Hi, newby to Gluten free needing help!
Wisewoman888
Posts: 72 Member
Hi all,
Just wanted to introduce myself to the group and also ask for help.
I've recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have just discovered gluten is an enemy yesterday after doing some research. Funnily enough, I've JUST done a massive grocery shop too! Full of glutenous products of course!
Question is, how do I do this? Do i just work through the products and not replace them giving my and my family's bodies time to adjust or do I do a big chuckout (family are having symptoms of gluten intolerance too with gas, bloating, wind pain, diarrhoea etc)
and I'm also having to look at going dairy free. I just found out soy was bad for thyroid too! AAARGH!
We've just gone vegetarian too due to a close call of heart problems and gallstones.
I'm a 42yo SAHM who homeschools so I'm willing to learn all the ins and outs of this dietary challenge for the benefit of our family and future health.
Any tips and advice would be much appreciated!
Melissa
Just wanted to introduce myself to the group and also ask for help.
I've recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have just discovered gluten is an enemy yesterday after doing some research. Funnily enough, I've JUST done a massive grocery shop too! Full of glutenous products of course!
Question is, how do I do this? Do i just work through the products and not replace them giving my and my family's bodies time to adjust or do I do a big chuckout (family are having symptoms of gluten intolerance too with gas, bloating, wind pain, diarrhoea etc)
and I'm also having to look at going dairy free. I just found out soy was bad for thyroid too! AAARGH!
We've just gone vegetarian too due to a close call of heart problems and gallstones.
I'm a 42yo SAHM who homeschools so I'm willing to learn all the ins and outs of this dietary challenge for the benefit of our family and future health.
Any tips and advice would be much appreciated!
Melissa
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Replies
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Hi and welcome!
If gluten is causing you and your family discomfort, I'd get it out of the house. Maybe you have some extended family members or friends who could take it off your hands? I know it can be tough to see food that's otherwise perfectly good go to waste.
You've got a lot of big dietary changes going on, and while it won't be easy, it won't be impossible, either, and you'll feel much better once you've got the hang of it all. If it seems overwhelming, consider picking one or two things to focus on until you're comfortable with those changes, then try something else.
It's hard for me to give advice here as I've been GF since I was three years old and therefore haven't had a big adjustment to make
Just remember to take things one step at a time and learn from each one. Good luck!0 -
If you are planning on having any medical tests to check whether you and your children have coeliac disease or gluten intolerance then don't cut out gluten containing foods yet as you test results won't show up accurately0
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I am completely grain free, vegetarian, and dairy free. Do eat some soy. My diary is open.
I would recommend sticking to whole foods that are naturally gluten free. Lots of fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds.0 -
Great advice everyone! Thanks!
MrsWeasley, I hadn't thought of that, we're going through a naturopath atm for other issues so official "testing" might not be necessary. But thanks for the tip, I'll discuss it with my Naturopath Herbalist next appt.
ajhr, we've just moved to a new area and all our friends pretty much are GlutenFree!! Our extended family are about 4hrs away! So getting rid of it isn't that simple I'm afraid. Another lady on the thyroid group forum suggested we just get through it and not replace it. I had a cook off this afternoon and made a bucketload of slices etc to offer neighbours so I might get round it that way. thanks!
PD, grain free? Wow! How do you survive? I can't get my head around that with children!!! I'll have a look at your diary to get some ideas! Thanks!0 -
Hi Newby
There are 6 members of 7 in my family that are gluten free (celiac). My sister was diagnosed first 16 years ago when she was pregnant and she was very ill. She lost all her hair as she was very anemic. (The doctors told us that celiac wasnt familiar, that was in 1996) Surprise !! Years later my brother, father etc. were diagnosed. We have all have a biopsy (scope) which is how we were diagnosed.
There are lot of great products that are gluten free on the market now. It is a little more expensive though, and you will find that many products dont have presevatives in them. My favorite thing is the Brown Rice Torilla (food for life is one brand). You will find most gluten free products in the freezer of your grocery store. Some companies that have gluten free will even deliver to your door.
There are some great receipes you can find on the net and lots of cook books. It will be an adjustment for you, but you and your family will be healthier.
Make sure that your continue eating gluten till you get your tests.
Check out this web site for some info. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/#diagnosis0 -
I was really scared about going grain free. I had already done corn free, and I knew that corn was so hard because it was in everything, but I relied a lot on rice for my lunches, pasta, etc. and rice flour and sorghum and other grain flours for my baking. But once I made the commitment, I did find recipes and managed to find flours and combinations that worked for me. It is amazing how well one can eat on such a restricted diet!
My kiddo still has corn and rice, but generally for snacks and lunches he makes himself, I don't cook them.
Flours I can use - buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, tapioca, arrowroot, legume flours, seeds flours, plantain flour. Mostly I use a combination of buckwheat and tapioca.
Breakfasts - cooked buckwheat grits/flakes, buckwheat pancakes, eggs/omelets, fruit, baked potato, leftovers
Lunches - leftovers, usually a combination of quinoa or potato, frozen veggies, and leftovers
Suppers - veggies, quinoa, potato, homemade flatbreads and crackers, beans (especially chili, lentil soup, or curry), tofu
Snacks - fruit, veggies and hummus, homemade sorbetPD, grain free? Wow! How do you survive? I can't get my head around that with children!!! I'll have a look at your diary to get some ideas! Thanks!0 -
Cuisines that are good to get ideas for grain-free:
- paleo (meat-heavy, but there are some good vegetable sides)
- raw foodist (but the dates and nuts are not good for me, and I don't have a dehydrator)
- specific carbohydrate diet
- Eat to Live (not grain free, but lots of salads, beans, fruit, etc. and low on refined carbs)
- Asian (big emphasis on rice and noodles, but lots of ideas for vegetable dishes)
- Indian - lots of dals, etc.
- African - lots of legumes & veggies
- ital (Jamaican/rastafarian)0 -
ajhr, we've just moved to a new area and all our friends pretty much are GlutenFree!! Our extended family are about 4hrs away! So getting rid of it isn't that simple I'm afraid. Another lady on the thyroid group forum suggested we just get through it and not replace it. I had a cook off this afternoon and made a bucketload of slices etc to offer neighbours so I might get round it that way. thanks!
Oh wow!
Well, do whatever feels best, I suppose. It's great that you'll have lots of face-to-face support with your gluten free friends! You CAN do this
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That's awesome you guys! Thank you so much!:flowerforyou:
I got rid of my big bag of flour yesterday so I only have quinoa flour and coconut flour left, YAY! All gluten free,
Just got to get rid of the processed stuff, thankfully most of my pantry now is canned beans/ lentils but some of the frozen stuff has got loads of gluten in it! There was a huge sale on Quorn meat free products so I stocked up!!! AAAARGH!
and then there's the breadmixes.......
And the sauces! I've been a condiments queen since way back!!! sigh.........
I think this is going to be much longer than I anticipated!:grumble:0 -
It does take time. I would suggest trying weekly menu planning, and then look at your grocery list and compare it to your pantry, checking the ingredients of any condiments or other packaged foods so you know whether what you have is safe or needs to be tossed and replaced that week.0
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It does take time. I would suggest trying weekly menu planning, and then look at your grocery list and compare it to your pantry, checking the ingredients of any condiments or other packaged foods so you know whether what you have is safe or needs to be tossed and replaced that week.
Yes, that's a great idea. I work so much better with a plan. I need to educate myself with gluten language so I know what I'm looking for.
Any tips? I'm pretty sure all "thickeners" are out. What else apart from the obvious "contains wheat or gluten"?0 -
Another term to look for is Modified Food Starch, unless it specifies that it is modified food starch from corn, it is from wheat (or at least you have to assume it is) and read labels on EVERYTHING, (I had to go GF three years ago when I developed an allergy yes- allergy, I don't have celiacs, I am borderline anaphylactic reactive to wheat gluten) I learned the hard way, I couldn't figure out why I was still reacting, turns out the the brands of yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese contained modified food starch (thus wheat) once I changed brands, I was good. I started researching and discovered that even though I've found products that are currently GF, I would always need to check the labels since companies can change their product without notifying the community and something that was GF is now not.
Good luck!0 -
Gluten and Dairy free here...feel free to add and/or look at my diary. I can tell you right now that this process won't be quick OR easy but you can do it and everyone will feel soooo much better in the long run! Good luck!0
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I am not in the US, and assume that you are, but don't your labels require a "contains wheat" statement, even if it is MFS? I understood that most MFS in the US is corn, not wheat. I avoid corn anyway. Just curious.Another term to look for is Modified Food Starch, unless it specifies that it is modified food starch from corn, it is from wheat (or at least you have to assume it is) and read labels on EVERYTHING, (I had to go GF three years ago when I developed an allergy yes- allergy, I don't have celiacs, I am borderline anaphylactic reactive to wheat gluten) I learned the hard way, I couldn't figure out why I was still reacting, turns out the the brands of yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese contained modified food starch (thus wheat) once I changed brands, I was good. I started researching and discovered that even though I've found products that are currently GF, I would always need to check the labels since companies can change their product without notifying the community and something that was GF is now not.
Good luck!0 -
They should contain the identifier of which type of MFS, but I've seen a lot that just say MFS with no identification of what type, and in the research I've done, if it doesn't say it, then you have to presume it's in there to protect yourselfI am not in the US, and assume that you are, but don't your labels require a "contains wheat" statement, even if it is MFS? I understood that most MFS in the US is corn, not wheat. I avoid corn anyway. Just curious.Another term to look for is Modified Food Starch, unless it specifies that it is modified food starch from corn, it is from wheat (or at least you have to assume it is) and read labels on EVERYTHING, (I had to go GF three years ago when I developed an allergy yes- allergy, I don't have celiacs, I am borderline anaphylactic reactive to wheat gluten) I learned the hard way, I couldn't figure out why I was still reacting, turns out the the brands of yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese contained modified food starch (thus wheat) once I changed brands, I was good. I started researching and discovered that even though I've found products that are currently GF, I would always need to check the labels since companies can change their product without notifying the community and something that was GF is now not.
Good luck!0 -
That's great! Thanks again.:smooched:
I had such a crap day today, had an impromptu get together with a GF friend but she's very frugal and we always offer to bring food as they're on a really low income with 4 kids, and I was stuck! She does buy bread for her children who aren't GF but dairy and additive free, so I thought I'll buy some bread as we were in a hurry and some fruit, thinking we'll get some form of filling at her place and all she had was honey and jam!!! Plus a black forest cake that was for her mother's day gift she wanted to share and now I feel like utter crap!
I look six months pregnant with bloat, gas and general unwellness. AAAARGH! plus decaf coffee which I don't drink anymore!
Then by tomorrow it'll all go back to normal hopefully........sigh......
It just emphasises that fact that we need to do this sooner rather than later.
Does gluten intolerance/allergy make your weight fluctuate dramatically too? I know my thyroid situation does but if this aggravates the thyroid too I think it must also hinder the weightloss process.
I just can't do this to myself anymore!:sad: :sick:0 -
I ended up deciding to go the whole hog and really put the gluten thing to the test. After the yucko lunch, I decided to do a really heavy gluten meal to really test out if I really am sensitive to gluten. Well...... OMG.......I got my answer.
I blew up like a blowfish, bloated like nothing else, windy, felt gross in my gut, can't do up my jeans that were loose on me this morning. I can't do this anymore.
Tomorrow is the new Glutenfree me. Dropping all bread and gluten out of my diet (even if it's just for me for the time being), just going to eat veges, rice and fruit.
I feel like crap. :sick:0 -
That's great! Thanks again.:smooched:
I had such a crap day today, had an impromptu get together with a GF friend but she's very frugal and we always offer to bring food as they're on a really low income with 4 kids, and I was stuck! She does buy bread for her children who aren't GF but dairy and additive free, so I thought I'll buy some bread as we were in a hurry and some fruit, thinking we'll get some form of filling at her place and all she had was honey and jam!!! Plus a black forest cake that was for her mother's day gift she wanted to share and now I feel like utter crap!
I look six months pregnant with bloat, gas and general unwellness. AAAARGH! plus decaf coffee which I don't drink anymore!
Then by tomorrow it'll all go back to normal hopefully........sigh......
It just emphasises that fact that we need to do this sooner rather than later.
Does gluten intolerance/allergy make your weight fluctuate dramatically too? I know my thyroid situation does but if this aggravates the thyroid too I think it must also hinder the weightloss process.
I just can't do this to myself anymore!:sad: :sick:
Not only fluctuate, but back in December around the holidays, I managed to gain 10+lb in 2 weeks (oh, I guess I should explain I had been lower-carb and mostly grain-free for 4-5 months prior - paleo type diet), and re-gained the pooch that hung over my belt! I'm *still* trying to lose the rest of that gain, but at least the pooch went away! :noway: That was before I realized I have an intolerance, though it did help me figure it out. Oh, I was soooo sick, lol. I've learned that it's just not worth it anymore.0 -
I'm glad you guys are finding out how it makes you feel, and that the simple solution is to eliminate it. You CAN do it. It isn't that hard. You just need to be determined and persistent. Think of how good you will feel.0
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I agree that you won't need the regular MD diagnosis.Regular Blood tests don't show up the gluten sensitivity like the naturopath will. My blood tests were all negative to all foods and the naturopath has me off of gluten, dairy, yeast and fried foods. I did do a gene test with an online lab and it showed I have 2 genes- one gluten sensitivity and one for celiacs. So I am going with the recommendation of the naturopath. Good luck!0
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I am SOOOOO thankful to you all for your support!:flowerforyou:
:smooched:
I went gluten free (I think totally as I don't know yet how to measure it), two days ago and I feel like a new woman who feels like crap!!! If you know what I mean!!!LOL
The first day it was all good till mid afternnoon when I got a whopper of a headache and felt sooooo fatigued, had lots of tummy grumbles and just felt crappy.
Well today the headache has minimalised, but OMG I could rip everybody's heads off I'm so iirritable! And it's the week AFTER TOM! Weepy, easily aggravated, hungry...... is this normal?
My poor hubby copped it when I got home from the gym after his nightshift. He was lovely enough to stay up so I could go to the gym but all I saw when I got home was mess, children not doing their homeschool work, dishes hadn't been done...... yadayada:grumble: It's not his fault, I'm just feeling on a razor's edge. So I had a huge rant and all's now clean (or being cleaned), organised and I'm feeling a bit more settled after taking a multivitamin!
I hope this doesn't last too long!
On a good note, my tummy isn't swollen, the gas has gone and my body feels good again! YAY!
Thanks again for the encouragement!:drinker: :flowerforyou:0 -
I am not in the US, and assume that you are, but don't your labels require a "contains wheat" statement, even if it is MFS? I understood that most MFS in the US is corn, not wheat. I avoid corn anyway. Just curious.Another term to look for is Modified Food Starch, unless it specifies that it is modified food starch from corn, it is from wheat (or at least you have to assume it is) and read labels on EVERYTHING, (I had to go GF three years ago when I developed an allergy yes- allergy, I don't have celiacs, I am borderline anaphylactic reactive to wheat gluten) I learned the hard way, I couldn't figure out why I was still reacting, turns out the the brands of yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese contained modified food starch (thus wheat) once I changed brands, I was good. I started researching and discovered that even though I've found products that are currently GF, I would always need to check the labels since companies can change their product without notifying the community and something that was GF is now not.
Good luck!
We're actually in Australia and most of our labels have an ALLERGENS label in very small print at the back of the pack. It will say wheat, soy, nuts etc, but apparently that's not always a guarantee. It's got to be better than nothing though!0
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