Gluten-free diet eliminates pain for winter resident

[Guest guest]

Gluten-free diet eliminates pain for winter resident

Jan. 18, 2005 12:00 AM

How he dealt with his pain

Name: Darvin Torgrimson.

Age: 69.

advertisement

Home: Sun City West in winter, Minnesota in summer.

Job: Retired actuary.

The issue: " Around the time I turned 54 or 55, I started having terrible

pains in my joints and muscles, " Torgrimson says. " If someone bumped me, the

pain would kill me. The doctor diagnosed not just arthritis, but severe

rheumatoid arthritis. I was limping around with a cane. I went to physical

therapy and had to do a bunch of stretching exercises for an hour in the

morning just to get going. Then I had to go to the warm pool at the hospital

for more exercises in the afternoon. I was taking a lot of

arthritis-strength Tylenol. This went on and on. "

The motivation: Torgrimson's wife went on the Atkins low-carbohydrate diet a

few years ago to lose weight, and he decided to do it, too.

The change: As part of Atkins, Torgrimson stopped eating bread products.

Within a month, his pain was gone. " But if I ate some bread, the pain came

back, " he says. " I knew it was the gluten. " Now, he eats gluten-free

products, such as pancakes and bread. " It's heavy stuff, but it's better

than nothing. " He also tries to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

The gain: Besides losing 25 pounds, he is pain-free.

Torgrimson's tips: Torgrimson's mother also was struck by joint pain in her

50s, and he suspects she was also intolerant of gluten. " If you have this

kind of pain, it's worth a thought to consider an allergy, " he says.

- Beth Faller

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0118healthpr

ofile18.html