3 February 2014

So...I appear to have identified yet another roadblock to successful gaining.

I've been relying on heavy cream to get the calories necessary for building lots of body fat.  It seems like, though, when I consume too much of it, or even smaller amounts over time (for example about a half cup a day over a week or two) I get bloated and sick feeling as though I've had gluten.  I the past I chalked it up to my body simply not being able to assimilate the extra dietary fat or my digestive system's reaction to gaining in general

I did some research yesterday and discovered that it's probably NOT the fat in the cream at all...but the carrageenan used to thicken it and to prevent the fat separating from the buttermilk.  Carrageenan is produced from seaweed, which you would think would be safe for a celiac to eat...but apparently not.  There's numerous articles out there in Internet Land linking it to digestive tract inflammation and bowel disease (example: http://whattofeedyourkids.blogspot.ca/2011/08/what-is-carrageenan.html)...which makes sense because I also get the same symptoms from xanthan gum (another gluten free stabilizer/thickener that some celiacs react to).

So...what does this mean for me?  Well, no more heavy cream, unless I can find it in an unadulterated form. And, sadly, many brands of ice cream (except the super classy expensive stuff...a pint of which I currently possess and plan to eat just as soon as I get off the computer) are off limits if I want to avoid the evil seaweed.

Anyway, my adaption to this new challenge is to pick up a couple of pounds of unsalted butter...which is pure, unadulterated diary fat.  Yup.  I'm going *there* again.

I'll keep you posted as to the creative ways I can come up with to ingest this stuff without hurling...

Wish me luck!