Hi Everyone, Wanted to share this because it may affect some of you. I've been modified raw vegan for about 8 years and couldn't figure out why I was anemic, fatigued, lethargic, forgetful, etc. I've been battling Candida since 1995 when I went on the Pill for a couple of years. Since becoming modified raw vegan, I did at least two 10-day water fasts and various cleanses and still couldn't figure out why I was so depleted of vitamins and minerals and why I was still having terrible menses. Many women that are vegan stop menstruating and yet while mine have shortened a bit, the pain is still excrutiating.

About a year ago, I noticed a rash on my knees. I couldn't figure out what it was. I looked online and it didn't match any of the initial photos founds such as psoriasis, eczema, etc. I was also experiencing Rheumatoid Arthritis like pain shooting through my fingers and joints recently. The joints were so swollen and tender. It was so bad that I couldn't lean my pens/pencils against my right thumb to write. I had to adjust how I held my pens/pencils. This really slowed down my ability to write manually. I couldn't figure out why I would get RA as I don't eat any pork products which is a major contributor to RA. I also parasite zap which would kill off any of the parasite causing RA.

I had the RA pain and swelling which was getting progressivly worse for about 3 months. I would hear my joints snap and it would be terribly painful. Then, it came to mind that a friend of mine stated that he had Celiac Disease and he got rashes on his elbows. At the time he said it which was years ago, I thought it was strange that one would have a rash with Celiac Disease but when the thought came to me about a month ago, I looked up Celiac Disease and there was the rash and the accompanying symptoms!

The rash was spreading on my knees and it even hurt to get water on it because it would slightly bleed and be very itchy, at the same time. I didn't understand why the rash wouldn't heal with normal holistic treatments, parasite zapping, reiki/accupressure, aloe vera, etc.

The reason it was spreading and not healing was because I was allergic to all the wheat and rye that I had been eating. It was much easier to grab bread for a vegan sandwich or make a vegan whole wheat pastry crust pizza than to keep up with all the fresh fruits/veggies when my budget was tight.

I say all this because some of you may be suffering from Celiac Disease and not know it like me. Since I have been off all gluten, my knees have almost all cleared up and I'm able to reduce my iron supplements and I am better able to think clearly and have more enthusiasm. The joint pain had gone away, too. I'm not 100% but I'm on my way. Hope this has helped some of you out there that cannot figure out why veganism/raw veganism isn't sustaining or improving your health.

Best wishes, Therese



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2012 12:48AM by life101.

Thank you for posting about yourself!
I URGE everyone to get off wheat.
It is poison in disquise.

The best book on the subject I have read is "Wheat Belly".

Vinny

Thanks Vinny. Good suggestion.

Celiac Disease isn't just about wheat but about the gluten found in wheat, barley, spelt (another kind of wheat), and rye. Eating gluten cannot only make a person sterile, it can kill him/her.

Also, I wanted to add I added wheat back into my diet because I didn't think I was getting enough of the B-vitamins. Well, as you can see that didn't work out so well.

Therese

Therese,

Awful story, but glad you are on the mend It's great when a wearying mystery ailment suddenly makes sense; you know what to do about it and the feeling is so uplifting!

I have been tested for Celiac Disease and plain gluten intolerance, and come up negative twice. I almost entirely cut gluten out of my diet for other reasons in January, and have enjoyed such improved health since, I can only assume I have a subclinical sensitivity!

Tamukha, That you for your kindness. I'm glad that your health has improved, too! It's great that you thought to test for it and eliminated it anyhow.

Wishing you continued good health,
Therese

I never thought gluten bothered me until I stopped eating it.

Then, suddenly, I never thought I could feel so good. I've been off it for years.

The odd encounter with a non-wheat-free-tamari at a raw potluck or something is enough to make my stomach feel sore for several days... like a dull, nagging, ache sore.

It's not human food. Grains are bird food. And I don't want a bird brain, or worse

I suspect my daughter is gluten intolerant. This is making school lunches difficult. I don't know what to send that she'll actually eat and will not leave her hungry half an hour later (like fruit does). Of course they can't have any nuts or seeds there, sigh. I suppose I could make bean dip every day. I will have the fartiest children imaginable, lol. Better than this horrid flaky patchy rash she's getting on her ears though, goodness. Wheat is often referred to as The Staff Of Life but it's making her skin peel off!

coco,

Gluten free breads at the health food store, or tortillas, make a good substitute for sandwich bases, though the breads with too much tapioca flour go soggy quickly after being filled. Is she a picky eater? Would she eat bean and veggie stews or salads made with quinoa or millet instead of glutenous grains? What about dehydrated raw fruit purees in "rollup" form as snacks? Dried fruit and nut mixes? They're filling.

Yes, she's picky. They can't have any sort of nut or seed at school at all. Nada. Dried fruit I avoid unless we can brush directly afterwards. I could try the stews but they've both come home starving with a nearly full thermos when I've sent that in the past. Homeschooling looks good...

Thanks for posting. I've had a lot of similar issues over the past year, massive joint swelling, rashes, anemia, no energy, iritis, no appetite. The doctor wanted me to go on RA meds last summer, but I just went through a detox program at CHI and most my symptoms went away. I'm constantly back and forth with the gluten free thing. And I actually think I was gluten free for a number of months when my ankle first swelled last year. We also have mold in our basement, so I don't know how much that is contributing.

I am curious how long ya'll are gluten free before noticing increased energy or Therese how long it took for your RA symptoms to go away?

Right now I just have a little swelling on my ankle. I just feel like I'm struggling the past year and I don't know what to do. I know I have a good level of health because my face looks very healthy and bright in comparison to when I've been sick in the past. My heart races after most foods I eat and I can't seem to even out my weight, I'm close to 5'5 and 103 pounds. So I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to try gluten free again. 4 years ago I was 100% raw for 8 months with no problem, it was very easy, but its been so challenging every time I try to be just high raw. I have so many cravings for non-veg proteins, it makes my mind crazy sometimes!

Thanks for reading. I think maybe gluten free + a new (mold free) house might be my answer.

Simple Green,

Mold in the basement could be causing many of those symptoms--can you do anything about it?

coco,

Coco, when I go to a computer lab I bring peanut butter sometimes and wonder if I am doing something wrong. Sheesh, we never had this problem in the '70s! Every time it was someone's birthday we'd get cupcakes, etc. During lunch it was standard to have pb&j. Hmmm...putting on my tin foil cap, I wonder if this was done by design to force people to feed their kids meat instead of cheaper nuts?

I blame vaccines, the early and drastic interference with our immune system is not good.

Actually (unfortunately I have no idea where anymore), I read about the incidence of peanut allergies spiking to unprecedented in levels in the 90s at exactly the same time they started adding PEANUT OIL to vaccines. Go figure...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/03/2012 07:00PM by phantom.

Tamukha,
I agree..there is so much mold and the basement, and it is so big with water coming in every time it rains, we try to keep the dehumidifiers going in the basement, but that hasn't helped this year with all the moisture..and our landlord, (who is family) basically hasn't offered to do anything..its kind of a tricky situation..we will be moving, but probably not for a few months..the whole situation is so frustrating..it sometimes paralyzes me mentally..hopefully its the mold, and i can still enjoy occasional sprouted ezekial toast with jelly!

Simple Green,

Hoping you get out of there sooner, rather than later. Detox your body in whatever way possible in the meantime! Good luck

coco, I recently discovered Chana Dal which is an Indian bean. You can cook it with a couple of slices of fresh ginger root or bay leaf and this reduces the gas. You have to skim off the foam throughout cooking. Chana Dal is about an 8 on the glycemic index and about 24% protein. It's amazing.

I was eating brown rice bread but it was too glycemic. You have to keep the bread apart from the fillers until you are ready to eat. It is crumbly, though.

I have been eating alot of bean based soups. Also, there is gluten-free pasta but it's expensive and not too filling. I like hummus and cut up veggies. This is filling, too.

I also like coconut date rolls to fill me up for a dessert.


Simple Green, It's been about a month and most of the RA symptoms have disappeared. I was also having tingling up my arms, too. My period, while excruciating this month, has improved, too. It's shortened to about 5-6 days rather than 7+ days. I imagine that it will eventually disappear now that I know what was causing the hormonal imbalance. My periods were excruciating because I was releasing growths (shards of skin tissue) attributable to the Celiac Disease.

Try the Chana Dal for protein. Also, ensure you have sufficient iron intake. I still have to supplement but not the 10 capsules that I was taking. If you feel you are depleted of minerals you can supplement, too. I love young coconut water. I can drink 2-3 at a time when I'm really depleted. It re-balances me almost immediately. You might want to check your salt intake, too. My ankles swell when I'm around processed salt vs. sea salt.

You may really be suffering a gluten allergy due to your cravings. I was eating and eating so much but that was due to not being able to absorb the nutrients and anemia. My one friend told me I didn't need supplements and there was something wrong with me if I did. I was so glad I listened to my body and supplemented when I knew I needed to because I wasn't aware of the gluten allergy.

Here is some info from the Mayo Clinic on Celiac Disease

[www.mayoclinic.com]

Celiac Disease

Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff

There are no typical signs and symptoms of celiac disease. Most people with the disease have general complaints, such as:

Intermittent diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Bloating

Sometimes people with celiac disease may have no gastrointestinal symptoms at all. Celiac disease symptoms can also mimic those of other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastric ulcers, Crohn's disease, parasite infections and anemia.

Celiac disease may also present itself in less obvious ways, including:

Irritability or depression
Anemia
Stomach upset
Joint pain
Muscle cramps
Skin rash
Mouth sores
Dental and bone disorders (such as osteoporosis)
Tingling in the legs and feet (neuropathy)

Some indications of malabsorption of nutrients that may result from celiac disease include:

Weight loss
Diarrhea
Abdominal cramps, gas and bloating
General weakness and fatigue
Foul-smelling or grayish stools that may be fatty or oily
Stunted growth (in children)
Osteoporosis

Another gluten-related condition
Dermatitis herpetiformis is an itchy, blistering skin disease that also stems from gluten intolerance. The rash usually occurs on the torso, scalp and buttocks. Dermatitis herpetiformis can cause changes to the lining of the small intestine similar to that of celiac disease. However, it may not produce noticeable digestive symptoms. This disease is treated with a gluten-free diet, in addition to medication to control the rash.

When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you. If someone in your family has celiac disease, ask your doctor whether you may be at risk of the disease. Your doctor may recommend testing, because celiac disease tends to run in families.

Seek medical attention for a child who is pale, irritable and fails to grow, and who has a potbelly and foul-smelling, bulky stools. Other conditions can cause these same signs and symptoms, so discuss it with your child's doctor before trying a gluten-free diet.


I wish you and your families good health. Therese

Gluten really is the devil for some, i had all the similar problems although gluten intolerance for me was merely a symptom of adrenal gland dysfunction which is one of the main causes of allergies.

If you have had problems with gluten for a while i would check out leaky gut and how to restore the gut flora. Gluten really does a number on the intestinal wall.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

How do you "officially" find out if you're gluten intolerant? What kind of testing do they do?

coco,
I like to make 'sandwiches' in lettuce.

HeavenHands Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How do you "officially" find out if you're gluten
> intolerant? What kind of testing do they do?

Mostly various anti-body tests HH, although a biopsy is the most accurate.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

Okay thanks. A ways back I had dinner with some family members. They all know that I don't eat gluten. They can see how much better I look and feel since I stopped. Does that stop them from offering beer, bread, etc? Nope. It was almost like they had to take turns offering. Some times I wonder if they'll be able to relax if I go to their beloved matrix medicine for confirmation.

thanks everyone for your responses! i will do a post in the coming months when i move out of my "moldy house" to see what symptoms resolve..my mind goes crazy sometimes trying to figure this all out..i feel like i have to let everything go sometimes, the "leaky gut", the gluten allergy, the moldy house that may or may not be affecting my health..maybe if i just focus on having a high level of health without getting caught up in the specifics, everything will resolve when the time is right? otherwise if i get caught up in how to fix leaky gut or a gluten allergy my mind goes CCRRRAAAZZZZYYYYY!!! so i'll keep up with my normal healthy diet, few supplements, lottsa probiotics, find a new house and see what happens..and a dedicated meditation practice most of all!..and ommiting and limiting wheat to rare occasions..ok, thats all..i think..

Dedicated meditation... hmm, that reminds me of something I read in a book about those who are proficient in meditating. That the pineal gland produces a waxy substance that is capable of regenerating cells, deep meditation bathes the body in this miraculous substance. Interesting reading, inspiration to keep a regular practice for sure.

There's gluten-free, and then there's really gluten-free -

[www.glutenfreesociety.org]

All grains are potential allergens -

[www.glutenfreesociety.org]

Here's a good explanation of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease -

[www.glutenfreesociety.org]

But if you want to take your intestinal health to the next level beyond gluten-free, I would suggest the SCD, Specific Carbohydrate Diet -

[www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/2012 12:37AM by ivac.

Yes Phantom, grains are bird food. I beleive that humans began to use grains due to their storage value, particularly in times of drought. Further, grains are acid forming, and I believe that humans were built to eat base or alkaline forming foods (all fruit and vegies).

I feel best on not only a gluten-free but grain-free (and 99-100% raw) diet.

I read that grains were initially farmed suddenly, @12,000 years ago, in very high places. Grains are best farmed in "flood" conditions, and it has been postulated that grain farming may have originally been a survival response to a (perhaps even mythical) deluge scenario.

Anthropologically, there was also no evidence of anemia and a lot of other diseases until grain farming was introduced.

I have read that some varieties of wheat originated in the latrene areas of early man.Meaning what they ate got excreted out and the grasses grew in those areas.
Ewww.

Vinny



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2012 12:18PM by eaglefly.