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The Alcat (Food Sensitivity Test) And Going Gluten Free... Advice?


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Hi everyone. I recently had an ALCAT test and the results came back. there were a few various things that i was said to be "intolerant" of in ranges of severe, moderate, mild and then not at all. The gluten came back as moderate and suggested that I avoid it. I would like some advice from those of you who have axed this from their diet. What are some things I should avoid and also, did getting it out of your system help your dysautonomia at all? How long does it take to leave your body and see any results?

Thanks

Traci

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A neurologist had me go on a gluten free diet a couple of months ago. I haven't been tested, so it is just something to try. There are cereals like Rice Crispies and Chex, and soups like Pregresso mushroom that are gluten free. It is becoming popular enough that big brand names are putting it on the front of their labels. Be prepared to use coupons, because they are more expensive. You can find bread in the freezer section, and of cource products in the natural foods section. I have heard that you can even buy gluten free shampoos now. Dressings, and sauces can have hidden gluten, and may not mention gluten on the label. I look at the allergy list on the label, and if it says wheat, I leave it alone.

If you are going to eat out, you will want to plan ahead. Fast food and sit down restaurants will usually have gluten free menus or at least an allergy list that you can check online. Be careful with gluten free pizza. Even though it is gluten free, there is flour in the restaurant and the dust can end up getting mixed in. So, if you are sensitive, it could be an issue. There are a lot of great websites with recipes, restaurants, and brands that are safe. It takes a little work, but it isn't too bad.

I have been told that it could take a few weeks, or several months to see a difference depending on your level of sensitivity.

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I was just on one of the news websites and came across links about gluten free diets. Funny how that works sometimes. Also, I forgot to mention how good Betty Crocker gluten free brownies and chocolate chip cookies are. My husband and daughter love them.

http://www.allyou.com/diet-fitness/nutrition/eating-gluten-free-00411000071390/?xid=fox-news-ay-celiac-061112

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Hi. There's a lot of info on gluten on this site. Just do a search on gluten.

Imho, after 7 years of being gf and watching the gf community both online and in my celiac support group, I'd stick to whole foods like meats, veggies and fruits. Dr terry wahls has some great info on this. Our bodies need the nutrients in these foods.

The gf foods are cross contaminated with gluten but we don't have any standards in the us either so it's eat at your own risk. The fda info on gluten standards explains this.

I've found the wahls diet plus juicing plus a few supplements are helpng me. We're all different so

while diets need to be similiar, bio-available foods, the suplements we need are different.

Tc .. D

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Learning that I was gluten intolerant after I had the antigliadin Igg blood test literally changed the course of my post viral fatigue journey (including lots of dysautonomia issues)! Six months after going gf the constant motion sickness I had for 3 years became manageable. The huge difficulty I suffered with reading (tracking info across a page, watching cars go down a street, etc...) also cleared and only shows up when I am terribly fatigued.

It was only after going gf that I was able to work part time and have since recovered enough from cfs to work full time. I am sensitive to dairy, too and have cut that out of my diet. Dietary changes, supplementing nutrients that I have been deficient in and pacing myself have enabled me to recover by about 70 % of my pre-virus status.

You have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain by trying a gf diet. Go for it! Concentrate on eating whole foods and you won't miss the gluten. Here's to your health!

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thanks dizzy and bayly, i appreciate the info and support. i'm going to start monday (with the gf diet) and i'll have to give an update on how i feel. i hope that i can report back that gluten free is making me feel better. I'll make sure to incorporate the whole foods like you guys say. lots of fruits and veggies, like i should already be doing. glad its helping you all.

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I had the ALCAT as well. Gluten was a moderate intolerance for me. Luckily I had cut it out about 6 months prior. When I did cut out gluten in feb of 2011 I actually felt worse for about 2 weeks. It was like a withdrawal. But it got better as I stuck with it. I also felt that I had another withdrawal type thing when starting my strict 4 day rotation diet I got from the ALCAT.

I don't plan on eating gluten ever again. While I am still not where I want to be I am pretty certain that I could be in a worse place had I not stopped rating gluten. I think it helps to stabilize and calm the inside of my body and my immune system.

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I haven't had an alcat test but I have had extensive testing through Enterolab which pinpointed my intolerances to gluten, dairy, soy, yeast & egg. I also have 1 full Celiac gene and the antibodies and malabsorption to go along with all of that. I agree with the others here and would definitely consider a good 3-6 month trial of gluten free (or more?). It has helped me enough for me to NEVER want to eat gluten again!!!

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I noticed that I didn't answer your questions. I didn't see any help in my oi / oh and pots from eliminating

gluten, etc. But I stopped feeling buzzed 24 \ 7 within 24 hrs, my narcolepsy was gone in 8 - 10 days,

my daily need for klonopin for nocturnal myoclonus was gone at 7 months and my ataxia disappeared at 1

year. A multitude of other nuero and digestive symptoms vanished to. My endoscopy and colonoscopy post

diet showed that my hiatal hernia, diverticuli, gerd, etc were gone too. : )

My orthostaic hypotension just went away after 22 years in feb after 1 month on the wahls diet. Which is why I suggested

you try this diet. I was already on the paleo diet but was eating too much meat and not nearly enough

fruits and veggies.

One other problem I have that some here may have too is that according to my stool tests over the last 4 years, I appear to over produce gluten antibodies. Minute amounts of gluten cause this test

result to be high. Honestly, I was only eating a cookie and some chips the day prior to testing to see if

I could eat these foods again. I got my answer. Duh .. Lol ..

Tc .. X

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Fyi .. Elisabeth Hasselbeck will be on the Dr. Oz show tomorrow talking about the gf diet. It worked

wonders for her. She couldn't get pregnant and now she has 3 kids. She turned Bill O'Reilly on to

the gf diet too and now he feels and looks better.

I'd love to know which patients respond to this diet and which ones need to go on the paleo diet. I felt wonderful on the gfsfcf etc, diet at first too but it didn't last. I even had the energy of a teenager the same month that I started walking normally again. I overdid it, went on a roadtrip, and crashed tho within 3 weeks.

After that, I started getting tested for nutritional deficiencies, hormones, gut bacteria, parasites, etc.

It turned out that I have celiac, Hashimoto's, hyperinsulinemia, lung scarring, seizure disirder, Paget's, etc etc. I'm "assuming" Elisabeth only had celiac disease that responded to the gf diet. Not everyone's body can heal just by eliminating gluten.

Tc .. D

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Thank you guys so much. It's encouraging and inspiring to hear about your experiences and makes me want to do good for myself. I have really bad willpower. this is my day 2 GF and I've kinda cheated a little already, its not going to stop me, just slow me down i suppose. Thanks Dizzy for all the info, I wish i could have watched teh dr oz with Elisabeth. Its funny you mention her because i checked out several recipe books from the library and one was her book!!! I think its amazing to see all the help its done for certain people, its great!

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