TTG means Tissue Tranglutamase (sp?). It is a Celiac test. If you have TTG IgA and IgG elevated it can indicate Celiac.

I know what you mean about the sacrifice of giving up Gluten. It was so hard to live like that when I did it. I was actually getting depressed because I couldn't eat my normal foods. And forget about eating out, that is near impossible. You can't trust eating out because they might contaminate your food. I just couldn't deal with it all, while trying to get onto meds, and deal with the fact that I have this debilitating condition. I work full time too and have a family to take care of. It was alot of work trying to eat gluten free....and when I needed a break, I couldn't even go out to eat. I don't mean to discourage you, if you feel you need to try it then you should do it. Maybe it would really help you. I do think that you need to give it at least 6 months. I may do it again next spring, after I take my planned vacation to England. But it does take planning to do it.

Anyhow, just wanted to say I know how you feel.

Or, as I said, I'm just not sensitive to it.

What's on the diet. It's spelled out in the link.

Doc

Please don't be offended, but actually, you sound like the smoker who won't quit because they may gain weight, the diabetic who refuses to give up their chocolate, or the lactose intolerant who can't live without their ice cream & cheese, yadda, yadda... You can do this - you just have to decide that you're going to.

And let's not put the cart before the horse. At this point, we're talking about a gluten free trial - not a permanent change. Cross that bridge when you come to it - if you even do.

The "test" is the trial. If you go gluten free for a few months, and find you feel better than you have in years, you may become more receptive to rethinking how important wheat really is in the grander scheme.

If, on the other hand, there is no difference, you'll have lost nothing and done no harm, and have some peace of mind and positive feelings for giving it a shot and finding out.

Well... nobody said it would be easy, but going through the link below, it doesn't look all that difficult either (compared to some diets I've seen and been on).
http://gicare.com/Diets/Gluten-Free.aspx

You've also got the advantage/benefit of support here, and hopefully, the rest of your support network (family, friends, medicos...)

Doc

FWIW, I have some experience going through some difficult diets/lifestyle changes. I've done the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (extremely difficult for most people to do correctly) and I've done dairy free (dairy, like gluten, can be in a lot of things you wouldn't expect). I've decaffeinated several times for different reasons, gone chocolate free (as difficult for me as wheat is for you) and I haven't had alcohol in 8 years (No abuse issues - just not wise with the meds I was taking at the time.) A couple weeks ago I had a glucose tolerance test, and was prepared to do whatever would be necessary if I were discovered to be diabetic.

To begin with, gluten is not literally in everything, I simply meant it's in so much more than many of us realize. What is best for you to eat, is also what is best for everyone to eat. Processed foods are bad for everyone, they are full of junk we shouldn't have, full of empty calories...ever notice the sodium and sugar levels in processed foods? Eat whole foods, things that naturally are gluten free...potatoes, veggies, fruits, fresh meats (not marinated, battered, or breaded). There are things like ice cream that does not contain gluten, you just have to stay away from any that have obvious gluten like Cookie Dough and such.

An example...french fries...why would anyone suspect them to contain flour? Yet, often they are sprinkled with flour to keep them from sticking to each other. Candy bars sometimes contain flour in the fact that often they lay them on sheets coated with flour so they don't stick. Unnecessary, but very true. There are gluten free meds, but you do have to research which ones to use.

The gluten free diet is easy once you know what you are doing. YOU MUST read labels, religously...every time you buy the product you must read the label. As Rose_Thorn says, it's not always easy, and we do tend to mourn foods we can't have..yet that mourning time will pass. For some of us, there is no turning back, we must be gluten free, we do not have a choice. If you are one of us, continuing to eat gluten will only make you sicker and sicker.

Dr. Smith...remember, just because you do not react does not mean gluten isn't doing damage in your system if you do need to be gluten free. Some people do not have symptoms, yet still must be gluten free.

Being gluten free is not a fad, it is not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

So, to carry this to the extreme, would not the paleolithic diet be what is best for us?

Given we have not been evolved all that long, since the invention of agriculture, would it mean that much of what agriculture offers is not really 'good' except for stuff like 'permaculture' which would normally be found naturally in the environment, such as raspberries, strawberries, grapes, apples, pears, mushrooms, asparagus, etc? Basically, if you can find it growing wild? (I think of the Plains Indians and bison and other foraged food?) For protein, bison, deer, elk, caribou, fowl and fish and of course, eggs. I assume domesticated would be as good as wild if it had access to free range.

I am not sure milk is as offensive as it is touted to be, given, animals were likely domesticated before farming. (I think of the Sami in the far north....they do milk reindeer, but do no agriculture as such.)

This would be brutal for me!! But if it made me feel good, I would probably endure it.

I imagine we would be healthier if we wore woolens and furs too. (I am itching already....I suppose cotton and alpaca will cure that.)

We are so far away from the environment in which we evolved. I imagine we could have adapted some to agricultural food in 10,000 years ....however, in the last 150 years, we have diverged incredibly from our natural environment. Add plastics (and even man made chemicals that are edible ) in the last 50 years....it's amazing our lifespan has lengthened....then again, those mammoth hunts were kind of tough........

Some say based on genetics and blood type (studies are showing this too),

type O's, do best on meat and gathered stuff like the Paleo diet

type A's, tolerate grains better

type B's, handle dairy the best and game meats (not chicken however),

This is the Eat Right 4 your Type diet.

A good book to read if interested is Your Body Knows Best.
http://books.google.com/books?id=4Wy...page&q&f=false

It is a fascinating read, by an experienced dietician.
Amazon has used ones for very low prices.

Exactly! People do not want to hear this though. We have, well, I had, grown accustom to the much easier lifestyle of buying foods already made for me, like bread! We are much better off if we eat the way we did years ago.

I am a type A, and no, grains are not well tolerated by us. The only grains they recommend for type A's are kasha, rice, oat flour, rye flour, soda noodles, and artichoke pasta...which I can't eat any of these things. White flour, whole wheat flour, semolina pasta, and spinach paste is to be avoided by type A's. I have read Dr. D'Adamo's books and he did recommend soy flour for type A's, which makes me as sick as gluten. He also says for us not to use dairy, which, does make me ill too.

I don't know how much I believe in what he says. There are things he says I can have that I can't, and thinks he says I can't have that I can!

You are right in everything you said, I needed that!

The only thing I want to point out in my defense is......If I knew for sure, I would make the life style change, that's why I was hoping there was a test for gluten sensitivity, but since there is not; your point is well taken, nothing lost if it doesn't prove to be my problem, and if it is the cause for these symptoms.......I hit gold! Yes, you are right I would continue the gluten free lifestyle to eliminate these symptoms.

Thank you for your honesty and motivation on this, I really do appreciate it. It is time I put this plan in action.

How stupid do I feel!!!!

I appreciate all your input and knowledge on this subject.

I am going to buckle down and just do it!

As was pointed out from so many of you experts, what do I have to lose? except maybe some weight and I may have much to gain, like relief of symptoms and a healthier lifestyle. I am ashamed of myself for being so lazy and foolish on this subject. The truth is, I am a carb. addict, that is why I will need to purchase gluten free bread, etc.........so I can somewhat get my fix!

NEVER, would I call you lazy, nor foolish. For so many, it's a difficult decision to make, going gluten free. For those who do not have symptoms, it's even harder. For me, it was a no brainer...I was so sick though, so going gluten free was a relief for me. I had been sick with serious gluten symptoms for 20 yrs, not knowing anything about gluten. I had issues my entire adult life, and didn't go gluten free until I was 45. I of course, had many diagnosis by then...irritable bowel syndrome, nervous stomach, colitus, too much stress, and my personal favorite, it's all in your head! I was dealing with severe panic attacks, anticipatory anxiety, borderline agoraphobia, and about a year before going gluten free, carpal tunnel in both hands, which turned out to be my first diagnosis of neuropathy.

The only way to truly know if gluten is an issue for you when all testing comes back negative, is going gluten free and letting your body tell you. When going gluten free, if you stick to whole foods and such, staying away from gluten free processed foods, you will lose weight. Gluten free processed foods are full of empty calories, the flours have way too much sugar in them, just to make them something we grudgingly will eat. Some people do fine with the gluten free processed foods though, my dad and sister are ok with them..I can't touch them.

Good luck with whatever you decide, and feel free to email me any time with questions!