Going Gluten free, Crohn's Disease, any suggestions?

[ddcman]

Howdy,

I'm starting a new workout program/nutrition plan starting tomorrow. I've decided to try to go gluten-free for the onset to see how I feel. I have Crohn's disease and gluten might be a leading culprit in triggering it. I hear a lot of good things about Ezekiel bread, but are most of their breads not gluten-free? Casein could also be an intolerance. So to find out I got some casein protein powder to have before I go to bed and see how I feel.

I'm a good sized guy (6'4' and 225lbs) and I'm looking to reduce my BF% (approx 20% right now) and overall live a healthier lifestyle.

Any suggestions on the nutrition side of things? Even if I'm gluten free, I can still eat many of the things I like. My trainer suggested I go dairy-free to (prob because of the casein) but I cant sacrifice that yet. I need to choose something that isnt such a sacrifice.

Anyone is the same position as me and have any suggestions moving forward with this new lifestyle would be helpful -- Thanks

[TheElephantman]

i switched from eating wheat and limited lactose and have never felt better good choice

[ddcman]

Originally Posted by TheElephantman

i switched from eating wheat and limited lactose and have never felt better good choice

do you use gluten free breads/pastas or did you eliminate them from your diet all-together?

[cheeseandrice]

as great as ezekiel is, its not gluten free IIRC, it contains grains that produce gluten

[ddcman]

Originally Posted by cheeseandrice

as great as ezekiel is, its not gluten free IIRC, it contains grains that produce gluten

Thanks for the info! Ah well, GF bread it is

[ParsleyTea]

I eat a Paleo/ low carb diet which does not allow any grains in it - wheat, corn, rice - and after I did that my IBS all but went away. You can find more info on paleo eating at Dr Cordain's blog. Another great source of information on low carb and over all diet health can be learned at Dr Eades blog.

I also avoid milk products, but notice cheese is not a problem for me.

You should add fish oil and vitamin D3 to your diet. Both supplements did my gut a world of good. I take 2000mgs of EPA/DHA a day of fish oil. And 6000ius of vitamin D3 in oil form to reach a testing level of 60 to 70ng/ml.

Below I'll post part of an article from Dr T at the blog Nephropal on how vitamin D3 helps with GI issues. The rest of the article can be read at his sight.

Best of luck! Going grain free, and adding D3 and fish oil should help your GI system - it has helped me and several others I know.

Vitamin D


Vitamin D had been related to the class of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Symptoms of IBD can be diarrhea, GI bleeding, kidney stones, arthritis, weight loss, and others. A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, Oct, 2008 showed:

" in both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, vitamin D deficiency was independently associated with having increased disease activity scores compared to those with normal levels of Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficient CD patients, but not UC patients, had worse quality of life when compared to patients who were not Vitamin D deficient."

I found a very interesting article by Juan Kong, et al, 2008 regarding the leaky gut and Vitamin D (1). The researchers looked at the role of the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) in the intestines of mice with and without the expression of VDR receptors. What they found was that mice without VDR expression in their intestines:

had impaired cellular healing whereas Vitamin D supplementation increased cellular migration for the healing process
the Tight Junctions (TJ) were more susceptible to damage whereas Vitamin D supplementation increased the expression of TJ proteins
VDR lacking mice lost more weight and developed more symptoms like GI bleeding and dehydration than VDR + mice, just like IBD patients.
Thus Vitamin D is important for Tight Junction strengthening and cellular healing in the intestines. This may be one mechanism of how Vitamin D supplementation (sunlight or softgels) decreases the risk of autoimmune diseases.