Yogurt

Question
QUESTION: Sarah
In order to reduce my bloating and distended abdomen, my doctor recommended I try some dietary changes.
She said cut out the gluten and eat more yogurt.
The gluten is tough because I LIVE on toast and bread is everywhere, but I found some frozen gluten free bread at Safeway.
As for the yogurt (Activia) I dont really have a sweet tooth and dont like eating cold stuff in the morning.
I got a small tub of low fat plain yogurt. Can it be heated and flavored or mixed with hot foods-put in soups, etc.?
Thanks!


ANSWER: Hi Barb!  It sounds as if the doctor made some excellent diet change recommendations.  I am glad to hear you were able to find a gluten free bread so easily.  I would recommend you keep the bread frozen at home since gluten free bread spoils quickly.  Unfortunately you will have to look out for more than just bread; products such as pasta, gravy, salad dressing, and soup may also contain gluten.  Words to look for on food labels include: wheat, rye, barley, starch (unless corn starch is specifically stated), malt, and dextrin.  That is just a partial list; I would recommend researching online for a comprehensive list.  Oats themselves are gluten free but most oats are processed on the same machines used to process other grains so are often avoided.  

As for yogurt, your doctor recommended yogurt because it is full of probiotics.  Activia has a special patented strain of bacteria, but independent research has not shown the strain to be any better than other live cultures and the Food and Drug Administration even cracked down on some of their advertising of the product.  You can buy yogurt products meant to drink like smoothies that also contain live cultures.  (You will want to look on the labeling to make sure it contains live cultures.)  You could also blend yogurt with fruit to make your own smoothies.  Many frozen yogurts also contain live cultures if you would rather have a cold snack in the afternoon or evening.  Warming the yogurt would kill some of the bacteria, which you don't want to happen.  However, if you just don't like yogurt, you can buy probiotic supplements at health food stores or stores that specialize in vitamins and supplements.  They may not be as effective as simply eating the live cultures in yogurt, but you would still get some benefits from the product.

Good luck getting your bloating under control.  I think you will be happy with the diet changes you make.  Please contact me again if you have any further questions.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sarah
Its been two days now with the yogurt and no gluten, and suddenly today (wednesday) I was feeling run down with diahrea. Almost like the flu but I had the flu shot.
Checking online, could this be a healing crisis? My tummy has gone down a teeny bit and the lower part is softer-it is usually taut.
My husband even said I looked better?! (Men)
If it is a 'healing crisis' and not the flu I will suffer through it.

Answer
Diarrhea is common anytime someone drastically changes their eating habits...and not having gluten is a drastic change.  The diarrhea should go away after a few days.  If it doesn't, I would contact your doctor; you should also contact your doctor if you find you have a fever.  In the meantime, make sure to drink plenty of fluids so you stay hydrated.  If you were not processing gluten correctly, you probably had a lot of gas which was contributing to the bloating and would explain why your stomach isn't as taut now.  The term "healing crisis" is used more by homeopathic or holistic health practitioners so I probably wouldn't use that exact term.  It does sound like your body is making some adjustments and there is nothing to really worry about at this time.  However, if your condition worsens (temperature, pain, vomiting), please contact your doctor.

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