Gluten-Free and Low-Fat

girlinthebox18 wrote: »

... I would consider Paleo, but unfortunately, I have gallstones, and am on a Dr. prescribed low-fat diet to keep them from growing. I was wondering if anyone else following a gluten-free diet might have any and all advice for me to make the transition easier? I like to cook and eat fresh foods, but as a full-time student I can't stay in the kitchen all day long. Thanks in advance!

Hi!
Well first, for advice on celiac disease, actually. (I have a family with 3 generations of celiacs now)
1. If your daughter does not have a REALLY celiac knowledgeable doctor, I'd highly recommend finding her one, if you can. Sadly, celiac disease currently has some of the poorest follow up care for auto-immune diseases. For example, experts recommend that ALL close family members get tested for Celiac disease once it shows up in the family, because the risk that they, too, may have it is really high. If your daughter's doctor never mentioned this, that's a good sign that he may not be an expert. Celiacs should be tested about 1 year after diagnosis, to see if they are healing.

If celiacs have had the disease for a while, they are more likely to have some major vitamin deficiencies, and should be tested for that. If your doc didn't do that for your daughter, you'll want to go get that done - it can take 6 months to 2 YEARS for a celiac to fully heal up. Until then, your daughter won't absorb her vitamins properly, so her vitamin levels should be monitored periodically through that time and a doc needs to help with that. Sometimes, a celiac may have to take higher than normal doses of a vitamin because they are not absorbing it, but that's not safe to do without a doctor's monitoring usually, you know?

I say this as someone who got diagnosed by a GI doc who pretty much did the 'you have celiac disease, go gluten free and you'll be better, here's a nutritionist' route, and then found a better one who did SO much more, and the difference in care and knowledge was shocking, seriously. I am in a much better place now due to that second doctor.

2. For you and gallstones - that is actually really interesting, because one weird celiac quirk that isn't much talked about: we're more prone to gall bladder problems, possibly including gall stones. (my 'good' doctor tests all his celiac patients' gall bladders, due to this. IT does seem to improve once fully gluten free, so it might be worth exploring your gall bladder again in a few years, maybe. :-)
(https://www.verywell.com/how-celiac-disease-can-affect-your-gallbladder-4148347 )

3. Thing I loved for transitioning - bento boxes. They are basically lunchbox and plate in one, so they cut down on contamination. Tons of recipes everywhere online. If you get GF soy sauce (which is actually more traditional soy sauce before wheat was added as a filler, so it's tastier), most of the recipes people use for bento boxes - easy to find online - are naturally GF, so they tend to taste good. They also involve putting in lots of 'little' things into the box, so leftovers from the day before are used, down to the last little teaspoon of a sauce.


They're also really easy to make low fat - usually naturally are, recipe-wise - AND another fun thing, if you follow the traditional bento box food ratio ( 4 rice or carb: 2 protein:1 other, usually veggies ), the size of the bento box in ML is usually approximately how many calories you get, too, so it's convenient for tracking calories. Although 3:2:1 is better for losing weight, I understand. But i would NOT try to lose weight AND change the diet at the same time, you know? It adds extra stress. I'd honestly go for the new diet first, then work on weight loss (if you are doing that).

This is a good site for many basics for foods and with links to buy supplies, although you can just get a tupperware and utilize it similarly, really. (http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics)

some of the more fancy bentos that give ideas what you can do - people will use seaweed and cut it into fancy shapes, dye rice for certain colors, shape foods for certain effects. More work than I usually do, but it's fun to look at. :-) http://mentalfloss.com/article/66472/11-delightful-bento-artists-and-their-creations