Serious concern about gluten and grain fed meat

smalltownslackermom · Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 9:00 am Post subject:

I would look into the possibility that you are having difficulties fighting off various bacteria present in and on the meat maybe? Are you in an area where you could purchase free-range meat directly from a producer/rancher? If you got to know someone you could even discuss your concerns and ask that the carcass be quite thoroughly washed first. I buy some local chicken and have helped with the butchering and know that mine gets soaked several times in water baths. (I think if one is going to eat meat, they should be able to "walk the walk" and deal with the reality of it, kwim?) I don't have problems with store-bought chicken though myself. I can also obtain local grass-fed beef and local pork. I bought some local summer sausage recently though and was fine with it, fyi.
There are a couple of issues with store-bought pork that come to mind, 1) the prevalence of MRSA in pork production currently http://www.klewtv.com/news/33624114.html and 2) they literally "blow out the brains" of hogs in processing and the particulate gets airborne and may be linked to workers getting ill: http://www.naturalnews.com/022832.html (<- not the original article I read which was nytimes)
I find this a difficult subject. I am an ominovore but I dislike large-scale "meat processing." Yet sometimes I think there aren't other options for people other than just going vegetarian. If purchasing clean meat isn't an option, I would go without and eat tofu and if I couldn't eat soy (like my dear husband)? I don't know what I would do... Maybe buy grass-fed even if expensive just once in a while with lots of veggie foods in between.
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son - high ttg - 4/09, pos. biopsy 5/09
self - negative bloodwork 5/09, pos. biopsy 11/09
sister - gf for ~3 years and is a new person
niece - positive ttg 2/10, foregoing biopsy

The Edifying Conscience · Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 2999

jeant · Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 290

I know people that are vegans not because of any ethical problems eating meat, but just because meat makes them feel ill (without any problems with gluten).

I agree with Al that a good program of washing meats should help, even as a precaution against cross contamination at the store itself.

If washing doesn't help, you could look into how meat is processed. You might find that there are many steps along the way (such as pretty much all chicken meat, unless bought directly from a local farm, floating in pools of salt water to plump them up before selling) that could have some sort of additive that is making you ill. Then there are the hormones given to animals, the pesticides used at farms and in feed, and so on. There are a lot of possibilities besides gluten to look into.

bud7-10 · Joined: 05 Jul 2006 Posts: 187

Once, I bought chicken that was on sale. I bought several big "family sized packs". I always take all meat out of the original packaging to re-wrap it for freezing. I noticed pieces of stuffing on some of the chicken! This store also sold raw stuffed chicken breasts and stuffed pork chops. I returned all of the meat. They refunded my money. I talked with the manager, and tried to explain cross-contamination, but it was a lost cause. I no longer shop there. Could this have happened at the store where you purchased meat?
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Wheat-free and egg-free since 10/1999.
GF since CD dx 5/2005.
Many food alleriges

teacherpat · Joined: 02 Aug 2009 Posts: 165

Have you had a proper fecal test to see if you're not currently able to digest meat? The meat shows up at the other end of the digestive system as undigested fibers ("fecal meat fibers" what a lovely name). Malabsorption can cause severe nausea, diarrhea, pain. The malabsorption can be a result of small bowel bacteral overgrowth, other allergies, eosinophilic gastritis (from other allergies), pancreas issues...a whole slew of things your doctor may wish to look into.
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Pat

nancw · Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 1279 Location: Denver, CO

I have issues with most mainstream grocery store meats. I've learned to stick with Whole Foods, though my wallet doesn't like it so much. I get most of my meat straight from their butcher counter, and rarely, the stuff on styro trays. I'm happy to see that in my WF stores they have separated the prepared meats (pre-breaded chicken breasts, etc) from the clean meats in their display cases. I've moved to almost all grass-fed beef and I find it much easier to digest and much more satisfying than the grain-fed. I shop their sales and stock up. Despite the cost, I really feel much better this way. I am also exploring buying a share of a grass-fed beef, though I'd need to get a deep freeze if I did that. Luckily we have many grass-fed suppliers in this part of the country. You can get it at farmer's markets, too. I don't eat pork because I find it nasty.

I use digestive enzymes if my gut is having a tough week, and probiotics every day for gut health.
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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, yeast and 99% grain-free