eat a multigrain store bo't bread just fine but eat a home made biscuit and within about 15 min I can barely breath. I am lactose sensitive which causes the same reaction if over about 3 oz. I can drink fermented milk (Kefir) just fine. I made the biscuits with barely 3 oz of milk and just one biscuit causes me grief.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

For some reason, humans find it more feasible to go to many doctors and take a pill, rather than eliminate the source of the problem.

It is rather like going to the doctor because of a pain in the head, having an MRI, getting a prescription for pain medication, going home, and continuing to bang the head on the wall.....then going back for a stronger pain medication....

We have a marker (c-reactive protein) for inflammation, but if it is high, how many MORE tests get run trying to track down ONE source, when the inflammation is generalized, and caused by one thing in the diet???

Here is a short list of the maladies CURED, or avoided, not treated, by giving up the source of the inflammation...

Joint pain. 

Shortness of breath.

Excema.

Foot pain, incl. plantar fasciitis and neuropathy.

Headaches.

Bleeding gums.

Snoring, sleep apnea.

These are only the ones that I have experienced in MY family. We were on no medication, so I cannot address those things. DH was probably undiagnosed diabetic, though, and now blood work reveals he is not even pre-diabetic.

He could not comfortably walk from his truck to a store, and now we can hike 7 miles on a DIFFICULT trail. 

Give up the grains, take Magnesium, vitamin d, iodine and probiotics. Eat meat and vegetables. An apple a day for the prebiotic fiber. If it comes in a box, it probably has wheat in it...leave it alone.


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

My issues with certain foods:

Sleeplessness
Apathy
Lethargy
Joint pain
Intestinal issues
Headaches
Gallbladder issues
Acid reflux
Loss of enamel due to acid reflux

The list goes on.

For me it was the apathy and lethargy that worried me the most. I am the proverbial energizer bunny, but I had lost the spark, the energy, the want to move. ****ed me off.

I haven't eaten fast food in 15 years, so I couldn't blame that. So I got rid of the whites in my diet. White flour, sugar, milk, and rice. I added more meat, veggies, fruits. 

Until I balanced out my body, even beer bothers me. Now that I have things balanced out, I can now enjoy a cold beer on a summer evening.

I also turned to grazing all day versus three big meals a day.


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## Triumvirate (Jan 24, 2015)

I've been having a really hard time eating any sweets unless its fruit and even then I can't eat too much of that. If I eat something like a cupcake or any other type of dessert food like that, I feel SO bad afterward. Not bad in a mental guilt sort of way (I eat healthy enough that a treat every once in a while won't bother me) but my body feels bad and I get really nauseous. I can eat a bit more of fruit but I can only eat a certain amount. I don't feel bad or nauseous like with dessert foods but I just... stop. It's like my body says "don't eat that" and I can't eat anymore. I tend to run low on blood sugar anyway and I'm not diabetic so I don't know what it is... 

Also, has anyone else given up diary? I've given up milk but every once in a while I really want cheese but I've gotten to where eating that just makes me feel awful. Apparently there's also a large amount of pus in dairy products too..


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Well a couple of days of clean eating, and how do I feel?

AWFUL, came down with full head cold in a couple of hours yesterday evening, and TMI, my nose has been running like water on and off for 24 hours, including most of the night, so I am tired and grouchy, and feeling rough...not a good start.

Currently eating oatmeal, with berries and some Greek yoghurt for breakfast, salad and a small protein for lunch, then mixed veggies and protein supper. Protein so far chicken and fish.....I do eat fruit for a snack or will have a handful of nuts...but really not feeling like eating right now, just trying to get enough fluids down me, black coffee, herbal tea, water, and my one indulgence, a mug of hot water with a flavour sachet in it.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Well still struggling with this virus, so many people are down with it here, it is nasty, and older people, like me, are being knocked sideways by it.

BUT, if my somewhat erratic scales are to be believed, I have lost nearly 10 pounds in 4 days, yes I guess people will say it is water weight, but I don;t believe it. I think my Wednesday weight was elevated by the amount of wheat I consumed on Tuesday, that bloating has now gone having been (mainly) gluten free for 4 days.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

That loss is pure inflammation. I am so sorry you are not feeling up to snuff, but congratulations! 

Have you read Wheat Belly Total Health? Or, gone to the blog? (Wheat belly blog) 

Be sure and take a "before"picture.....


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Try giving up gluten & dairy 100% for 2 weeks. I bet it would be life changing. 

I was a very ill, very tired, and very thin person until I figured out my gluten intolerance. Dairy affects me too but not to the same extreme. I can have it in moderation, but feel better w/out it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Mulefeather said:


> I definitely believe that many neurological issues have a distinct relation to diet. I follow the "keto" diet, which was first developed to help children and adults with seizure disorders. I have ADHD-C as well as anxiety/depression issues and binge eating urges, and I notice that when I follow this way of eating I feel much better. I sleep better, and I can get through a day at work much better. When I eat carbohydrates at a "normal" rate, I have horrible cravings and feel hungry constantly, and I especially crave sugar and bread constantly.
> 
> There is a lot of current science suggesting we eat far too many carbohydrates and grains, so it would definitely follow that you may have food sensitivities. I would suggest tracking your normal eating for a week, then cutting out certain foods for a week at a time to see how you feel. It's doable and it may surprise you.



to truly be in ketogenisis you must eat very low carbohydrates, and very high levels of fat. so much fat that most people cannot stomach that much fat.

while, I , too, feel better on no refined flour products, if the whole world ate on a no grain diet, low starch (very few potatoes/yams) and high meat, the world could not sustain this way of feeding its' people. iIt takes a tremendous amount of grain, water and grass to produce that much meat. you cannot grow enough coconut trees to feed the world on coconut oil. humans have been eating grains of one type or another long enough to have adapted to them. eskimos /inuit have adapted to a high meat/fat diet, and I don't know how long they've lived in that environment, but it's in the thousands, not millions.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

If you actually HAVE gluten intolerance, giving up gluten will help you. The vast majority of caucasian humans do not have gluten intolerance. It is a myth, however passionately held. What people do have, is difficulty with refined starches and sugars. They should be avoided -- white flour, white sugar, corn syrup etc.

Eating whole grains and limiting sugar is a reasonable and very well proven diet, along with eating a lot of vegetables, unprocessed fruits, and both animal and plant proteins. Plus, getting more exercise.

A New York Times nutrition writer recently crunched all the data on all the science-based diet recommendations in the past ten years or so, and reported that, wait for it, there is *very little consensus on what is an optimal diet*, except what I noted above: few processed foods, whole grains, limited sugar, fresh fruits and vegetables. That is IT. 

I've watched every fad/panic come and go. Low protein, high protein, no red meat, no dairy, no blah blah. No-gluten will go too, eventually. Not that I'm going to convince any true believers. Any more than they will believe that there is no such thing as a Toxin that cannot be identified chemically or otherwise. You may as well say "microscopic goblins" for all the science there is behind it. 

/rant.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> to truly be in ketogenisis you must eat very low carbohydrates, and very high levels of fat. so much fat that most people cannot stomach that much fat.


Not true, when I lost the 140 pounds that was low carb and high protein, very little fat, and that was all to do with being in ketogenisis.



tinyliny said:


> while, I , too, feel better on no refined flour products, if the whole world ate on a no grain diet, low starch (very few potatoes/yams) and high meat, the world could not sustain this way of feeding its' people. iIt takes a tremendous amount of grain, water and grass to produce that much meat. you cannot grow enough coconut trees to feed the world on coconut oil. humans have been eating grains of one type or another long enough to have adapted to them. eskimos /inuit have adapted to a high meat/fat diet, and I don't know how long they've lived in that environment, but it's in the thousands, not millions.


But it is not a no grain diet, I eat plenty of grains, just not wheat, I also eat starch, but prefer yams to potatoes. Wheat and wheat alone is the big issue for me at the moment in the grain department, and that is because, I believe, it bears little relation to a natural and healthy product anymore, 

Most of us 

A) eat to much
b) Waste FAR to much, what the first world throws away each day in spoiled food is criminal
c) Do not eat a varied enough diet

Oats are a great grain to eat, barley isn't too bad, pulses are fantastic, people need to eat more lentils, split peas, etc, 

I am an unhealthy obese person, my logic tells me this, but my addiction keeps winning, and why? Well of course a lot of it is to do with low will power, or is it? 

Valentines day, cooked hubby a lovely full English breakfast, including a slice of fried bread, that looked so good I made a slice for myself, one little slice of bread, served with bacon, egg, sausage and tomatoes, enough calories to last until supper time, but within an hour I am hungry. My usual bowl of oatmeal, berries and yogurt, far less calories but don't feel hungry for hours. I guess next time I will try the full cooked, but pass on the bread, see if protien and fat will keep me full.

Thing is I believe that one small portion of bread makes me want more. Same with sugars, and probably more so with corn syrup....I try very hard to not eat things with corn syrup in it.



> Try giving up gluten & dairy 100% for 2 weeks. I bet it would be life changing.


I would probably lose the will to live :wink: Seriously though I did the Daniel Fast for lent a few years back, and actually felt great, 

https://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/


> *Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast*
> All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon
> All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy.
> All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.
> ...


.

It was hard, shopping took a long time, eating out was a nightmare, but as I say, I felt good.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Ketogenisis is a state of metabolism that , to be done healthily, requires quite a bit of fat consumption. (I am not so sure how healthy it is at all, for that matter, but the gurus say to do it healthily, you must consume quite a bit of fat)

you may lose weight by cutting down on carbs, and eating a lot of protein, but you won't be in the actual state of ketogenis without haveing very low carbs and very high fats. it may be that one can be in a partial state, but from what I've read, it's necessary to consume a lot of fat, . to get a large percentage of your total calories from fats; butter, coconut oil, avocado, nut oils, fish oils, etc. 
the people who do this really hard core, like athletes, will literally pour oil into everything.

I agree about bread making me hungry. I think Golden and I have similar issues with bread and flour causing cravings.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

Tiny, you have to take into account that athletes are also consuming far more calories than someone like me, who has a desk job, is sitting in a car for several hours at a shot regularly, and gets about 30 minutes of exercise a day at present. For someone wanting to lose weight, you simply don't need that many calories that you'd need to supplement- the only thing I did to that measure was put a tablespoon of coconut oil in my coffee in the mornings, and cooking things in butter or ghee for dinner- usually vegetables. 

From my own MyFitnessPal records, when I was in solid weight loss mode I consumed about 1800 calories a day, 25 or fewer net carbs, and about 120 grams of fat a day. I was also walking 4-5 miles a day and doing a 10-15 minute workout with a kettle bell. 

Benign dietary ketosis is very easy to achieve under those dietary circumstances, and fat is to satiate yourself as well as provide energy, since it's then what your body is using as fuel instead of glucose. 

My benefits were excellent hunger management, as well as management of cravings. I have never had it checked out, but I show a lot of signs of insulin resistance as well, which it can be very helpful for. With my family's history of diabetes, it stands to reason in my mind.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Well, according to those (unreliable) scales, 170 calories worth of chocolate, and 1 slice of bread added a pound yesterday....

It is really difficult for me to tell if I had a physical reaction, I feel so carp with this cough and cold, that anything else is getting lost.


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Certain foods make me stay full longer too and it has nothing to do with calories. I think it has more to do w/ sugar & protein. I eat a piece of toast & an egg for breakfast every day. That will last me 4 hours easy and even if I get hungry, I never get weak or shaky. A bowl of cereal, which has the same # of calories, leaves me feeling weak & shaky after a couple of hours. Oatmeal sticks w/ me a long time, too, especially steel-cut oats. 

I've always been of the mentality of eating fat & protein. We don't avoid carbs, but we always don't avoid fat, assuming it's natural fat (whole milk, butter, etc.). That being said, I'm currently eating Bit 'o Honeys. :rofl: But, I know that eating this candy is going to make me hungry in an hour!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

This explains a bit of what we are doing..
Creating Resynthesised Wheat

I firmly believe that we changed the wheat to increase yield and increase mechanical harvest ability, and in doing so, created the disease processes that we see today. If this were a HUMAN problem, we would not have seen directly proportional increases in feline and canine diseases when they are also fed the wheat.

We are simply being fed an addictive, unhealthy substance in the name of food, and suffering the health crises to prove it.


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## jenkat86 (May 20, 2014)

Golden- I get ocular migraines, too. I've also started wondering if it has something to do with my diet. 

Subbing.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Crohns disease cured . . . by a chance encounter at the airport

By Dr. Davis | February 18, 2016 1 Comment

presentations, etc.

I posed this question recently: Given the extravagant health successes people are experiencing by living the Wheat Belly lifestyle, are we on the dawn of an age of self-direction in health? If doctors misdiagnose/misclassify our acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, intractable constipation, migraine headaches, chronic sinusitis, asthma, depression, binge eating disorder, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and hundreds of other conditions, which we then reverse on our own with the lifestyle changes we introduce . . . who needs the doctors?

Christine provided her perspective:

“Absolutely, and I am living proof of it. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease 20 years ago and have endured multiple surgeries, every drug you can imagine and an indescribable amount of pain.

“In 2014, I happened across your book, Dr. Davis, in an airport bookshop. When I broached the subject with my gastroenterologist, her words were ‘I would never prescribe a gluten-free diet to help. It’s just too expensive.’

“To make an incredibly long story short, I am happy to report that a scope I had done in May, 2015 showed ‘no active disease.’ In fact, my gastroenterologist even repeated the test last month just to confirm. Still no issues. And I am seeing my surgeon next week, to book a date to reverse an ileostomy he did in April, 2014.

“I feel better than I have felt in 20 years. So, absolutely, I’m ALL FOR self-directed health!”

A chance encounter at the airport provided better information than years of dealings with gastroenterologists. There are undoubtedly times when we need doctors and the healthcare system, such as suturing a laceration or repairing a broken femur. But look at the wide variety of chronic health conditions (not acute injury or infection) that are reversing in the face of wheat and grain elimination, followed by the strategies we introduce to correct the health disruptions they introduced (e.g., thyroid disease, dysbiosis). As story after story shows us, people are reducing, often curing, themselves of chronic health conditions that doctors misdiagnosed, were unable to diagnose, but prescribed drug after drug and advised procedures.

By rejecting all wheat and grains, we revert back to the way humans ate for the first 99.6% of our time on earth before we figured out how to harvest the seeds of grasses and cultivate them–“grains.” We thereby also revert back to the way human life was that can still be observed in primitive cultures who do not grow grains—no obesity, no hypertension, virtually no diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or autoimmune conditions, i.e., none of the “diseases of civilization” that we view as common today.

Fold in the boom in tools that empower us in health, such as social media, new websites that collate collective human health experiences (e.g., Patients Like Me), home health tools, and smartphone health apps, and I do indeed believe that it is going to be a very exciting few years ahead as we become less reliant on a predatory and flawed healthcare system and more reliant on our own resources.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Well I caved yesterday and had a small slice of pizza for supper, made me hungry later in the evening. DH is so sweet, thought throwing a couple of pizzas on would save me having to cook....I guess he was right.

The migraines are fairly rare for me, I guess I'll keep logging the food and see when it happens again. The 'good' news, the little packet of chocolate eggs didn't trigger it


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Well this is interesting....I have been largely wheat free while I was ill and recovering, but when we were in town the other day I bought some 12 grain bread for hubby, and it looked so good I thought I would have a sandwich for lunch, which made me hungry before supper, so I snacked on a slice of bread, followed by making nice (only they weren't) fluffy dumplings for supper.

Yesterday toast for breakfast, got invited to sons new house for lunch, crepes....Oh and bought a couple of donuts while we were out.

Today I have gained pounds, seriously 4 pounds heavier, my joints ache, I have a headache, I was going to go ride, maybe, but decided not to.....feel like kaka.

Now grains/wheat or sugar......I'm thinking more likely wheat, so that gets binned again and see how we go....

I can't imagine a life without bread/cake/pizza, not that I want to eat it every day, but when I do have some it seems to open the floodgates, so maybe it just has to go......


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Golden Horse said:


> When I had my eyes tested I got around to telling her about the flashing lights and things I see sometimes, and I'm told it's ocular migraine, I don't have them often, so wondering if that is food related. Certainly the fact that I was awake and burning up at 3 am is due to food....


Flashes, floaters, ocular migraines, and the like are NOT food related.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Golden Horse said:


> Well this is interesting....I have been largely wheat free while I was ill and recovering, but when we were in town the other day I bought some 12 grain bread for hubby, and it looked so good I thought I would have a sandwich for lunch, which made me hungry before supper, so I snacked on a slice of bread, followed by making nice (only they weren't) fluffy dumplings for supper.
> 
> Yesterday toast for breakfast, got invited to sons new house for lunch, crepes....Oh and bought a couple of donuts while we were out.
> 
> ...


Crepes, dumplings, doughnuts, etc are not WHOLE wheat and so your dealing with "empty" processed white carbs. 

Heck, even some "whole grain" bread is not really whole. You have to read the label to find out. 

So I guess I don't see your logic for blaming wheat when you are not getting wheat from whole nutritious sources.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

beau159 said:


> Crepes, dumplings, doughnuts, etc are not WHOLE wheat and so your dealing with "empty" processed white carbs.
> 
> Heck, even some "whole grain" bread is not really whole. You have to read the label to find out.
> 
> ...


Because it doesn't matter what color it is, I brought back wheat and had issues, seems like it COULD be a causal thing, I fail to see why that is such a leap of faith

ban something form your diet things are better, put it back things go pear shaped......


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Golden Horse said:


> Because it doesn't matter what color it is, I brought back wheat and had issues, seems like it COULD be a causal thing, I fail to see why that is such a leap of faith
> 
> ban something form your diet things are better, put it back things go pear shaped......


But there is a difference between eating a traditional pizza from Pizza Hut made from white processed flour with high fat pepperoni and sausage.... or eating homemade pizza made with stone ground wheat pizza crust with no-salt added homemade tomato pizza sauce, with veggie toppings and low-fat mozzarella cheese. 

Your SOURCE of food is important, as is the moderation in which you eat it. 

That's the point I'm making. Both pizzas have WHEAT in them, but I guarantee one of them will make you feel sluggish, still hungry, and even gain weight.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

beau159 said:


> Flashes, floaters, ocular migraines, and the like are NOT food related.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I know you are an optometrist, Beau, but there are definitely ocular symptoms related to inflammation, including cataracts.

I was no longer able to drive at night because I was not recovering from the light, and when I gave up the grains, suddenly, I have excellent light recovery, and no problem driving at night. I am also starting to feel over corrected in my contacts.

Once those things are really gone, GH, they are really no longer missed....a bit like cyanide, lol.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

greentree said:


> Once those things are really gone, GH, they are really no longer missed....a bit like cyanide, lol.


I think they are more like cigarettes, ever since I quit I have to tell myself "you can smoke whenever you like, but remember there is no such thing as one smoke, IF you ever smoke a cigarette, it WILL be a pack a day habit"

BUT it is so much easier with smokes, having to decide what foods is harder


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

I was so happy to finally be able to walk without pain, ride and dismount without pain, not ache for 2 days after riding, and be able to eat food without obsessing about it, that I just treat it as poison.....because to me, it is. 

And do not be swayed by the "healthy, whole grains" as there is just no such thing. For one thing, " whole" is a government definition...even horses do not eat " whole" grain, and they ARE designed to eat grain. (Grasses, and the seeds of grasses)We are not. 

As I have said before, why NOT eliminate the CAUSE of the inflammation and a lot of the health problems, instead of treating 3, or 10, of the single symptoms? Because of the money.....

Cigarettes and wheat....nicotine and opiates.... Lung cancer and weight problems(plus all of the associated diseases)

Go to the grocery store, and start studying the shopping carts, especially in a not so ritzy part of town. Look at what is in the cart, then the person pushing it. Then study the ad's on TV. Connect the dots. Stay in the meat and produce departments!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

A few years ago I stopped eating all wheat products and cut right down on sugar as a last ditch resort to try to resolve a colitis problem that was getting worse and worse. The attacks always coincided with eating anything with wheat in it - and it made no difference if the wheat was expensive wholemeal, organic or cheap stuff
It took about a month for things to really settle down but it stopped all my problems plus I got my weight back to normal really quickly
The trouble is after a while you start to let it creep back into your diet because so much 'easy' food contains it
Dairy products are the one's I find most likely to give me bad sinus problems and headaches, even a really small amount is too much so its looking like no more cheese for me - and I do love cheese


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I feel as though the correlation between wheat/grain sensitivity is very poorly understood by medical science at this time. Certain areas of the medical community seem more accepting, such as the diabetic community. We really are just scratching the surface of what the "typical" North American diet can cause long-term, but so far this is the only "fad" that's now backed up by hard science. Whole grains and processed grains aren't exactly much different on a macro level aside from the usual addition of a bunch of sugar to one or the other, or usually both. 

I am of the mindset that bread is bread, carbs are carbs, and whether it's bleached/processed flour or "whole" grain, if you are eating too many carbohydrates for your body, then it's going to cause a problem. It's important to look at foods on a macro level before assuming something is automatically healthier because it's been processed a certain way. It doesn't matter if you hit a nail with a rock or a hammer if it's still a nail. 

Case in point, let's look at a serving of regular old white bread vs. a slice of whole grain bread on a macro level. 

Arnold Whole Grain Classics 12 Grain Bread

Walmart Classic White Bread

At first glance, the 12-grain looks healthier. It's even got the attractive little bits, crumbs and crunchies right at the top so the manufacturer can SHOW you it's healthy, right? But aside from a few trace vitamins and minerals you can easily get elsewhere at a lower caloric and carbohydrate cost, they're pretty similar. Same serving, 1 slice. Let's face it, nobody is weighing bread slices, they're using two to make a sandwich. 

The 12-grain bread serving is heavier at 43 grams, but also more calorie-dense at 110 calories, whereas the white bread has 60 calories a slice. But each has around the same level of net carbohydrates - 17 net carbs per slice for the 12 grain, 12 for the white bread (Net carbs = total carbohydrates - dietary fiber). And regardless of the process used to create the flour, they both contain wheat. 

GH, I can't tell you what you're experiencing because I'm not you - I can only tell you about my experiences with reducing carb count in my diet, as well as eliminating grains. I try not to be evangelical about food, as it's a sensitive and deeply personal topic (yes, I believe food is personal, otherwise why would diet discussions get so nutty?). If you feel better without it, no reason you can't have a healthy lifestyle without it.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Of course food is a a totally personal topic, because our bodies react differently. Over the years I have tried many diets, and I know that I do better with low carb, but husband gets really hungry on the same diet, he feels full, stays full, and maintains his weight on high carb intake. If he has too much fat, upset stomach. I can process fat, and stay feeling full without carbs.

As to shopping for many years I have mainly avoided the centre of the store, we rarely have ready made anything, just too many scary ingredients in them.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

greentree said:


> I know you are an optometrist, Beau, but there are definitely ocular symptoms related to inflammation, including cataracts.
> 
> I was no longer able to drive at night because I was not *recovering from the light*, and when I gave up the grains, suddenly, I have excellent light recovery, and no problem driving at night. I am also starting to feel over corrected in my contacts.


Cataracts are a yellowing and/or cloudiness of the crystalline lens. There are different types but the most common type is an age-related process that happens slowly over time. It will gradually make your vision blurry, colors less bright, and contribute to glare/halos in dark situations (such as night time driving). While cataracts can be the result of medication side-effects and serious systemic disease and poor nutrition (mostly in 3rd world countries), they are most commonly caused by free radicals due to UV exposure. 

Cataracts don't really have anything to do with your ability to recover from bright lights. That's the responsibility of the photoreceptors in the retina called rods and cones. When they are "flooded" with light, they have to be able to adapt back to normal function (dark and light adaptation).

......Not to mention, cataracts can cause your prescription to slowly change as the lens thickens .... which can change your glasses/contact prescription. And depending on your age, bifocal changes can also change your glasses/contact prescription to change as well. 

That's great if you feel better about your vision from your diet changes. By all means, continue on. But it _might_ not have anything to do with feeling over-corrected in your contacts. Might simply be cataract or bifocal-related changes that are changing your prescription _anyway._


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Moderation is the key in my opinion. If I want a sandwich I use one slice of bread, i only use sourdough bread. I buy lean meats and have at least 2 veggies at dinner . 
I do can no longer eat fatty foods , if i do I pay the price of not leaving the house. 
If you have food allergies, they can cause the stomach,bowel,skin, joint problems. 
A lot of diets include nuts which can trigger an allergy or gallbladder issues .


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## Rainaisabelle (Jan 2, 2015)

When I was younger I was the worst stress eater! I would eat and eat and eat. I gained 20 kilos and now I have IBS so I have to follow a low fodmaps diet. My mother always told me moderation is key but I didn't listen and now I have to lol


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## gottatrot (Jan 9, 2011)

Avna said:


> If you actually HAVE gluten intolerance, giving up gluten will help you. The vast majority of caucasian humans do not have gluten intolerance. It is a myth, however passionately held. What people do have, is difficulty with refined starches and sugars. They should be avoided -- white flour, white sugar, corn syrup etc.
> 
> Eating whole grains and limiting sugar is a reasonable and very well proven diet, along with eating a lot of vegetables, unprocessed fruits, and both animal and plant proteins. Plus, getting more exercise.
> 
> ...


I'm with Avna. 
It is known that certain foods trigger migraines in some people. For instance, MSG has been one that causes migraines for many, and some people get migraines from wine. Some foods may begin a mild immune response so blood vessels dilate, etc which can cause headaches. That's not due to the food itself being "bad," but your body responds that way. I could say everyone should give up blackberries because I have a mild allergy to them and they make me itch, but blackberries are a good food for many people, full of antioxidants.

Any restrictive diet must be thought out carefully. Let's say you cut out grain, including whole grains, then you better add enough fiber in the form of fruits and vegetables to keep your colon healthy. High fat, high protein diets may end up giving you gallstones or kidney stones.

I can't say I've known anyone yet who had long term success with any fad diet. For athletes, it is much harder to maintain glycogen stores in the muscles for quick energy on a low carb diet. There are a few athletes such as Dean Karnazes who follow a strict "paleo" type diet and make it work. That is the difficult way around how our bodies work, however, and the easiest way to have the ready energy for athletic pursuits (including hard riding and barn work) is to eat a high carb diet, which is what I try to do. I also feel bad if my high carb diet consists of twinkies and donuts. But I feel great when I'm disciplined and my high carbs come from fruits, vegetables, and lots of oatmeal, whole wheat bread, rice, etc. That's the focus of my diet along with some low fat dairy and low fat meat for protein. 
I did struggle with my weight years ago in my early 20s when I ate for emotional needs and large portion sizes.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I try and eat mainly veggies, fruit and meat and fish, then I do eat whole grains, just in the form of oats, rye, quinoa etc etc. Also eat pulses and beans, oh and nuts of course.

Things have gone a bit haywire since I started trying to keep track of foods, got the flu, then took a kind of life hit and now sick again...........just eating what feels right, or that I can face....


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

GH, sometimes it seems to play out that way. Just take care of yourself and get back into good health.


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## Lisabaltic (Dec 26, 2015)

I stopped eating gluten 2 years ago and won't go back to it. I was having major allergies and also did a food elimination diet. I mainly eat organic now as well. The wheat in North america is terrible for your gut. It had caused me to have what's called a leaky gut.

I went to Eastern Europe (Estonia) for 2 weeks this year. I could have all the baked goods i wanted and felt great! I have been doing research and the wheat is a different strand over there, which is easier to digest. Also they have very strict rule on GMOS as well.


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