Gluten-free here we come....

[CoP Luv]

DH has ulerative colitis so he is on a starch-free, lactose-free, grain-free, and sugar free diet.

It is called the Specific Carbohydrate diet.

It has worked wonders for us, but it is difficult. We have found cookbooks and tons of websites with really great recipes. Google Comfy Tummy which is a food blog that has great links and resources for other blogs which post fantastic recipes (I don't actually care for the Comfy Tummy site). Besides helping him out, it is just a very healthy way of living free of processed foods.

If you have to go starch free, almond flour will be your friend. You can buy in bulk online ($4/lb.) for MUCH less than what you can find in Whole Foods ($13/lb.)

We hardly go to the grocery store anymore except for produce and meat. Everything else we make at home (snacks, desserts, etc.).

The first month of changing a diet is hard, but eventually you get into the swing of things. And this is coming from two people who HATE to cook.

Hugs to you and good luck!!!!

 

[mykidsand_i]

What kind of training did you go to? Everything I have read, from doctors, scientists, and nutritionists say this is not true. That the only way meat will be contaminated with gluten is from human manipulation.

Gluten is not present in animal meats due to the food they eat because the No meat should contain gluten UNLESS it has been processed in some way. When an animal consumes gluten, its digestive enzymes break it down into short sequences of amino acids before it can be absorbed into the animal's bloodstream. From there, the animal uses those amino acid to build the proteins specified by their genetic code. Many of these proteins are similar to those of humans, such as muscle proteins, ect. Additionally, almost 100% of the chickens, turkeys, and cows raised for food are fed corn, which doesn't contain gluten.

The meats at fast food places could contain gluten, but not because it is present in the meat from the foods the animals ate, but because of how the meat was handled or treated after slaughter..

YEAH, I AM SORRY~!!!!! I totally wrote it wrong- just by leaving out one word it really messed up my one sentance!

"NOT because that's what the animals 'eat' and if it's in their diet, it is found in their meat."

It's all about the PROCESSING!!! You are right. I've had training in 'gluten free' through our local hospital- through two different Dr.s and two dieticians.

-People who are new to the 'gluten free' diet don't think that any meat contains gluten. THIS IS TOTALLY UNTRUE!!!

Beef: there is a 'solution/filler mix' that is ADDED to ground beef (not ALL but some!!!) PAY ATTENTION to what is in the meat. This filler mix is not good in any meat- it adds gluten, amonia, lots of stuff you don't want in your body. It's in almost ALL fast food hamburgers, it's in a lot of chicken (even if it's unbreaded) ground, pattied, processed chicken.

Some turkeys, ham, full chickens contain gluten. We didn't realize that it was really in things like this when we started our training- it really is. READ LABLES!!!

Other names for gluten-containing foods:

Abyssinian Hard, Avena (oats), barley, barley malt, bran, bulgar, couscous, kamut, farina, durum, germ, glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hordeum, Hydrolyzed plant protein, malt, malt flavoring, miso (may be made with barley), MSG, mustard powder, oats (unles specifically gluten free), seitan, semolina, spelt, starch, tempeh (may be made with several grains), tofu (may be made with several grains), tritical, triticum.

People don't realize all the 'names' for gluten until they've really studied up on it. If this is something you NEED to do, make sure you do it right! Do TONS of your own research.

 

[mykidsand_i]

I don't think anyone mentioned that many celiacs are also lactose intolerant. I mention this just in case DD still has some issues after eliminating gluten from her diet.

this is true at first, but MAKE SURE to FIND OUT from a Dr. if HE/SHE recommends going lactose free!!! Do not just decide this on your own- or it will mess up results in the future! Lactose intolerance is very common in people with celiac disease, but lactose intolerance in celiac disease often improves after patients have been on a gluten-free diet for awhile.

My mom has celiac and she couldn't tollerate lactose for the first 3-6 months- but AFTER that, the Dr. told her that dairy products will help her health- so she needed to slowly add them to her diet again.

A lot of people in her celiac support group weren't consuming dairy products and didn't even THINK of asking their Dr.s if they could consume it again. When some of them asked they were told to start SLOWLY adding it to their diets as well. Some Dr.s don't remember (or think to) tell you to re-add it to your diets when you have celiac.