I hope that a few months into your diagnosis you are settled in to the fact that it isn't so bad. I know how overwhelming it is at first. Give it a year and things will look a little better to you. I can give you a few tips that have helped me get by. Make your own bread. I usually bake a loaf a month, slice it into sandwich size pieces and store it in the freezer two at a time. It comes in very handy. As far as the Dairy is concerned, the only reason to avoid dairy is if it bothers you. I had a lot of problems with dairy and actually was diagnosed lactose intolerant until the avoidance of dairy no longer helped. When I was diagnosed with Celiac Sprue the doctor told me that the intolerance to dairy was due to the celiac and that when I went on the diet, it would go away. Sure enough, it is gone. I can eat dairy all I want. I hope this helps and wish you luck.

Strawberry replies quite interesting. Have been unable to pick or eat them for 20 years. Get welts on hands and terrible stomach pain. I now believe my body was trying to tell me something and I could not recognize what problem might be. Have been on celiac diet for only 5 days and am symptom free. Also was diagnosed as lactose intolerant 1 year ago. Good luck to all who are finding themselves on this new diet adventure! This website is extremely helpful and straightforward.

I guess being almost 8 years into this type of eating has allowed me to heal I have no trouble with strawberries. However I can truly sympathize with each and every one who is having trouble.

You want to know what is worse than having celiac/gluten intolerance? It is when you think you are having a good meal and then have symptoms again. This time due to the caterer's somehow causing the chicken at the company picnic to be a poison. Only after talking with many others at work did I discover it wasn't my normal digestive problems, but it was the chicken that actually made me violently ill.

I talked with one of the supervisory people and told them that not only had I become ill, but numerous others. Hope they do not use that caterer again. I don't mind making a mistake and then suffering half as much as I mind having food available that should be gluten free and later having worse reactions than normal. Sure did hurt.

Any scientific studies done on wheat contamination from mulch?A quick search and I see that it's a generally popular mulch, used for other crops, too (raspberries and soybeans were two mentioned). I do sometimes experience telltale symptoms after strawberries but had convinced myself that it must have been something else. Having just read year blog, I am wishing I saw this earlier because I taught a Gluten Free cooking class a couple of days ago and featured strawberry tarts.

I was diagnosed 13 years ago with diverticulitis. as it turns out 6 months ago I found out it was really celiac. The strawberries still give me issues, but is it worth the pain for the temporary pleasure of the fruit? There are other fruits you can enjoy as a substitute.

I don't know, but would think that the gluten would not travel through the ground into the strawberry. I've been celiac for 5 yrs + and never had a reaction to strawberries. If I eat anything with gluten, I break out with Dermatitis Herpetiformis within 36 hours, and strawberries on gluten free white cake every chance I can. You just have to read every label, and realize that being human we all make mistakes.

I have had celiac sprue since 2000 and it was very hard for me at first... Now its second nature to me and I only have problems when I see my hubby eating something I can't get on the gluten free mall, but I am doing real good... I never knew that strawberries were grown in straw, and I eat them all the time, plus I haven't had any problems with them... I hope you find out more information on the strawberry situation, they are my favorite fruit, plus watermelon, grapes and peaches... Hope you all have a wonderful gluten free life... Stay gluten free...

I was diagnosed with celiac disease 20 years ago. Back then the medical community knew very little about the disease. I tried to stay on the prescribed diet, but labeling was obscure, and contamination was almost impossible to determine most at the time. Long story short, I have been very sick for many, many years. After having been extremely ill for a solid year, to the point of inability to even bath and dress myself or make it from room to room without assistance - I stick to the diet religiously. Nothing whatsoever could even tempt me to 'cheat!' I have been gluten free for 2 1/2 years now, and although I feel so much better than before, I still struggle with feeling poorly on a daily basis. And I still have severe stomach pain and or diarrhea every week. I recently had my stomach scoped, and the news was discouraging, to say the least. The doctor found that my villi, instead of looking like hairlike fibers standing on end, looked like cobblestone. I was still getting gluten in my system somehow. So here's the deal: If you eat at restaurants that handle flour, or make their own bread, or cook your food on the same grill as gluten containing foods, or handle your food after wiping their hands on a towel or apron that might contain residual crumbs of gluten sources, etc., etc, ...you're getting contaminated! And believe me, this disease might feel like a bad stomach ache, but it is far more nefarious than that! I recently read in material my doctor gave me, that flour particles can hang in the air for up to 6 hours after use. And since that fine, powdery dust settles on virtually everything in the restaurant, you cannot avoid getting it on your dinnerware, utensils, and eventually in your mouth. I'll be the first one to admit that this diet alters your life extensively! And it really, really sucks! But there's no use fooling ourselves. The bottom line is that the minute your body senses gluten in your bloodstream, an autoimmune response is triggered and the attack is on! I urge you to make every necessary sacrifice to take care of yourselves, because while we might be able to convince ourselves that we're safe going on that hayride, or eating 'gluten free' foods at restaurants or social functions - our disease is not so easily fooled. I learned the hard way to take this disease seriously, and I almost died because of it. So I'm not taking any chances. Also, remember not to drink or eat after anyone who isn't gluten free. Additionally, after talking with my gastro recently, my husband and I were advised of something that had not occurred to us previously. Kissing! So now, regrettably, we don't kiss unless he's taken every precaution to ensure that his mouth is gluten free. I have also been advised to use gluten free soaps, shampoos, cosmetics and lotions. While it is true that gluten molecules are too large to be absorbed into the skin, the risk lies in touching your face, hair or skin, then rubbing your hand across your mouth, or touching your food with hands that aren't gluten free. Isn't this just the most ridiculous disease?