Gluten abstinence

[Renaissance]

Shane, I'm sure you meant "definitely", didn't you?

Yes, I did mean definitely.

I notice a number of people making that particular typo. Wonder if it is an expression of something deep within?

That could be a possibility. I made the same typo in a similar context here:

Hi Buz, thanks for your post (and your sense of humor )

As far as the loner thing goes, I think pretty much every normal person in this world has become disconnected from one another and can feel like being 'on the outside'. While any challenges you face are unique to you, there is defiantly a shared experience here in learning how to network with one another in a human way.

Welcome!

Could it be a signal that I basically feel that taking care of yourself or behaving normally is an act of defiance? And might that indicate that I still hold pathological culture as my authority? I think there could be something to this as I've been noticing this general theme come up for me during the past months. I find myself feeling weak when it comes to doing what is right for either myself or others when there is some direct interaction with authoritarian type figures in my life (like my grandfather or step father). It's scary because there's a tendency that is basically authoritarian in nature. Even though I do feel a weakness of sorts, I think I still have been able to identify it and work through it to a degree. Yet the underlying belief in the authority of such 'authorities' does seem to have it's hold.

I'm curious if those thoughts are anything along the lines of what you were wondering, Laura? Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[Eongar]

Well, a month without wheat. The first two weeks were tough and one realizes what has been dependent on wheat, but now I'm used to. As every day meat, eggs, and rice once a week, but next week I will stop consuming. I'm not sure how to explain the feeling, but I feel more liberated after leaving the wheat, as if he had left something which was dependent. My stomach does not swell, my problems with asthma have greatly diminished, and that to me is a lot. I've noticed one thing also, is that mixing many foods can cause bad reactions in the body. Now I eat bacon and other pig parts, along with eggs, some nuts and a little more, my body is not in pain or adverse reactions mixtures with carbohydrate. This, so good!

 

[Gaby]

This, so good!

 

[Yas]

This, so good!

So glad to read that!

 

[SeekinTruth]

Yup, great to hear. Keep it up, step by step eliminating the evil foods.

 

[sacriface]

I happened to do gradually go the recommended way by Laura, perhaps over a little shorter period of time, but funny thing, it came sort of naturally, as the knowledge was being gathered on diary and gluten, diary went first, then gluten and most grains, the reward was a calm and happy belly, even though it wasn't too bad earlier on, but I knew it definitely can be better than what it was, and a host of other good effects.

Then after another 1,5 months, maybe 2, the KD knocked on the door as thoughts of the ingredients in a twix bar have gotten bigger than the pleasure of having it.. and so on.

Since then, two or three times that I caved in as my friend was having a freshly baked pizza, that I grabbed a bite from him, a mouthful of gluten in a weak moment, each time I did it I payed with a slight but persistent stomach ache for next 24 hours. Quite a clear information, there is no way back, don't even look back :)

I wonder about the consumption of nuts, though.
Since I was on KD they have become quite a big part of my daily menu, all within the general limits of protein/fat/carb KD allowance. Always grilled to kill the anti nutrients, I could feel the big difference between grilled/non grilled nuts, as the non grilled feel like digesting rocks. I choose salted and grilled ones, or buy raw and grill them with olive oil myself to avoid the vegetable oil, and everything feels fine.

But is it ok for the system anyway to have daily intake of various types of nuts between 100-180 grams? Given that they do serve as lunch, and are within the allowances?

 

[SeekinTruth]

ametist, roasting nuts in olive oil is not such a great idea. Olive oil shouldn't be used to cook anything, as it can't take very high heat.

 

[monotonic]

Dry roasting isn't the best way to deactivate lectins, although I too have found roasted nuts to be more tolerable. From Georgia Ede:

How to reduce the lectin content of foods

Most lectins can be completely inactivated by pre-soaking foods and then bringing them to a full boil for 15 minutes. Dry heat (baking or roasting) is not as effective as prolonged boiling, so baked goods made with grain or bean flours are not as safe as boiled products. Dry roasting only removes about 75% of the lectins from raw peanuts. Toasted wheat germ contains active lectins, as well. Lectins laugh at stomach acid, and many lectins resist digestion by our intestinal enzymes. Lectins are the reason why grains and beans should never be eaten raw (kidney bean lectin is very toxic if eaten raw or undercooked, and will cause severe vomiting).

Sprouting reduces (but does not eliminate) lectins because once the seed starts to germinate and form a baby plant, much of the lectin protein gets broken down to nourish the growing seedling. However, some lectins remain to protect the growing plant.

Thus, there are really only two ways to protect yourself from the many potential hazards of lectins: prolonged boiling or avoidance.

 

[sacriface]

ametist, roasting nuts in olive oil is not such a great idea. Olive oil shouldn't be used to cook anything, as it can't take very high heat.

As far I as I was informed olive oil could take some heat, but shouldn't be used for proper frying. I will praise the lard and dry roast, then. Thank you.

Dry roasting isn't the best way to deactivate lectins, although I too have found roasted nuts to be more tolerable. From Georgia Ede:

How to reduce the lectin content of foods

Most lectins can be completely inactivated by pre-soaking foods and then bringing them to a full boil for 15 minutes. Dry heat (baking or roasting) is not as effective as prolonged boiling, so baked goods made with grain or bean flours are not as safe as boiled products. Dry roasting only removes about 75% of the lectins from raw peanuts. Toasted wheat germ contains active lectins, as well. Lectins laugh at stomach acid, and many lectins resist digestion by our intestinal enzymes. Lectins are the reason why grains and beans should never be eaten raw (kidney bean lectin is very toxic if eaten raw or undercooked, and will cause severe vomiting).

Sprouting reduces (but does not eliminate) lectins because once the seed starts to germinate and form a baby plant, much of the lectin protein gets broken down to nourish the growing seedling. However, some lectins remain to protect the growing plant.

Thus, there are really only two ways to protect yourself from the many potential hazards of lectins: prolonged boiling or avoidance.

Thanks monotonic!
http://www.wikihow(DOT)com/Boil-Peanuts - Here's a boiling option, for one. I didn't know that nuts can be boiled!

I wonder has anyone tried boiling different nuts, like cashews or almonds etc.?
I'm in for experiments and sharing the results.. ;)

 

[monotonic]

For nuts there are significant concerns for mold contamination, IE mycotoxins, aflotoxin, etc. Peanuts are supposed to be the worst. AFAIK preparation methods cannot necessarily remove these toxins once they are in the nut. I saw the boiled peanut products and found some that are supposedly boiled right after being picked - I figure this must be best.

However ultimately I don't think nuts are helpful in an optimal diet. I've tried several different kinds of nuts. I cannot eat more than a handful, and they don't contribute to my energy. The least negative kind of nut I found for me were brazil nuts, but that's a lot of selenium. Perhaps that could be useful when detoxing but as a source of nutrients and energy? Not in my experience. I've always found nuts detracted from my wellbeing and seemed to counteract the energy I get from animal foods.

Furthermore, if you're actually using nuts as a source of energy, that's so much fiber. Along with the phytonutrients, fiber will keep you from absorbing the nutrients in the other foods you eat.

 

[SeekinTruth]

I tend to agree that nuts aren't that great a source of nutrition. But if you must, try to prepare them in the best way and don't eat too much of them until you can transition to meat only (if that's in fact your ultimate goal). When you go full KD/meat only, remember, that you should eventually bring your fat up to about 75% to 80% of daily calories.

Then you might try nuts (properly prepared) on special occasions once in a while to really see how you react to them after being on meat only diet for a while. Also, nuts have unsaturated fats to be careful not to overheat. By the way, soaking the nuts in vitamin C should neutralize most mold toxins, as nuts ARE quite moldy and thus full of toxins.

 

[monotonic]

PBPM suggests to soak nuts overnight in saltwater and dry fully in an oven at 150F. It also warns against peanuts because they are NOT nuts - they are legumes. I tolerate them better than some nuts though.

I like to toast nuts in a covered pan on the stovetop with some butter and salt.

 

[hlat]

I'm trying to take wheat completely out as my main first step.

I also got a jar of raw organic coconut oil to cook with, and will return the olive oil.