I'm going try going Gluten free for a while....

[ibby7]

Having suffering from a upset stomach for the past few years, Iv decided to try out a gluten free (bar chocolate) diet.

I thought it would be tough at first re arranging the food cupboards at home, and reminding the wife to not include bread and pasta into any of my meals. The frequency of stomach issues immediately dropped after two days, migraines where not a common accurence and I feel lighter on my feet.

My only issue is the price of gluten free goods, £3.30 for a small loaf of bread is ridiculous.

I would recommend it more to friends and family more if like for like replacements of the food cut out was readily available,

Do we have any coeliac sufferers on TZ that would like to share breakfast and lunch ideas?

[MerlinShepherd]

I've been off gluten for years, dairy too. I suffered from all kinds of things from irritable bowel to arthritis.

Our digestive system simply isn't designed to deal with that stuff. I recently spoke with a couple who run a health retreat and have found that a diet based on plants provides everything we need and decreases the risks of cancer, type II diabetes, causes weight loss, stronger heart, eyes. And the list goes on.

Gluten, and wheat in particular is very aggressive to our alimentary canal. And in its current form (wheat is high genetically modified) has only been around for a very short time.
I would also suggest losing sugar and animal fats for a while.

[BrianR]

My wife did the same as you last year and the results were instant. I never suffered myself, but have subsequently ended up eating mostly gluten-free at home.

I've noticed a lot more of the High Street restaurant chains offering GF options in their menus - and Phil Vickery's book is good as well.

[Glamdring]

Does steak count? It grows on grass; chickens grow on corn.

I know veggie is a popular lifestyle choice but I remain to be convinced you can do it with goods grown in the UK and still have good hearty meals.

I'd be curious to learn how it goes. My gut is not wonderful. Not that I eat a lot of meat, mind, or bread. I am addicted to plain digestives. I doubt any diet would help my osteoarthritis.

[MerlinShepherd]

Does steak count? It grows on grass; chickens grow on corn.

I know veggie is a popular lifestyle choice but I remain to be convinced you can do it with goods grown in the UK and still have good hearty meals.

I'd be curious to learn how it goes. My gut is not wonderful. Not that I eat a lot of meat, mind, or bread. I am addicted to plain digestives. I doubt any diet would help my osteoarthritis.

If you're going for a crash diet to put you back on the straight and narrow, then I suggest losing all animal products, just until you get stabilised.
Steak is better for you than chicken, lamb better than steak, so when you decide to go back onto meat products (if you decide) then start with lamb.
As far as a "hearty meal" goes, it can help if you redefine what you mean by that. My dad is 87 and if he eats a meal without meat or fish then he feels cheated. It's to do with upbringing mostly, meat and two veg was what he got all his childhood and what my parents provided for me and my two brothers, so when I decided in my early 20s to try a veggie diet, he thought I was going the way of the middle class, hippy types and complained that I wouldn't get enough protein.

I'm not trying to take anyone's choices away, but in real scientific terms, the human body is not designed to eat or digest meat. The "canine" tooth is for cracking nuts, we have no sharp teeth, no claws and if you look at our instinct, a young cat will go for a baby rabbit with it's teeth and claws, and a human baby will cuddle it. Adults too. Go figure.

[wellsy]

Having suffering from a upset stomach for the past few years, Iv decided to try out a gluten free (bar chocolate) diet.

I thought it would be tough at first re arranging the food cupboards at home, and reminding the wife to not include bread and pasta into any of my meals. The frequency of stomach issues immediately dropped after two days, migraines where not a common accurence and I feel lighter on my feet.

My only issue is the price of gluten free goods, £3.30 for a small loaf of bread is ridiculous.

I would recommend it more to friends and family more if like for like replacements of the food cut out was readily available,

Do we have any coeliac sufferers on TZ that would like to share breakfast and lunch ideas?

Have you been diagnosed as coeliac ? if you have, then £100 gets you a years prescription to as much dry bread, horrible pasta etc that you can shake a stick at. Though for some reason
they do really good crackers. Btw Asda do some good porridge in their "free from " range and don't forget you can still eat coconut macaroons !!

[eduk]

My wife did the same as you last year and the results were instant. I never suffered myself, but have subsequently ended up eating mostly gluten-free at home.

I've noticed a lot more of the High Street restaurant chains offering GF options in their menus - and Phil Vickery's book is good as well.

Similar situation here in that my gilfriend of now 5 years is vegetarian and allergic to wheat, a bold move fr a bread loving carnivore! At home a meatless, wheatless and sometimes gluten free environment soon became the norm for me, and I have to say I feel a lot better for it. I still eat meat if I fancy it and most times when we eat out, but I was genuinely surprised how much a fairly simple change in diet can make. Do agree though that a lot of the alternatives sold in supermarkets are expensive, but as it is mainly wheat we avoid there are plenty I other options which don't cost the earth.

[Gurmot]

Swmbo has been officially off gluten and dairy for a couple of years and she is convinced of the benefits as described by the op. I'm not really bothered myself and eat a fairly normal diet, except when swmbo is cooking wheat free pasta.

I agree that the "free from" stuff is often very expensive and it also seems to be the case that most cafes and restaurants don't really offer much, if any, choice in this regard, but there does seem to be a slow but positive change.

The modern western diet does seem to be distorted towards things we were not designed to eat and the modern lifestyle doesn't help, as evidenced by the rise in obesity.

[gray]

Not gluten free but certainly low gluten. Wife and kids also low gluten.

[Omegamanic]

There are some strange misconceptions bandied around with gluten, breads and pastas etc. - oh and whether or not we are designed to eat meat of course we are!

Lower gluten is a good step - there is far too much in the modern diet, but there are better places to start for most people - if gluten doesn't cause you issues look elsewhere in your diet first.

Also, note that if you don't eat bread/pasta etc. for a while, that when you do you will have an initial rebound effect and carry more water etc. if you have a pizza, or big pasta meal if you have gone without for a while - this effect is used by bad personal trainers to make a point and con their clients out of their hard earned money!

[Glamdring]

If you're going for a crash diet to put you back on the straight and narrow, then I suggest losing all animal products, just until you get stabilised.
Steak is better for you than chicken, lamb better than steak, so when you decide to go back onto meat products (if you decide) then start with lamb.
As far as a "hearty meal" goes, it can help if you redefine what you mean by that. My dad is 87 and if he eats a meal without meat or fish then he feels cheated. It's to do with upbringing mostly, meat and two veg was what he got all his childhood and what my parents provided for me and my two brothers, so when I decided in my early 20s to try a veggie diet, he thought I was going the way of the middle class, hippy types and complained that I wouldn't get enough protein.

I'm not trying to take anyone's choices away, but in real scientific terms, the human body is not designed to eat or digest meat. The "canine" tooth is for cracking nuts, we have no sharp teeth, no claws and if you look at our instinct, a young cat will go for a baby rabbit with it's teeth and claws, and a human baby will cuddle it. Adults too. Go figure.

For me 'hearty' means filling such that I'm not hungry again an hour later, which I would be if I ate a bowl of pototoes and cheese mash, or pasta and some nice sauce, or rice and whatever. Meat is not on my daily diet but maybe every other day. Veg is water held in by cellulose and a varied mix of nutrients, but it's not satisfying as a meal alone. IMHO of course, since we're all different.

Your comarison of kittens and babies doesn't work. Chimps actively hunt other monkeys to eat (alive and kicking and screaming, sadly). We are omnivores and without meat we as a species would not have survived in the northern post-Ice Ace regions. We have speed to catch, arms to throw weapons. We are evolved to hunt. And to pick berries though it was mostly the women who did that.

[hogthrob]

Steak is better for you than chicken, lamb better than steak

Do you have a source for that?

[MerlinShepherd]

Do you have a source for that?

Yes I do. The system of breathing as taught (and worked out) by Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko, indicates that human breathing responds to different foods in different ways. His profound and well documented research shows that eating chicken makes us breath deeper than eating lamb. Lamb therefore, according to his knowledge and research, causes less hyperventilation than chicken and is therefore less bad for us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buteyko_method

Please don't say "bullshit" before looking into Buteyko's work. The guy was a genius and every UK doctor who I've spoken to about his work is supportive and they all believe in his system. The trouble is that it goes against common (and largely uninformed) understanding about how humans receive oxygen and carbon dioxide and therefore most people think it's just poppy-cock. Most doctors approve wholeheartedly. It does go counter to what the pharmaceutical companies need us to believe in order to pump us full of chemicals that we don't need.

[jem0911]

I've be gluten "careful" for six months
It's made a massive change to my insides.
Still have a bacon sarnie if out clay shooting otherwise I avoid if possible.

[j0hnbarker]

Yes I do. The system of breathing as taught (and worked out) by Ukrainian doctor Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko, indicates that human breathing responds to different foods in different ways. His profound and well documented research shows that eating chicken makes us breath deeper than eating lamb. Lamb therefore, according to his knowledge and research, causes less hyperventilation than chicken and is therefore less bad for us.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buteyko_method

Please don't say "bullshit" before looking into Buteyko's work. The guy was a genius and every UK doctor who I've spoken to about his work is supportive and they all believe in his system. The trouble is that it goes against common (and largely uninformed) understanding about how humans receive oxygen and carbon dioxide and therefore most people think it's just poppy-cock. Most doctors approve wholeheartedly. It does go counter to what the pharmaceutical companies need us to believe in order to pump us full of chemicals that we don't need.

I just checked the literature (i.e. Medline and Cochrane Library) and it's bullshit.

Seriously, if you want to understand why this is bollocks then 5 years at medical school will be required, not a Wiki link.

[Senninha]

These are worth a read - one on wheat/gluten, the other on carbs in general (and the balance re fats/proteins/beg-based carbs). Not saying "these are right", but they are fascinating reading.

Wheat Belly
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wheat-Belly-...dp/1609614798/

Good calories, bad calories
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Good-Calorie...dp/1400033462/

[Chris_in_the_UK]

We are evolved to hunt. And to pick berries though it was mostly the women who did that.

In Doncaster?.................

[Chris_in_the_UK]

All you need to know.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com

[Glamdring]

In Doncaster?.................

Heh... It's Rotherham they drag their knuckles.

[whoami]

Much comedy nonsense on this thread.

Thanks.