A concern.... (dd and food)

[Pamela H in Texas]

I'm concerned.

 

My daughter is so desperate to get out of pain that she's decided to go gluten free. I'm cool with that, of course. We had tried before but failed so I'm proud of her for being proactive about trying. She has been 100% for a couple weeks now.

 

I just don't believe she is eating enough food. She even admits that caloric-wise it's low. She says she's not particularly hungry and she's eating mostly healthy (veggies, fruits, beans, etc) outside of some sodas and a daily iced coffee (homemade).

 

I don't really know what to do about it though. She turns 18 next month. And I don't want there to be food ISSUES because I say something OR because I don't.

 

Any ideas?

[Mama Geek]

Does she know that she can eat brown and white rice, some brands of saffron rice, potatoes, non marinated meat (i.e. steaks, hamburger, ham, pork chops, chicken, turkey, etc.) and if she isn't cutting out dairy she can eat yogurt, some ice creams, whole milk, and cheese. She can also eat things like m & m's

 

My husband eats completely gluten free and I mostly eat gluten free and neither one of us ever hurt for calories.

[AuntieM]

I would help her assess her diet to be sure she's getting enough protein and healthy fats. Lean meats, grilled chicken and fish, avocados, etc. Those sort of things should up her calories and help her feel satisfied.

[abbeyej]

Any chance that with all of the health stuff she's been through, she's developed a zinc deficiency? Mild zinc deficiencies are common, and if it's advanced past "mild" it could interfere with her appetite... And it's an easy fix.

[Jen in PA]

I am wheat free and have to admit that I often don't have much of an appetite, and can dip very low on calories at times. I often don't notice until I am feeling a bit weak and shaky, so I have tried to make a habit of adding in high-cal foods that are easy to keep on hand, especially nuts and seeds. I also make sure I am getting enough fat in my diet, which is usually accomplished through adding olive oil to things. Not only does the olive oil add calories, I truly believe it helps a great deal with inflammation. HTH.

[Caraway]

Is she struggling to find foods to eat that are GF? Or is she not hungry?

 

I find when I am GF that (especially when I cut out GF "junk" foods) that some weeks I am just not that hungry. Other weeks I could eat everything in sight. I think that without all the processed cr@p in my diet my body returns to a more natural feast/famine cycle.

[Mejane]

Ask her to keep a food journal for awhile. It will help her track what might disagree with her, and you will be able to track her calories. We need a minimum amount of calories just for bodily functions. She could use one of the calorie calculators to figure what she needs.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I think part of the issue is that we're already "almost" vegetarian, really teetering on vegan (I know we have sour cream...that may be the only animal product in the house currently). Anyway, when we first starting eating raw and mostly vegan, we didn't seem to have a huge caloric deficit; but somehow SHE does though the rest of us don't seem to have that issue (in fact, the men aren't even losing weight unfortunately...note: we all could stand to lose a little weight). Just for clarification, none of us is currently eating raw.

 

I'll check into the zinc...never thought of that....

 

We are eating potatoes....maybe I could encourage some rice...

 

ETA: I looked up the zinc. Interesting that hypermobility syndrome (one of her dx) . was mentioned. Otherwise, she doesn't have many of the symptoms though. Anyway, when I looked at the foods with zinc in them though I see we don't eat a lot of them; but would be fine eating some of them.

Edited August 24, 2010 by 2J5M9K

[Sara K]

gluten free oats are also available - but you might have to check a health food store or coop.

[Penelope]

Maybe it is something that will settle itself in a few more weeks. I know when I have made big dietary changes, my appetite and weight fluctuated a lot before I figured out a good balance. And at that age I know my body went through a lot of changes, too.

 

Is she taking a good multivitamin and mineral supplement?

[claire up north]

If you want a helpful and easy website for her to track her nutrients & foods, try Sparkpeople.com. It is easy to use. It is used primarily by people who are trying to lose weight, but their tools would be helpful to anyone.

 

hth!

[kalanamak]

I

 

Any ideas?

 

 

What is her BMI?

[Pamela H in Texas]

I don't know currently. I think the wii fit says she's "at risk of being overweight." She's steadily losing weight, just a couple pounds per week.

 

She did check her calories and said that most days it's coming up at 1000-1500. I told her she needs to at least be over 1300.

[dcurry]

If she could stand to lose a little weight, is eating healthily, and feeling great, I don't think you should worry. It sounds like she's doing great!

 

If you see that she's getting too thin, or has a lack of energy, or starts having some health problems, I might be concerned.

[kalanamak]

I don't know currently. I think the wii fit says she's "at risk of being overweight." She's steadily losing weight, just a couple pounds per week.

 

She did check her calories and said that most days it's coming up at 1000-1500. I told her she needs to at least be over 1300.

 

A couple means 2 to me. 2 lbs a week is good. How tall is she. You can calculate caloric needs. Is it hot where she is? When I was a teen I always lost weight in the summer....active and wanted to eat only cold plain yogurt and plums/fruit.