HELP!!!! Gluten Allergy!

[Princess Row]

We recently found out that I may have a very serious Gluten allergy!
Being one who HATES meat (except chicken and turkey) and Vegtables (most of them) I eat pasta at least 4-5 times a week!

So my question is what do YOU eat becides meat and salads?

 

[lovetoscrap]

Do a search on here, there have been lots of threads about eating GF. And you don't have to give up pasta at all. There are lots of great pasta options that are GF and when we were trying a GF diet with my daughter we really couldn't tell the difference between regular and GF.

Go to the library and you should find a lot of cookbooks for GF and do a Google search for recipes and information. There are also some great GF forums to help you out.

You can still have rice and potatoes. You can use cornstarch and tapioca as a thickener instead of flour. There are tons of bread recipes out there. There are good substitutes for just about everything! And from last fall to now I am seeing more GF products on the shelves in my local stores.

 

[wdw_girl_18]

They sell gluten free noodles and such at whole foods. Its more expensive but if you love noodles you can still have them! If you like eating out and have a noodles & company near you, they will make your meal with gluten free noodles!

 

[dzorn]

http://www.amazon.com/Tinkyada-Brow...r_1_3?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1306941050&sr=1-3

This is DD prefered pasta. I cannot tell the difference though it does not re-heat very well. DD is not a big meat eater but chicken is our staple meat.

Gluten free Bisquick has a few good recepies.

Get use to more veggies & fruit.


Denise in MI

 

[Kathi OD]

We recently found out that I may have a very serious Gluten allergy!
Being one who HATES meat (except chicken and turkey) and Vegtables (most of them) I eat pasta at least 4-5 times a week!

So my question is what do YOU eat becides meat and salads?

"may have" is a lot different than actually having one. FTR, the term "gluten allergy" is a misnomer. The appropriate term is Celiac Disease. How has it been determined that you "may have" this "allergy?" While it is estimated that 97% of celiacs are undiagnosed, it also seems to be the "condition du jour" right now. It really is important to have a proper diagnosis so that you are treating the right problem.

That said, being a celiac and going gluten-free today is not the ordeal it was when I was diagnosed some 20 years ago. As others have stated, there are many good gluten-free pastas, breads, and snacks available. The bad part is that they are usually much more expensive than you would normally pay.

Right now, my favorite gluten-free find is Snyder's of Hanover Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks. I buy them at Wegman's and they aren't that much more than the same brand's regular pretzels.

DH and I do eat a lot of turkey and chicken and salads. I also like to make home-made soups and instead of using pasta, I'll use rice (either white or wild).

Kraft product labels are quite friendly, as they always list the source of an ingredient.

You really should do some research on sites like:

www.celiac.org
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/
www.celiac.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319

 

[mjkacmom]

http://www.amazon.com/Tinkyada-Brow...r_1_3?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1306941050&sr=1-3

This is DD prefered pasta. I cannot tell the difference though it does not re-heat very well. DD is not a big meat eater but chicken is our staple meat.

Gluten free Bisquick has a few good recepies.

Get use to more veggies & fruit.


Denise in MI

My dd has celiac, and this is her favorite pasta (and I agree about reheating). We also have the bisquick. The pasta has really come down in price over the years (now $3.99). Our grocery store has TONS of gf foods, a whole dry section, and frozen case as well. The hard part is finding out about hidden gluten - twizzlers, soy sauce, pringles, many seasonings, some vinegars, etc.

 

[tigercat]

There is gluten free Bisquick mix out there???
tigercat

 

[MIGrandma]

I have an intolerance of gluten, and I love pasta. I like the Tinkyada ones best (spaghetti, penne, etc.) and I really can't even tell the difference anymore except that it does take longer to cook. My favorite gluten free bread is Udi's, but I still don't like it for sandwiches. I just toast it and put a little margarine and sugar free jam on it for breakfast in the morning. Gluten Free Pantry has a lot of different kinds of mixes (breads, pancakes, cakes, cookies, pizza dough, etc.) and those are pretty good. The new gluten free Bisquick is great!! Stores are starting to carry more gluten free products, so that's a good thing. The bad thing is that most of them are more expensive than regular. I eat a lot of chicken, fresh vegetables (and stir fried or grilled), fruits, and for snacking I like gluten free pretzels, popsicles, sugar free jello with fat free Cool Whip. The hardest thing for me, is going to a fast food restaurant. They really don't have much that is gluten free. And I get tired of eating salads. Many restaurants are offering gluten free menus now too, so that helps a lot. Good luck!!

 

[KikiFan]

"may have" is a lot different than actually having one. FTR, the term "gluten allergy" is a misnomer. The appropriate term is Celiac Disease. How has it been determined that you "may have" this "allergy?" While it is estimated that 97% of celiacs are undiagnosed, it also seems to be the "condition du jour" right now. It really is important to have a proper diagnosis so that you are treating the right problem.

Celiacs is not the the only wheat related issue. There is "Wheat Allergy" and "Wheat intolerance" Those are different conditions. As for it being the
"condition du jour" It's estimated that almost 40% of the population have wheat intolerance (most likely due to overexposure to wheat).

http://www.wheatintolerance.org/

OP it can seem overwhelming at first, but a wheat/gluten free lifestyle is really not that hard. There are so many great options available. And if you've been dealing with it for a while, you will probably be amazed at how much better you feel after you get it out of your diet and system.

 

[Kathi OD]

There is gluten free Bisquick mix out there???
tigercat

Yep, and it's pretty good. Also, Betty Crocker has gluten free cake and brownie mixes. Haven't tried the cakes, but the brownies are pretty good.

 

[Traveliz]

There is gluten free Bisquick mix out there???
tigercat

Around here it is in the baking aisle along with the "regular" baking mixes.

Liz

 

[Chelley00]

"may have" is a lot different than actually having one. FTR, the term "gluten allergy" is a misnomer. The appropriate term is Celiac Disease. How has it been determined that you "may have" this "allergy?"

Please be aware that there is such a thing as a gluten or wheat allergy and it's not a "misnomer", and not all people with gluten issues are Celiacs.

I had bloodwork testing at an allergist/immunologist office and tested highly positive for a wheat allergy, much like people do for dairy and eggs. It means that instead of an autoimmune response like in Celiacs, we have allergic reactions (gastrointestinal, respiratory etc)

 

[disney1990]

I don't know you live, but Trader Joes and Whole Foods both have lots of products that are glutten free. Trader Joes even maintains of listing of their products that you can pickup.

 

[DisneyMom5]

Some really good gluten free products are Enjoy Life Foods, and Udi's.
My son really likes them.

Please be aware that there is such a thing as a gluten or wheat allergy and it's not a "misnomer", and not all people with gluten issues are Celiacs.

I had bloodwork testing at an allergist/immunologist office and tested highly positive for a wheat allergy, much like people do for dairy and eggs. It means that instead of an autoimmune response like in Celiacs, we have allergic reactions (gastrointestinal, respiratory etc)

And my son fall into the category of "other."
He is NOT allergic to wheat (negative to both prick tests and traditional allergy blood tests), and tested negative for celiac (blood test after long term exposure).
He cannot eat wheat on a regular basis (trace ok) or he feels really ill and develops asthma attacks.
Doctors haven't been much help except to say "if he does better off of wheat, then keep him off of wheat." Sigh.
[His sensitivity is complicated by being allergic to peanuts and nuts, so that we can't use nut flour in place of wheat.]

All that to say, living without wheat is totally doable in this day and age.
He eats mostly meat, veggies, and rice. We fill that out with occasional GF pasta and breads, which I buy instead of making...because it's easier. But they are pricey, so it's a treat.

Take a deep breath...it's gets easier from here on out!!!

 

[Certifiable WDW Nut]

Can you be so sensitive to gluten that you can't stay in house with dry cat food out for the cats because you may be exposed to cat food dust? What about eating off a plate that has been touched by someone that may have gluten on their hands from fixing breakfast, even if the hands appear clean with no visible residue?

I have a friend who tells me this stuff. I'm just trying to figure out if it is true or if he is just whacky.

 

[tigercat]

I will have to look. The stores up here are now getting more and more GF products but I haven't seen that yet. Will look for it though.
tigercat

 

[Poohforyou]

We recently found out that I may have a very serious Gluten allergy!
Being one who HATES meat (except chicken and turkey) and Vegtables (most of them) I eat pasta at least 4-5 times a week!

So my question is what do YOU eat becides meat and salads?

I'm not much of a meat eater and don't eat white flour or processed foods so no pasta, bread, noodles etc. I do like veggies though. Anyway I eat a lot of brown rice, quinoa, beans, sweet potatoes, veggie burgers, fish/seafood and veggies.

 

[DawnM]

Crud. I have those same symptoms. I have been telling myself to get in and get some tests done. I notice a difference when I eat wheat products for sure.

Dawn

Please be aware that there is such a thing as a gluten or wheat allergy and it's not a "misnomer", and not all people with gluten issues are Celiacs.

I had bloodwork testing at an allergist/immunologist office and tested highly positive for a wheat allergy, much like people do for dairy and eggs. It means that instead of an autoimmune response like in Celiacs, we have allergic reactions (gastrointestinal, respiratory etc)

 

[Princess Row]

Thank you for all the responses! Those websites are fantastic.

I have been having HORRIBLE stomach aches for about a year and a half. My mom being a nurse.....and other family members in the medical field they reccomended I try cutting out foods. I get at least one stomach ache a day. We slowly cut out different things but nothing was helping still. The most recent one was Gluten. I havent eaten gluten in three days.....and still no stomach ache.

I prefer to not have the test done by the docor if I can figure this out on my own. I dont mind blood tests but other than that I get freaked out. So I would rather just avoid it. I have friends with gluten allergies who had the same symptoms as I had and they are now fine without ever being tested.

I will look into those foods! Thanks!

 

[5lilfish]

My blood test for Celiac's is negative and my allergy test for a wheat allergy is negative. If I eat gluten, I have bloating, digestive (bathroom) issues, stomach pain and muscle/joint problems....I lived on Tums. If I don't eat gluten, I don't have these problems. I discovered the connection when I went on a low carb diet to lose weight. Within a couple days I felt GREAT. Well, no carbs basically takes gluten out (no bread, craskers, pasta, etc).

My almost 4 yr old tests that same way (negative to allergy and negative to Celiac). She battled chronic constipation and bloating from the time she started solid foods. Now that I have her off of gluten her problems are much better. The removal of gluten also changed her personality. She was always an easy going, loving, kid, but now she is more affectionate and calmer (even tempered). At first I felt bad making her eat this way without a test result to back it up. Then I saw what happened when we slipped up and/or gave in and let her have gluten. She would get miserable and then start having digestive problems again.

I'd be curious to know if others have dealt with similar symptoms.

Jess