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Ever get bloated? It could be a food intolerance

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I'm discovering that I probably have a wheat or gluten intolerance. I like to experiment with my body, so I will go through stages of eating only gluten free and wheat free products. When I am strict with it I will notice an increase in my energy and no pain or bloating in my belly. This past week I decided to try the corn tortilla crips from Trader Joes. Normally I look at the ingredients, but being in a hurry I didn't realized the first ingredient was whole wheat flour. I just assumed it was corn flour. Since it was already in my house I decided to eat them anyway. I only ate about a serving a day hoping that it would not have an effect on me. Within 3 days my stomach was bloated. There have been times where I can get so bloated I look 5 months pregnant. The bloating does not happen right away which lets me know that it is most likely not a food allergy, but a food intolerance. Two or three days can pass before seeing any problems, so it can be very hard to pinpoint what the actual cause is. It is almost a build up.

Some of the other things I have tried to think about are: Can I be dehydrated? Did I eat too much sodium? Do I need to start a rotational diet? As of now I am going to point the finger to gluten and wheat. Good thing there are many health food stores around here that carry many products that don't have wheat or gluten.

Comments

Unknown said…
More and more evidence is suggesting that EVERYONE is gluten intolerant--it's just that some of us are only to a small degree, while others are full-blown celiacs. And there are so many symptoms that are simply never consciously associated with wheat allergy because all we ever hear is that whole grain is the healthiest thing on Earth... which couldn't be further from the truth.

Quit eating wheat!
August 30, 2007 at 2:23 PM
Lauren Brooks said…
I definitely agree with you Greg. It's just hard for most people to avoid it all together.
August 30, 2007 at 4:29 PM
Frozen Molasses said…
I am completely the same. A week or so wheat free and my skin is brighter and my dark eye circles are gone and I just feel better and have fewer cravings for junk. Then I get feeling omnipotent and the super convenience of just saying the heck with it and trying some wheat will generally throw me back into yuck yuck land. For me it starts with cravings for carbs (which other whole grain or veg/fruit based carbs in moderation don't give me) and then the bloating and general dullness and misery kick in. I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that wheat can NOT be a part of a healthy diet for me but you are right that it is so so hard to avoid. Good luck with wheat free. I find that, for me, trying to deal with wheat substitutes just makes me sad so I stick with rice and other traditional pastas (like soba or thai rice noodles or bean threads) that aren't make with wheat at all when I eat grains and when I'm managing to "be good"
August 31, 2007 at 2:36 AM
Lauren Brooks said…
best case scenario,

It's amazing how much better we feel with out the wheat. Some how I always get sucked back in to having a bit. I feel that it will be different next time. Always trying to test myself. Then I start feeling completely yucky!! Wonder if it's partly mental or if it's really my body hating wheat or gluten. It's been 2 days now since I haven't touched wheat and my stomach isn't bloated anymore and my energy is coming back!

Some of my favorite alternatives are Mary's Gone Crackers (seed crackers) and Brown Rice Snaps. I even enjoy a Brown Rice Tortilla every now and again.
August 31, 2007 at 8:47 AM
Franz Snideman said…
Sounds right! I think alot of people including myself are gluten intolerant!

Great post and good to see you figuring things out with your body and nutrition!
August 31, 2007 at 2:22 PM
Lauren Brooks said…
Thanks Franz! I am glad too!
August 31, 2007 at 2:35 PM
Anonymous said…
I think the problem with trying to eliminate grains comes from feeling the need to use grain substitutes. There's this notion of "moderation" that's ever so popular these days. But really, moderation is analogous to mediocrity, and I'll venture to say anyone interested in eliminating grains from his or her diet is probably in search of more than mere mediocrity (did you catch the alliteration there? remarkable.).

That being the case, why not knuckle down and work on making the elimination completely? I'm not at all suggesting never touching a grain again, but instead to attempt to reserve them for infrequent cheating situations. They're truly like any other addictive substance--the more time without, the easier abstaining becomes.
August 31, 2007 at 5:21 PM
fawn said…
Aaron and I both feel better with a wheat-free diet.
September 1, 2007 at 4:04 AM
Lauren Brooks said…
Yeah I am finding more and more people do better with out wheat and gluten. As hard as it sounds I will just have to eliminate it completely. I am sure if everyone trys to take it out of their diet, people will notice a huge difference in how they feel!
September 1, 2007 at 4:49 PM
christina said…
Hi I found you thru tracy's blog which I found googling kettleball training.. anyway your post got me thinking about how I have been feeling lately, gassy and bloated and such. Well I am in the process of finding out discovering that I am hypoglycemic so I am trying to eat lots of whole foods, which of course meant switching over totally to WW pasta, rice and flours. Well damn if I am not possible having a reaction to all that wheat. Ironically everywhere I turn I see something "gluten free" maybe its a sign. Thanks for the post I am going to cut out the gluten for a few days and see how I feel. My head is spinning with all of this nutrition stuff.

Christina
September 1, 2007 at 6:38 PM
Anonymous said…
Christina -

I'd emphatically recommend you check out Dr. Michael Eades stuff--his blog alone will have a ton of helpful info for you:

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/
September 2, 2007 at 3:35 PM
Lauren Brooks said…
Christina,

I am sorry to hear about your discomfort. Gluten can hide in lots of things. Some people are even saying Oatmeal has gluten in it.

It is definitely alot to think about. So try not to get overwhelmed!
September 3, 2007 at 10:07 AM
Anonymous said…
I have found the same thing. Usually when I eat stuff with gluten I feed the first problem (bloatig, pain) about 2 days later. Since beginning of august I'm eating only gluten free. I feel really better.

Mostly you need to take care about prepackaged and fast food.
September 10, 2007 at 1:14 PM
Anonymous said…
Thank you for the nice post. I enjoy reading your posts. Thank you for the
time and effort you spend for keeping blog lively and attractive and that
makes it worth visiting and re-visiting.
September 29, 2007 at 1:14 AM
Lauren Brooks said…
John,

You are very welcome. I am very glad that you enjoy reading my posts! Thanks for the kind words.
September 30, 2007 at 9:55 PM
Anonymous said…
I think i might have the same problem. At first i thought it was just lactose intolerance but then i stopped eating dairy products but the bloating continued. The only difference with me is i get it right after i eat or an hour later or so. :(((
February 12, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Anonymous said…
I know that good nutrition can help you to eliminate dark circles under eyes!
February 24, 2008 at 3:24 AM
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March 16, 2009 at 2:56 PM
Belinda Evans said…
Hello Lauren. Like you I have food intolerance which I found out only recently. Mine is mainly from fruit and vegetables not gluten which makes it harder to eat healthy.

Thank you for sharing your story.
May 25, 2009 at 3:16 AM
Sarah said…
Thank you so much for sharing! I had more wheat based foods today(more than usualy cause I was feeling lazy!!) and I'm so bloated that I look pregnant, I was thinking there was something weird with me. I'm definitely going to eliminate wheat for the next two weeks and see how feel.

Thanks again for posting :)
March 3, 2010 at 2:59 PM
Anonymous said…
When I was nursing my son we realized he was allergic to something that I was eating. I had to eliminate dairy, wheat, soy, nuts etc. I basically lived on rice, squash, and turkey for almost three months. I could not believe how much better I felt during that time. Yes I was craving the food that I couldn't have but I had so much more energy, and felt better than I had in a long time. After I stopped nursing and started eating those things again I noticed that I feel drained and my overall mood has changed. As such, I will be eliminating gluten and dairy from my diet and hopefully I will get my energy back.
May 17, 2010 at 12:39 PM
wheat allergy symptoms said…
I suggest you check your symptoms for celiac... Bloating could be a symptom of celiac disease, in which the body can't digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. You may be igniting a response from the immune system, causing damage to the small intestine and ultimately other organs.
March 17, 2011 at 12:39 AM
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