Is anyone gluten and dairy free?

Hiya,
i have been gluten free for about 8 years now, and i'm largely dairy free. i was more dairy free till i realised soy / rice milk stuff is made with vegie oil, so i cut it and added in a bit more dairy. i eat butter, plain yogurt, and splashes of milk in redbush tea...

what i eat over a day...

breakfast--i can eat oats so f i eat a bowl of oatmeal mixed with plain yogurt and fruit with ground flax on it, plus fish oil (i used to eat other gluten free cereals, but they are too expensive so quit...)

mid morning snack no. 1 oatcakes

mid morning snack 2 cut up vegies

lunch varies, but could be
--stew with beans / chickpeas / lentils and lots of veg (usually left over dinner or i make big batches and freeze it to take to work)
--brown rice and veg stir fry (avoid soy sauce use tamari instead)
--tofu
--soup, dairy / gluten free
--salad
--occasionally g/free pasta + veg
--other left over dinner

mid afternoon snack fruit, or i bake gluten free scones (though they have some milk or yogurt in them--could use rice milk but then it gets into the inflammatory vegetable oil!)

dinner could be
--fish and veg
--make a curry usually with chickpeas / lentils, occasionally chicken (too expensive to eat regularly as i prefer organic...)
--soup
--lentils
--roasted vegetables (favourite at the moment is butternut squash with the skin left on, roasted iwth butter and fresh herbs till it's falling apart...mmmm!
--baked sweet potatoes (prefer to potatoes) with lentils or chickpea mash or roasted vegetables
--other random mostly vegie recipes
--occasionally something like a chicken and potatoes / veg etc..

and if i'm hungry later, usually something like yogurt (plain) with fruit

i don't eat much gluten free replacement stuff as it's just not very natural...and i need to eat very low GI as i tend towards low blood sugar, and it's all high GI

i try to be sure i eat one serving of beans / pulses a day for protein and mega fibre

does that help? happy to answer any other questions about this as i know it can be tough! gotten easier over the years for sure... you do btw need to read ALLLL labels, as gluten / dairy is where you'd least expect it. very very annoying...

Kiki

Hi mom30, I'm more or less gluten free (I recently started eating oatcakes occasionally) and am mostly dairy free, apart from sheep's yougourt and incidental bits of dairy in other people's cooking ie I'm not 100% strict when I'm away from home. I also do the blood-type diet and low GI and food combining. It sounds a bit challenging but it keeps my digestion settled and it's only a problem if I go away from home without packing a snack. It would be much more difficult if I were vegetarian. Here's an idea of what I eat:

first breakfast: apple or pear and berries
2nd breakfast (about 45 mins later): sheep's yogourt with hemp seeds and almonds
elevenses: celery and nuts
lunch: fish/tofu/meat/poultry with lots of veg and salad
tea: carrot, oatcakes or rice cakes with bean pate
dinner: brown rice or brown rice pasta with beans or lentils and veg

I prefer to have my protein main meal at lunchtime and carb meal in the evening I'm flexible, especially if I'm at someone else's house. Judith
Judith

so our baby is 8 months old and initially had some real trouble with the food I was eating- so I quit eating most things
I went totally grain free and dairy free
but I had to add meat in (after being vegetarian for years!)
anyway I am about to remove the meat again since we recently started in with eggs and nuts and he seems fine with that

So right now we eat mostly:
deer meat
sweet potatoes
carrots
broccoli
salmon
shrimp
eggs
bone broth
kale
collard greens
apples
bananas
squash
onions
garlic
not beans but you can
lentils
almonds
walnuts
peanut butter
jelly
avocado
coconut oil
there is a great product called lavash that makes a millet and flax combo (I don't eat it now but one day)
and there is an awesome coconut icecream that is delicious (purely decadent)
I found coconut flour and have used it to make pancakes

Hi All

Has anyone heard of, or tried, A2 milk? I know it is available in Australia and New Zealand, but I don't know if it is available in other parts of the world. It was developed in New Zealand at a University a few years ago, but then it all went quiet. I think that is because it was being commercialised. From what I have read, many people who have lactose intolerance have no problems with it. It is better because it is free of a protein that many humans cannot tolerate, or something like that. I found some in my small country town independent supermarket. I have been watching their stock coming and going since I first found it a couple of weeks ago. It is walking off the shelves. Somebody is certainly buying it, in spite of its being more expensive! This is the company's website, http://www.a2milk.com.au/ . Check it out.

Louise

Thank you Louise,

I have a lactose intolerance, and avoid any kind of pasteurized milk, although raw milk cheddar cheese seems to agree with me.

I know in Canada, that raw milk is a big no no, although there are those that do get it, sort of under the table.

Interesting website, great that there is another option!

Mooooo ...

Oceanblue

I'm gluten-free since testing positive for anti-gliadin (gluten) IgA antibodies, anti-tissue transglutaminase, and HLA genes that predispose to gluten intolerance last year. My son is GF, too. We aren't dairy-free (yet, but I'm considering it) but what dairy we do consume is generally raw whole milk, raw aged cheese, plain whole milk yogurt, generally from smaller-scale producers, often from grassfed herds, and pasteurized heavy cream (not ultra pasteurized and no additives) and grass fed butter. We also consume sheep and goat milk foods. I avoid CAFO dairy foods. I've eaten low carb since 2004 to maintain my weight and normal blood glucose levels.

I have cystocele and rectocele conditions, the latter being the more annoying. I find the rectocele condition is far less bothersome if I avoid grain foods and don't supplement fiber (I get plenty of fiber from non-starchy veggies). Grain fiber creates very bulky stools for me, and they are the worst, as they are very hard to pass, sometimes tearing painful fissures. I also have an easier time with the rectocele if I eat ample amounts of naturally saturated fat (butter, meat fat, coconut oil, etc.) which is also my main form of energy since I eat so few carbohydrates. I do not restrict meat or fish as they are naturally raised on pasture, wild game, or wild caught. I eat poultry moderately, as it is harder to find pastured poultry (not fed a lot of corn or soy). I eat a lot of "backyard" eggs, especially the yolks. All of these diet tinkerings (basically old fashioned, local, seasonal real food) have been very good for my overall health, including the rectocele, but especially for my BG.

Locl, what are CAFO dairy foods??

L

Interested in your post. I too am gluten free, but never been tested as i can't eat gluten long enough to have the test.
i have the bulky painful stool issue. so, you eat very little grain--is that all grain? i eat oatmeal every morning figuring all the fibre is good and it's filling, oat cakes for snacks sometimes, and lots of brown rice / bit of buckwheat pasta. hmmm....maybe i should try without. how soon did you notice a difference?

so wondering can you give samples of what you eat for breakfast? is the rest of the day fruit / veg / proteins?

do you eat many pulses? nuts?
interested in this as it's really really annoying...

We have been through quite a bit in the last 6 months. My son was dxed with a parasite and the conventional treatment did not rid his body of it. He was in pain all the time. It was horrifying for all of us. He couldn't play, lost weight, and seemed like he was wasting away.
For his entire life, our family had been vegetarian. I never used any tvp or soy products and always fed nutritious home cooked meals- never from boxes, fast food restaurants, etc...My kids have never been picky eaters. We also ate cheese and yogurt (well I didn't).
Then I started my research into parasites, how they work, what they enjoy and found that they love grains and sugars and weak hosts. I was determined to starve the suckers out. We visited with two specialists and our pediatrician multiple times over this time period and they could only offer testing- which I was reluctant to do (endoscopy, cat scan, etc)- basically I decided they were of no use to me (the physicians) but the blood testing was for sure as we found out he was deficient in D (parasites inhibit absorption) and set out to heal his gut. We also took him to an acupuncturist and she made him a formula to take for his symptoms.
We eliminated all grains and sugar completely, took out dairy and fruit and added in meat and fish oil and a cal/mag supplement.
Basically for two months we ate eggs, meat (mostly deer my dad hunted), sweet potatoes, and veges (avoiding high sugar veges like carrots) and coconut oil and avocados. Slowly, oh so slowly I began to hope I was seeing improvement. He was able to ride his bike again and run in the back yard. He stopped waking up at night screaming in pain, his legs stopped hurting.
Then I decided to add in raw milk kefir, the sugary veges and fruit. Man fruit has never tasted so sweet! We also started eating nuts again-
we are still sugar free (except for fruit), we eat most things in natural form- and are really enjoying cultured probiotic drinks.
I am actually dreading the day we eat beans again- because then I will have to cut us way back on the meat (after all if we can get our protein from plants- there will be no need for the meat).
He is mostly pain free now (we will test again soon to find out if the parasite is gone) and we have recently let him have some (like 3 tbs at a meal) grains- like quinoa, millet, and oats. Which don't seem to be causing pain.
So how has this dietary change made a difference in everyone's poo? Well there are 6 of us (but the baby doesn't really count) and I have seen the diet change the poo- but no one has had ANY problems. I was so worried that when I started eating meat it would bother my rectocele- but it didn't at all. The waste product was definitely heavier- and I could feel that right before I had to go- and I noticed it in the kids as well (the poo would sink not float) but it did not bother my rectocele. We all stayed very regular even when eating only meat and veges. I did notice when we were grain and sugar free that there was a lot less wiping going on- and they kids were quicker poopers. So increased gut motility. I hardly ever splinted for my rectocele (a bit when I was pregnant) but when on the meat and vege diet the poo was better formed- larger diameter, and longer- for everyone- not just me- and no need to splint.
I really think he started feeling better about a month after mega doses of D3. I think he still has the parasite, I think his body was so unhealthy and deficient that the parasite was killing him- but once we started addressing his over all health - his system is able to live well with the parasite- as many people do (in fact my second son also tested positive for it but has no symptoms).
So for a few months we were grain, dairy, sugar, fruit, high sugar vegetable, FREE.
It was a bit boring- and challenging for me because there was not something quick and easy- I had to cook every meal- but it worked.
Not sure this will help inspire any of you- but I say go for it! get rid of grains, dairy, and sugar. No more processed anything. Give it a month and see how you feel- I bet it you will feel amazing.
and get a detailed blood test too.
also much of the reading I did suggests that IBS is actually parasite infection. So if you have trouble with bm's- tummy pain, irregularity- get a stool sample done. Something as simple as yeast overgrowth could be causing the pain or constant wiping problems.

Wow alemama! May I ask what bug you have been dealing with (if you know)? These kinds of things really fascinate me.

I totally agree that there are many gastrointestinal illnesses (like IBS) that could actually be caused by parasites or bacteria . . . . it was such a breakthrough when stomach ulcers could be contributed to h.pylori and thus treated. I wonder why there is not more exploration into a "microbiologic" reason for disorders of the gut? Because we live in a "clean" and developed nation? Hmmm . . .

I also enjoy hearing how diets can be so beneficial when allowed to be adaptable. "Strict" never seems to turn out to be the ideal for anthing, including food. Seems like we should eat according to season, illness, health, weather, region, etc from all of the many sources of nourishment, imho.

Best wishes for your son's continued recovery!

wow alemama, thanks for that! so sorry you have been dealing with that--that must have been so scary. what a lucky boy to have a mama like you figuring this all out....

i'm sold, i'm going to try a few weeks of much less grain, none if possible (harder when out, but will try).
so, questions to all who have done this...

breakfast--what do you eat?

do you still then eat starchy veg like potatoes? just thinking of the rest of my family not rebelling too much...already so good, but don't want to push it too much....

i'm definately not a red meat eater, so go for fish, occasional chicken when i can afford organic, and lots of pulses. but pulses seem to agree with me quite well, so feel okay with that. and i don't eat a ton of carb anyway, but do struggle about breakfast as even with my usual oatmeal / fruit / yogurt, i'm starving two hours later...

thoughts?

You really can't beat eggs for breakfast- all the many ways to prepare them- I used to love eggs and black beans with avocado- yummy!
when I was eliminating for the baby (allergies with nursing-which by the way are just about all gone) I would eat a sweet potato for breakfast- 1 tbs of coconut oil (something like 100 cal) and an avocado.
salmon and eggs is awesome
salmon and sweet potato is good too.
blend black beans and eggs and make a little fried cake.
or drink your breakfast. smoothies are awesome- drop a raw egg in there. or two! We did this when our chickens were laying. and chia- they are great for full feeling and calories.
Seems like no matter what we eat we need to eat again in about 3 hours- that is my whole family.
I have found the best way to keep full is to eat protein at breakfast.

AND
the parasite we have is blastocystis hominis- which until recently was not thought to be a problem- but they are finding it more and more in cases of IBS, celiac, etc....

I am 100% grain free, processed food free and sugar free. As for dairy, we eat only cream and butter, and some raw cheese.
We are just happier and healthier without the gluten and lactose oh and the sugar.

Alemama, we are also on megadose vit D, and it works wonders. :)
Liv

Hello again!
So, questions...
how much D do you all take? Just started taking 5000iu as we get NO sun here in winter... but wondering if it's enough...

I'm cooking black beans tonight so they are ready for breakfast next couple days. Ate a sweet potato for breakfast with yogurt which was a yummy start to the day...so trying it out. will keep you all updated an how it goes--i'm really hoping it helps my digestion & thus my rect! As you said Alemama problem is nothing fast--when i'm at work snacks can't be cooked, so just need to plan more if i'm going to do this, but will see how it goes.

Liv--can you give a run down of what you eat? just find it helpful to get ideas of favourite foods...

and how much starchy foods do you all eat ie potatoes? i know i will play with it, but interested in what others do...

thanks!
Kristina

only a few days, but other than a bit of rice one meal i've had not grain for 3 days, and lots of black beans. wow what a difference! Louise's posture finally works, no splinting, and all working much better for me! let's hope it keeps going...not sure if it's the copious amount of beans (ended up having for all three meals yesterday as was out and kept being served lovely bean dishes), or the lack of grains...or both. will see.

thanks for this, much much appreciated. still love to hear more on what people eat if time...

thanks!
Kiki

Great news Kiki, I do hope you have cracked it. There are so many different factors that are variable. Baby steps.

L

Nope we don't eat many starches- no white potatoes- only sweet. But you can get plenty of carbs with veges and fruits.
When you do want to add back in grains try quinoa first- then millet.
Yesterday my mom brought a treat for us- carrot muffins with almond flour. They were delicious and satisfied that *need to bite into bread* feeling we sometimes get.
I have had good success making pancakes out of dates and chopped nuts and fat.
I have also made a delicious pie crust out of the same ingredients- then filled it with sweet potato and pineapple. yummy.
I really enjoy salads- especially with a bit of salmon or strawberries and nuts-
we have been avoiding cheese but I had a bit of soft goat cheese crumbles recently and it was like heaven!
for lunch today I made salmon patties (egg, dill, wild salmon from a bag, garlic) and veges ( cabbage, collards, onion) and it was so yummy

oh ya- and beans are really high carb too- and sugar.....that can mess with your gut. So excited for you!
also a great cal/mag supplement is great.

Alemama, I'm inspired by your healthy eating!

I eat pretty healthy, whole foods, meat once or twice a week and lots of in season produce, but I indulge in wine and chocolate way too frequently. Here is my dilemma:

I am severely anemic, so much that my doctoc wants to give me an intravenous iron supplement. It is iron deficient anemia, rather than another type. So I need iron.

I am not supposed to eat meat, dairy, citrus or any of the nightshades because of my psoriasis. But I am supposed to eat fish 2-3 times a week...

But I can't eat fish right now because I am too avoid iodine (hyperthyroidism -- most likely another autoimmune disease). The hyperthyroidism, so far untreated because I am breastfeeding, causes bone to be broken down faster than I am building it. So I need lost of calcium, but am supposed to avoid dairy...

Iron pills constipate me. I think calcium supplements do too. Does anyone else experience constipation with calcium supplements?

I am taking (and eating) lost of flax, which helps the rectocle quite a bit (ie keeps things moving).

My plan is to go dairy and meat free, and cut sugar significanlty, but I am worried about the deficiencies (iron and calcium) for me, and the quality of my breastmilk.

Any suggestions?

Hi Momto2boys
You do seem to have a lot of dietary contradictions to deal with. It sounds to me like you need some red meat in your diet to get your iron levels up, but I take on board the psoriasis dilemma. What happens to your psoriasis if you have meat? Have you tried challenging the psoriasis with some freerange reared, or wild game red meat for a few days, and see what happens? If there is a problem you can easily cut it out again. If there is no worsening your problem may be solved.

One of the problems of cutting out too many significant foods is that the diet literally becomes unbalanced. Sure, if you eat an enormous amount of dairy foods, or red meat, or gluten containing grains, that is going to unbalance your diet just as much, which is probably how a lot of us got into dietary strife in the first place. Eating a disproportionate amount of any one food means that you do not have the room in your diet for further variety of foods. The classic is eating too much sugary food which is empty calories, so the person don't have the space or appetite for foods that will actually feed your body.

I am not saying your diet is as extreme as that but try and watch out that you don't further unbalance it. I suspect that you already know this and are probably shaking your fist and going purple just reading it. It must be so frustrating. More variety might be better than cutting things out completely.

Louise

Please take what you can and ignore the rest....I am seeing RED RED flags. You have iron deficiency anemia, psoriasis, and hyperthyroidism. This sounds like a health crisis to me. There is some issue causing you to be unable to absorb nutrients. What is going on? I challenge you to dig deep into your health. Demand testing from your doctor. My guess is you have some kind of gut issue (ulcer, parasites, etc) messing with your ability to absorb nutrients. Get a stool sample and a complete blood test (testing especially your fat soluble vitamins).
for now though get floridex- it is an iron supplement from food sources- you will have to take massive amounts but in a few months it should start to work. It is very expensive though-
and get a good calcium magnesium supplement- try 'calm' it is wonderful and non-constipating!
Take care of yourself mama!
There is iron in beans after all- and some high iron beans-
look into combining foods for better absorption.
but until you know why you are having trouble absorbing you are just going to be throwing money into food and supplements that are not going to be able to do any good.
and don't worry about the breastfeeding. Your body will serve your baby first :)
though you may like to check into getting a vitamin d supplement for the baby.....

Kiki, we don't eat legumes either. We eat all the fruits and veges, grass fed organic meat and eggs (our own, gotta have our good fats), raw milk, butter and cream, ocassional cheese. We eat basically no omega 6s.
Breakfast: usually eggs, we like all kinds with homemade salsa, cucumber slices, you name it.
Lunch: steamed or raw veggies, meat, or a salad with fish/nuts/a little cheese
Dinner: sometimes I just drink some cream, lol, but usually I make a dip and we eat raw veggies with it (carrot, romaine leaves, apples...)
As for desserts, I make some for the family, but I only eat Lindt 85% bar. :)
L

mama2 boys--i agree with alemama. there is something major going on, and you need to get to the root. flurodix is great. you will need a bunch, but doesn't constipated. also homeopaths can give you homeopathic iron you take 3x a day and it helps to absorb more of what you are getting. could also help to balance the thyroid, and hopefully help your whole system to balance.
accupuncture can also help thyroid.

alemama--so i just looked up beans on WHFoods and for 172g of black beans (1 cup) they have 3.7 g sugar...they are high carb--40g, but also 15g protein...my packet says they are made up of 6% protein, 11% carb or which 0.1% is sugar, and 6% fibre...
so curious about them being sugary--as they seem mostly starchy but not a sugary one.
i have been eating them the last few mornings for breakfast and they definately help to fill me up which is great, and sure the are helping digestion...thoughts on daily eating?
also pancakes and pie crust--do you have recipes you can share?

clavicula, curious why you don't eat legumes? i'm amazed at what you are happy eating, i just know i can't go that down to basics. but it's inspiring ;-)
living in a city does just make getting so many things harder--raw milk is out (costs a fortune to get it delivered) and even organic chicken is insanely expensive, so i just don't really eat much (never been into red meats since i was a kid, but at that they are really a fortune!). so, definately rely on beans and tofu for protein.

i'd given up eggs largely because of the omega 6 in them, but now trying adding stuff in...will try with those too.

okay, thanks for all the thoughts. really helpful. will see how we go! but so far so good... still going well ;-)

thanks
Kiki

Liv, you are a woman of my heart. We are getting some chooks (laying hens) again this year, as soon as we have their water supply organised. We let our last lot of chooks die of old age after our children went to the city for boarding school. Somehow it didn't seem worth it just for two of us, but now we can see different reasons for having our own egg supply. They can free range during the day and get locked up in our fox proof chook shed at night. You are an inspiration!

I do agree with you abou Lindt 85%, but their little black truffles are pretty wicked too. I just wish that Lindt would go Fair Trade. What would we do without them. My nightmare would be Lindt being bought out by Nestle. Terry's Dark Chocolate Orange and Dark Toblerone are pretty yummy too but you can raffle the rest of them.

L

Judy M

I was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2002 after suffering for 4 years with iron deficiency anemia and osteoperosis. I also bruised all the time for no reason. Gluten intolerance (mine was full blown auto-immune disease celiac sprue) causes you not to be able to absorb vitamins and minerals, and so I could not absorb iron, nor vitamin K (so the bruising) nor vitamin D (so no absorbtion of calcium). I am fine now--I am vigilant about no gluten.

Additionally, I had hyperthyroidism (Graves disease) in my teens and had to have my thyroid removed--now have been on synthetic thyroid for 40 years. My current doctor has said that both celiac and Graves are both autoimmune diseases, and are also linked to Chrohn's which also runs in my family.

I think total elimination of gluten is the best best for anyone with auto immune issues. The inflammation and scarring these antibodies cause all kinds of mal-absorption.

I can now hike 10 miles--but 8 years ago I could not walk two blocks to the park.

Good luck!

Louise, same here. And it is great to have your own hens, ours also eat grass and small bugs all day long. We do not use chemicals (dunno the english word, maybe pesticides?) in the garden, so even the grass is okay. And they lay gigantic eggs with almost orange coloured yolks full of good fats. Good stuff! :)
You always inspire me on this site, so it is an honour to inspire you this way, lol.
Liv

Kiki, I guess, I just cannot digest them properly (legumes make me bloated, and I really feel bad after eating those, so I stopped), kids don't eat them. Hubby likes peas, so I usually put some in vege curries or just steam them with butter.

for us beans are way more sugar than meat- so they were out as a protein source- We have been trying to get the most out of every bite - and that means that any time we prepared carbs we wanted it to be a nutritious as possible- so carrots would be a better choice for a starch than beans- and broccoli better than carrots- and kale better than broccoli- you know what I mean?

In the past we were vegetarian and beans were served with every meal! Glad that the grain free life style is working for you!

It's great to hear about all these dietary changes! It seems like most people are clueless when it comes to food, and it's personally encouraging to me to read all this.

I have been on the Blood Type Diet for 4 1/2 years. It's wonderful and amazing and I highly recommend it to anybody who is looking for something a bit deeper than what they're currently doing.

I was wheat- and dairy-free for about 10 years before I learned about the BTD. The BTD healed my body so that I could tolerate gluten again, and a little wheat occasionally. I started making ghee, which is clarified butter, and my digestive system healed enough to eat some cheese and yogurt again. Ghee is really, really good for you and is easy to make.

Being a blood type A, I eat little meat. I eat turkey and fish and that's about it. Occasionally a little lamb. All chemical-free. My diet is a little limited right now in the area of beans because it gives the baby terrible gas. But I love lentils!

I'm answering this quite late but i would like to let everyone know how changing my diet has helped me and my prolapse symptoms.

I suffered my prolaspse 12 weeks ago. It was pretty major, dropping to the bottom of my vagina so i could see my cervix protuding just outside.
A few weeks later my rectual wall colapsed into my vagina as well. I was not a happy girl! Anyway, i decided that i had to change my diet to soften up my stools and hopefully this would stop the collection of faeces gathering in my bowel and take the pressure off my uterus and help my prolapse.

After 11 weeks of experimenting I am caffeine , wheat and glutten free. Wheat gave me the most pain, gluten clogged my system and caffeine raised my blood pressure. I also follow a food combining diet. I am considering giving up dairy as well but i love my cheese :0)

It has really helped me a lot and i would say to anyone in my situation to try it.