newly diagnosed gluten "sensitivity"...could use some input!

irishginger
irishginger Posts: 33 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I know this is probably frequently discussed but it's all new to me.

I was diagnosed yesterday with a gluten sensitivity and advised by my physician to begin a gluten free diet for, at least, the next 6 months. If there is no change after 6 months we will explore other issues BUT in 6 months, if I have been religious in following a gluten free diet and I feel great then....it will be a life time change at that point. Not sure how I feel about that yet.

Okay - need advice for getting started. Aside from "Gluten" what are the buzz words that I should be looking for on lables? And what do I do with all the food in my pantry and fridge? I love veggies but was told to watch out for gluten in salad dressings. any other hidden things I should be searching for? What do you do about eating out?

Help! Any input, recipes, suggestions are welcome.

Replies

  • HausfrauB
    HausfrauB Posts: 104 Member
    Gluten is a protein in cereal grains. So basically, you will need to read labels of processed foods to ensure there are no derivatives from these grains. You will notice that a lot of "obviously" non-gluten products will proclaim their gluten-free-ness.

    The top offending "gluten grains" are: wheat, rye and barley...also spelt!

    I've always been sensitive to wheat, but seem to handle the other grains just fine.

    Rice and corn have much lower gluten content and are considered safe for those with celiac disease. Also buckwheat....the name is a misnomer (yum for buckwheat pancakes!)

    The main thing to remember is that you have to be wary of anything that contains flour.

    http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/whatisceliacdisease/f/GlutenGrains.htm

    http://www.allergy-details.com/gluten-free-diet/spelt-safe-wheat-free-or-gluten-free-diet/
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    http://www.coeliac.org.uk/coeliac-disease

    you may not have this, but they are gluten intolerant too, so restaurants (the sort with a waiter and a chef) should be able to respond to a request for gluten free or coeliac friendly meals.
  • itgeekwoman
    itgeekwoman Posts: 804 Member
    Gluten free isn't a bad thing. I eat gluten free and I feel so much better. You might find that it helps you lose weight faster also.
    Add me as a friend if you want ideas for food or just support.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    Hi

    Please add me - I have been a coeliac for almost 20 years now.
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
    I diagnosed myself because I knew I had a problem with it and I have avoided anything with gluten for the past 2 years. Sooo happy with this lifestyle and it really agrees with my body. People with gluten intolerances also often have lactose intolerances too. Quinoa has been my favorite non grain gluten free grain of all time. Super yummy for breakfast with cinammon. Feel free to friend me or message me. Once you get gluten completely out of your system, you never miss it. I was sooo addicted and it made it impossible for me to lose weight. I feel so much more energy and so much better now that it is out of my system completely.
  • awisegirl84
    awisegirl84 Posts: 82 Member
    bump
  • joanie75
    joanie75 Posts: 4
    I have been gluten free for four months. I feel like a new person. At first its hard but it gets easier. Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and lean meats and none of them have gluten. I love the GF Honey Nut Chex cereal. It is wonderful. Good luck to you. Oh and one keyword to avoid is malt. I read that on a GF website.
  • irishginger
    irishginger Posts: 33 Member
    Thanks for the posts everyone! I'm at day 5 and so far so good. Have felt a little sick and shaky at some points, but I think it's because I'm having some withdrawal symptoms and also because I have not learned yet what my nutritional needs are balanced with my exercise regimine.

    I have decided to just have fun with this gluten-free thing. I'm going to look at it as an opportunity to experiment and try new things. I have been contacting restaurants that I have upcoming events at with friends and have had great responses from the managers and chefs about having gluten free foods already available or that they will make sure they have something for me.

    BTW, I am adding those above with a friend request. Hope to use you as sounding boards and for support.

    Thanks again :flowerforyou:
  • geojeepgirl
    geojeepgirl Posts: 243 Member
    Feel free to add me as well. Im actually following the paleo/primal plan which is gluten and dairy free. If nothing else it may give you some recipe ideas for once in awhile. =-)
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    my advice? Don't run out and substitue all the gluten free options out there. Some of them are very very processed and usually a lot less healthy.

    Find a good GF cereal that's healthy, and a bread if you must have one, and a good pizza place, but don't run out and get the GF gold fish crackers just because they exist. :smile:

    Best of luck!

    (In the end, I was able to add back spelt)
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    Look out for wheat, barley, and obviously anything that says gluten.

    Most foods are clearly labeled: May Contain Traces of Wheat or Contains Gluten

    If you actually have Celiac disease and not just an insensitivity, you also need to avoid most beer even if it doesn't cause symptoms, although many light/amber beers are considered gluten free as they have less than 20 ppm.

    Bob's Red Mill has good gluten free options for baking and also for things like oatmeal.
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
    I know this is probably frequently discussed but it's all new to me.

    I was diagnosed yesterday with a gluten sensitivity and advised by my physician to begin a gluten free diet for, at least, the next 6 months. If there is no change after 6 months we will explore other issues BUT in 6 months, if I have been religious in following a gluten free diet and I feel great then....it will be a life time change at that point. Not sure how I feel about that yet.

    Okay - need advice for getting started. Aside from "Gluten" what are the buzz words that I should be looking for on lables? And what do I do with all the food in my pantry and fridge? I love veggies but was told to watch out for gluten in salad dressings. any other hidden things I should be searching for? What do you do about eating out?

    Help! Any input, recipes, suggestions are welcome.

    BUMP!
    First thing, if the Label on FRONT of the package does NOT say GLUTEN FREE...Do NOT Buy it! It may not have wheat flour, but still may have developed Gluten. Also, if you Google Gluten Free Bread...you will come across some really good brands and how to get them.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    Anything that contains wheat contains gluten.

    http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/wheat-allergy
  • pirma374
    pirma374 Posts: 1
    I like to do my own baking with gluten free flour, then when i go to coffee with friends or to friends places i can eat my own baking. that way i know what went into it.

    The hardest experiance i had of late was a trip back home for a family event, first there was no gluten free food on the plane, then it was hard spending the whole day with catered food (bread, pies and cake), of which i couldnt eat any, then trying to convince my family that i need to go samewhere and get some food that i can eat..

    So the lesson learnt. it pays to be prepared, bring your own food, or you choose the place to go for a meal with friends.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
    I try to stick to a low gluten diet most of the time to help my IBS. I really like rice,sweet potato,lentils and subsitutes like brown rice pasta,its delicious. I also really like chickpea(gram) flour and buckwheat flour,makes lovely pancakes. A good thing is it makes you more creative with cooking. You can also make pizza bases,cous cous,etc. out of cauliflower. x
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    Take a look at my diary. Aside from little things here and there (like my jalapeno ranch salad dressing...pretty sure it's not gluten free), I'm pretty much totally gluten free. I don't even really mess with substitute items like GF bread or pasta, just stick to fruits, veggies, and lean meats for the most part.

    Fixing food for yourself gluten-free is easy. It's when you want to go somewhere with your friends that's the tricky part. Fortunately, most restaurants will be familiar with food allergies, and if you ask the server they should (or the chef should) be able to guide you and make your meal gluten-free friendly. You know, unless it's something obvious like pasta or a sandwich lol

    ETA: Udi's brand of GF products are the best I've found personally. GF bread products can have weird textures sometimes, but the Udi's stuff is all awesome. Bagels, sandwich bread, muffins--all really good!
  • vabrewer33
    vabrewer33 Posts: 185
    You will quickly learn to read ALL labels...If a food contains wheat or gluten I think they are required to put May Contain Wheat beneath the ingredients list. Unfortunately, many foods that you wouldn't think of (salad dressings, soups) contain wheat and those are the things that will get you in trouble if you don't check ingredients. More companies are jumping on the gluten free train and posting GLUTEN FREE on foods that are naturally gluten free but now they can stamp that on there and sometimes charge more :( I think somebody already mentioned this but you don't have to buy novelty gluten free things just because you can. I tend towards fruits and veggies because GF tends to be expensive and GASP higher calorie. Gluten free bread products tend to be denser and therefore contain more calories than their gluten full counterparts. So...read labels, experiment with fresh foods and good luck!!
  • zellagrrl
    zellagrrl Posts: 439
    I am eating Paleo right now-- my doctor advised me to avoid all grains, and honestly, I don't really want "fake" bread products. I have found that by not substituting gluten containing foods for those without, that I don't feel like I'm missing it. I hope that bit of advice helps :)
  • chunkiesundae
    chunkiesundae Posts: 10
    I swear it gets easier! At first it seemed like the worst situation ever...saying goodbye to cookies, cake, bread, buns- why Lord in Heaven, WHY!?!
    There are a few essentials you will want to have on hand to get started, IMO. They make the transition much less scary!
    1. Gluten free bread. I recommend Schar's brand, but there are a lot of good ones out there.
    2. Some type of gluten free sweet. Udi's muffins are grand. You will, at some point, NEED a sweet. Put them in the freezer, then you have to thaw it before you can eat it, so it's less of a "food in face automatically" situation.
    3. Gluten free pasta; the best brand is Tinkyada.
    4. Rice. You won't be eating as many noodles as you previously did, and rice is an easy replacement.
    5. Corn tortillas- let Mexican night live on!
    6. Amy's brand gluten free spinach pizza and bagged salad- dinner in a pinch when you REALLY want something fast and decent!

    Before long you will find yourself basing your meals more around protein, fat, and veggies and if you actually are gluten intolerant, you will feel much better. I'm moving more in the paleo direction all the time and feeling great...just starting to watch calories, however, which is less fun than it sounds....!
  • jenbridges
    jenbridges Posts: 213 Member
    I swear it gets easier! At first it seemed like the worst situation ever...saying goodbye to cookies, cake, bread, buns- why Lord in Heaven, WHY!?!
    There are a few essentials you will want to have on hand to get started, IMO. They make the transition much less scary!
    1. Gluten free bread. I recommend Schar's brand, but there are a lot of good ones out there.
    2. Some type of gluten free sweet. Udi's muffins are grand. You will, at some point, NEED a sweet. Put them in the freezer, then you have to thaw it before you can eat it, so it's less of a "food in face automatically" situation.
    3. Gluten free pasta; the best brand is Tinkyada.
    4. Rice. You won't be eating as many noodles as you previously did, and rice is an easy replacement.
    5. Corn tortillas- let Mexican night live on!
    6. Amy's brand gluten free spinach pizza and bagged salad- dinner in a pinch when you REALLY want something fast and decent!

    It does get easier, as she said. I agree with most of what is said here, except I do disagree with her fave brand of pasta. Tinkyada is made with only brown rice flour and the products are hard to get to the right consistency. I prefer brands made with a mix of flours (there is a quinoa/corn one that is very good) because they don't fall apart as easily.
    Schar's bread is the best, their ciabatta rolls (100 cal per roll) are my go-to sandwich roll.
    Feel free to add me, and look over my food diary. it is not perfect, but it is 100% gluten free!
    Also, watch out for soy sauce! most uses wheat. La Choy brand does not and is not as expensive as Tamari (another gf option)
  • aspen_matthews
    aspen_matthews Posts: 94
    I HIGHLY recommend seeing a Registered Dietitian, one who specializes or has lots of experience with GF diets if possible.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    Watch out for various Asian food dishes. Soy sauce contains gluten and it's a frequent ingredient.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member

    It does get easier, as she said. I agree with most of what is said here, except I do disagree with her fave brand of pasta. Tinkyada is made with only brown rice flour and the products are hard to get to the right consistency. I prefer brands made with a mix of flours (there is a quinoa/corn one that is very good) because they don't fall apart as easily.
    Schar's bread is the best, their ciabatta rolls (100 cal per roll) are my go-to sandwich roll.
    Feel free to add me, and look over my food diary. it is not perfect, but it is 100% gluten free!
    Also, watch out for soy sauce! most uses wheat. La Choy brand does not and is not as expensive as Tamari (another gf option)

    I agree with the pasta thing, I can't stand brown rice pasta, to me, it's gross, it's gooey and slimy. I prefer corn pasta, I buy the arrowhead corn spaghetti and LOVE it.
  • Talazws
    Talazws Posts: 101 Member
    Do you have a Trader Joe's in your area? I have been gluten-free for over a year now, and I have found so many gluten-free products there (and they are affordable). They also have a gluten free symbol on all of their gf products which makes it easy to shop. Some of my favorite foods from Trader Joe's: Corn pasta (they also have rice pasta but it isn't as good), Savory rice crackers, Rice cakes, Polenta, soy chorizo (one of the few gluten-free meat substitutes around), a great rice-based bread, hummus, popcorn, and so much more!

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