Gluten Free diet

Welcome! I went gf five years ago because of a sensitivity as well. It truly is overwhelming. Gluten seems to be in every damn thing you find in the grocery store – – even things that are not overly processed. Here are a few suggestions I would make:
Understand that depending on how sensitive you are, or how sensitive you continue to become, you need to be very wary about eating out, eating at potlucks, eating at other peoples houses. Just keep your eyes open for how you react after you eat in these places. I've had to quit eating at potlucks because even when people have the best of intentions, they don't actually make things gluten-free, or they use gluten contaminated cutting boards knives containers when they process and serve the foods.
Consider making some changes in your kitchen. At a minimum, get rid of your old cutting board and get a new one. That is probably the worst place to get yourself contaminated. Then, consider replacing some of your cookware. Or, at least scrub the crap out of it with scotch bright and Bon Ami to remove any remaining gluten cooked on to the pots and pans.
If gas and the trots are part of your reaction, be cautious about the ingredients in gluten free foods you buy already made. A lot of the gums that are used can give you those responses. I have had to give up The few premade gluten-free things that I was buying like occasional bread and mixes because xanthan gum does not agree with me anymore.
Get some good cookbooks and blogs on your radar. And be sure they are recent. There have been a lot of jumps forward in how we make gluten-free food at home that of been very helpful. The older cookbooks were great in their time, but the newer ones are much better. There are a couple I have found most excellent. Whole Life Nutrition and the cookbooks of Ali Segersten and Tom Malterre come out of Tom's profound celiac disease and the dietary challenges of several of their children. Tom has a masters in nutrition and advises people with all sorts of their own dietary challenges. Ali has a degree in nutrition and writes their cookbooks and teaches classes. Her piecrust recipe is the best one I have run across yet.
My very favorite advocates for great GF foods are Gluten Free Girl and the Chef--Shawna and Daniel Ahern. Shawna is profoundly celiac and Daniel is a professional chef. Together they have created amazing cookbooks, and Shawna has written an amazing blog. They focus on really good food, and their baked goods recipes are weight-based rather than measurement based like professional bakers do, and they come out so darn good! Their bread recipes and biscuit recipe are a couple of my favorites. They have suggestions for making your own gluten-free baking mixes, and they use psyllium husks instead of gums to make their baked goods hold together. Their last two cookbooks are real winners.
Both of these people's blogs and cookbooks are filled with good information about avoiding gluten in various things you buy, but also be sure to check out the celiac disease foundation website. They have lots of good background information and direct you to all sorts of great information that is legitimate.
Start reading labels. As you have already discovered, gluten lurks in even the most innocent looking foods. Don't beat up on yourself when you make a mistake. You will do it often! Also be cautious about labels of products that claim they are gluten-free unless they are certified by the celiac foundation. Tragically, many things labeled gluten-free really aren't. I love the gluten-free stuff at Trader Joe's, but a lot of it has been tested out to be contaminated. But, try those things out and see how they affect you. Sometimes a sensitivity still allow you to eat these things. I do great with their little premade square pizza flatbreads- – great little pizzas on the grill! – – But not with some of their other gluten-free products.
And finally, keep your mind open to incredibly odd ball sources of contamination. I was getting glutened this last year and couldn't figure out what was happening. Then I realized that in the morning, while my coffee was perking, I would go and let my chickens out and throw them a little bit of scratch. I finally figured out that the scratch had wheat in it, and I was coming in and making my breakfast with contaminated hands. Oy.
Hang in there. You will get it. And you will find satisfaction in what you can do to keep yourself healthy and eating good foods. Blessings.

I actually successfully made gluten free wonton wrappers the other week, and made my gluten free friend her first dumplings in over 2 years. I was really pleased with how they turned out. I'll look up the recipe if anyone's keen.

Potatoes, Rice, Tapioca, Corn, Soy, Beans, Sorghum.,Quinoa, Millet, Buckwheat groats (also known as kasha)
Arrowroot, Amaranth, Teff, Flax, Chia, Yucca, Nut flours
http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/tag/gluten-free/
http://thebigmansworld.com/2015/11/27/4-ingredient-flourless-sweet-potato-brownies-paleo-vegan-gluten-free/

I don't eat wheat, it gives me migraines, but I'm not impacted by the cross contamination of things touching or things being processed in the same factory usually, so for me I don't have to be crazy strict.

Be aware of sauces (like soy or cheese especially) and soups as they frequently have wheat as a filler ingredient or thickening agent. Always read the labels and look for the allergy warnings.

I love Udi's bread and Tinkyada rice pastas. I make my cheesecake crust with almond flour instead of graham cracker - creates an amazing toasted nut flavor. Crunchmaster chips. Tate cookies - just watch the label, not all of them are gluten free, but the gf ginger zingers are fantastic. Horizon mac & cheese, but they also make organic, so watch the labels. Buckwheat and rice noodles can be found in the asian section of the grocery even if they don't have a gluten free section. A lot of restaurants are starting to carry gluten free stuff too - Olive Garden, Carabas, and Noodles & Co all have really yummy gf pasta.

I avoid Annie's gluten-free stuff because it give me migraines, not sure if it is just too cross contaminated for me to tolerate or if there is another ingredient that is a trigger.

Are you diagnosed celiac (i.e. allergic) or intolerant (e.g. IBS type symptoms)? I only ask because after celiac was ruled out for me and I saw a dietician for IBS, I realised it was probably the fructans in the wheat rather than the gluten itself causing symptoms and am doing much better on a low FODMAP plan - you follow an elimination diet initially then test different groups of foods to determine individual tolerance levels - worth looking into if going gluten-free doesn't resolve your symptoms.

I am celiac so I'm absolutely gluten free, but I am also on a low FODMAP diet.

Gluten free: (1) I found that I need to stay away from the cheaper gf products, but Three Bakers has a very tasty bread - pricy but worth having a loaf in the freezer. Rice noodles make good spaghetti, but make your own sauce. (3) Beware "mixed" spices - some have a tad of fine grain wheat to keep the spices from sticking together. Use the individual spices instead. (4) Tofu, corn starch, and "Thickit " (available at a health supply store), work great to make liquids creamy or thicker. (5) Watch out for soaps, shampoo, and makeup - gluten is a common ingredients and enuf Tobe a problem for people with celiac.

Learn to cook tofu. Press the water out and then you can marinate in anything (that's gf). I like to BBQ tofu marinated in fresh OJ and pineapple juice. My carnivorous husband keeps stealing mine so I always make a double recipe.

Miso soup is also tasty and quick for breakfast. I cook the tofu, celery, mushrooms, and other goodies the night before; in the morning I add red miso paste to boiling water, add the goodies from the night before,and I'm out the door. I found all the ingredients at Albertsons, but an Asian market is cheaper. There is instant miso but I think it's disgusting.

I am two weeks into a gluten free diet as well! Turns out I am intolerant, I have had horrible headaches and IBS for a couple of years now that I knew could maybe be because of gluten but was too stubborn to give it up. I was feeling so awful a few weeks ago I decided to try cutting it and low and behold I have been feeling so much better since. I am almost two weeks free of stomach and headaches and I have so much more energy. I really like rice crackers for a snack, you get that crunchy sensation without the wheat. Also I like doing lettuce wraps instead of sandwiches. Get some romaine and your favorite sandwich filling and go at it. We made BLTA's that way the other night and they were so good, just fold it up like a taco and nibble away. Breakfast is the hardest for me because English muffins were always my go to, I tried the Udi's bagels but belch, they are so hard and bland. I have a recipe for a zucchini banana muffin I am going to try out using Almond and Coconut flour, hopefully they will be moist, not hard as rocks, LOL.

To add onto the conversation, has anyone been absolutely shocked to find gluten in something they weren't expecting to find gluten in? For example, I had no idea that the pre-made spice flavor packages (I.E. McCormick fajita seasoning) would have gluten until I happened to see a spice flavor package in the gluten free aisle at the grocery store with big bold "gluten free fajita seasoning" written on the packaging!

Another example of a place I wasn't expecting to find gluten was in imitation crab meat. I just happened to give the ingredient list a glance and was shocked to see wheat flour on the list.

Anyone else have any surprises to share? As someone only a year or so into this lifestyle, I find that I still have reactions sometimes and cannot target the culprit.

Sofchak: sushi, sushi, sushi.