Gluten Free Girls (and Guys!)

How are you all handling holiday parties? We are going to several this week and it's tough because you can't really trust people to know hidden sources of gluten! I've been making desserts that are naturally gluten free (like pralines and butterscotch marshmallow bars) and casserole type dishes with GF pasta or rice. I'm going to try to eat what I bring and supplement with thinks I know are GF like raw veggies and stuff!

I think you have my three rules covered
1. Snack before you go . Helps the self-control.
2. Bring something you can eat.
3. Stick to the safe stuff (fresh fruit and veggies)

Just popping in quick...

Went to a specialist the other day (finally!) and I'm going to be having the endoscopy on Jan. 25th. So, until then I have to do the gluten-challenge. So, it's good because I get to eat some gluten over Christmas, but it's bad because I'm afraid it will make me sick.

Anyone have to do the gluten challenge? How was it?

I'm SO nervous about the endoscopy. I'm normally a pretty low key girl, but something about being knocked out (even partially sedated) makes me SO nervous/anxious. My stomach is in knots just writing about it!

I haven't heard of the gluten challenge. But I have had 3 endoscopies done in the last 10 months. They are a little scary at first but I didn't even know what was going on after then sedated me. I enjoyed not knowing what was going on! haha :laugh: But just know that they do a TON of these everyday and as long as you feel comfortable with your doctor and the nurses you are going to do just fine! :flowerforyou:

Here's a list of some low cal, healthy things that I eat all the time.

1 Cup brown rice mixed with any of the following:

Grilled Chicken and Organic Tamari
or
Hormel Turkey pepperoni and Prego Original Spaghetti Sauce
or
Super Lean ground beef (rinsed) with Old El Paso Low Sodium Taco Seasoning

These are easy meals to make a bunch of and prepackage for portioning and transport and are only 350-450 per meal for calories. I'll usually have some kind of veggie with them.

Also, a great desert is frozen ripe bananas (if they are not ripe at all the green taste will be evident) put in a food processor until they reach the consistency of ice cream. The frozen mixture will take enough air to get there, just keep processing. Very similar in texture and taste to a banana ice cream.

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Celiac, GF since 2006

Just popping in quick...

Went to a specialist the other day (finally!) and I'm going to be having the endoscopy on Jan. 25th. So, until then I have to do the gluten-challenge. So, it's good because I get to eat some gluten over Christmas, but it's bad because I'm afraid it will make me sick.

Anyone have to do the gluten challenge? How was it?

I'm SO nervous about the endoscopy. I'm normally a pretty low key girl, but something about being knocked out (even partially sedated) makes me SO nervous/anxious. My stomach is in knots just writing about it!

I haven't heard of the gluten challenge. But I have had 3 endoscopies done in the last 10 months. They are a little scary at first but I didn't even know what was going on after then sedated me. I enjoyed not knowing what was going on! haha :laugh: But just know that they do a TON of these everyday and as long as you feel comfortable with your doctor and the nurses you are going to do just fine! :flowerforyou:

Thank you, mshay. I'm just a nervous wreck about it. I have to do the gluten challenge because I have stopped eating gluten, so if I do have Celiac's, then the damage has healed in my intestine. So, I have to eat gluten so that if I have Celiac's it will create damage that they'll be able to find when they do the endoscopy. Sounds kind of backwards, but it's the only way to know for sure, and I need to know.

Oh kelynn! I feel for you!:flowerforyou: I would be a mess too! Who wants to purposely put themselves through that pain??? I do understand why you have to do it though!

Ohhhhh!! ok I know what you mean now by the gluten challenge. I had to do that as well. Good luck with everything! The waiting and guessing game is always so frustrating! I hope you start feeling better soon!

Hi Folks,

Well, count me in as one of you with the GF issues. I haven't been specifically diagnosed with celiacs or gluten allergic, but this past week I had regular allergy testing because I have been so sick off and on the last couple of years. The worst part is that I also have a birth defect with a neurological component to it, so everytime I've gotten sick from the migraines, vomiting and such we've though I was in hydrocephalus failure. Each time sans once, my neuro has said it is ENT issues. So, finally my primary decided to send me for allergy tesing. I failed the test miserably. I am allergic to everything they tested me for.

After the testing, they were going over the needed changes to my lifestyle like wash linens etc so many times a week, I was like I already do those things due to my spina bifida issues and such. Then the clinician said well then you are without even testing you for food allergens, definitely getting your issues from your diet since you are basically homebound and explained to me the cross reactive issue deal and everywhere I looked gluten and casein was mentioned.

So, today I start trying to eliminate it as best as possible and see if this is going to make me feel better. Anything at this point. It's hard enough to live with my disability issues without having allergens that throw me into neurological failure as well.

Shelly

Verda,

Here are some websites with lots of gluten free recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-cooking/gluten-free/Main.aspx

http://www.celiac.com/categories/Gluten%2dFree-Recipes

http://www.gluten.net/recipes/

There are lots of others.

Also, I've had good luck with making any cookie, brownie or scone recipe and just substituting the following flour mix for white flour. I've also used it for pancakes.

1 cup brown rice flour (or white if you prefer)
2 cup millet flour
1 cup sweet sorghum flour (I've also tapioca flour instead & it was good)
1/3 cup corn starch
2 tsp xanthum gum

Since gluten is what makes bread "sticky", you have to add the starch & xanthum gum to do that instead. I also found the following recipeon celiac.com. I'm going to try it when I finish up the last flour batch I made. I make a gallon size bag of the mixture and then just leave it in the fridge. The ingredients can be found at health food stores, but Publix is starting to carry a lot of them in their Greenwise sections.

1 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup potato starch flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch flour
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/3 cup constarch
2 tsp xanthum or guar gum

You could just use all rice flour, but I always find those taste hollow and less like "the real thing." Millet gives a nice earthy flavor and reminds me of whole wheat flour. Buckwheat is another option, but definately used it sparingly because it tends to take over the flavor of whatever else you cook with it. I usually use 1 cup buckwheat to 3 cups other flour.

Also, you'll want to ask your niece how sensitive she is to gluten. Some peopleare fine eating foods that may have been processed near gluten and thus cross contaminated, whereas others need to be sure to have foods from a gluten free dedicated facility.

Turns out that desert can be made with most frozen fruits. I just tried it with Dole Wildly Nutricious Tropical frozen fruit mix and it turned out awesome. It made about 6 big scoops of "ice cream". I ended up only eating half of it which was 105 calories.

I put the entire bag of Dole frozen fruit in a food processor and let it go. It ended up being a bit dry so I had to add a couple caps of skim milk to get it to come together, but once it did it was great.

Healthy, low-cal, basically turns out to be much like a sherbet...

I do fruit smoothies all the time with my magic bullet. I just put in frozen berries (I prefer blueberries, my hubby likes mixed) and I add a whole or half banana and some water (so it will blend) I like to add a little cool whip also for a creamy taste, but I've done it without it also. I eat it with a spoon, and find it's a great substitute for ice cream, and I know the stuff isn't processed on the same equipment with wheat. I've added low fat milk instead of water, but since I'm trying to lose weight, I just use the water now.

The best GF biscuits that I've had are made with Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix. It comes in a big bag, tastes great, and has a nice smooth texture. I've made cheesy garlic biscuits, chocolate chip biscuits, and plain biscuits.

Their site also has lots of recipes for other things that can be made with the mix.

If your grocery store doesn't have it Amazon sells it.

Cool! Thanks! I have used her stuff before and it makes killer choco chip cookies!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Cranberry-Bliss-Bars-Starbucks-Copycat-203229

I made this this weekend and they are the best things in the world. I subbed Pamela's baking and pancake mix equally for the flour. I also only used 1 cup of powdered sugar in the icing and it turned out fine. I didn't do the white chocolate on top because they were soooo good without. I've given these to my boss and some co-workers plus my husband. Everyone loves them and can't tell they are GF!

Hey everyone!! I hope you all have had a great holiday! Happy New Year and enjoy all the yummy gluten free foods!! I know I'll be making the chebe cheese bread tonight! Everyone love it!

Hello!

Old Coeliac but new to MFP. Nice to hear that you are all here!

My story? I got diagnosed 8 years ago after my pregnancy and at the age of 32. Before that I was always a UK6/8 (that's US2/4) and I stuffed myself with cream cakes, chocolate, beer, Burger King. I really had the worst diet ever and couldn't cook at all but no matter what I ate I didn't gain. In the last 8 years I've stuck rigidly to my GF diet and for 3 years went through lactose intolerance as well. But I did learn to cook.

My biggest downfall now is that because I'm denying myself sooooo much I feel like I have a right to stuff my face! OMG, they sell GF donuts? I'll buy a six pack (and then at the end of the day they're gone). OMG GF bread - I'll buy loads because next time I'm shopping they'll be out of stock again. And I cook, and bake. There's just me and my son who can eat gluten, even more reason to eat all the GF stuff 'before it goes off'. This happens about once a month maybe.

Generally I have a very good diet, and I exercise regularly.

But my UK6/8 is now UK 14/16 and I'm 5'3. :0(

I know I was far too skinny before and I love my curves, but my weight gain is getting out of hand and I'm actually fed up of buying new (bigger) clothes and putting my favourite clothes aside until I lose weight.

Is anyone else having this problem of extraordinary weight gain?

I'm trying the diet Jessie Wallace did at the moment because it seems to fit my eating habits anyway, no bread, pasta, dairy, lots of veg, rice crackers, you know the kind.

Need a few pointers on what has worked for you too.

Sarah

Welcome Sarah! I did that same thing! When I first cut out the gluten, I lost 18 pounds. But then I found all of the GF food too and decided I needed to gorge as well! so I gained it back and then some!