Very new to gluten free

[mjgarr]

I am starting a gluten free diet. I have ordered the test kit from Enterolab, but haven't received it yet. This gluten free is overwhelming for me, but I will hang in there until I am healed. Can anyone give me pointers for new bees on gluten free. One of my problems is when I read labels, some of the ingredients I don't what they are. Can anyone help me on this?

Thanks, mjgarr

[Erica P-G]

HI Mjgarr

Glad you have decided to do the Enterolab testing, that will solidify what one really should pay attention to long term and for life.

Here is a link that pretty much explains gluten and its many terms https://www.csaceliacs.org/label_reading_101.jsp

Long story short if it is in a box/bag/sack or baked it probably has gluten in it, unless it is cooked by yourself and you know the exact ingredient list.

When you get to a healed point you will want to maintain gluten free as that is and has been the reason you began this journey.....if you haven't read Tex's incredibly indepth analysis regarding Why to all this...I'll share it here:

Descriptive statement by Wayne Perksy of the Microscopic Colitis Foundation:

It's true that MC is not as bad as Crohn's and UC, but it's worse than celiac disease (which most people don't even realize is an IBD). And as "bad" diseases go, it's bad enough, for all practical purposes, because it's definitely a life-altering disease. Here's some basic information to get you headed in the right direction for your recovery program.

Drugs are not necessary for controlling MC, and as you have found, they are only able to temporarily mask the symptoms anyway, because they do not address the cause of the problem. Drugs can suppress the inflammation (after the inflammation is created), but the only way to get meaningful relief from the symptoms is to stop the inflammation from being generated in the first place

First, here's some background information about the disease:

Microscopic colitis is usually not caused by food sensitivities, but food sensitivities tend to develop after the disease begins. The foods that are responsible cause inflammation in the digestive system, and this causes the symptoms to continue as long as these particular foods remain in the diet. Gastroenterologists tend to prescribe one medication after another, hoping to somehow "cure" the disease, but they fail to treat the cause of the symptoms. So after the treatment ends, the symptoms relapse, almost every time.

The bottom line is, unfortunately, no medication can cure MC. In some cases, one or more of the medications commonly prescribed to treat the disease can mask the symptoms, but after the treatment ends, the symptoms almost always return. The only way to actually stop the inflammation that causes the disease and prevent it from reoccurring is to make diet changes that prevent the inflammation from being regenerated with each meal.

Here's how the food sensitivities begin:

Research shows that when the genes that predispose to MC are triggered, the genes that predispose to gluten sensitivity are also triggered. Gluten sensitivity causes increased intestinal permeability (also known as "leaky gut") and this allows partially-digested peptides from certain foods to enter the bloodstream, which provokes an immune system response (because those peptides are obviously not supposed to be in the blood). The immune system then begins to react to certain proteins in those foods every time they are eaten. This is why some of the foods that we have been eating for most of our life can suddenly begin to cause chronic inflammation by provoking our immune system to produce antibodies against them. Physicians are trained to treat disease by prescribing drugs, and none of them receive any significant amount of formal training in dietary treatment methods, so they are pretty much forced to treat MC by prescribing drugs. Fortunately, here and there a few gastroenterologists are beginning to learn about the diet connection, but in most areas of the country, progress is still very slow. Most doctors will deny that food or diet has anything to do with MC, and that is completely incorrect.

The inflammation that perpetuates the symptoms for MC patients is due to T cell infiltration into the intestinal lining (the mucosa) of the colon. These lymphocytes are expressed in response to antibodies produced as a result of food sensitivities. In most cases food sensitivities probably are not the reason why the disease developed initially, but once the sensitivities develop, then they tend to perpetuate the symptoms. This makes the disease very difficult to control unless certain diet changes are made.

Certain drugs can also cause the immune system to produce antibodies that trigger MC symptoms. In some cases, just stopping the use of those drugs can bring remission of the MC symptoms. These drugs include antibiotics, NSAIDs, PPIs, SSRIs, SNRIs, statins, bisphosphonates, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and others. But in many cases, food sensitivities develop before the use of the drug is stopped, so the diet must also be changed in addition to avoiding the drug that causes the inflammation. But the bottom line is that if we stop the antibodies from being produced by avoiding the offending foods or drugs, then we can stop the inflammation from being produced and the symptoms will begin to fade away. And the symptoms will stay away as long as we are very careful with our diet (and the medications we use).

MC is a very complex disease, and it is not easy to control because of the fact that reliable long-term control requires diet changes that are are often unique to the individual. In other words, there is no one-size-fits-all diet that will control the disease. But virtually every MC patient is sensitive to gluten. For most, it's a form of non-celiac gluten sensitivity, so that the celiac screening tests used by doctors are worthless for detecting the type of gluten sensitivity that is typically associated with MC.

Many, many doctors have mistakenly informed many, many MC patients that they are not sensitive to gluten based on a negative celiac test result. That simply is not true, because doctors have no way to officially diagnose non-celiac gluten sensitivity. A positive celiac test result can confirm gluten sensitivity, but a negative celiac test result cannot rule out gluten sensitivity. Every patient has to customize their diet to fit their own specific food sensitivities. And note that stress (whether physical, chemical, or mental/psychological) has a major effect on MC. Very intense stress, or in many cases, chronic stress. can even trigger a relapse of symptoms in many cases. Therefore it's also important to find ways to minimize stress, otherwise stress can perpetuate the symptoms.

Treating this disease is rarely easy. For many of us it may be the biggest challenge that we will ever face. It requires major lifestyle changes and discipline in order to achieve and maintain remission by diet. Some patients find it very difficult to accept and adhere to the strict diet changes necessary to control the disease. For them, medications are their only option. And if medications are the only option to be considered, then experience shows that budesonide is currently the most practical choice for treating the disease. But unfortunately it doesn't work for everyone, and even when it does, it loses effectiveness with repeat treatments.

I have been able to stop my symptoms and maintain remission for almost 13 years now, by diet changes alone. I have never found it necessary to take a medication to treat MC. If you are interested in learning how to control your symptoms by diet alone, you can download some guidelines for getting started at the link below,

http://www.microscopiccolitisfoundation ... 070516.pdf

And there is a section on this forum with guidelines for recovery. Here's a link:

http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=79

Yes, drastically changing our diet is something that all of us hate to do. We are creatures of habit, and we don't like to be forced to change. But choosing to change our diet in order to get our life back is not as unpalatable as being forced to change. And controlling the disease is far, far better than being afraid to leave the house. Basically we have a choice of changing our diet and getting our life back, or eating whatever we want and living close to the bathroom at all times.

Once we come to the realization that many of the foods that we used to eat are now poison to our body, it's easier to appreciate why we have to avoid them at all costs. Trust me, we can still enjoy life with MC. We have to focus on the foods that we can eat, and forget the foods that we cannot eat, because they are no longer a part of a healthy lifestyle.

And another important reason for changing our diet in order to prevent the inflammation from being regenerated with each meal is the fact that if we do not control the inflammation, we will almost surely continue to develop additional autoimmune diseases as time goes on. Inflammation is the basic cause of all disease, and for most people, food sensitivities are the main cause of system-wide inflammation.

I wish you lots of healing,
Warmly
Erica

[brandy]

Hi MJ,

I find it easier if I eat MOSTLY foods that come directly from mother nature and don't have ingredient lists.

Examples: meat, pork, chicken, fish, shrimp, potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, avacados, and overcooked veggies.
(Plain veggies that don't come with sauces or anything.) These foods are all naturally gluten free, dairy free and soy free.

I consume four food types regularly that have an ingredient list. They are: tuna, boxed bone broth, rice crackers and dark chocolate. I make sure all are gluten and soy free.

This minimizes stress...is fairly economical....I eat the same routine foods so I don't get sick.

[brandy]

MJ I assume things have gluten in them unless they are clearly labeled "gluten free." Items with gluten free label are supposed to be tested at a lab and have less than 20 ppm gluten in them to meet US labeling requirements. Laws vary around the world.

Items that are not labeled "gluten free" are not tested in a lab so they are subject to contamination in shipping contamination at the factory etc.

The exception to my rule is black teas. Most of them are not labeled gluten free but I've not had problems with them.

Hopefully this helps.

[tex]

MJ,

At the link below (on this forum) you can find lists of many, many aliases for gluten and other foods, such as soy, dairy, corn, etc.:

Foods And Food Ingredients That Should Be Avoided

You can print out these lists and take them with you to the grocery store.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

as others have suggested, eating home made whole food type meals, - safe proteins and veges is best way to avoid gluten and other troublesome ingredients.

have you looked at the suggested eating plan information in the Guideines to Recovery section?
http://perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=79