Comments on: Diagnosis: Celiac Disease

By: Janet Chang

Janet Chang — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:09:17 +0000

Hey Erica,

First time on the site. Your story is remarkably inspiring for a developing entrepreneur as myself.

I’ve also had digestive troubles throughout my life (although not as severe), and after trying EVERYthing, it turns out that eliminating grains (including rice, oats, quinoa), dairy, nightshades (potatoes, etc), and legumes (beans, peas, peanuts) clears up all the symptoms.

The idea is that, if we think in terms of human evolution, gluten intolerance may not have manifested as a “problem” until the last 0.1% of our existence: when the agricultural revolution began. Before that point, humans “in the wild” ate meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, eggs, and fish.

During my transition to those foods, these resources helped immensely when I was still thinking about how to make substitutes of old foods: ThePaleoDiet.com, MarksDailyApple.com and PaleoDiet.com

Nowadays, I don’t even think about “non-paleo” foods. Cooking is easy: slap on a steak, cut the veggies while it’s cooking, add the veggies, add some spices, and you’re done.

Since switching, I’ve trimmed some fat (never overweight to begin with), gotten more lean muscle, stopped catching colds, and more focused without the carb-roller-coaster distraction.

Anyway, it might be too much to ask, but if you’re feeling optimistic and open to possibilities, hope you try it sometime and let me know how it works!

By: Michelle Katuri

Michelle Katuri — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:54:51 +0000

Thank you so much, you helped me with my research paper for school on Celiac Disease. Very interesting and my brother and sister have it too.!!!

By: Alicia

Alicia — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:50:14 +0000

Hi Erica-

My mom found your blog after doing some research for me. I have alot of the same problems you were having and getting no where with doctors. I might try to cut the gluten in my diet or go with a complete gluten free diet to see if my symptoms changed. I am a very picky eater and was just curious if you could email me a small list of foods you may eat on a daily basis. Thank you for your time and im very glad we found your blog.

By: Vernon

Vernon — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:12:16 +0000

The second info product I ever did was on Celiac Disease: http://www.gluten-answers.com.

By: Elle

Elle — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:06:19 +0000

Thank-you for posting about being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I was diagnosed with Celiac almost a year ago at the age of 30.
I never would have been diagnosed based on my symptoms. I was only tested because a close relative was diagnosed after 15 years of deteriorating health and advanced osteoporosis at 48. I actually put off getting tested for several months, because I dreaded giving up so many foods. I kept a running mental checklist of each food I saw or ate that I would have to give up.
Slowly though, I became aware that something was not right with my body. I’d been hungry and tired my whole life. I was baffled by the energy other people seemed to have. I had assumed that the hollow pain in my stomach that used to keep my awake at nights was the standard background pain of existence. I used to equate the word hunger with looking at my hand to see if it was shaking from hypoglycemia.
By the time I walked out of the doctor’s office with the diagnosis, wheat was dead to me. I haven’t knowingly eaten anything containing gluten since, and I never will again. I live in a rural area with few shopping options, so I have to order most of my food over the internet. It’s expensive and inconvenient, but worth it.
I’m still getting used to (in a good way) feeling normal. It’s wonderful to have energy, to be able to work a full day, to notice as I fall asleep at night that I’m not in pain.
I regret though, that for 30 years of my life I had no idea, and I probably would have gone for decades longer had it not been for the suffering of my aunt.
Thank-you so much for raising awareness about this disease which so many people are suffering from needlessly.

By: kadavy

kadavy — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 03:15:31 +0000

Well, congratulations on at least finding out! It makes such a huge difference. I don't have Celiac that I know of, but three years ago, through trial and error, I discovered that I have a gluten sensitivity. No doctor could tell me why I kept getting sinus infections. I don't have to be incredibly diligent with avoiding it when it comes to flour in sauces, but I definitely don't eat bread or pasta. My energy levels went through the roof when I went gluten-free, so I'm glad I discovered it.

By: Scott Carson

Scott Carson — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:32:25 +0000

Hey Erica, just introduced to you by David Risley. Great how trust agents work huh? It is so great to hear this health success story. My wife also suffers from different autoimmune disease,rheumatoid arthritis. She got a package deal with fibromyalia, and osteoarthritis so I understand your frustration with the medical community. They’re just doctors. Doctors are just now getting nutrition education along with there medicine.

I believe that we should do everything we can do before taking medicines that, although help, come with their own consequences, if not short term, definitely long term.

It’s good to hear another success story using nutrition as the cure. Although, I’m with you, I’d still like to find a cure. They are doing a lot of gene work these days, so perhaps that would be the place to start?

Recently, I was told that I’m borderline high cholesterol and they wanted me to take a staten drug which comes with side effects. I refused, after reading “The China Study” I began eating mostly plant based foods. I was only eating mostly chicken and fish anyway which I eat even now occasionally. I’ve never really looked into this “gluten free issue” until now.

Thanks for sharing your story. I’m finishing an eBook to give away for the launch of a new blog. I look forward to staying in touch and may hit you up for a story for my blog related to this health discovery. Just signed up by email for your updates etc.

To Your Health and Success,

Scott

By: cate

cate — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:35:15 +0000

Erica,
I originally wrote this on MvD but decided not to hijack his exciting news with such an unrelated long post! I am not a hardcore international traveler, but we don’t live in “the West” and do travel so I have some experience.
It is very hard to travel to non english speaking countries- this doesn’t mean you can’t, but realize you may well be eating basic staples. When we travel, I pack what I know I can eat- Thai Ramen, peanut butter, rice cakes, baby carrots, fruits and bars.
Even if I make myself extremely clear about gluten, I have no idea if the servers or chefs even have a clue what I am saying. “Yes ma’am” is a favorite saying. And there is always a huge huge huge huge huge cross contamination risk. They also don’t realize you have to check every single ingredient, and in some of these countries there is often no way to communicate with the company to get the gluten status. You can’t even have soft drinks, ketchup, or yogurt because you can’t know the ingredients are gluten free. There are little cards made for travel but I don’t think they are very effective. I think the hardest thing, though, is the cultural issue- it can be extremely offensive to turn people’s food down because I may get sick, esp since our sickness isn’t really something other people can see. I had a dear Indian friend once go to incredible trouble to cook gluten free food- but it was fried in oil that wasn’t gluten free! What to do?!? (I ate it.)
Anyway, moral of story is to always just plan on taking your own stuff and not eating out. IME it’s practically impossible to get people who aren’t 100% fluent in English to accommodate a gluten free diet (except in Western Europe). I’m sure there are a few specific regions where it wouldn’t be too challenging because gluten isn’t hugely prevalent in the diet.
Also- I am under the impression that you may pass the gene on to your kids (and even then I think they could get a recessive gene?) but you can have the gene but not the disease. Even though you have had the gene your whole life it’s probable you haven’t had the disease your whole life. I have thought about gene testing my kids to see if I need to keep antibody testing them every year- if they don’t have the gene they 99% won’t develop celiac- if they do have the gene, the MIGHT get it. Does this make sense?
Let me know if you have any questions- I used to live in the US and know all sorts of tricks and being gf in the US shouldn’t be terribly challenging. And my final word is to never accept a GF substitute that is not as good or better than it’s wheat counterpart! GF can taste GREAT. Good luck in your recovery.

My blood type is also A+

By: Don

Don — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:12:44 +0000

I spent my 20’s/30’s in pain and diagnosed with an ulcer, for which i was on medication for 10 years. I spent my 40’s in pain and was told my gall bladder was the problem. I had it removed and then 6 ERCP’s to remove gall stones. The result? I was still in pain. Every 6 months i eliminated something from my diet because I knew I was ingesting something that was killing me. I just could not figure out what it was. Last year i learned about celiac from a relative who had it. Quit gluten and 3 days later felt 100% fine. Then took the test and tested positive for celiac. I’ve now been gluten free for a year and much prefer the gluten free food over the pain. Being gluten free has improved the quality of my life tenfold. Ironic that after all these years and doctors, it took a relative to help me unearth the mystery.

By: Steve Tuffill

Steve Tuffill — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:21:51 +0000

Hey Erica, thanks for sharing your story — I think you are amazing to be sharing this very debilitating condition and still staying at the top of things. (I mean, you are so positive! That is great and will really help you thrive, in spite of everything!) At least you have the diet method of beating it, since pills and therapy, in this economy are hugely expensive anyway!
Anyway – good luck! And I feel sure you will continue to be hugely successful.
Warm wishes!