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Gluten Free Diets

34 replies

Anony555 · 24/02/2021 15:12

Hi all
I posted a thread on here sometime ago, but now I need a bit of dietary advice or opinions here.
It's a bit of a long story so here goes:
I was diagnosed with autism when I was around 2 or 3. My diet was very limited as a kid and it only got a lot better when I was older. By the time I was 17, I was eating foods of all sorts but after leaving school found out I was anaemic due to extreme tiredness i was feeling. Afterwards I was free from it for 4 years, and ended up getting anaemic again in 2020 after doing lots of gym workouts during lockdown, along with my period also affecting the iron. Fastforwarding to now, I'm doing well but my mum notices that I'm lethargic.

She's considering that I try going on a gluten free diet. I don't have coelic or anything but was tested for it in 2016 and came back negative. I am a bit unsure about this as it'll mean I'll have to give up having a lot of foods I may like. However on another side, I started having more foods with B vitamins in and am seeing an improvement but my mum still wants me to try the gluten free diet.

Do you guys have any suggestions about this? Also what are your experiences with gluten free diets and were they successful?

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FedUpAtHomeTroels · 24/02/2021 15:39

I wouldn't, it doesn't make your diet any healthier. It's very restricting, I'm on it for Coeliac.
If you are anaemic, just introduce more iron rich foods and take your iron suppliment with Orange juice.
The only way Gluten free would improve your anaemia is if you are coeliac and not absorbing nutients. If you aren't coeliac then you are already absorbing nutrients and gluten free will do nothing extra.

MistakenAgain · 24/02/2021 15:50

I think its a bad faddy to go gluten free if you are not coeliac.

Howevever if you eat a diet high in bread then it might be worth cutting down to ensure you get a variety. I do this and am fine with 1 slice of toast a day. I ocassionally have a pizza but choose one with lots of veg. I do subsitute pasta for gluten free pasta, as I prefer it. Pasta makes me really sluggish but there are lots of gluten free pastas e.g. made from lentils and I hardly notice the difference. I also have porridge oats or corn flakes for breakfast so again avoiding too much gluten. Other carbs I eat are potatoes (white/sweet), rice (brown/white), grains (quinoa), lentils and beans.

The biggest difference to energy IMHO is eating more fibre e.g. 30g a day is recommended for adults. There was a program about Immunity and more fibre boosts immune cells. Also more veg.

To help absorb nutrients you could try a Digestive Enzyme and some probiotics e.g. natural yoghurt.

Why not buy / borrow some cookbooks? I did this and taught myself to cook a lot of different things over time.

MistakenAgain · 24/02/2021 15:52

Bit faddy

pointythings · 24/02/2021 15:59

I wouldn't. My DD2 has been on a GF diet from late 2016, but although she isn't coeliac, she does have a severe gluten intolerance and eating it causes her intense pain. If you have no symptoms, you're better off just eating more healthily in general and enjoying bread and pasta in a moderate way.

Boph · 24/02/2021 16:05

Absolutely no point in going on a GF diet for anemia. Some people need to be gf because gluten makes them very ill. Most people on gf diets are just following fads.
If you are anaemic, and it seems possible if you have a history, then just add more iron to your diet. It would be a shame to go back to a restricted diet when you have overcome it and enjoy food.
Google iron rich foods, see if that helps and if not see your Dr.

Anony555 · 24/02/2021 22:30

@FedUpAtHomeTroels I'm not anaemic, but I definitely want to ensure I'm as healthy as possible

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Anony555 · 24/02/2021 22:32

@MistakenAgain hmmm that could help. I thought of replacing whole meal and white bread with sourdough bread. I hardly eat pizza but my mum still recommends I replace it

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Anony555 · 24/02/2021 22:33

@pointythings perhaps you have a point there. It might be wiser if I just decrease rather than cut out drastically

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Anony555 · 24/02/2021 22:34

@Boph as I said before I'm no longer anaemic, but my mum things that this diet would help boost my energy

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FedUpAtHomeTroels · 24/02/2021 23:18

Your Mum is just talking rubbish sorry AnonyMum Gluten free foods are full of sugar and fat and xanthan gum (a lubricant from the oil industry??), just to try and make it taste better. It isn't going to give you more energy just make you gain some weight probably. and increase your food costs.

Horizons83 · 24/02/2021 23:28

My DH eats a gluten free diet which he is convinced has solved his lethargy issues. He tested negative for coeliac disease but his GP mentioned that non coeliac gluten sensitivity is a thing.

I will be honest... I am not convinced that it’s not all just in his head. It makes life damn annoying (have to really pick carefully which restaurant to go to, nothing in his food can even say may contain traces of gluten.. except apparently Hotel Chocolate products Hmm) and I’m not convinced it’s even necessary in his case. However, he is convinced that it has made him feel totally different and his exhaustion and brain fog is gone. He has also rewritten history and attributes any previous ailment as caused by his gluten consumption.

I would say though that he hasn’t simply swapped for non gluten options. He does not eat bread or pasta at all now, even GF brands. Cakes are rare. So it is entirely possible he simply eats a lower carb diet which makes him feel better.

Not sure where I’m going with this.. maybe try it for a month? See if you feel better?

boppin · 24/02/2021 23:34

I'd give it a go personally, if it doesn't help
You've not lost anything. Lots of foods are naturally GF.

Do you know what's causing the anaemia?

haba · 25/02/2021 09:50

I'm going to go against the grain here (boom boom!) and mention that there are a great number of people with autism, and parents of children with autism, that report stomach issues, particularly around wheat products or dairy products.

There is no need to eat specific GF products- as another poster pointed out, many of the foods are very high in sugar, and really not a sound nutritional option. However, it is certainly possible to alter your diet to align with a more Eastern or Mediterranean diet, with a lower intake of bread, cutting cakes and biscuits, and increasing vegetables and fruits.
Many, many dishes are accompanied by rice (brown is healthier, but takes longer to cook), or potatoes, or other grains such as buckwheat (which is not wheat!), quinoa, amaranth, corn etc.
I agree with increasing your fibre intake, and adding more vegetables each meal will fill you more than relying on wheat-based products.

I would try to get an intolerance test if you can, but I'm afraid I don't know the process, especially not during the pandemic when access to healthcare is restricted.

An advanced search on here will probably reveal many threads on the subject though.

I would say that a really good quality daily multivitamin won't hurt you, and perhaps an iron supplement for the week of your period, just to stave off any issues there. Also try to get outside for a walk somewhere between 11am and 2pm, even just for twenty minutes, will help by promoting good sleep in the evening. If you can, expose some of your skin to the 'sunlight' (haha- I'm assuming you're in Britain, and I know it's rationed here Wink) for just 10-15 minutes will help your body produce vitamin D too.

Anony555 · 25/02/2021 10:06

@boppin I've decided that I'll give it a go gradually. I recovered from the anaemia which was caused by doing gym workouts everyday during lockdown along with my diet not being enough to make up for what I was using up, plus menstrual blood loss

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Anony555 · 25/02/2021 10:06

@TheSandgroper Thanks for these. I'll take a look

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miltonj · 25/02/2021 10:10

There are no health benefits of going gluten free if you are no coeliac.

Anony555 · 25/02/2021 10:10

@haba Yes, I'm in London, UK. I am taking Vitamin D supplements which are helping and I do go out for walks everyday. I will still give the gluten free diet a go, but will do it at a gradual pace and gradually get off certain foods like weetabix, and find alternative replacements. Strangely enough I've never had stomach issues around dairy products, but I was suggested I try this diet due to my energy levels, plus research has shown that people on gluten free diets live higher quality and longer lives. I have started having this Vitamin B powder with my food and that has already started having a positive impact on my health. Perhaps it's Vitamin B I need to invest on?

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Anony555 · 25/02/2021 10:11

@miltonj But does it help with increasing energy and getting quicker? I wonder

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Anony555 · 25/02/2021 10:13

@FedUpAtHomeTroels Sorry, perhaps I didn't make myself clear here. What I meant was looking for alternative foods to replace some of the stuff I'm already eating. Like, is it worth me looking for alternatives, for example replacing dairy cheese with lactose free cheese, and bread with sourdough bread, if I don't have coeliac but am autistic?

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murbblurb · 25/02/2021 10:15

No.

Everyone in UK should take bit d supplement October to April due to our latitude. (NHS advice)

Excuse me, off to get out in the sun on this lovely midlands day.

haba · 25/02/2021 10:41

Sourdough bread is still made with wheat, so I'm not sure about any benefits there.
Are you cooking for yourself or living at home and someone else cooking? I honestly wouldn't worry about dairy at all if you've never had any issues.

Boph · 25/02/2021 11:17

OP have you ever had an eating disorder?
Could your lethargy be due to not actually eating enough calories?
It sounds to me that you are mistaking "healthy" for "faddy".
Replacing dairy with lactose free is pointless unless you know yourself to be lactose intolerant.
As to going gluten free it's not really something you can do by halves. Anyone who has an allergy to gluten cannot eat any. If you plan to try a gf diet you have to cut it out. I did once try gf as I have auto immune disease. I cut it out for several (miserable) months. I hated it as I love bread, pasta and sauces and the substitutes are awful. It made zero difference to me, I suspect you have to believe in it and might then get a placebo effect.
Unless you are overweight or underweight you should eat whatever you enjoy and just make sure there are plenty of fruit and veg and other nutrients in there.

Anony555 · 25/02/2021 11:39

@murbblurb I'm already taking vitamin d supplements so I'm on the right track with that

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