Hello all,

First I just want to start off with a little background as to why I am wanting to do this test and am serious about it. I am a 25 year old male and weigh 165 lbs 6'0. Mainly, I have been dealing with fatigue and bouts of tiredness throughout the day for as long as I can remember. But I would say in the last couple of years it has become more apparent. People will say "Well you are just getting older and you don't have as much energy as you do when you are a teenager". But even as a teenager I felt very under-energized. And then again I don't know if those people really know what I mean when I say I don't have energy. It affects my work and my social life...because when I'm tired, it affects my personality.

I have tried many different things to come to this point. I have quit smoking (it's been one year now), and though I admit I can tell the difference and it is better....I still feel the same fatigue I always have. Also I have tried changing my eating habits, such as eating a healthier breakfast and not eating before I go to bed. I have drastically increased my water intake. I have also consistently exercised 6 days per week for about a year now. I have even tried changing my sleeping habits. Such as going to bed the same time every night, waking up early, sleeping 8 hours every night. Then I tried just sleeping 7 hours every night because I thought maybe I was sleeping too much. Still, nothing seemed to have changed. Last month I went to my primary doctor and had a blood test to check my thyroid levels, and everything was normal.

I just need to find the answer to this because this problem really is affecting me living my life to it's full potential, and am afraid this is only going to get worse as time goes on. So when I heard about these stories of gluten intolerance, I thought I would give this a chance. I was told that I would need to cut off gluten 100% for 3-4 weeks, and then reintroduce it to see how I feel.

I want to start this in the next couple days (despite it being my birthday next week lol). So I have been planning ahead and thinking about what I would need to buy, but I have a lot of questions. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could answer these:

As a general rule of thumb, it is safe to say that as long as I stayed away from wheat I would be avoiding gluten? I have heard that there are small trace amounts in bubble gum and such, but is it really enough to make a difference? And when I go out to eat, would it be safe to say I could order as if I was on the Atkin's Diet?

For breakfast, what are some options that I could get from a regular grocery store? I have thought of eggs and bacon? Should I also add something else to this?

A potential problem I saw was what would I bring for lunch at work? I usually am used to eating frozen TV dinners and never cook, but am willing to. What do you guys bring to work?

I figured for snacks I could eat fruits or vegetables like celery and peanut butter...do you have any other suggestions?

For dinner I have come up with maybe some chunky soup (GF of course) over a bed of white rice. Or another idea would be some rice and pinto beans with a side of vegetables (frozen). Any simple/easy to make suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am also trying to keep this as inexpensive and non time-consuming as possible.

Another concern I have is that with the absence of bread in my diet, I assume my consumption of carbohydrates will be greatly reduced. Because of this, should I expect to feel a lack of energy for the first few week or so? And what is the best source of carbs for someone who is on a GF diet?

Thank you for reading this lengthy post and thanks to anyone who can answer even just one of these questions.

--is avoiding gluten in all its occult forms.

Gluten is not only in wheat, but also in rye and barley, so you have to avoid those too (which leaves out a LOT of cereals--about the only grain you can reliably eat is rice). But the bigger issue is that gluten is an additive in a lot of other substances, such as "modified food starch". In fact, gluten is used as a thickener is so many things that people have found they have to change their toothpaste, their shampoos . . .

As far as eating, think Paleo--the way our ancestors ate before refined grains. Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats without sauces (many of which have gluten in them). Rice and beans are good (though I'd go with brown rice, which is healthier overall anyway--again, without sauces). There are even decent gluten free pastas now. I wouldn't be too worried about the carb drop if you are eating this way--most of us can use a carb drop, as we get too many (and that might actually help your energy level).

There are plenty of gluten free "goodies" out there now, though they tend to be expensive.

You should also consult The Gluten File (it's linked at the top of this forum, or google it); it's the single most comprehensive source of info yet compiled on all things gluten related.

glenntaj, thank you for your advice, it is very helpful. That's interesting you mention to eat like our ancestors did before refined grains. I never thought that gluten was a product of human progression. I just always figured it was naturally involved in the human diet for as long as we have eaten wheat. Shows how much I know about this subject

Bisquick now has gluten free.... you could make some of the easy recipes it offers.

Also for pasta, Tinkyada is the best. Made from brown rice it is
the best non-gluten pasta out there.

But I would ask if you think gluten is a problem, then you may have malabsorption of many nutrients. Specifically B12 and zinc.
Others may be magnesium and Bcomplex.

I'd get a B12 test run at the doctor and get the numbers for it.
Ranges in US go very low, and anything below 400 is now therapeutically considered as needed a supplement.

This is my B12 thread...with all the details you need to know.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread85103.html

My daughter who was experiencing MANY problems tested "sensitive" to gluten and a few others even though she was on a gluten free diet. Sleep was the BIGGEST clue that something was not right. (It goes along with Hashimoto's and she was dxd years before discovering the sensitivity)

We both chose to do gluten free - invasive tests be darned. One does not NEED gluten to survive...

The items we purchase are as organic or gmo free as possible to, I might add.

Gluten Free Buckwheat *tasty as a hot cereal in the am or a rice alternative for dinner. Depending on your spices by Pocono Many varieties.

Bob's Red Mill has several items just be sure it says gluten free

Pancake Mixes are plentiful.

Good old eggs - we buy breakfast sausage or turkey bacon that is free range and as organic as possible. CATTLE/CHICKEN are many times fed grains. Must be careful. We go FREE RANGE/ORGANIC here.

BREADS: Udis, Rudi's, (we don't care for Schar's), Purity Bread by Julian Bakery, we don't care for Ener-G products either.

Pastas: we purchase Andean Dream online. Order many pkgs at a time. We like them alot. We must eliminate as much corn, too. We just read labels ALOT! But there are MANY out there.

Chebe Pizza flour for crust! THE BEST - we think Or, against the grain frozen pizza.

Just be sure to check the ingredients and for the GLUTEN FREE seal. Please.

Hidden items can be in many personal products as well. Too many to list: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/h...rces-of-gluten

Clean up area, too. Our kitchen is now a dedicated GLUTEN FREE zone. Brand new toasters, some bakeware, etc. NO RESTAURANTS ARE ALLOWED unless they have gluten free items and even then she is taking a chance. It's call cross contamination. Many restaurants are aware now so you can call ahead. Even pizza places. We just did our own cooking and baking for a long time. She didn't want to chance feeling bad for days just for a dinner out. She also is sensitive to corn, soy and casein!!

http://www.gluten-free-for-life.com/hidden-gluten.html

We didn't want to go TOTAL rice, tho in the event THAT becomes a sensitivity!! We do quiona, kaniwa, tapioca, buckwheat flours, too.

A total lifestyle change. We also pass up many family invites and weddings due to the food sensitivity. If they aren't willing to help in a little way, why bother? If it were their child with a peanut allergy I would do my best! And then some. Our family? Feels it is unwarranted

Good luck. I hope this helps. It is important for you cannot see the inflammation and destruction in your digestion. And you DO NOT want to keep getting that test.

TOTAL elimination is the ONLY way!! Good luck. Good health!