gluten sensitivity! yikes!

jeda1231

Hey All - any advice for someone who newly found out she has a moderate gluten allergy/sensitivity????? It is NOT CELIACs - My aunt has that disease though so they are doing further tests just to be sure. I think my huge obstacles will be beer and pizza (but that will ultimately help weightloss anyway).

Do you have any tips on where to buy gluten free products on a budget? Go to questions for restaurant dining??

Thanks so much!!

speedgraphic19

I'm going through this right now. I feel your pain

So far all I've really found for "buying gluten-free products on a budget" is to replace them with stuff like fruit or nuts, because a gluten-free version of a thing like say, pretzels usually costs three times as much.

Is cross-contamination a problem for you? Meaning, if something is cooked on the same surface as something with gluten, will that affect you? That's something to consider when eating out. Sadly a lot of places think allergies are no big deal...

jeda1231

As of right now i want to say cross contamination will not be an issue - unless these tests come back with celiacs - which I have taken 2 in the last 2 years that say it is negative

I only get the symptoms of bloating, gas, and abdominal pain sometimes in the afternoon after eating and could never pinpoint why. I didn't realize normal Quaker Oats had gluten - or at least were grown amongst wheat so they test positive for that - that answers a lot of questions for me as to where the reactions are coming from.

I just had the IgG4 test to determine allergies and the only one that was positive a little (level II - so only slight/moderate) was gluten - i'm not allergic to wheat so that's good i suppose

i will definitely let you know in a few weeks how i feel - what tests did you go through to figure out you were gluten sensitive and not intolerant? I really don't get the difference!

speedgraphic19

I haven't gone through any tests yet...what happened was that I decided to try eating paleo, and suddenly, all that bloating and those stomach aches I'd been having lately were gone! Then I ate some pizza at a party at work, and felt sick that night. Same thing happened when I ate a small muffin. Then again when I had some wheat crackers. So I haven't been to the doctor to get it confirmed yet, I'm just sort of starting to figure out that I should probably avoid wheat products.

From what I understand, intolerance vs. sensitivity is a matter of the source. Intolerance is an auto-immune disease whereas sensitivity is digestion-based, or something like that?

MoniMoni2u

I purchased a bag of brown rice flour and a box of g-f baking mix. I've not anything else from the "specialty section" of the grocery store. So no replacements.

I'm using corn tortillas instead of bread and for now, I'm not replacing my flour-y things with anything other than veggies, fruit and lean meats and some healthy fats.

I will play around with baking later this spring when I have more time but for now, this is good.

I am in the process of watching every, single label on the bags and cans of products we use. So far, I've not had a ton of items that won't work for me, but I cook and don't do a ton of processed stuff anyway. Some for convenience but not a ton. I'm figuring out which convenience things I use that will no longer work and I'll make my own home-made equivalents when I have more time. I'll also do some gluten-free baking of my own so that I can control the contents and the costs!

JaceyMarieS

Hey All - any advice for someone who newly found out she has a moderate gluten allergy/sensitivity????? It is NOT CELIACs - My aunt has that disease though so they are doing further tests just to be sure. I think my huge obstacles will be beer and pizza (but that will ultimately help weightloss anyway).

Do you have any tips on where to buy gluten free products on a budget? Go to questions for restaurant dining??

Thanks so much!!

I don't buy any gluten-free food substitutes like pretzels, pizza dough, cookies, baking mixes etc. First of all, many products replace the gluten with corn or soy, to which I am also intolerant. Secondly, the cost is prohibitive and the end result isn't as tasty. Almond meal and coconut flour are $6-$10 per ONE POUND bag. I do occasionally make some phenomenal almond meal biscuits when I'm really jonesing for "bread", but in addition to the expense, the specialty meals/flours are quite calorie-dense so in the end, it's easier just to avoid altogether.

As far as eating out, simplicity is your friend. Be careful with sauces and gravies since most are thickened with flour. Soups are as well. French fries are often coated with a flour mixture to aid with crisping. I have more trouble with gluten-free menus because of the use of cornstarch instead of flour, so I tend to stick to simple meat/vegetable combinations.

jeda1231

thanks everyone!! I'm trying to be as strict as possible for right now and will see what the other tests come up as. I don't have a huge reaction to wheat which is why I'm very curious about the degrees of intolerance! I knew about the french fries but thank you for the tip - mostly i'll miss marinades and sauces at thai or asian restaurants but I think sushi is okay WITHOUT soy sauce so that'll be good. Good luck everyone!

nboyle4010

I'm also gluten intolerant and have been gluten-free for 4 years. I echo the advice of two others who replied -- go paleo and simply don't eat GF versions of pizza, bread, pasta, etc. Paleo is really the easiest way to heal your gut and start feeling better. That is THE most important thing for you to do first... heal the gut. It honestly takes a while for you body to get all that gluten crud out, but it is SO worth it. You'll find that once you stop eating all that crap, your cravings for other kinds of crap start going away. Since you're body will be going through an energetic transformation and toxins don't go down without a fight, consider doing acupuncture. Acupuncture REALLY helps your digestive system adjust and work optimally. Don't think of this as punishment. In the long run, staying away from gluten is incredibly good for your body, mind and spirit.

Best of luck!

sleepytexan

You do not really need to buy a lot of substitute products. Most whole foods are fine: meats, fish, cheeses, fruits, veggies, rice, etc. You may like to some rice pasta instead of the wheat, and most stores have that readily available now.

Of course, read labels like a hawk - wheat hides in many places, but the good news is there is often a competing wheat-safe brand right on the shelf next to an offending brand. Beware of caramel coloring and additives as always - chemicals are never good for you anyway.

You may like a cookbook called Wheat Free Recipes and Menus by Carol Fenster - it has a recipe for 3 alternative flour blends that you can make up and keep in the freezer - just use your alternative flour blend for any recipe calling for flour. I like the corn flour blend best myself, and find it to be superior in taste and texture to all pre-packaged blends I've tried (most of them contain garbanzo flour that I don't care for).

In restaurants, ask for a gluten-free menu, or if unavailable, ask your server to confirm which items on the menu are safe. NEVER ASSUME.

blessings.

beth98012

Do you have a trader joes? I just found out I'm sensitive to wheat too and I buy their brown rice and corn pasta and corn tortilla. I hear Bob's Red Mill has a GF flour you can substitute for wheat flour when baking but I have not tried this yet. Last, check out your local library for GF cookbooks.
I'm vegan so many options that are available to others are not to me (by choice) and I have found it pretty easy to find a lot of recipes to eat that I enjoy.
Good-luck!!

eylia

^^Sticking to gluten free on a budget really isn't hard, as others have said, most whole foods (lean meat, fish, chicken, vegetables, fruit, corn, rice) are all okay, processed foods are mostly all out, as wheat and gluten are often added in as binders and such. I was diagnosed coeliac in the 90's, and it was much harder than; awareness and food availability is quite good now, and it's getting more affordable to buy the GF pasta substitutes and other 'special' dietary food. I turn to rice more than GF pasta, as it's cheaper, I also use a lot of rice vermicelli/pad thai noodles as they're cheap, pretty instant to cook and versatile. I also use corn thins/corn cakes as a sub for bread if I feel like a sandwich. There are great GF options for crackers and almost anything now, but they often do cost a little more, if that's a real issue, basic sakata rice crackers (packs that are marked GF) are cheaper as they're not specifically for the diet.

akninsas

I also have a gluten intolerance. I try to stick to meats, fruits, veggies, eggs, greek yogurt, but I do use gluten free chex cereals when I am craving cereal. I use rice noodles as a substitute for spaghetti nights. I buy gluten free soy sauce and bring it with me when we go out for sushi. I buy Peanut Butter & Co's white chocolate wonderful to eat with apples. I eat thai food quite a bit, I get red thai chicken curry or thai beef salad and havent experienced a problem when I do eat it.

jeda1231

i do LOVE trader joe's as it is and noticed how great their selection of GF products are. Their Lentil Chips are actually really delicious and I don't mind Udi's Whole Grain GF bread when I need it. Thanks for all of the advice!! Do you steer clear of the products that even mention the "may be produced in manufacturing places where soy and wheat are processed"?? I don't know how strict I need to be with this stuff or if things like that are okay - I noticed that on a lot of cans of diced tomatos and beans. There is a really cool Trader Joe's cookbook that two women made, they are not affiliated with the store but figured out how to use their products best. I am a HUGE oatmeal fanatic and T-Joe's has gluten free oats - I never realized those had gluten in them!!!