Does a glutein -free diet help in diseases such as crohn's disease or colitis?

The reason I am interested is I have icthyosis[fish skin]and we all are having digestive problems from nausea/vomiting to gastro-intestinal problems and bleeding.

We are missing enzemyes but what ones we have no idea yet as our dad's side of the family are all dead.

My sister for instance was being treated for cileac disease but it is hit and miss as we have so many allergies and intolerances for so many things especially man made substances.

Any advice greatly appreciated,thanks.

Jenny Lass: First of all, I just want to make sure that if your family is having these kinds of digestive symptoms you’re all seeing a physician. These kinds of symptoms can be indicative of many different conditions and you need to have a diagnosis before thinking about treatment. It does sound like at least some of you have a definitive diagnosis, so that’s a great start! Also keep in mind that any diet therapy should never replace medication your doctor gives you unless you are directed to do so by your physician.

That being said, the gluten-free diet is only used to treat celiac disease and doesn’t help other conditions. The recipes in the Grain-Free Gourmet cookbooks that I wrote with Jodi Bager are based on a different diet, which happens to be gluten-free, but is also low in lactose, and grain, starch, and refined-sugar-free — it’s called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and was originally developed in the 1920s (30 years before the gluten-free diet) to treat children with celiac disease. Although the SCD was developed long before we knew that gluten was the trigger for celiac symptoms, it is still useful today because of its focus on eating whole foods and its strategy for healing an intestine that is damaged as a result of gluten or other digestive disorders, such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. The SCD basically eliminates foods that can be harder to digest if you have suffered from a digestive disease. For example, people with celiac disease are very often also unable to digest lactose, the sugar in milk. While the gluten-free diet allows all forms of dairy, including those high in lactose, the SCD only allows low-lactose or no-lactose dairy, such as homemade probiotic yogurt and old-aged cheeses.

Finally, in response to your troubles with multiple allergies, I have many intolerances beyond just gluten (citrus fruit, lactose, tomatoes, coconut) so I know that it can be frustrating to sort them all out and avoid eating your trigger foods all of the time. One strategy that I use is to stick to eating whole foods, which helps me avoid processed foods that might contain trace amounts of substances that make me sick. I recommend consulting a registered dietitian who can help you develop a healthy eating plan that excludes the foods that make you sick. You should also consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.

Have tried a few gluten free foods such as pizza crusts, Yuck! Are there any you would recommend for taste?

Jenny Lass: It’s true that some pre-made gluten-free foods are hit and miss in terms of taste. If you’re looking for something pre-packaged, Grain-Free JK Gourmet products are a great option. JK Gourmet is my co-author Jodi’s baked good manufacturing company (www.jkgourmet.com), which makes delicious, healthy gluten-free baked goods. They sell almond flour muffin loaves and biscotti, and grain-free granola. All the ingredients are whole, natural foods. If you’re looking for great pizza specifically, both our books show you how to make a simple almond flour pizza crust that is out of this world and takes literally seconds to put together. It’s just almond flour, egg, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and Italian seasonings. There’s no resting or rising – you can even make several uncooked crusts and freeze them between pieces of parchment paper so when a “pizza attack” hits, you just pop one out of the freezer (no need to thaw,) top it and bake it.

Actually, I have an answer for Katy (question #2). You certainly can adapt those classic cookie recipes. I've been on a gluten-free diet for a few years now and have found that by substituting one of a number of homemade gluten-free 'flour' mixes, I can make great tasting cookies and my family usually doesn't know whether they are gluten-free or not.

The issues of IBS with our daughter happened after she took a high level antibiotic for strep throat. Could this have been the event that killed all of her good and bad bacteria in her stomach leading to her difficulties with eating-constant stomach cramps, weight loss, and irritability to mention a few. She has been tested for celiac, lactose intolerance and a host of other tests (all negative) leading to the broad diagnosis of IBS.

I thank you in advance for your exploration of the answer.

Jenny Lass: There is scientific evidence emerging that shows that people with irritable bowel syndrome can have a bacterial imbalance in their intestines. In fact, a 2006 American Journal of Gastroenterology study showed that people with IBS were helped by probiotic (“good” bacteria) supplements. I can’t comment on whether or not your daughter’s condition was triggered by her antibiotic treatment or whether she actually has an overgrowth of bad bacteria, but you should talk to a physician about whether probiotic therapy is an option for your daughter.

I am a full-time student at a northern university, as well as having a part-time job. I find that I don't have any time to devote to making GF food, and that depending on grocery store brands severely limit me, so any advice for people strapped for time?

Jenny Lass: I hear you, Heather. It can be tough to fit in cooking time when you’ve got so many other things on the go.

What I do is set aside time once or twice every other week to cook large batches of meals and snacks I love and freeze them. That way, when I’m running out the door and I’m strapped for time, I can just re-heat my meal and eat it quickly.

Try simpler recipes, such as burgers (just 2 lb of meat gives me 10 to 15 burgers in less than 40 minutes from start to finish), roasted chicken with herbs (it takes minutes to prepare and while I’m doing laundry, answering emails and meeting deadlines, it cooks), or make-ahead almond flour pizza crusts (the recipe is in the Grain-Free Gourmet cookbooks). If you’re really stuck, grab an apple, some old-aged cheese, some baby carrots and a couple of handfuls of nuts (remember — whole foods are your friend) and you’ve got a portable snack or meal that requires no cooking at all.

Isn't almond flour really fatty? Is this diet healthy for those people who don't have IBS/Celiac?

Jenny Lass: I think it’s important to address the fat issue surrounding nuts.

First of all, fat is an essential part of a healthy diet, something that Canada’s Food Guide is finally acknowledging by stating that we need two to three tablespoons of fat a day (preferably the “good” fat or unsaturated fats). For example, we need fat to absorb fat soluable vitamins, regulate body temperature, make hormones and help with the formation of your brain and nervous system.

So the fat in almonds is good for you, especially because 85% of it is unsaturated and eating almonds has even been associated with weight loss. A 2003 article in the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders states that an almond-enriched, low-calorie diet high in monounsaturated fats can help overweight people lose more weight than a low-calorie diet high in complex carbohydrates. After six months, those on the almond diet had a 62% greater reduction in their weight and body mass index, a 50% greater reduction in waist circumference, and a 56% greater reduction in body fat than those on the low-calorie, high-carbohydrate diet.

This phenomenon occurs because the fat and protein in almonds help keep you full longer, making you less likely to snack on unhealthy processed foods that are even more caloric and contain large amounts of saturated and trans fats (the “bad” fats). If you’re concerned about eating too much fat or if you think you are genuinely eating too many calories in a day, consult your doctor before making any dietary changes and then talk to a registered dietitian who can help you create an eating plan containing enough fat to keep you healthy, but not so much that you’re overdoing it.

I have yet to be able to make decent homemade gluten-free baked goods. They all seem to come out rubbery. It seems that it takes some knowledge to know which flours for which type og baked good you are trying to make. Do you have any tips?

Jenny Lass: Almond flour baked goods are easy to make and taste wonderful (aside from being healthy). I highly encourage you to visit the Grain-Free Gourmet website at www.grainfreegourmet.com to try some sample recipes.

I have just about given up on eating out due to my celiac. I get "the look" when I try to explain the importance of avoiding gluten. Even when my husband wants to cook for me I get very stressed because I believe he isn't careful enough about cross-contamination. Am I over reacting?

Jenny Lass: Anyone who has been sick like we have knows you’re not over reacting. It’s natural to feel fearful, especially right after diagnosis. One trick to minimizing cross-contamination is to have very clear gluten-free and gluten sections in your pantry so there’s no confusion.

You can even designate a shelf in the fridge just for gluten-free ingredients. That way, when your husband cooks for you, he knows that if he didn’t get the ingredient from the gluten-free section of the pantry or fridge, then he can’t use it. You also need to find recipes that you both love so that he’s not making something with gluten in it for himself at the same time that he’s making gluten-free food for you.

We’ve gotten a lot of feedback from couples and families about our Grain-Free Gourmet books and what they love most is that everyone in the family can enjoy our recipes so they’re not stuck making something different for each person at the table — everyone’s happy and the risk of cross-contamination is significantly reduced.

My final tip is to focus on eating whole, natural foods. The fewer pre-packaged food items you use, the lower your chance of ingesting gluten — plus eating more whole foods will benefit the entire family.

I am a celiac and have been carefully following a NG diet for many years. Have you come across or devised a recipe for wraps? My kids love wraps in their lunch and so would I!

Thanks

Jenny Lass: Our latest book, Everyday Grain-Free Gourmet: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, shows you a great way to make wraps. To find out more about our books, feel free to visit www.grainfreegourmet.com. Enjoy!

I have been on a gluten-free diet for my Celiac for about 8 months now. During that time I've found that most of the GF foods I can buy/make tend to be very crumbly or go stale extremely fast. Do you have any advice as to which types of GF flour are less likely to yield baked goods with these problems? Is there anything I can add, like honey or milk that will help to act as a thickening or binding agent to prevent this?

Jenny Lass: When you bake with almond flour, or ground, blanched almonds, your baked goods won’t go stale quickly. They also freeze and re-heat or thaw really well, so you can make large batches of muffins, pizza crusts, cookies and cakes and freeze them until you want a snack! Plus, the natural (and healthy) fat in almonds keeps almond flour baked goods moist.

I've been gluten free for only six days now and was wondering how long it takes bowel function to normalize if gluten was the issue. As well, are there any known conections between gluten intolerance and candida imbalances or overuse of antibiotics.

Jenny Lass: This a great question to ask your doctor. But generally, if you are continuing to have diarrhea on a gluten-free diet, you could be eating something that your damaged intestines are having a hard time digesting, such as lactose. You could also be ingesting hidden sources of gluten. You need to trouble shoot with your physician and possibly a registered dietitian to figure out why you’re still feeling sick.