Pesky, i'm not on any special diet, but do notice the fewer carbs or gluen-free things I eat the less sluggish I feel. Bread/pasta seem to be the downfall of our society as well as soda~all contain gluten. Horrible stuff for kids, and macaronni and cheese, along with chicken strips breaded with a gluten product, are the most popular foods given to them. They're being set up for all sorts of problems with these foods, high in calories but nothing else. People do need to be more aware, but they need to find it out on their own. You can't lead a horse to water......

We buy organic fruits and vegetables, too. DH was with EPA since the beginning and in the pesticides and ground water divisions for many years. The amounts of pesticides used regularly would astound most people. We don't use any here on our property, but most people do and will argue their justifications for doing so ad nauseum. Not interested. We are poisoning indiscriminately and it is affecting our health as well.

Glad you have gotten so much relief with the change in diet. I am considering cutting out breads just for the weight loss advantage-would love to drop 10-15 pounds and if cutting out bread would help, I am all for that.

Glad to hear you sounding so good, Pesky. But then, you aways seem to try to look on the bright side. :)

Organic here too. No meat and only chicken w/o hormones. Also drink organic coconut milk since i'm lactose intolerant, and Lactaid has cholesterol and other 'bad stuff'. Once you start reading labels, you become more aware of what is/isn't good for you.

Cyn, the only bread I buy is Oroweat Health Nut or Oat Nut, both w/seeds. I probably don't eat more that 6 slices in a week, so have to keep the bread refrigerated. The really only bad thing I used was the coffee creamer in the morning. Since I stopped using that i've dropped 2 lbs in 2 weeks. I'm only 113 lbs, but only 5' 1" too. I want to be at 106 so I can get into a few of my favorite clothes....vanity! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: about their breads

Patty cakes, yep, i want to get back to 110-115 since I am only 5'3"! I am now heavier than I was when I was nine months pregnant. Menopause is just not pretty! Ha.

Cyn, I gained 50 lbs with my last pregnancy. I was literally a ball that could have rolled! Taking weight off at that age was a breeze for me. You're right about menopause, plus I can't sleep!!! I do look forward to the 2 pieces of dark chocolate I have every night though! LOL

patty-cakes, that chocolate may be why you aren't sleeping. I found if I eat dark chocolate at night, I don't sleep either due to the caffeine....try it for lunch or breakfast instead and see if it helps.

Gluten free is a funny thing. Studies done recently suggest that many people go gluten free who don't have to, and many others need to who don't. A lot would have to do with how you feel. If you try gluten free and it doesn't make a difference, then go back to eating wheat products. If you go gluten free when you don't need to for too long, however, you may not be able to go back as you may "starve out" the microbes in your gut that help you digest gluten...or so I recall from a reference to a Harvard study....

But if you go gluten free and find yourself feeling better, as pesky has, then it's worthwhile staying the course. Friend of mine has been diagnosed with celiac as has her son and she's doing much better since she cut out gluten.

I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's. I've been hypo for a few years now but just got my official diagnosis along with a scan showing a couple of nodules growing way too fast. So biopsies are in my near future. Needless to say, my hormones have been a wreck lately.

Anyway, I decided to go gluten free on my own a few months back and my endocrinologist was very pleased to hear that. She said there is no hard evidence that gluten is a problem but enough soft data to show that it could be and going gluten free certainly won't hurt anything.

I've had spurts of feeling fantastic after going GF and not so great either but that probably has more to do with my thyroid. I'm hoping once we get it stabilized with medication (and benign nodules - fingers crossed!) that I'll really start feeling great and maybe start losing some weight again.

Kelly, I have been taking two different thyroid meds-one the regular (t-3) and another (t-4) and it's helped tremendously. My levels have been stable now for years on the combination-I was dx initially before I was 30, then around 35 got the Hashimoto's dx. Hope you can find relief soon!

The gluten free has really levelled me off from all my typical symptoms. Except for this pain in my back, I am feeling so very much better. I have even noticed that the excessive swelling associated with the lymphedema is better, too.

pesky, someone suggested to me recently that gluten may be the cause of some of my problems. I've looked at it but don't really know how to start. Did you follow a certain diet or find a book that helped you get started?

I'm with marti8a: I believe a general gluten free diet can be beneficial in a number of ways, but I don't know where to start to make a difference; gluten is in so many items other than bread and pasta and when store items say gluten free I wonder if they haven't always been gluten free and am I just paying more for a trend. How do we cook gluten free without making it a complicated experience?

I just did some research on the internet about gluten and foods to avoid. It is in SO MUCH STUFF! Soy sauce, salad dressings, and nearly every prepared food out there!

You can find gluten free products-breads and pastas, made with rice flour. It's definitely a taste/texture difference but if you add a lot of seasonings or veggies, you won't really mind. There are several natural food stores around me, including Trader Joes-that have a pretty good selection. And one of our grocery chains has a big section, as well as another chain that has a lot of gluten free bulk things (flours, pasta, etc).

Oat meal also has gluten, believe it or not. You have to read the lables of food carefully, but a lot now will say contains wheat-so that right off the top is a way to know to avoid it.

I now eat a lot more naturally-much, much more vegetables and grains like quinoa (couscous has gluten). Meat, chicken, fish-all ok, but some lunch meats contain gluten-particularly if they're 'formed' like most turkey breast. I love curry-so I eat a lot more of that, and I've found that Indian food tends to have less gluten. Authentically prepared Asian food also-if they use rice noodles, it's ok-but I'd always be wary at a restaurant unless you know for sure.

This link is a good place to start. I have not had a diagnosis of Celiac-but I do have IBS-like symptoms. Since my GF eating, I've not experienced those problems.

I had been on Weight Watchers for about a month before I went GF, so I was already used to not eating a lot of prepared foods and was eating a lot more veggies, but I still had stomach issues-till now. And, I am happy to say, that I am off the migraine meds and not a single headache since going GF-even with the stress of my MIL's death and my fall.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gluten Free Primer

Yes, gluten is in all sorts of things you wouldn't expect, including nearly everything you can buy that comes presliced or shredded. A small amount of flour is used to keep things from sticking together in the package.

I also have Hashimoto's and have been avoiding wheat for a long time because it's an asthma trigger for me, but unlike the other posters in this thread my energy level isn't affected one way or the other, not really.

I would point out that going GF isn't necessarily synonymous with a healthier diet. It can be, but there's a whole world of awful junk food that's gluten free, too. In many cases that handy GF stuff at TJ's and other places has added fat or sugar to offset the lack of gluten for tastiness.

BTW, you can get GF oatmeal (Bob's Red Mill has some, for example), and even for oatmeal with the gluten left in, not everyone who's sensitive to bread and all is bothered by that, even for people with celiac.

All Boar's Head brand cheese and deli meats are gluten free.

There seems to be conflicting information on whether oats are included. I often hear they aren't. Sometimes hear they are. I've heard some doctors simply say to eliminate grains for better health. And apparently, they aren't the staff of life anymore but have little nutritional value these days, is what I heard yesterday.

oatmeal is gluten free, but can be cross contaminated with gluten from contact with wheat, and other grains with gluten...

this is something to be concerned about if someone has celiac- or an actual allergy to something like wheat - which is very uncommon - (like with a nut allergy, where even cross contamination could cause anaphalaxis in an allergic person), but is probably not a real problem if there's some degree of gluten intolerance...

Thanks for the link to the primer. I'm thinking about having a celiac neighbor over for dinner and pondering a gluten free menu so this info and the recipes are great. We have no gluten intolerance in our household so gluten free diet is the furthest thing from my mind.

Whole grain oats generally don't have gluten, unless the cross contamination, but the instant oatmeal definitely does. I buy GF instant so I can whip it up with some soy milk for breakfast.

Oh, most definitely GF products can be made up with garbage-it is the same as 'low calorie' or 'fat free'. Even WW has WW friendly goodies-I have always avoided them like the plague. I know that if I eat ONE goodie-I'm going to want to eat 3 more.

Last night I made a yummy dinner-GF pasta, stir fry veggie mix (frozen), some finely chopped sirloin and a low-fat alfredo sauce. DH never knew he was eating a good-for-you dinner!

I am quite sure I don't have celiac-but I know I am highly gluten intolerant because I ate a salad that had dressing with gluten-and ohhh-paid for it within an hour!

I think as with any type of change in eating habits-you have to make the best choices-going low/no fat doesn't mean you eat a package of fat-free fig newtons! Carb free doesn't mean you eat a pound of bacon. I get mad at the people in my WW meetings who rush to buy boxes of WW approved snacks then complain they can't lose weight.

gibby, I have a friend who has celiac so I cook a gluten-free meal for her... dinner is pretty easy....you can have a main dish like a roast, potatoes or rice, and a veggie and salad. For appetizers, I have cheese and rice crackers or nuts and fruit. For dessert, I've made rice pudding or coffee ice cream with maple syrup and walnuts. Last time she was over, I made parfait with chocolate pudding layered with GF chocolate cookies. It was very tasty.

Just beware that not all chicken broths, if you use it for cooking, are GF and not all folks who go GF will eat vinegar....

Hi folks. I jumped over here because I'm trying not to fall asleep at 3:40pm! Hypo for 6 years, but more of a t4-t3 conversion issue. Currently debating compounded t3 dose with endocrinologist...but enough about me!

Anyway, Pesky1, I noticed you mentioned making oatmeal with soy milk. There is a lot of controversy about soy and thyroid. Mary Shomon has written about this. Her web site has a lot of good information.

I used to see a doctor under Holtorf medical group in So Cal. The doctor left something to be desired, but holtorfmed.com has a lot of good information as well.

I hate my thyroid. Just saying..... ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: Mary Shomon on Thyriod

There's a lot of discussion on US soy vs. Asian soy which is fermented. Seems like it is harder and harder to determine what is and isn't healthy and the more studies you look at, the more they conflict. But I did want to mention that even soy is not universally considered "good for you."

Here is a link that might be useful: Soy good or bad?

All I keep hearing anymore is how bad soy is for you, when it used to be a health food. In part because it is in so many things we get too much. Some of the issues I remember are that they have pseudo hormones in them and that so much soy is GMO (you cannot know whether you are getting it or not). Corn is another one being banned by health and diet professionals due to GMO. It is considered a genetically contaminated produce, out of control, across the board.

I think it is eliminated from the Virgin Diet because it is suspect for allergies and intolerance.

I'm eliminating both. For my pets too.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Jun 9, 13 at 13:31

I think edamame is a healthy food and so is fresh corn off the cob. But soy and corn in processed foods trying to taste like things like sugar, milk, hotdogs, bacon, etc is not. The best rule to follow is to eat real whole foods. Three ingredients or less is my rule and this to me means potato chips are healthier than a soy burger, soy or rice milk or protein bars.

I buy only organic soy milk and tofu. I don't use much of it at a time, so I'm not overly concerned with effects on thyroid or other hormones. I do substitute it for milk in my lattes, and I enjoy it with my oatmeal or cereal.

I learned that corn is one of the biggest GMO foods, so I try to avoid it as much as possilbe. Again, try to buy it organic, but I also check to see if it's a primary ingredient in my food. I don't feed my pets a corn based food and it's made a tremendous difference in their digestion.

I have found a great love for polenta-but need to find it organic. I guesw I could make my life less complicated, but since I'm really opposed to GMO's, I am trying to walk the walk as best I can. Tho I am sure I'm not going to be struck down for not following a strictly rganic diet! haha.

My mother is getting so mad at me that I eat more of a plant based diet these days. She thinks I've flipped my lid! I've not had much of an appetite since I've been diagnosed with this bleeding in my stomach and she's frustrated that all I tend to eat is a bit of oatmeal and some applesauce. She wants me to cook up a batch of chicken soup-but I told her I'd heat up a bag of frozen peas & carrots for dinner-and she told me to throw them into the crock pot with some roast I'd made and make soup. Sigh. No thanks, mom...I'm fine with just the veggies!

Interesting article. I've listened to Dr. Bernhard but don't remember his promoting soy. Other foods like green tea, mushrooms, flax seed reduce breast cancer dramatically, something like 89%, so there are alternatives. The other guy makes a good case, I choose to eliminate even more after reading it. It sounds like fermented is the way to go, if you want to eat it. I'm not sure I would worry about a small quantity of that. I have read before that we lack fermented foods in our diet and they are very good for you.

Pesky, I found this on Dr. Furhman's web site that I thought was interesting given your recent bleeding issue:

Although a low-saturated-fat vegan diet may markedly reduce risk for coronary heart disease, diabetes, and many common cancers, the real Achilles heel of the low-fat vegan diet is the increased risk of hemorrhagic (vessel rupture leading to bleeding) stroke.

I have no trouble with a vegetarian diet, but I am against vegan diets as they are not natural to humans and require supplementation to get all the necessary nutrients your body needs. I find it interesting that both the Dalai Lama and Ghandi stopped doing veganism due to ill health.

Maybe Mom is right and a little chicken soup would do you some good...
;)

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Sun, Jun 9, 13 at 19:20

Sorry I jumped in.....I did keep from falling asleep.

I had thyroid issues for about ten years before getting a real diagnosis. Mary's site offered me a lot of information and eventually led me to someone who could help.

During much of time I ate very little chicken and fish and no red meat. Then one day around my mid thirties I woke up and all I could think about was a steak. It was the weirdest thing. That night I ate one and felt great. Again....it was so weird.

I have backed off most soy and try to keep off most of the other stuff on Mary's list, with the exception of broccoli.

Again...Thanks for letting me jump in!

I couldn't go vegan, I like cheese (real cheese, not soy cheese) too much! Plus I would also eat eggs and occasionally chicken-just really not in the mood for it lately.

Tonight I made some sloppy joes from the left over roast-just ground it up in my food processor and added ingredients. Mine was on gluten free buns.

I prefer the taste of soy milk over skim milk in my drinks and cereals, but I don't like to cook with it-it doesn't work for cream soups or sauces. I have been experimenting with almond milk, also, for some recipes.

"Although a low-saturated-fat vegan diet may markedly reduce risk for coronary heart disease, diabetes, and many common cancers, the real Achilles heel of the low-fat vegan diet is the increased risk of hemorrhagic (vessel rupture leading to bleeding) stroke."

Yes, certainly something to be aware of, and, possibly, concerned about. However, the statement seems to be a lead-in to a discussion of the dangers of that kind of vegan diet in combination with too much salt, rather than something dangerous in and of itself -- The writer of the article goes on to say (I left out a brief bit that discusses that kind of stroke):

"Admittedly, hemorrhagic stroke is a very small percentage of the deaths in modern countries. It still is worth noting that if strict vegetarians are to have the potential to maximize their lifespan, it is even more important they avoid a high salt intake because salt intake increases blood pressure. Almost all of the soy based meat analogues and many other health food store (vegan) products are exceptionally high in sodium."

The article continues. I haven't read the rest of it, but I've quickly scrolled down, and it's too long to paste here. Assuming you're interested, here's the link.

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article5.aspx

pesky1, I wanted to comment on your OP. I used to have a range of respiratory issues. These resolved almost entirely when I gave up dairy. Notice the "almost entirely." I used to tell people that giving up dairy is what did it for me; however, the few remaining, and mild, symptoms seem to have resolved after cutting back very sharply on foods containing gluten. I probably still get gluten any time I go out to eat, but that's it any more. I certainly don't have celiac, which is an actual autoimmune disease, and I've never had the kinds of disgestive problems that people with what's known as gluten sensitivity supposedly have. But it seems to me that some kind of gluten sensitivity can have other affects as well: you seem to have largely resolved allergies and asthma. My respiratory issues have cleared up 100%, too.

Thanks for the link to the primer pesky, I'll spend some time reading it. I was diagnosed years ago with candida and a few years ago my dr said that was bunk and it was IBS though he didn't do any testing. I have no idea what is wrong with me except that it can be debilitating unless I stay on a really strict diet.

I am starting the paleo diet again as that seems to help more than anything. I eat oatmeal nearly every morning and had no idea it might have gluten. I'm sitting here right now when I should be up doing something, but can't because my gut is acting up again. And I have a trip coming up in two weeks. I have GOT to be normal for that trip. Nothing worse than seeking out a bathroom every 15 minutes in a strange place.

>I am starting the paleo diet again as that seems to help more than anything. I eat oatmeal nearly every morning

I am very confused. I thought that all cereal grains were strictly verboten on this diet? Not so?

Writersblock, you are correct - no grains. No wheat, oats or corn. The Paleo community still debates about quinoa.

Thanks kellyeng. FWIW, a couple of weeks ago I took a foraging class with Green Deane from eattheweeds.com, who's paleo, as were a couple of the other participants, but they seemed to feel that things like grass seeds and acorn flour are okay.

(Personally, I think the true paleo diet was probably anything you could find. If they found a stand of rice or other grain, you won't make me believe it wasn't dinner, stalks and all.)

It's probably pretty impossible for us to eat a real paleo diet these days as the food has changed so much over the millennia. For example, here's a pic of corn from ancient versions, where it was more like a grass seed pod, to today's corn.

{{gwi:1512282}}

yes... corn is different as are many other things and also not too many wooly mammoths roaming around anymore!!!!

busybee, I don't know where you shop, but just the other day our grocery had ground Mastadon, $4.87/lb.

;)

Interesting reading, all of this. I think as long as people approaching middle age and beyond look for a diet regimen that can essentially reverse the aging process--- more energy, fewer to no health problems--- preventing any new illnesses and reversing the lifetime effects of what they've eaten up to that point, there will be studies, books, and food products to satisfy the market. Today's wonder diet or food is usually tomorrow's carcinogen. But alternative (this free, that free) and organic---- if a universal standard is ever adopted--- markets are the fastest sectors of the food industry, so at the least all this specialization is growing the economy :-)

Don't you wonder, though, if this will be the next human rights issue.....if the affluent are sure that certain foodstuffs are dangerous long term to human health, how can we allow the poor to consume them with no protections?

Or worse yet, if certain foodstuffs are dangerous to human health, how can we let people choose to eat them? We'll have to legislate them out of existence to protect people from making bad choices for themselves - especially since these bad choices will impact the cost of healthcare for all.

"Don't you wonder, though, if this will be the next human rights issue.....if the affluent are sure that certain foodstuffs are dangerous long term to human health, how can we allow the poor to consume them with no protections?"

Definitely. I hate to sound conspiracy theorist, but yes, i believe that this is something that is very real. I recently attended a speech about environmental justice and the topic had to do with poor people basically stuck in toxic areas because they can't afford to move away from them. Same thing with food items. It's definitely a way to 'keep the little man down' so to speak.

lol, annie.

how could the govt ever legislate 'bad' food!!??
and, honestly, as long as tobacco and alcohol are legal and there are so many drs willing to prescribe controlled sustances, and the 'pusher-men' are on the streets, i don't think twinkies are going to get any real attention! plus, twinkies are so easy to make! lol
government certainly shouldn't have that type of control over their people...
but, governments certainly shouldn't be bailing out it's peoples' bad decisions, especially over and over again- rich or poor.