Whole30: When Going Gluten-Free May Not Be Enough

gluten-free-whole30

It is indeed Time to Change.

I am hitting the restart button on my health…and hopefully on my life.

After five years of having celiac disease, things have kinda been sucking lately.

I keep waiting and waiting to feel better…to feel normal. And it just ain’t happening.

Going gluten-free is simply not enough at this point.

My body has been screaming that to me for some time, but I’ve been too ignorant to listen.

The last thing I feel like doing is giving up one food at a time. Too time-consuming and eating is a pain in the ass enough as it is.

So I am giving up everything for the next 30 days.

Well…maybe not everything (it just feels that way.)

I got the idea from my good friend Alysa over at InspiredRD.

She’s been in the same boat as me health-wise and mentioned that she was going on the Whole30 Program in September.

I needed something drastic and this was it!

(Ironically, it seems that many other celiacs, like Sassy, are also taking on this September challenge as well. Lovin’ it.)

What is the Whole30 Program you say?ย Basically, for 30 days you eat nothing but “real food” to give your body the chance to heal.

What can I eat? Meat, fish, veggies and fruit.

More importantly, what can’t I eat?

Let’s start with the two biggies: coffee and alcohol.

Let me just say this: I like both of these things very, very much.

(Actually, the program does allow coffee, but since it may possibly be a trigger, I’m giving it up too. As I write this blog, I’m enjoying a hot water with lemon instead of my coffee. And when I say I’m enjoying it, what I really mean is that I hate it.)

What else is forbidden? Grains, dairy, added sugar, legumes and white potatoes. Oh…and of course gluten.

Mrs. Dude and I went food shopping for my journey last night. Holy crap…it’s expensive to eat healthy!

whole30-is-gluten-free-enough

Not only am I changing my diet for the next 30 days, but I’m also changing my routine.

Old routine: 5:30 wake-up. Hit snooze repeatedly. Drag my ass to the kitchen to make coffee. An hour on my iPad reading the NY Times, doing the crossword, wasting time. At my desk at 7:30.

New routine: 6:00 wake-up. No snooze. Grab an apple. Head to the gym. Come home, shower and go right to work. Save the iPad until night time.

30 days from now, I am hoping to be revived.

Mrs. Dude said recently that I am not the man she married.

I’m getting him back!

So today is officially the first day of the rest of my……month.

Change is good. Life is good.

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70 thoughts on “Whole30: When Going Gluten-Free May Not Be Enough”

  1. Ohhh, GD. My heart goes out to you (seriously) and your family. I wish you were in my “neck of the woods.” I’d take you and Mrs. GD shopping and spend some time going over everything you put in your cart. I don’t mean to sound like a “know-it-all” or anything, but I do feel your pain and have the experience to help out. Okay, I keep writing and deleting because I don’t want to butt in. =) Having said that, you’ve opened this up to a global audience, so I’m thinking you wouldn’t mind reader opinions. Right?
    Melissa

        1. I actually caught some flak for throwing some sausage in the cart…and I get it. But it’s actually a very health sausage and the program allows it in small quantities.

          But I will take your advice any day of the week. As long as you don’t make me eat beets.

      1. Fantastic, but, please, don’t forget your protein! It’s very important you protein at least 3 times a day, preferably 5. I did that plan for 4 months. It was hard, but very worth it!

        1. check out Kimberly Snyders book on Protein and how most Greens
          have more protein than any meat. We’ve been had by the meat, dairy and Wheat monsters who love MON archy, MOn santo, MONey
          and de MONS. and I’m not joking.

  2. Good luck! I did this in April/May and have felt SOOO much better ever since. It gives your body a chance to calm down the inflammation and rest. When I started adding in other foods I did it just one or two at a time – I found that caffeine (as much as I love it) makes by body angry if I have it first thing in the morning. I’m ok with a little in the afternoon, but the water and lemon is now my am thing (another price to pay for Celiac.) I learned that more than 1/2 serving at a time of grains in general makes me feel lousy. I think the thing you’ll find doing it this way is you’ll feel so good what when you put something in your body it doesn’t like you’ll immediately know it – rather than the single elimination way which takes longer to start to feel better, and never really having a true gauge of what ‘good’ feels like first.

    1. Great to know Carey and thanks for the advice.

      My guess is that I’ll be introducing booze back into my diet at 12:01am on the 31st day.

      And coffee at 12:05.

  3. It will make a difference in your life well beyond the 30 days. Find a LOCAL farmers market if you can..you know, one that has produce that hasn’t been in a truck for days. The food is seasonal, but you will know where it comes from and that it is fresh. This will also make a difference for your entire family. I think years of processed “non-foods” loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, chemicals, and preservatives got me into this mess. Eating real food has helped to get me out. Amazing the different foods the Mister and I have discovered that we had never tried before. And the alcohol? Your body will thank you. Seriously!

  4. Good luck GD! I have made major changes as well. I quit smoking in June, started eating healthier and started running a few weeks ago. Getting older and need to take care of myself. ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Awesome Dana. There is a part of me that feels like I’m setting myself up for failure, but I guess that’s what life is all about in a way.

  5. Eating whole plain foods is always a good idea, Dude.
    Fresh is best. Throw green leafy veggies in your smoothies. Try making some kale chips. Eat some protein several times a day so you do not feel hungry and cave in and eat something junky.

    Eating this way is not just for celiacs, but for anyone who wants to avoid preservatives and additives and food dyes, etc. I think like this: Do not eat anything from a package that has more than 3 ingredients or big, chemical-sounding words. Eat like my Grams used to–fresh & flavorful from herbs and spices and made from scratch.

    I try to do that myself. But I do make some
    paleo breads (Elana Amsterdam’s recipes) made from coconut or almond flour. And I admit it, I like potato chips. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Coffee and alcohol should not be a problem for any celiac, but it may be irritating your gut, so giving those up for a while may help indeed.

    Like you, I like them both, too. ๐Ÿ™

    It’s not easy to live like a “paleo”.
    I have done it myself and I did not like it much, truth be told,
    but it helped me heal my GI tract when I was burning like mad.

    So, in the spirit of comraderie, I will do it again— with you. Starting today…right after this cup of coffee…..(it was already poured…)

    and I will cheer you on!

    See my pom poms???

    1. Really Irish?? That means the world to me. Although if you truly loved me, you would have dumped your coffee out ๐Ÿ˜‰

      1. c’mon kiddo…gimme a break…..it’s only decaf…aw right….it’s dumped.

        I do not do caffeine at all. Makes my heart race and I bounce off walls like a 5 -year- old on speed. I never drink anything but water… er, um and gin ๐Ÿ™‚

        Oh, do make sure you drink about 8-10 8 oz glasses of pure water during the day….helps rid your body of “stuff”, makes you pee a lot and your muscles and tissues and skin will love you for it.

        ok, let’s do this! (we’re gonna drop some lbs. too, you know, so do not be alarmed…..my “paleo friends” lost a lot of weight but they developed muscles. I could use those.)

        Dude, I’m proud of you for taking this route and for being an inspiration to others.

          1. ok I’m in….I just bought a case of Kendall Jackson chardonnay that was on sale….this will be very interesting. Sunsets without my KJ? um, I might have just changed my mind.

    2. I agree with IH, Dude. Whole foods are best. I see some processed foods in your cart from brands I don’t trust. Be careful!! Even small amounts of cc can make a difference.

  6. Gluten Dude, I promise you will feel better doing this. And Irish is right – make sure you have lots of protein around so you don’t feel the need to go eat something junk-filled. Planning is also key – you might spend a day a week chopping veggies and such so when you open the fridge in a moment of desperation, there is a bunch of easily accessible, colorful yummy food looking at you – so you eat that rather than wanting to find some chocolate or chips.
    Last year, I started a paleo/Whole30 type diet (I didn’t know about Whole30 at the time, but that was exactly what I did) for about 90 days to try to heal my gut, which had not been treating me right for a while. I slowly added back things after that, and it’s amazing to me how I am not in tune with my body and know when it’s had too much junk – and junk to me is too many grains, starches or sugar. I did another Whole30 in March/April for the same reasons – because post-holidays, I’d allowed too much junk to sneak back in and was feeling the repercussions. Now, I’m like 85-90% paleo, and while it was difficult to transition at first, it is SO worth it. I’m cheering you on 100%!
    The coffee won’t be not gone forever. I’ve given up coffee several times during these kinds of things, and I find that when my body is okay, coffee is no problem at all. I will send you lots of positive “one-day-you-too-will-enjoy-coffee-again” energy! Meanwhile, herbal tea, green tea, yerba mate – those are decent subs.

    1. I just looked at your site, Alta and then, followed the link to the healthy lunch box post–and the bento box idea—and I have to say you are so creative and talented.

      My lunch–although it consists of those foods—does not LOOK like that…I want my fruits and veggies cut into stars, too! and I want a bento box. ๐Ÿ™‚

      You clever girl!!

      P.S. To all of you bloggers who come here: I am so happy I found the Dude’s blog for many reasons, but also because I have become more aware of the many amazing and talented GF and DF bakers and cooks out there who so generously share their creations.
      I have become a more accomplished and versatile cook/baker for having read so many ideas from Gluten free Goddess, Elana, Jules, the Bronski’s, and so many more.

      I also enjoy Miss Dee’s photography and Sassy’s blog too.

      I just found Gluten Freek’s site and now, Alysa’s …and I hope to continue seeing so many more. Thank you all for taking the time to share yourselves with the Gluten Free community.

      You guys really do rock! ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Good luck! I have 3 days left of my 30 day elimination diet: no sugar, alcohol, dairy, eggs, soy, gluten (of course), coffee, tea (except herbal), preservatives. It is so hard! I have wanted to quit so many times. Week 2 was the worst. Weeks 3 and 4 are not too bad, probably because I see the end in sight.

    It will be worth it though to find out if there’s something else triggering this for you. Reading your posts I’ve felt so bad for you, you sound like you’re in so much pain. That’s not a good way to live. I wish you the best of luck.

      1. I feel so much better and have tons of energy! I’ve actually had a bit of fun getting creative with my cooking and trying new foods, which I have been resistant to in the past. I feel healthy and pleased with myself for taking charge of my life. I realize I don’t need all that junk, but at the same time I’ve realized what I don’t want to live without, like eggs and a little sugar (provided I don’t end up with intolerances to those items).

        However…like you I am planning the first thing I eat at 12:01am day 31 ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m thinking either ice cream or a martini.

  8. A few items in your cart aren’t, well, whole. Most meat that you are buying in the supermarket has travelled a long way and has been through quite the processing to make it into those packages – you’ve got other options for locally, humanely, pastured meats that haven’t been overly processed. You have no idea where that meat in the sausage package came from. Whether they mark it gluten free is almost irrelevant.

    I don’t know much about coconut cream other than the fact that it is in a can – and that just means that it had to go through some process to get in there.

    Coconut oil is on trend as a good choice for cooking and baking. I haven’t used it, so I can’t speak to how processed it may or may not be.

    If you are truly looking to eat whole, my suggestion would be to stay away from packages, cans,bottles, and boxes. Whole food is just that – food – not processed.

    Survey your local farmers market or farm stand – you will find meat, eggs, cheese, fruits and vegetables (along with other temptations to avoid such as jam, bbq sauce, baked goods and such) Stick with the real food and you’ll hopefully see the results you are looking for.

    Eating real food does indeed cost more. I can’t argue that point, it just does. But that’s the choice we all make. I choose to support my local farms and by doing so, I know who is growing my food and what they’ve done to it along the way.

    Wishing you a healing and successful 30.

    1. Understood and appreciated Chris. There is nothing “processed” in my cart I assure you, though the sausage was indeed borderline and will only be used sparingly. There was no other meat in the cart as our freezer is currently loaded with it.

      I’m sticking to the Whole30 plan to a tee and even throwing coffee in there to boot.

      Perhaps I will come visit you this weekend at the Market…

      1. I thought you had coconut cream – not coconut milk in the cart – Virgin Pina Coladas anyone?
        When I saw turkey bacon and sausages, I had to comment.

        Looking forward to your follow up posts.

  9. Great! I really hope you find benefit from this – I actually just finished my first Whole30 yesterday, and I have to say that I like it so much (the way I’m feeling and all the positive benefits) that I’m going to continue it indefinitely!

    Iโ€™ve actually learned a lot about gut healing protocols and all the benefits of a โ€œpaleoโ€ food-lifestyle (donโ€™t make me call it a diet!) and I feel like it’s been an absolute breakthrough. I always felt better when it had been a long time since I got glutened (celiac here!), but I never really felt on top of my game. I was shocked to feel so amazing after about 3 weeks, I had no idea that gut healing could really take place so quickly when I stripped out all the other things that were making healing difficult. I also have no cravings for the things I’m not eating anymore (gluten free bread and pertzels actually sound really unpleasant to me now), and the natural flavors in foods have become much stronger and more vibrant (fruit is almost too sweet!)

    I’d really really really really recommend the book “Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle” by Diane Sanfilippo – it’s a guidebook, a cookbook, and a spectacular introduction to the why and the how behind gut healing with food (plus it’s less than $25 on Amazon).

    1. Great to hear Liz. Hopeful I have the same reaction.

      And wasn’t gluten-free bread always kind of unpleasant anyways ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Good luck Dude…..and definately keep us updated. I’ve been taking a lot of Zantac lately….Maybe I should try something different too!

    I don’t much drink booze, but I do love my coffee. My biggest problem is ….candy bars! I can’t seem to stay away from the sugar…Supposed good food really upsets my stomach…I looked at everything in that cart and cringed! Sorry about that! There’s waaay too much fat in that stuff for me….I still don’t digest it well.

    My idea of babying my gut is to eat really simple foods like plain boneless chicken, boiled potatoes and maybe something like carrots….

    1. Because of all of the things I won’t be eating, the Program calls for some fats. This is not a diet to lose weight but to get healthy. My body will need the fats.

      1. I know what you’re trying to do…Personally, I need some starchy carbs…or I get the shakes and sweats…brain fog too. My blood sugar gets low…..That’s why I don’t drink much…It drops my glucose levels….and I’m not even a diabetic! I do have some prediabetic readings for now. That’s probably what’s wrong.

        Fats have always been a problem for me…my cholesterol was 96 when my CD was diagnosed….I still don’t digest them easily, and it got a whole lot worse when my galbladder was removed.

        I hope this way of eating works for you ๐Ÿ™‚

      2. I thought this about eating more fats too, but you may find the opposite occurs (with the right kind of fats). I lost weight once I started getting more of my calories from the fats/proteins than I was the carbs. And i wasn’t trying to lose weight, wasn’t even exercising (107 lbs, no weight to loose!) so it took me a while to find the right carb/fat/protein ratios. I still haven’t gained but I did stop losing. And I definitely have been seeing some real improvements. Slow but steady improvement, like noticable improvements, not just the I think I might have more energy this week than last. I had already given up the alcohol a year ago because I felt drunk all the time (thanks Gluten!). i just had to cut out GF snacks. I did not give up coffee, but reduced it to half the amount. I have found after 2 mos eating paleo’ish, my need for coffee to start the day isn’t as strong. Almost an afterthought some mornings and I was an ADDICT. Same with sweet stuff.

        The only advice i have is don’t be too strict with yourself in the first week or two. Let yourself have something you WANT to eat (or drink) once in a while or you might find yourself like me sitting in front of a Quizno’s sub sandwich shop, having some sort of existential food crisis, crying on the phone to your mommy that life’s not fair, you’re hungry damnit, while she talks you out of eating a poison sandwich ๐Ÿ™‚

        Course I’m only 8mos out and you prob have much better self control after 5 yrs. I also use myfitnesspal (free app) to track my daily intake of food. Very helpful since it works as a food journal as well as a nutrition tracking app. Good luck!

  11. I’m on the verge of joining you in your paleo/GAPS style diet. I’ve been GF/Dairy Free/Soy Free for 2 years thanks to Enterolab testing, which I highly recommend if you want to find out some additional intolerances (they check for antibodies to foods in a frozen stool sample). I take L-glutamine, curcumin, a probiotic, D3, etc. However, I never get fully better (I’ve got an itchy skin rash to prove it too!) , because my gut it still leaky. This is why the intolerances get worse over time. I just had MRT testing through my doctor, which tests for T-cell reactions to 150 foods and substances, and I am moderately reactive to lots of things, even healthy fruits and vegetables, because I eat them all the time! Imagine cutting out apples, bananas, melons, avocado, pork, lamb, shrimp, white potatoes, onions and garlic?!? I’m ready to slit my wrists!! The more I eat, the greater likelihood it has of entering the bloodstream through the leaky gut, being presented to my damaged immune system, and wham, I have another food foe. It sucks.

    I guess my point is, even on your crazy healthy diet, food rotation is important, and sometimes the healthiest-seeming options still may not agree with you.

    Do you have a juicer? You might try juicing a lot of these fruits and veggies, especially if too much fiber is rough on your GI tract. I love it, and the juice actually satiates me — no need for an expensive meal on top of it. The best part is I can eat the produce while it’s still fresh, instead of watching it age in my fridge, waiting for me to cook it. My kids love the juices too.

  12. I agree with Miss Dee–local is best. I am fortunate to live in the countryside with farmers all around me. I grow my tomatoes and all my herbs and rely on the farmers for the rest. Winter is when it gets difficult.

    The difference between a fresh chicken or beef and what’s in the supermarket? wow.

    Some snacky things for when you feel the hungries:

    Hard boil some eggs so you can grab one when you feel yourself needing a protein boost.

    Almonds or any other fresh nuts. You can lightly toast them in a pan and toss them in olive oil and spices like cumin, paprika, sea salt for some zip.

    Kale chips (don’t laugh they are good!) and I learned how to make them from Jacques Pepin! yes, he came to my house and showed me. I love him….Okay, he did not , but I watched him make them once and love them. They do not “save well” however. make them and eat up.

    http://www.savory.tv/2012/04/11/kale-chips-recipe-chef/

    And Elana Amsterdam has generously posted a paleo meal plan for anyone who needs a little guidance. Her recipes are awesome.

    http://www.elanaspantry.com/weekly-paleo-meal-plan/

    Another suggestion –make double everything at dinner so your lunch is ready for you the next day.

    And, I never call them leftovers, I call them encores. ๐Ÿ™‚

    It’s as much a “head adjustment” and adjusting our attitudes as it is a dietary one.

    You might feel yucky the first few weeks. Do not panic.Drink water, walk, exercise if you can.

    Okay, kiddo… good luck and good health to us all!!!

    1. Great suggestions Irish! We keep hard-boiled eggs stocked in the fridge for snacking. We also placed a huge order with Nuts.com to make sure we were set with gluten-free nuts. I’ve been cooking big batches of everything so we can have encores for lunch or dinner. I also keep a marinated veggie salad going all week by adding fresh veggies each time we eat part of it.

      1. Don’t you LOVE nuts.com??! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Certified GF, overnight shipping and freebie treats in every box.
        Need to talk to customer service? someone answers pronto via email.
        Good company, IMHO.

        (no, I am not affiliated in any way, guys )

        Another treat is plain natural almond butter or peanut butter or other nut butter on celery sticks or apple slices.

        It’s funny you mention marinated veggies! I had giardineira for my veggie while Mr IH had corn last night. I confess….I wanted it. It’s a local farmer’s corn and it is the thing I love most about summer. ๐Ÿ™

        ah well, let’s see if this no grain thing makes a difference.

  13. This is sounding like an excellent program, although difficult. I think I will wait to see your comments and results before perhaps giving it a try myself. Yes, I’m a coward!
    There is also the problem of working in an office (lots of coffee around) and needing to provide meals for my family and I’m pretty sure they won’t jump on the bandwagon.
    September would be a good month to try it though, or maybe January, when there are no holidays to derail me.

  14. Dude, you might check localharvest.org for nearby Community Supported Agriculture farm that can deliver locally grown stuff including meat. We’ve been a part of one for a few years now and don’t miss the stuff in grocery stores at all. It does often cost more, but we think the savings in time, traffic and aggravation are worth it.

    Best of luck on your lifestyle change. But I gotta tell you, after having had my first beer a few years ago for my 45th birthday, ain’t no way I’d give that up! Your’re a better man than me.

  15. I did the paleo plan for about 90 days. I now do about 75- 80 % paleo. I definitely feel better. IH, you are right about Elena’s recipes. I have both her cookbooks. I never gave up coffee, just coudn’t. I also was allowed a glass of wine with dinner. I still go to the gym 3 times a week and limit my grains, gluten free of course, to no more than 1 serving per day. When I overindulge I pay the price, but I find my system re-regulates faster than it did before. I hope Dude that you find your balance with this 30 day diet.

  16. you will be fine!! and I bet you won’t want to go back to grains. I started paleo this summer, currently at least 95% (still having trouble with candy!!) and can’t imagine going back to grains. I do crave bread sometimes, and cave in to a loaf of Rudi’s. But I am OK with that, and I do feel more myself. Keep posting about your progress. the first few days might not be pretty, although not as bad as some have said. I think thats because we already are gluten free. With you all the way!!!!!

    1. Almost every lunch for me was brown rice, veggies and a meat or fish. Now I can’t imagine why I ever used the rice.

  17. 5:30 PM eastern time
    Mr. IH says “it’s ‘Miller Time’ babe, having anything”?

    (we do not actually drink that stuff–blech–not even before GF life–it’s just our phrase for happy hour)

    Now, I had a very long day and we did a not of renovative work in our house and I had PT, too and I am very sore and could use something to relax these muscles.

    But I’m holding fast to my pledge to the Dude this morning….

    ( ….what the HELL was I thinking ??) ๐Ÿ™‚

  18. Really glad you are giving this a shot. I have been tempted to suggest #whole30 to you in the past, but bringing up Paleo doesn’t always get the best response from folks. Seeing the comments you are getting here and on twitter, I shouldn’t have been afraid to bring it up.

    I felt great when I went off gluten. Then, not so much. I felt even better when I went Paleo. Unfortunately, travel, laziness and cravings has let some non-gluten grains and other non-paleo items slip back in and things aren’t so good anymore!

    Kim is getting me back on track and I will probably be able to reboot the whole30 by next month.

    Good luck!

  19. There is no basis for this theory about coffee or other food proteins causing a “cross-reaction” with gluten. The article links to another article which explains how you can “uncover your other problem foods” by having tests done by Cyrex labs. A chiropractor has come up with this theory to sell lab tests.

    In other words, IT’S AN AD.

    A neurobiologist who researchers for a living and has access to peer-reviewed published articles told me there is no science behind it. She is a respected member on another celiac site.

    She also told me this: “There is some peer-reviewed literature on dairy cross-reactions, a poorly executed study on corn cross-reactions (their corn turned out to be CC’d with 80 ppm gluten), and some very old articles showing that people with celiac tend to have more food antibodies to dairy and soy. I haven’t found anything peer-reviewed on the coffee so I don’t know how they determined that it’s a cross-reaction with gluten vs. an occasional food sensitivity.”

    So, if anyone has a problem with coffee, it is most likely because of the acidic nature of it.

    Caffeine can dehydrate you. and interfere with digestion. Caffeine also interferes with the absorption of magnesium, which is critical in maintaining regular, healthy bowel movements. Coffee stimulates the digestive system and can induce a temporary laxative effect.
    Coffeeโ€™s acidic properties may lead to an overproduction of stomach acid that can irritate the intestines. Decaffeinated coffee has been shown to trigger even more acid production than regular coffee. (so much for switching to that to avoid caffeine- which was my own mistake) Over-production combined with coffeeโ€™s laxative effects can cause too much stomach acid to move into the intestines.

    In short, if you end up with the big” D” or a bad gut after drinking coffee, you have a problem with coffee.

    Gluten sensitive, Celiac or not.

    I hope this helps clarify things.

  20. Can’t believe this article started on 5th September and so many comments already! I’ve skimmed through them for now but plan to go back and read properly when I have more time as this is very interesting to me. However, something I noticed seemed to infer that we shouldn’t drink coffee? This is very interesting to me as I always believed coffee to be fine until recently when someone said you can get gluten in some brands of coffee? Admittedly I always feel a bit sick after a coffee but I wasn’t sure if that’s got anything to do with my illness or not? Also, someone mentioned alcohol being okay, but I guess Whisky would be an issue?!! I used to drink Southern Comfort but I’m now unsure if I should still drink it? I did try to find out but there were no answers on the internet and I didn’t get a response to the question elsewhere.

    Anyway, be interested to see how people get on with this diet, think I may do this myself.

    1. I talked about coffee in the post right above yours.

      Alcohol is rough on the GI tract (distilled grains are safe for celiacs–except malted beverages and beers).

      http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/copingwiththediet/a/AlcoholicDrinks.htm

      The whole foods program the Dude is talking about —does not include either of those beverages.

      When I was very ill, I could not drink either of them for 2 years and so, when I got them back, I was delighted.

      The past few days, I am finding going without booze more difficult than the coffee (not sure what that says about me, but there it is ) ๐Ÿ™‚

      1. Same here Irish. I’ve adjusted to no coffee easily. I think it means we’re lushes, but I could be wrong ๐Ÿ˜‰

            1. yeah, just choke down that club soda with lemon. I am enjoying one right now….and when I say enjoy, I mean I hate it. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  21. I hope you start feeling better soon, Dude. Is it possible that you have refractory or non-responsive Celiac Disease? I know some people who have such a serious case that the GF diet alone won’t work. They need to be put on steroids to help with inflammation and to help with recovery. I was very close to being in this situation myself about a year ago. It took 1 1/2 years for my antibodies to start to drop (and although they are still slightly elevated at this point, I’ve been making enormous progress in the last several months).

  22. Dates are an essential food for me especially when on a grain free gluten free diet.

    It gives me sustained energy and doesnt give me sugar crash.

  23. I so hear ya Dude!!!!!!.. I feel like crap on toast lately . I have not felt this bad since going GF 6 years ago. We are trying to sell our house . I don’t know if you have ever done that before but it’s a huge pain in the neck..You never know from one day to the next what you are doing.. We could get a call at any minute to show the house.. that means not one to have the house perfect all the time but at a moments notice me , my husband 8 kids and 3 dogs have clear our for about an hour and half. It’s stressful and does not leave a lot of time to make food that my body likes.. So we have been eating what is easy and fast. a list that includes a lot of grain..etc, gf bread rice, gf noodles and potatoes- things that some celiacs can eat and flourish..Not this one unfortunately. I need to get back on just fruit , meat and veggies for a while but it’s so hard with this season we are in. I am all for whole 30..with the exception of caffeine and wine.. NO way in hell am I giving those two up. Without coffee I get horrible migraines..no thanks..and red wine sometimes is the only thing that makes the stomach pain go away.

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Who I am. And who I'm not.

Who I am. And who I'm not.

I AM someone who's been gluten-free since 2007 due to a diagnosis of severe celiac disease. I'm someone who can steer you in the right direction when it comes to going gluten-free. And I'm someone who will always give you the naked truth about going gluten free.

I AM NOT someone who embraces this gluten-free craziness. I didnโ€™t find freedom, a better life or any of that other crap when I got diagnosed. With all due respect to Hunter S. Thompson, I found fear and loathing of an unknown world. But if I can share my wisdom, tell my stories and make the transition easier on you, Iโ€™ve done my job.

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