Anyone who knows me well knows that I love pasta. I LOVE it. And bread. And crackers. And cereal. And cookies. And muffins. And couscous. And pizza. Did I mention bread? And pasta?
Basically, anything made from wheat. In a sense, you could say wheat is my ‘crack.’ I love it, love it, love it and can’t imagine my life without it. That is, until last week…
For the past year and a half I’ve had eczema on my face. I’m not new to eczema. I’ve had it at different times during my life since I was a child, and each time I get it in different areas: my feet, my hands, my legs, my butt (yup!), and most recently my face. I would get it, visit the dermatologist, get a cream to put on it, and within a couple of months or weeks it would be gone.
But it would always eventually come back. Either in the same area or a new one.
So why am I talking about eczema on my blog about food and weight-loss?
Because I’m beginning to believe this lifetime of eczema is related to FOOD.
I saw my dermatologist this past summer, and what I thought was just dry skin on my face turned out to be eczema. And she gave me a cream to get rid of it. But it didn’t. Then she put me on another cream which just irritated my face even more.
I got so fed up that I decided to do my own research. My gut instinct originally told me it was somehow related to food. But when I asked my dermatologist, she quickly dismissed it. Though I like my dermatologist, one thing I’ve noticed is that doctors in this country are way too quick to giving you a you pill or prescription. They’re all about treating the symptoms, instead of finding or treating the cause (same for weight-loss, by the way, but that’s a whole ‘nother post).
So — after doing some research I’ve found that my instinct was right: my eczema could be related to a food allergy or food sensitivity. In nutrition school I learned that often when people DO have a food allergy or sensitivity — they crave the exact foods they’re allergic to. Interesting, huh? What we crave is often what’s not good for us. And for me it’s WHEAT. I love wheat.
In order to find out if I DO have a sensitivity to wheat (gluten), last Monday I decided to do an elimination diet: where you completely eliminate the potential food allergens from your diet, see how you look and feel, and then re-introduce the food back into your diet (to see if your original symptoms come back).
I’ve been thinking about doing it for weeks (okay, months) but just couldn’t imagine my life without wheat. Though I do eat mostly whole wheat, I’ve known to watch my carbs as I can easily eat too much of them. So I took the big plunge and completely (yes, completely) eliminated wheat from my diet.
For right now, I’m staying away from wheat and all wheat-related products (bye bye bread…) to see how I feel and if this eczema gets better.
Wheat (gluten) intolerance is becoming more and more prevalent. According to the Center for Celiac Disease at the University of Maryland, one in every 132 people in America has celiac disease (gluten allergy), and nearly 15 times that number—up to 15 percent of the world’s population, or one in seven people—have a non-celiac gluten intolerance.
So how is it going being off wheat (gluten)?
I’ve gotta tell you the first day or two were hard. Very hard. Really hard. And I was at a loss of what to eat (yeah, me, the food expert)! Though I do watch my carbs, and I am a pretty healthy eater, I had no idea just how much wheat I was eating.
But after the first few days it got easier. And easier.
And already — after only 7 days — I feel better. Much better. It’s amazing! I must say, even I’ve been shocked. I’m less bloated, I have more energy, I’m sleeping better, and my skin seems to be getting better. But the jury isn’t out just yet on the eczema….I’m going to give it a couple more weeks to really see what’s going on.
Oh, and for as long as I can remember, I often have a runny nose — especially when I eat — and even throughout the day. And that has now diminished a lot.
Do you have any food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances?
Dinneen Diette is a certified health coach, intuitive eating counselor and healthy lifestyle expert. After overcoming her own personal struggles with food and weight, she has helped thousands of women around the globe become normal eaters and shed excess weight without dieting, guilt or giving up chocolate.
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By Valerie McKen December 8, 2009 - 8:57 am
This is interesting Dinneen. I am not only sensitive to wheat but all grains. My body cannot tolerate them, so I decided…I think it was just over a month ago, that I would stop eating grains. A few days later, out went the water retention and the extra weight. It’s pretty amazing because I eat so much less now.
Another postive sign was I stopped craving grains. It is so true. When I eat grains, I crave more, thus making a bad situation worse. Now, I eat plenty of vegetables, fish, white meat and a very small amount of lean red meat. I consume a small amount of fruit and I make my own wheat/ gluten free crackers, cereals, cakes, cookies and desserts.
I still have some work to do, because I also get a runny nose, however this is less than before.
Even as nutrtitional experts, we are continually looking at what we do. This is important because we then pass that knowledge onto our clients.
Wheat is in everything, no wonder we have so many problems with it.
.-= Valerie McKen´s last blog ..Overweight and fed up? =-.
By Dinneen December 8, 2009 - 9:57 am
Valerie – I have heard and read about some people being sensitive to all grains. It is amazing how cutting out the wheat I am automatically eating a lot more vegetables and fruit. And I already eat quite healthy!
And it is true as nutritional experts we are constantly learning ourselves, which only better helps our clients!
Deb — wow, chicken and peanut butter…interesting. I know there are a decent amount of people are allergic or have a sensitivity to peanuts, but chicken is a new one to me! Thanks for letting me know…it’s always great to learn from other experiences.
By Deb (SmoothieGirlEatsToo) December 8, 2009 - 9:46 am
I do not, but there are a zillion blogs out there that deal with this. A girlfriend of mine had a skin condition (I think it was exzema but could have been psoriasis-sorry not helpful!) and she saw a chinese medicine doc and had acupuncture and cut out chicken (!) and peanut butter (!) and other things. It’s random but I just thought I’d throw it out there.
Hope you continue to do well!! Great about the runny nose drying out!
Deb
.-= Deb (SmoothieGirlEatsToo)´s last blog ..Happy One Year Heab-versary & special & RARE giveaway! =-.
By Jan December 8, 2009 - 11:05 am
I do believe there are sesitiviities to grains, but I wonder if all “grain sensitivities” are turely grain related (or nut related, or milk related – you fill in the blank) or if they are more related to the pesticides, genetic modification, antibiotics or hormones given/sprayed on our food supply. In recent years, there have been large increases in the intolerences that people (and pets) are exhibiting.
Just more “food for thought” on it.
By Jane December 8, 2009 - 11:17 am
Dinneen, my daughter has dealt with eczema for years. I want to send this article to her to read, because while your results are pending… I am certain that our diet is THE major contributor to many health related problems. “Change your diet, improve your health.”
By Sagan December 8, 2009 - 11:30 am
Wow. This is a wake-up call for me. I can’t BELIEVE I never thought about the relationship between eczema and food! I’ve had eczema on my arms for YEARS, and like you, the cream that the doctor gave me just irritated my skin so I don’t use anything. But my arms aren’t pretty because they have little red bumps on them. HOWEVER: they have actually reduced recently. I’m not sure WHY, but there’s a few possible reasons… I’ve started eating mostly vegan, for one thing, and I’ve completely cut out dairy. I wonder if that’s a part of it?
I too CRAVE wheat-based carbs. I wonder if the rest of the little red bumps would start to go away if I tried your elimination diet…. hmmm. Something to think about.
Thank you SO much for this post- I really really appreciate it.
.-= Sagan´s last blog ..Day Eight of the 200 Reps Challenge =-.
By Jessica December 8, 2009 - 11:36 am
Thanks for sharing your journey with us Dinneen!
My friend is dealing with a gluten allergy that was causing so much trouble for her! I’ve always been aware of food sensitivities that can bring out problems for people- especially children who can even display an allergy in a form that looks like behavioral issues or learning diabilities… fix the food, fix the behavior! It works! It is amazing how much more prevelant it is becoming!
For me, I am newly embarking on eliminating white flour and all sugar. I ate fairly healthy to begin with (not much of a sweet tooth, etc) but I do LOVE bread, pasta and cereal. I’ve been dealing with a number of seemingly unrelated issues- mood, joint pain, bad dreams, heart palpatations, signs of low blood sugar. The result is dealing with reactive hypoglycemia! I know it is controversial, but the truth of the matter is that I can FEEL the difference by eliminating those foods which trigger the low blood sugar. My brain actually feels as though it is functioning in a normal healthy way again. I do have more energy and my mood is so improved that my family notices greatly. I notice from the inside- not so much worry or panic! I have a long way to go to completely adjust my lifestyle. For now, I’m taking baby steps. Feeling better gives me encouragement and energy to take it further! I know I have some food sensitivities to deal with, but one step at a time! At first, I was discouraged to have to eliminate breads (converts to sugar to quickly) but the rewards are so worth it!! The article helps to not feel so alone on this journey. Thanks again!
PS. Jan, I agree!! There are so many different possibilities!
By Audrey December 8, 2009 - 11:53 am
Speaking as a fellow nutritionist, I’m aware that eczema is often an allergic reaction, usually to wheat AND/or dairy. SO, even if you don’t completely eliminate the eczema by removing wheat, keep in mind it might be dairy too (if you still consume dairy). I used to have 4 dairy servings a day, and finally put 2 and 2 together and tested to see if I was intolerant, and once I eliminated it, my symptoms cleared up. But, then they came back, and I had more foods to unearth, and some healing of my digestive tract to do. Now I can have small/infrequent amounts of dairy in my diet and I’m ok. So it won’t necessarily be for the rest of your life, if you do some healing internally. You might be able to do a “rotation diet” after a period of abstinence, where you can have wheat again maybe every 4 days. But by then, you’ll have found new foods and won’t feel like you miss it so much, so maybe there’s no point to reintroducing it at that point. It’s tough for the first few weeks, but it gets easier, as you said. Also, wheat intolerance isn’t necessarily a gluten intolerance…. you may still be able to have other grains – glutenous or not – so no need to say bye bye to bread. Try kamut bread, it’s nice and fluffy, not like rice bread at all! Good luck!
By Charmeri December 8, 2009 - 11:57 am
The elimination diet is AMAZING at identifying allergens AND losing weight. I own many books by Ann Louis Gittleman and she is an expert in this area. Not only did I lose 9 lbs the first two weeks following her plan, but I slept like a baby, my skin glowed (I swear my pores were smaller), my eyes sparkled, and yes, like you Dineen, I noticed I had absolutely no congestion. (Odd how before I never noticed how much my nose would run until it didn’t anymore). It is a big step in learning how to care for yourself when you discover how much what you do and do NOTput into your body matters. But this diet is not for the weak, it is very restrictive and takes lots of discipline but the results are work it!
By Alyssa December 8, 2009 - 12:13 pm
We put our kids, who have autism, on a gluten-free, casein-free diet for a while. While we didn’t notice much of a difference, there are lots of folks with autism who also have celiac or wheat intolerance.
I agree with Jan; the increases in food allergies, autism, and ADD in the last decade have been huge. I also wonder if the chemicals in our food, air, and water are to blame.
By Dinneen December 8, 2009 - 1:13 pm
Thanks to EVERYONE for your comments & input ! Love it!
I have figured that the eczema could also be dairy related. Adults don’t need ‘milk’ like the dairy industry would have us believe. We can get our calcium from many other sources. But that’s another blog post
I also agree that there have been MAJOR changes to our food supply, especially over the last 30 years. With hormones, genetic modification, pesticides, etc (What Jan said and others agreed…) that these are probably a big factor in so many issues.
I will continue to blog about this and talk about the issues you ALL brought up.
Thank you!
By Musings of a Housewife December 8, 2009 - 1:48 pm
It’s nice to know you practice what you preach!
No, seriously, that is VERY interesting. I am not surprised at all that eczema is related to food. After all, food allergies, asthma, and eczema are all supposedly inter-related. What is WRONG with doctors, anyway? Sorry, personal issues over here.
I’m glad you’re feeling better. You are inspiring me to try it for my bloating issues and such.
By Nancy December 8, 2009 - 2:06 pm
I was diagnosed Celiac after years if progressing health problems. I’m so happy after a month to be feeling better but not all the way yet. I’ve found corn tortillas and my tortilla maker have been a good friend to me. I can make lots of good things and not feel like I can’t have bread. I also find that I’m not hungry like I was before and can make a lot of good things by substituting and being creative. I think I’m almost GLAD I have this. It’s actually more healthy and I’m watching what I eat a lot better. I was discouraged and mad at first finding this out just before the holidays but I’m beyond that now. Good luck to you Dineen! Nancy
By Foodie McBody December 10, 2009 - 6:41 pm
I think I could live without wheat- I tried doing this when first was diagnosed with diabetes, and it didn’t go so badly. But dairy? DAIRY? If I found out I couldn’t have dairy products (cheeeeeeeeeeeeeese?) I would cry for a million years. It would take a lot for me to give it up. I think if it was “just” something uncomfortable (itchy skin) but not FATAL (diabetes), I would live with it. That’s just me. I am a cheeseaholic.
.-= Foodie McBody´s last blog ..We’re All On Our Own Journeys =-.
By Carol December 14, 2009 - 11:33 am
It’s a lot easier to eliminate wheat than to go completely gluten free. And you can have sprouted wheat breads. It’s just a matter of finding what works for you, without throwing you into the diet mentality! Good luck – sounds like it’s working!
.-= Carol´s last blog ..Saying No To Stress Eating =-.
By Terre Pruitt January 15, 2010 - 9:44 pm
I completely agree with your statement
“one thing I’ve noticed is that doctors in this country are way too quick to giving you a you pill or prescription”. And the rest of that of which you said.
I just found you and your blog through Foodie McBody’s blog. I was wondering how your “test” is going. If you have the info somewhere here and I missed it, I apologize. But it has been over a month. Are you still not eating wheat? Do tell.
Also where is your twitter name?
Thanks.
By Dinneen January 16, 2010 - 9:58 am
Hi Terre,
Thanks for visiting! Yes, I do need to update everyone on my ‘test’ and I’ll be doing that this weekend, so look for new post on that soon.
My Twitter name is easy to remember, same name as this site: @EatWithoutGuilt
Thanks for comments and I look forward to connecting with you more!
Dinneen
By My Elimination Diet: Update & surprising “diet” results | Eat Without Guilt January 20, 2010 - 11:07 am
[...] after one week of being on the “diet” (no, not THAT kind of diet) I blogged about it. (To read more about my Elimination Diet and why “going on one” can be helpful at times, [...]
By Debbie Phillips January 20, 2010 - 9:34 pm
Another great post, Dinneen. Sad as it is because I love wheat-based goodies, I feel so much better when I’m gluten free that it’s now becoming an easier and easier choice to limit and at times completely cut out wheat.
By Luca Richards April 28, 2010 - 3:30 am
me and my sister are both allergic to Gluten and we were always on a gluten-free diet ever since we were teenagers. ~
By Paige Price April 28, 2010 - 9:28 pm
Eczema is really so itchy and i cant help but scratch it. Corticosteroid is a heaven sent because it can relieve the itchiness and redness. “
By vinyl April 29, 2010 - 10:49 pm
i have never encountered this problem but im sure glad i read this. thanks for the info. i can share this to my friends. more power to you Dinneen!