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How a food allergy can effect your life and business

Garwood

Diamond
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Location
Oregon
I'm 34. I recently discovered I have an allergy to wheat Gluten. I have always been healthy and have even poked fun at gluten allergies figuring it was a made up thing to sell more groceries. Turns out this shit has been steadily grinding me down over the past 7 years and without it I don't feel twice my age anymore.

Constant "brain fog" cognitively like a bad hangover all the time. I have been taking the maximum dose of Advil and a double dose of Claratin to lessen this for 5+ years.

My feet, joints and back hurt constantly. They snap crackle and pop all the time.

Lymph nodes on my abdomen would swell up to blueberry size and fluctuate, especially after drinking beer.

I used to run all the time 3-5 miles a day. I was 6'3 and a thin 225 lbs for a long time. I've been 300 with a belly and hiking with my kids does me in.

Felt fatigued all the time. Some nights I could sleep 10 hours and still be tired.

Went to the ER for chest pains from panic attacks twice. I thought for sure I was having a heart attack.

I used to be a person that got more shit done before breakfast than most do all day and that slowly turned into accomplishing 2 hours of work in a 10 hour day sometimes.

I have not developed a new product in 2 years. I used to bring something to market every couple months.

It has been a week. One week without Gluten. I can say without hesitation I haven't felt this good in 7 years. I wake up after 6 hours of sleep excited to get into the shop and make stuff. I haven't had an advil or claritin or any medication. My mind is clear and focused. My joints and feet don't hurt. I can't tell where my lymph nodes are anymore.

Fuck I wish I wasn't so stubborn and looked into this sooner.
 
I'm 34. I recently discovered I have an allergy to wheat Gluten. I have always been healthy and have even poked fun at gluten allergies figuring it was a made up thing to sell more groceries. Turns out this shit has been steadily grinding me down over the past 7 years and without it I don't feel twice my age anymore.

Constant "brain fog" cognitively like a bad hangover all the time. I have been taking the maximum dose of Advil and a double dose of Claratin to lessen this for 5+ years.

My feet, joints and back hurt constantly. They snap crackle and pop all the time.

Lymph nodes on my abdomen would swell up to blueberry size and fluctuate, especially after drinking beer.

I used to run all the time 3-5 miles a day. I was 6'3 and a thin 225 lbs for a long time. I've been 300 with a belly and hiking with my kids does me in.

Felt fatigued all the time. Some nights I could sleep 10 hours and still be tired.

Went to the ER for chest pains from panic attacks twice. I thought for sure I was having a heart attack.

I used to be a person that got more shit done before breakfast than most do all day and that slowly turned into accomplishing 2 hours of work in a 10 hour day sometimes.

I have not developed a new product in 2 years. I used to bring something to market every couple months.

It has been a week. One week without Gluten. I can say without hesitation I haven't felt this good in 7 years. I wake up after 6 hours of sleep excited to get into the shop and make stuff. I haven't had an advil or claritin or any medication. My mind is clear and focused. My joints and feet don't hurt. I can't tell where my lymph nodes are anymore.

Fuck I wish I wasn't so stubborn and looked into this sooner.

.
many people are lactose intolerant and have problems with milk especially when older. often a small amount of milk they are just slightly effected. not like it puts them in the hospital normally.
.
same with some people can eat moderate amounts of fatty foods but a hugh amount causes their gall bladder to not be able to keep up. again symptoms can be relatively mild, not usually puts you in hospital.
.
some people have trouble with strawberries. the little seeds causes problems. again its rare to put people in hospital.
.
peanuts same mild symptoms or problems are often not recognized
.
a lot of stuff makes people feel bad. often got to recognize and not over eat the problem causing stuff
 
Very odd how this was rare years ago...rare as in I knew of nobody with an allergy to Wheat (gluten)..even peanuts...PB&J the standard lunch room go to in school.



Today, my niece is Highly allergic to Gluten...Epipen type allergic and very allergic to peanuts. My cousin recently had twins, one's allergic to Gluten and Peanuts...he's Airborne stage allergic to the peanuts. Crazy stuff.

My buddies niece was 20, real nice girl, but extremely lethargic. Always had stomach issues, the worst skin one could imagine. She got to talking to my sister at a party about her daughters allergies, especially to wheat and thought maybe a good idea to get checked for it. Sure enough a few months later I saw this girl...didn't even know it was her. Bubbly energy and a knockout...amazing transformation.



New one on me...My dog is highly allergic to Wheat Gluten, also Beef, Milk, Chicken and Cotten along with a host of other things...yeah feeding him is pricey for sure. Years ago he's have been taken out behind the house...


Hey, glad you got it figured out and now know to avoid and move on with a productive happy life without dealing with the effects of gluten.
 
plastics and crap.

Freakin propylene glycol in EVERYTHING....aspartame...all manner of crap.

Remove all the BS and I bet you find gluten is not the real culprit, all the garbage just compromises your ability to process it.

And you gotta be careful with a lot of gluten free stuff, lots of added sugar.

hope you continuee to feel better.
 
A few friends have have the Celiac thing and can't eat gluten, its not easy to avoid all gluten its in so many things, and beer... but then every baked thing without it tastes awful so that helps cut that out. Maybe see how you react to dairy and certain other foods too.

Taking that much Claritin definitely wasn't helping and it can get pretty hard on the heart.

I went through the feeling like crap and needing 4hr naps and still being tired a few years ago, and it dragged on about 3yrs before it was sorted pretty good. Turned out to be mostly thyroid related, but also had H-pylori which was another source of stomach/digestive issues. I went through a while of cutting out different foods, gluten, diary, etc. Thankfully no apparent allergies and celiac/gluten test has turned out negative as far as I know. Its something a lot of people should try, thankfully I never eat fast food and as little processed stuff as possible. Probably still a bit too much sugar though but eh, the wine compensates I think.
 
You are not alone. The numbers of gluten intolerant are rising. My daughter was diagnosed gluten intolerant four years ago. Medical doctors did all kinds of stupid diagnoses and prescriptions but nothing helped. One of our friends recommended, of all things, a chiropractor, and there were some neck issues but he also recommended a food allergy test. We did it, daughter was highly gluten intolerant and is doing great now.

At that time I began wondering about myself and also went gluten free. After about a month my own problems went away.

Bread and wheat are not the only food out there. Start reading all food labels, and I mean all. I found hotdogs with gluten last week.

As for the commments of disbelief; a chemist and friend, retired from a major drug manufacturer, described the origins of gluten intolerance best:

"Wheat has been genetically altered and isn't even wheat anymore. Fact is man is genetically closer to apes than today's wheat is to wheat of just 50 years ago."

Do yourself a favor and eliminate wheat from your diet entirely.
 
Glad you got it sorted out, my mom was diagnosed celiac 45 years ago when it was a rare disease and two of my sisters are celiac. Whether allergic or an autoimmune issue - no fun.

No doubt there are those who are faux gluten intolerant, but that in a way seems to have made gluten free products far more plentiful than they were even a decade ago.

. (Need to keep a sense of humor . . .)
 
plastics and crap.

Freakin propylene glycol in EVERYTHING....aspartame...all manner of crap.

Remove all the BS and I bet you find gluten is not the real culprit, all the garbage just compromises your ability to process it.

And you gotta be careful with a lot of gluten free stuff, lots of added sugar.

hope you continuee to feel better.

I'm thinking it's mostly all the glyphosate (roundup) that is in our food supply that is the main culprit.
 
^ I think blaming it on any one chemical is vastly over simplifying a very complex system. Certainly in a lot of cases i think its far more to do with the relatively sterile environments we live or probably more importantly grow up in.

Previously what ever way you cut it we spent a lot of time living on the dirt, eating a mixed bag of stuff that changed year to year and day to day. Our current life style, diets and environments are so far removed from what we had evolved to survive in its little surprise we struggle - are not doing as well any more.
 
I'm thinking it's mostly all the glyphosate (roundup) that is in our food supply that is the main culprit.

Glyphosate has a safety profile about like sea water.

If you have to blame it on something other than genetics, blame it on all the prepackaged food, either ready to heat or ready to eat. Real food doesn't come in a box.

Garwood, you may want to read about another diet making the rounds, Whole 30. No grains and no sugar for 30 days, and then reintroduction of foods one at a time to see which foods may bother you. Meals are meat, eggs, fruit, and fresh vegetables.
 
Glyphosate has a safety profile about like sea water.

And what does that prove? Absolutely nothing? Or maybe your point was that drinking sea water will make us very sick?

Monsanto would like us to believe it is harmless and we can even consume it. They pay lobbyists to push that, and that the world will starve without roundup.

Have you read the research on how it gets into food and potentially kills our good gut bacteria, but leaves the bad, upsetting the ratios?

Sometimes the mechanisms of harm aren't immediately obvious, and it can take a long while to figure out. Glyphosate apparently does not mess us up directly, so initial tests made it appear fairly safe.

In hindsight, it isn't a stretch that something that kills plants might kill certain gut bacteria if it is on and in our food. It almost makes a certain sense, eh?

Btw, I eat wheat. Had a big plate of spaghetti last night. Not sure if cutting it out would improve my health, but I wonder. I'd sure like to keep eating and drinking wheat, but roundup? Not so much.

"Glyphosate disrupts the balance of gut bacteria in poultry (Shehata et al., 2013), increasing the ratio of pathogenic bacteria to other commensal microbes. Salmonella and Clostridium are highly resistant to glyphosate, whereas Enterococcus, Bifidobacteria, and Lactobacillus are especially susceptible."

Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance

"Abstract

Celiac disease, and, more generally, gluten intolerance, is a growing problem worldwide, but especially in North America and Europe, where an estimated 5% of the population now suffers from it. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, skin rashes, macrocytic anemia and depression. It is a multifactorial disease associated with numerous nutritional deficiencies as well as reproductive issues and increased risk to thyroid disease, kidney failure and cancer. Here, we propose that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide, Roundup®, is the most important causal factor in this epidemic. Fish exposed to glyphosate develop digestive problems that are reminiscent of celiac disease. Celiac disease is associated with imbalances in gut bacteria that can be fully explained by the known effects of glyphosate on gut bacteria. Characteristics of celiac disease point to impairment in many cytochrome P450 enzymes, which are involved with detoxifying environmental toxins, activating vitamin D3, catabolizing vitamin A, and maintaining bile acid production and sulfate supplies to the gut. Glyphosate is known to inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes. Deficiencies in iron, cobalt, molybdenum, copper and other rare metals associated with celiac disease can be attributed to glyphosate's strong ability to chelate these elements. Deficiencies in tryptophan, tyrosine, methionine and selenomethionine associated with celiac disease match glyphosate's known depletion of these amino acids. Celiac disease patients have an increased risk to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which has also been implicated in glyphosate exposure. Reproductive issues associated with celiac disease, such as infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects, can also be explained by glyphosate. Glyphosate residues in wheat and other crops are likely increasing recently due to the growing practice of crop desiccation just prior to the harvest. We argue that the practice of “ripening” sugar cane with glyphosate may explain the recent surge in kidney failure among agricultural workers in Central America. We conclude with a plea to governments to reconsider policies regarding the safety of glyphosate residues in foods."
 
It has been a week. One week without Gluten. I can say without hesitation I haven't felt this good in 7 years. I wake up after 6 hours of sleep excited to get into the shop and make stuff. I haven't had an advil or claritin or any medication. My mind is clear and focused. My joints and feet don't hurt. I can't tell where my lymph nodes are anymore.

That is great to hear. I was diagnosed this summer, coming off gluten was like coming out of a fog.
 
^ I think blaming it on any one chemical is vastly over simplifying a very complex system. Certainly in a lot of cases i think its far more to do with the relatively sterile environments we live or probably more importantly grow up in.

Previously what ever way you cut it we spent a lot of time living on the dirt, eating a mixed bag of stuff that changed year to year and day to day. Our current life style, diets and environments are so far removed from what we had evolved to survive in its little surprise we struggle - are not doing as well any more.

They do already some treatments for like Crohn’s disease by feeding you some parasites or worms. Apparently human body is used to some amount of parasites and if you don't have any the self-defense mechanism's go to overdrive causing allergies and other auto-immune diseases.
Digestive tract microbiological colony is another recent interest and there is even some evidence between depression and what sort of bacteria lives in your intestines.
 
One of the things that really got me thinking there was something wrong with me was getting stung by a wasp and feeling great for a day.

This has really made me look hard at what we're eating. My wife and I are making big changes for the good.

I still can't believe how good I feel. At one point today I was running a cnc lathe, hanging drywall, talking on the phone and playing with my 5 month old son all at the same time.

I realized I was not sucking anymore.

It really, really sucks to know yourself well and what you are mentally capable of doing and then fail at meeting your own goals, small and large, again and again and again.

I'm so thankful to have my life back!
 
And what does that prove? Absolutely nothing? Or maybe your point was that drinking sea water will make us very sick?

Monsanto would like us to believe it is harmless and we can even consume it. They pay lobbyists to push that, and that the world will starve without roundup.

Have you read the research on how it gets into food and potentially kills our good gut bacteria, but leaves the bad, upsetting the ratios?

Sometimes the mechanisms of harm aren't immediately obvious, and it can take a long while to figure out. Glyphosate apparently does not mess us up directly, so initial tests made it appear fairly safe.

In hindsight, it isn't a stretch that something that kills plants might kill certain gut bacteria if it is on and in our food. It almost makes a certain sense, eh?

Btw, I eat wheat. Had a big plate of spaghetti last night. Not sure if cutting it out would improve my health, but I wonder. I'd sure like to keep eating and drinking wheat, but roundup? Not so much.

"Glyphosate disrupts the balance of gut bacteria in poultry (Shehata et al., 2013), increasing the ratio of pathogenic bacteria to other commensal microbes. Salmonella and Clostridium are highly resistant to glyphosate, whereas Enterococcus, Bifidobacteria, and Lactobacillus are especially susceptible."

Glyphosate, pathways to modern diseases II: Celiac sprue and gluten intolerance
Heck, when I pee around back of the shop (way out in the woods) I kill the grass.....

So I have been moving where I do this, and who needs to spend money on roundup ?
 
Garwood,

Do you eat gluten free bread.....? Last year when my brother in law and family visited they announced they were gluten free. We bought a loaf of gluten free bread for them. The stuff was awful.

Is there such a thing as gluten free bread that's close to "regular" bread?

Kinnikinnick Fresh Store - Changing the Way Edmonton Shops for Gluten Free & Allergy Friendly Foods These guys made a good "millit" bread. I dated a celiac for many years. The "gluten free" fad brought millions of dollars into research for better tasting (more tolerable) gluten free foods.
Best way to do the gluten free thing imo is to just skip any food that would have had it in the first place. Skip the gluten free imitations and have a diet of meats, fruit/berries, vegtibles.... I don't think I ever ate better.
It was a great way to skip all pre made foods. If it's pre made, it's probably got gluten in it. Wheat is a cheap filler.
 
Garwood,

Do you eat gluten free bread.....? Last year when my brother in law and family visited they announced they were gluten free. We bought a loaf of gluten free bread for them. The stuff was awful.

Is there such a thing as gluten free bread that's close to "regular" bread?

I tried Franz stuff and it tasted good, but was closer to cake than bread. I don't think it's very healthy. I made tacos for dinner 3 times this week.
 
I'm thinking it's mostly all the glyphosate (roundup) that is in our food supply that is the main culprit.

That's damn interesting! Seems similar to the DDT stuff back in the day. Actually some say the rid of DDT has brought back the population of the hawk, walking stick, praying mantis and a bunch of other stuff.

Brent
 








 
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