Does anyone treating for Lyme eat wheat? I'm not sure if I should be avoiding this. For some reason, popular thought is that wheat/gluten is bad for the body.
I don't know how to eat anymore. If I avoid wheat, too!!!! there's not much left! I think I'll starve. Really tired of lettuce salads and soup seems out of question b/c of preservatives in broth bases. I need serious help with this Candida/Lyme diet!
Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated. Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Yes. Avoid gluten.
There are many other things but best to avoid all packaged foods. It's well worth it and you will enjoy food so much more, too.
Promise. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
over 50 reader reviews, a near perfect composite 5 star rating. One reader notes: "Conducive to almost all specialty diets out there! GAPS, Paleo, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, real food......you name it, you will find a lot on this book for you."
- also by Kimberly Harris -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Veggies galore, good protein (meats & eggs from grass fed, free ranging / grazing / certified humanely treated), good oils.
Just listed here alternatives to grain:
MILLET (a seed)
RAW BUCKWHEAT GROATS (a legume)
WILD RICE (a grass) . . . not sure what category other rices are in but assume grass? Still excellent are:
BLACK RICE; RED RICE (Brown less frequently);
AMARANTH
KAMUT
QUINOA, BLACK, RED or REGULAR (though some say there may be a cross reactivity so you may want to consider that at some time - IF a person is celiac.) -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
Celiac Alert: Quinoa Causes Gluten Cross-Reactivity in some Celiacs
-By Dr. Vikki Petersen - July 20, 2012
Excerpts:
Quinoa is a gluten-free grain. No one is arguing that point. . . .
. . . We have discussed in earlier posts the concept of gluten cross-reactivity wherein a gluten-free food such as dairy products, grains and coffee, to name a few,
actually have a protein structure similar to gluten and create ‘gluten reactions’ in sensitive individuals despite no actual gluten being ingested.
That may sound confusing but it is simply due to an overtaxed immune system (from years of gluten exposure) making an error between the actual protein gluten and a protein that resembles gluten. . . .
. . . this blog is designed to increase awareness and improve health. And it seems that there is a potential for quinoa to be quite damaging, so to ignore this research would go against my stated purpose of improving health.
Let’s look at the research and then I’ll give you my opinion on how best to proceed. . . .
. . . And the response they created was “as potent as that observed for wheat gluten”. So, while the quinoa had no actual gluten it did create an immune reaction indistinguishable from that of gluten. . . .
. . . Despite this research being done on patients with celiac disease, I wouldn’t rule out those with gluten sensitivity as potential ‘victims’ of this problem as I have seen those with gluten sensitivity have cross-reactive reactions the same as those with celiac disease. . . .
- Full article at the link above.
Reference: Zevallos, VF, et al. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (April 2012) 10.3945/ajcn.111.030684
“Variable activation of immune response by quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) prolamins in celiac disease" -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Basic start to hundreds of different meals:
Sauté an onion, microplane in ginger root. Let it get to near caramelization before adding in bits of garlic (or add whole cloves earlier and you can later mash up).
Add in spices / garden herbs. You can also "toast" the spices first, then add the onion, etc.
From this, you can build any meal with 2-3 Veggies, Protein and flavorful healthful oil.
You can also freeze this in glass jars (not plastic).
A grated carrot will add some sweetness, allowing it to caramelize, too.
This is a very basic SOFRITO (so FREE toe). You can leave out spices / herbs so that you can be flexible with your meal when you pull this out of the freezer.
MUSHROOMS will also work very nicely in this and freeze well. Remove the onion mixture first, then saute and caramelize the mushrooms, then mix it back in with the full concoction.
Mushrooms are fabulous in so many ways. I can't imagine day without them. But rotate the kinds. -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Bone Broth (organic source) . . . make your own and save lot of money, too.
I lost a good link on this. There is a fairly recent one.
Make it condensed and freeze in small glass jars (after it cools in fridge first) -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Took me years to figure out how to keep mushrooms.
In the fridge for loose veggies is the only place I use plastic bins. Tight seals for regular veggies. If buying new, get BPA-free with very tight seals. Glass bottoms for liquid foods.
No top for mushrooms. Put in straight from the market. Leave stems on until you use them (though stems are often too tough to eat, great to simmer with broths).
A full all around loose "wrap" but covering, just not tight as they need air circulation - of two layers of paper towels. NO TOP (or they will mold). Center shelf is a good place so the top layer stays closed and it not getting brushed each time the fridge is raided.
A BROWN PAPER BAG MAY ALSO WORK WELL, if substantial enough paper quality. The smaller paper bags at the store seem to get too moist unless you have just a few mushrooms. -
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Eat lots of vegetables .. if you do that, you won't miss the carbs very much.
Gluten/wheat is damaging to the gut and blocks nutrients. It also creates inflammation in the body.
Moving to Medical Questions...
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Make an appointment with someone in the produce department of an organic food market. Tell them that you would like to get to know the full range of vegetables that come through their doors.
In spring, call your area Farmers' Markets and make an appointment with someone connected to their event / the farmers. Ask them to spend some time with you, taking you to the various vegetable stands and introducing you to the full range of vegetables.
It can be an eye opening experience. -
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
- There are some good gluten free pastas, too, but they are still REFINED carbs to a large degree. In very small amounts with LOTS of veggies and other good complex foods, once in a while this may be fine.
Funny thing is that I've totally forgotten about those. I have some but when I make any Italian dish, I just don't even think of the pasta anymore . . . so many veggies just take up that space better. It's the flavor of the foods, herbs and spices we are usually after, anyway.
Best to avoid the brands with corn in them. Corn is known to cause phlegm, far too refined in pastas and is often not organic (and often therefore, GMO).
The delectable enjoyment of slurping a bowl of ramen has been mostly out of bounds for those whose diets are gluten-free.
But now Lotus Foods, a California company that specializes in exotic rice, has introduced rice-based gluten-free ramen with earthy, nutty flavors that are enjoyable even for those who do not avoid gluten.
There are three varieties, each based on a different type and color of rice:
Jade Pearl, a green organic rice ramen infused with leaves and stems of edible bamboo;
Black Forbidden Rice ramen;
and a toasty-toned ramen of millet and brown rice:
Lotus Foods Rice Ramen - www.lotusfoods.com -
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- A note about RAMEN NOODLES in light of the NYT recent article
Traditional Ramen noodles are FRIED first, then dried and packaged. That frying can make a deadly deal for the inside of our blood vessels. So, even if gluten-free, avoid anything that has been fried in any kind of oil and repackaged.
No way to keep it fresh, safely. For anyone. Ramen noodles that have been fried in production are not good for any human body.
But this brand, LOTUS FOODS is a very good brand - I get my BLACK RICE from them - so they may have a different method for their Ramen. I'll be they do but I have to stop looking now. -
Posted by bla (Member # 42361) on :
Thank you for all of this info. It is helpful, yet a bit overwhelming, too.
I'm sooo not used to all this. I never heard of much of these foods before, so learning how to shop for and prepare meals is turning into a bit of a nightmare.
My head is spinning. I was just going over types of flour for baking/cooking, and I hadn't realized there was such a vast array of flours. My goodness! My mind is boggled. I just don't know where to start.
Non-grain, gluten-free flours seem to be high in carbs, which is bad. This is really complicating.
I just want to make a delicious batch of pancakes once in a while... ones that won't go against my new diet plan too much. How to do this...puzzled.
There should be a beginners' guide when starting a diet like this...a step by step process that guides a person like me into this new world of strange eats.
I'm guessing it should be a process that slowly helps the dieter to learn what to buy, where to buy, and how to prepare a few recipes at a time, and so forth. The process I'd imagine would take/should take many months of gradual learning. Uggghhhh.
Ex., white rice gets high reviews in the healthy eaters' circles, but in checking the labels to compare all-purpose flour to white rice flour, the "Red-Mill, gluten-free all purpose flour" is lower in carbs and I believe higher in protein, so what's better? Just one of my many confusions, lol.
I do appreciate all of the input offered here, a special thanks to Keebler. Cheers!
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
Nut or coconut flour can make wonderful pancakes or other "bakery" items.
Check out this link http://paleofood.com/ , the paleo diet is low carb and gluten free.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Bob's Red Mill all purpose is a very good flour. I would imagine their website might have info you could use for recipes, etc.
I just make it easy and avoid nearly all grains. You might want to consider quinoa instead.
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
There are some great pancake mixes out, we love King Arthur Flour's brand of GF pancake mix.
We do not go without being gluten free. I started out with recipes from elanaspantry.com. Very easy and not intimidating at all.
Rudi's has a great GF bread in the frozen section of the grocery store. All GF bread is best grilled or toasted.
Posted by bla (Member # 42361) on :
Thanks for the paleo link, Razzle. I love that the recipes are simple.
Lymetoo, Red Mill all-purpose flour is derived mainly of beans, which I thought were considered high-carb food...yet, package indicates low carb.
I did purchase this flour and tried my hand at pancakes using it and coconut flour, but didn't have a recipe. They weren't very good, and they wanted to fall apart; they were too dry. I probably had the ratio wrong, or maybe the two types of flour aren't a good mix at all. I'll check their website.
Faithful, I have visited elanaspantry.com, and I do like what I saw. I will be revisiting. Thanks.
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
- Explore various "ethnic" foods. Foods from other countries is often so much richer in flavor, and in nutrients.
Rather than frying, I just "bake" this, in with cooked Millet so soften the spiciness (very nice spices but just a bit too hot unless I alter it). Can also be used to thicken a chicken soup, etc.
great with Humus and Baba ganoush -
Posted by rera2528 (Member # 29886) on :
At first, I was very concerned with how to "replace" favorite foods. Over time, I have moved to "different" foods. I no longer miss most gluten foods, because I know what the trade off looks like.
When you get used to using "other stuff" to fill those holes that used to be gluten foods, you may be surprised.
We have a few excellent health food stores here, so I find the replacements I need. I buy a millet and flax bread that has no yeast or gluten (the label warns of traces, but I haven't had an issue - however, that is not the case for all and you need to figure that out for you). Also, I use pasta every now and again.
GF oatmeal (again, some can react, so you need to see for yourself), brown or black rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes - they have taken the place of the starches I used to use. Many more veggies and proteins are in my diet.
The biggest thing that I point out for people beginning GF is that you CAN replace foods with GF ones, but that is not usually the healthy choice. Often, they are just as refined, have just as much sugar, etc.
It is overwhelming at first, no question about it. As you begin to get used to it, you may find yourself liking it .
If you decide to replace at times, I second the recommendation about King Arthur Flour. They have recipes on their website (sugar warning!). I use their pancake/waffle recipe, and I may eat one every 6 months or so. I have lost the taste for them.
Best of luck with your transition. It is worth it!
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
Gluten looks identical to the body as Candida so if you have yeast issues, gluten is not a good idea. The body will think it's Candida and try to attack it (auto-immune) and then you get the inflammatory response, etc.
Also, flour is not a good idea as it is mucous forming.
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
I do not believe that is true about gluten and candida looking "identical" to the body...otherwise, everyone on the planet would be sick, because candida is normally found in small amounts in the gut...
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
okay well depending on how literal you are... the candida protein looks "very similar" to gluten protein and if you have a Candida "infection" - eventually you will most likely develop an intolerance to gluten. Have you never heard of this?
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
And really, I believe everyone probably IS sensitive to gluten. Most people just don't know it!
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
okay, here ya go! Wanted to try and find something that kind of explained what I was talking about..
Candida is normally present in small numbers in the gut - of healthy people.
So how come healthy people don't have gluten antibodies, gut inflammation, etc.?
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
I think it probably depends if it's systemic or not, which, if you have leaky gut the Candida can get out of the digestive tract where it belongs and into the bloodstream.
Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
There are also various "forms" of the Candida. The Candida can create a biofilm and even wrap itself around your spinal cord. It's normal for it to be in our gut as you mentioned, but when we take things like antibiotics, NSAIDs, eat high sugar, etc. it can create the intestinal permeability or "leaky gut" and cause the Candida and other proteins to get into the bloodstream and create that immune response. The blood knows that stuff isn't supposed to be there. That's why so many people today are focusing on healing the gut. Paleo, GAPS, Body Ecology, etc. The difference though is that Body Ecology Diet also focuses on restoring that inner ecosystem in the gut to try and conquer the Candida. But anyone wanting to be healthy, very first thing you should do is cut out gluten. Next on the list dairy, then sugar.
There are plenty of things to eat. Stick with the produce section of the store. The more you eat the more veggies you will discover. Fennel is divine! You can also have meats, fish, chicken, steak, shrimp, eggs, good oils and fats, nuts like almonds, CULTURED VEGETABLES, salads, delicious soups, the list goes on. Just dedicate yourself to eating real food (that's naturally gluten free) and you will find stuff to eat. Posted by girl (Member # 18022) on :
(I wasn't speaking directly to you, Razzle, I was speaking to the originator of this post.) Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Good info, "girl!"
bla.. I don't use the Bob's Red Mill for anything but occasional breading or for salmon cakes, etc. I don't use it very often.
I don't make pancakes, cookies, or anything like that. If I eat bread, I just buy it. I only use it when there is nothing else to eat.
I concentrate on vegetables, proteins and the cultured vegetables. They have changed my life!
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