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marytabby
USA
545 Posts |
 Posted - 08/17/2009 : 13:47:59
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Any opinions on the newest fad, "gluten-free" diets?
I read about it and it's basicly an inflammation of the intestine/bowel from eating wheat gluten. I have no experience with it and just notice an uprising of doctors telling people to eat a gluten free diet. Isn't this just another probable form of TMS? |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 14:38:57
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| I can't help but respond to this one. Personally, I think it's a crock of you know what. After 6 months of experiencing crazy symptoms that started out with constant pain, and progressed to include irritable bowel syndrome, rashes, insomnia, 15 lb weight loss, etc., I was referred to an integrative medicine specialist in NYC (famous guy...has his own medical radio show, etc). The first thing they did was test me for food intolerances, and low and behold, my tests came back with a "wheat" intolerance, so I was put on a bazillion vitamins and told to do a completely gluten/wheat/sugar free diet. Come to think of it, they told me to do that even before I got my test results back. Stressed and desperate as I was, I followed their orders. I was also put on a probiotic that made me hellishly sick. After about 2 months of that, with "0" improvement, plus reading my first Sarno book, I dropped the diet. All my symptoms have pretty much subsided besides the original pain, plus some irritable bowel and insomnia, but nowhere as bad as it was. I even put back on the weight (which was a good thing. I was way too skinny and sickly looking). I came to the conclusion that being in constant pain, and all the stress and desperation that came with it, just set my nervous system out of whack...thus all the crazy symptoms. The calmer and less panicked I got, the more those symptoms subsided. Of course, I'm left with the darn pain, but I'm working on that. So..in my opinion, I don't buy the whole wheat/gluten thing. I think it's a fad. If you feel better not eating wheat or gluten products, then great. I just think that TMS is a much more likely cause for these types of symptoms than a type of food, in particular, if all the other TMS signs are present. |
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Carmella
7 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 17:50:52
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My husband and I went GLUTEN FREE about a year ago.
He lost 40 pounds in 3 months and feels great.
It did not alter pain for me, but I lost 10 pounds.
Carmella |
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Webdan65
USA
182 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 21:20:05
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I think the main reason for the move away from Gluten is that most products with gluten are basically processed foods. Meaning, they aren't real whole foods to begin with. They are created by man, not a food that is in its natural state.
Whether you buy into a gluten free diet to eliminate symptoms that can also be TMS, that's up to you.
Gluten free also helps your metabolism, sugar levels and a whole host of other things that overall are probably good for us.
Eat whole foods - as close to their natural state. If a food has a label on it with a list of ingredients - it might not be the best thing to eat. Fruits, veggies, lean protein in close to its natural state. Fish, chicken, lean meats. Watch your quantities. Raw nuts, legumes (beans), etc.
Are people allergic to gluten? Some are, some aren't. Is gluten good for any of us to eat to begin with? Probably not. Just because something doesn't make you immediately sick (allergic), doesn't mean it's good for us.
Personally, I find the more I stay away from artificial/processed/man made foods and eat "REAL" food - the better I feel. Food is a VERY powerful drug and it definitely changes our body chemistry - often within minutes of eating it.
If you don't believe how fast we process foods? Eat some asparagus and pee 5 minutes later. You'll smell what I mean. LOL
One quick example. For a 3-4 weeks, I had been eating really well. Lost about 8 lbs. Avoiding gluten and other processed foods.
One day for lunch I gave in and had a big serving of pizza. All that bread/gluten. Tasted amazing. Unfortunately - an hour and a half later, working at my computer, I started falling asleep. Basically it was a sugar/gluten high followed by a major crash.
Some people think that's "normal" to get super sleepy after lunch, but those swings in energy are only normal if you eat a heavy gluten/sugar based lunch. Once I got back on track, my energy was WAY more consistent.
Whether you have IBS, inflammation, or something else along those lines, TMS could be the cause more than gluten. At minimum, it could be a major contributor. I say treat these symptoms with a TMS approach. Then, if you are interested - stop eating Gluten because it's just not great for us to begin with whether you are allergic or not.
Just my 2 cents on the "Gluten-Free" thing.
Dan |
Edited by - Webdan65 on 08/17/2009 21:23:21 |
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HilaryN
United Kingdom
879 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2009 : 14:08:09
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Yes, I think the gluten- and dairy-free diets are fads / TMS.
What annoys me is that it is practically impossible to buy wheat flakes any more (I used to make my own muesli) and I really have to hunt and read the ingredients on packets to find a muesli which has wheat flakes in (I prefer the taste of wheat flakes to oat flakes.) 
Hilary N |
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kilton
38 Posts |
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guej
115 Posts |
Posted - 08/21/2009 : 15:41:35
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Kilton,
That article is a good heads up. Celiac Disease is very real, and does require a special diet. You can easily rule it in or out with a blood test. Because I seemed to have a lot of the symptoms for Celiac, I was tested several times, all coming up negative. There are lots of people being put on gluten free diets for other reasons. It didn't do anything for my symptoms, which were more likely part of this whole TMS pain syndrome. |
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deepeace28
1 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2009 : 12:58:12
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It goes both ways.
Yes, I believe that inflammation/gluten, etc. are the latest versions of ulcers and carpal tunnel syndromes which allow our minds to use them as the latest focus points for pain. And I do think that our mind states originally contributed to inflammation, compounded by genetic tendencies.
HOWEVER, I have proved to myself that when I do not eat wheat, dairy, soy and fermented products I have more energy, my skin is clearer, digestion better and there are fewer aches and pains.
After following Dr. Sarno's method for many years I have observed that I have greater success telling the brain to quit the muscle and nerve pain than I do with digestive and immune problems. Not sure why.
My mantra for every mental, physical and emotional discomfort these days is: "ITS JUST THE MIND." Immediately, it breaks me out of the trance of pain, obsession, worry, tightness, you name it. It even lessens the digestive pain.
Wishing you well - literally! |
Edited by - deepeace28 on 08/25/2009 13:00:12 |
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hottm8oh
USA
141 Posts |
Posted - 08/26/2009 : 14:48:10
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| Wheat and dairy intolerances or allergies are 100% real, and you can (and should) be tested for them. You may not have an intolerance at all, but you should check it out before immediately dismissing it as TMS. Untreated celiac disease can cause severe damage. |
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Harry Segal
15 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2014 : 05:54:22
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Hi. I agree with "it goes both ways". When I eat wheat regularly I have stomach pain bloating and leaky gut. On a "clean" diet I am thinner and have more energy.
That said... I have had years of stomach issues which were mostly resolved upon reading The Divided Mind. I was diagnosed with hiatal hernia and irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms got worse and worse. More doctors visits. Lots of medications. Accupuncturists, Chinese herbs, nutritionalist. I ended up in the hospital with stomach pain. I was diagnosed with "likely" Chrohn's but the tests all showed nothing.
I finally realized this all reminded me of a similar journey I had with shoulder and neck pain many years before. I started to wonder If Dr. Sarno had gone beyond back pain to stomach issues. Low and behold, the Divided Mind. Within weeks I was off all medicines and feeling much better.
That said, when I eat badly which for me includes lots of bread products, I get bloated and crampy. I also love scotch which is wheat based. I recommend the dietary teachings of Dr. Junger and his Clean Program. Even if you don't spend money on his products it offers a good dietary base for GI and overall health.
Harry |
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Wavy Soul
USA
779 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2014 : 23:09:01
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Responding to Harry's post - I also had a phase, many years ago, when my TMS went the route of hiatal hernia, IBS, ulcer and so on. And other times when it has been back pain, etc.
Wild!
And I, too, feel better without wheat, which bloats me immediately, and most definitely without dairy, which immediately makes me start spitting up mucus all through the night. I love cheese and sometimes eat a tiny bit of sheep cheese, which isn't so bad. I do believe, actually, that wheat isn't what it used to be - it has been altered and bred in ways that some bodies are no longer designed to process.
However, my years of digestive symptoms were definitely TMS and allergy treatments and avoiding foods didn't make them better. Forgetting about them, or, more likely, having my TMS move to new areas ;-) made them better.
It's WILD, this stuff.
Love is the answer, whatever the question |
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Scottydog
United Kingdom
330 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2014 : 00:29:16
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My sister lives in Australia where gluten intolerance seems more prevalent. There the glucose added to processed food is wheat syrup as opposed to corn syrup which is used in the US and Europe.
So that appears to show a link. |
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Harry Segal
15 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2014 : 06:06:29
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| Quick respons to Wavy Soul. Thanks for your reply. This was my first post reply. I am new to the forum. It is so cool to have a community of people that relate to the power of Sarno. I have felt alone as my wife, family and friends think I am a Sarno fanatic so I mostly keep it to myself. |
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stiwa
Germany
16 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2014 : 14:40:27
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Unless you've Celiac's, a gluten-free diet is probably nothing but a placebo treatment IMHO. Yes, I know many people improve healthwise when they go gluten-free. But remember that placebos (like nocebos) can be quite powerful - and diet is one of the most powerful placebos. You reinforce its effect three times or more per day at fixed times. In the past, people prayed at fixed times for healing, now they eat. Getting better on gluten-free probably proves nothing more than that you are seusceptible to that particular kind of placebo.
You tell yourself I did not eat gluten I will be fine - and you are.
You tell yourself Oh I have eaten gluten I will feel sick - and you do feel sick. Doesn't strike me as odd considering my experience with TMS. |
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balto
839 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2014 : 18:50:50
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quote:
Originally posted by stiwa
Unless you've Celiac's, ...
IMHO I think celiac is tms/anxiety. Anyone who has celiac always have one or more other tms/anxiety symptoms, always.
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No, I don't know everything. I'm just here to share my experience. |
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Ace1
USA
1040 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2014 : 10:59:45
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| Yes I totally stand behind Balto on this one. It is clearly a TMS equivalent. If someone wants to heal totally, They should treat it as tms or they will continue to be ill on some level. |
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Gluten in the diet
