This Only A Trial Test?

[Jinx]

As I sit here in the midst of gluten-free and Maybe gluten-free and of course the NGFs Products from our Pantry...I am ready to pull my hair out..my bf's older son (he doesn't live with us) has been diagnosed with Celiac last week...this is after being violently ill for well over a year...SO YES I AM VERY HAPPY THAT HE HAS FINALLY FOUND AN ANSWER!!!...knowing well from what I have been reading about this for months I do know that it won't magically be okay either...My Bf also a very good candidate for this, went and got tested for it (has not gotten results back) has decided with his younger son to go gluten-free for this weekend to see if it will help with their itching problem... ...I am trying to be supportive but for just the weekend???...I don't want to be the one to say a weekend isn't going to prove anything or maybe I'm wrong and it will...Do I start cleaning everything 1st or do I stay with the products 1st....all I do know is that I am trying to be supportive of this in every way...but I'm swimming here in a pool of Gluten and really now don't know where to start...Guess what I am looking for is some rational advice to get through this...or can someone tell how to proceed without stepping on his "Gluten Brain"...

[Marilyn R]

Hi Jinx, you sound like a lovely, concerned girlfriend. Since your DP has already been tested and wants to give gluten-free a try, and the diagnosed son is visiting, I'd do this: Buy a new cutting board and one non-stick pan, a new dedicated toaster (you can get one for $5.00 now). Save sorting your gluten-free free foods out for later. I'd concentrate on meal plans, check the forum for breakfast, lunch and dinner items.

You could buy a few new condiments unless you've been using the kind in a squirt bottle.

If you grill, I think I got contaminated a few times because we used to grill pizzas and yeast buns on the grill, so I'd avoid that unless you wrap the food you're going to grill in aluminum foil.

Your stainless steel pots will be fine, it's just the porous plastic, wood and non-stick finished pans and cooking utensils that could CC. If you've been guilty of leaving your utensil or silverware drawer open while buttering a piece of gluten toast or bread on the kitchen counter, I'd focus on cleaning those first. I'm a little OCDC about that, because I was amazed at the amount of crumbs in my silverware drawer. Even if your BF ends up not having celiac disease, you'll feel good about a wicked clean silverware abd utensil drawer, all organized and all of that.

As far as stepping on his gluten mind, my DP always used humor and didn't make an issue about the gluten-free dinners. They're really normal meals. Meat or fish or beans, potatos or rice or squash, fruit, veggies, dessert or not. (There's a killer link for a chocolate pie in a meringue shell that is fabulous!)

If you have a slow coooker, this is a great resource, Open Original Shared Link

Good luck! If you have any questions, everbody wants to help!

[eatmeat4good]

ok, where is that killer link for a chocolate pie in a meringue shell?

To OP: Welcome and I just want to say what a charming post you have written. It captures the complexity of the newly gluten free beautifully...complete with not "stepping on his gluten brain."

You really have educated yourself aobut this very well.

I agree with the idea of focusing on gluten free meals and just the immediate CC issues.

You could share information that you have read on here...that is...if his "gluten brain" is up for taking the information in. The important thing is he is willing to try and that is just great.

I was in a similar position when I wanted my son to go gluten free but he was not wanting to. I asked him to give me 2 weeks gluten free. He said no way! I had just finished eliminating gluten from the household (no small task indeed) and I knew he couldn't get gluten at home. He went 4 days gluten free and then ate pizza with his friends. I just prayed it was long enough without gluten to cause him to have a physical reaction. It was...his reaction was severe. So I guess my point is....how long to be gluten free before challenge varies. He may have a reaction after two days gluten free...or he may not. If he doesn't, then you can say that you have read that some people need to be gluten free longer to be able to determine if it is a problem for them.

Make delicious gluten free meals and desserts and show them how yummy it can be. Be supportive like you already are...and find a way to talk about a longer gluten-free period before challenge when you know he can handle it. It sounds like he might be open to it. Also, if the itching is from gluten, you can talk about the fact that skin issues sometimes take longer to resolve on a gluten free diet even if they are caused by gluten they may not respond in say two days.

Have fun with it too. There is no reason you can't do the challenge as a practice run and then do the experiment again later if you need or want to. Each time you do it you will learn something and so will he.

Now don't you think that she should share that chocolate pie link with us??

Let's start with that!

Best of luck!

[Jinx]

Hi Jinx, you sound like a lovely, concerned girlfriend. Since your DP has already been tested and wants to give gluten-free a try, and the diagnosed son is visiting, I'd do this: Buy a new cutting board and one non-stick pan, a new dedicated toaster (you can get one for $5.00 now). Save sorting your gluten-free free foods out for later. I'd concentrate on meal plans, check the forum for breakfast, lunch and dinner items.

You could buy a few new condiments unless you've been using the kind in a squirt bottle.

If you grill, I think I got contaminated a few times because we used to grill pizzas and yeast buns on the grill, so I'd avoid that unless you wrap the food you're going to grill in aluminum foil.

Your stainless steel pots will be fine, it's just the porous plastic, wood and non-stick finished pans and cooking utensils that could CC. If you've been guilty of leaving your utensil or silverware drawer open while buttering a piece of gluten toast or bread on the kitchen counter, I'd focus on cleaning those first. I'm a little OCDC about that, because I was amazed at the amount of crumbs in my silverware drawer. Even if your BF ends up not having celiac disease, you'll feel good about a wicked clean silverware abd utensil drawer, all organized and all of that.

As far as stepping on his gluten mind, my DP always used humor and didn't make an issue about the gluten-free dinners. They're really normal meals. Meat or fish or beans, potatos or rice or squash, fruit, veggies, dessert or not. (There's a killer link for a chocolate pie in a meringue shell that is fabulous!)

If you have a slow coooker, this is a great resource, Open Original Shared Link

Good luck! If you have any questions, everbody wants to help!

Dear Marilyn R...THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!...Funny how a person can read and read about this and then when it came down to it...was at a total loss as where to even begin...to say the least...of course having ADD does not help in crunch time!!!...LOL...So after reading the responses it put me back on the path of some sanity???...Which brings me to say that we dined on a "Edible" gluten-free Supper last night...and the Bf even made homemade Ice Cream...but was dreaming about that chocolate pie in a meringue shell!!!...Where would one find that recipe!??!

[Jinx]

ok, where is that killer link for a chocolate pie in a meringue shell?

To OP: Welcome and I just want to say what a charming post you have written. It captures the complexity of the newly gluten free beautifully...complete with not "stepping on his gluten brain."

You really have educated yourself aobut this very well.

I agree with the idea of focusing on gluten free meals and just the immediate CC issues.

You could share information that you have read on here...that is...if his "gluten brain" is up for taking the information in. The important thing is he is willing to try and that is just great.

I was in a similar position when I wanted my son to go gluten free but he was not wanting to. I asked him to give me 2 weeks gluten free. He said no way! I had just finished eliminating gluten from the household (no small task indeed) and I knew he couldn't get gluten at home. He went 4 days gluten free and then ate pizza with his friends. I just prayed it was long enough without gluten to cause him to have a physical reaction. It was...his reaction was severe. So I guess my point is....how long to be gluten free before challenge varies. He may have a reaction after two days gluten free...or he may not. If he doesn't, then you can say that you have read that some people need to be gluten free longer to be able to determine if it is a problem for them.

Make delicious gluten free meals and desserts and show them how yummy it can be. Be supportive like you already are...and find a way to talk about a longer gluten-free period before challenge when you know he can handle it. It sounds like he might be open to it. Also, if the itching is from gluten, you can talk about the fact that skin issues sometimes take longer to resolve on a gluten free diet even if they are caused by gluten they may not respond in say two days.

Have fun with it too. There is no reason you can't do the challenge as a practice run and then do the experiment again later if you need or want to. Each time you do it you will learn something and so will he.

Now don't you think that she should share that chocolate pie link with us??

Let's start with that!

Best of luck!

[THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU TOO!!!...I AM SOOOO GLAD THAT I FOUND THIS SIGHT!!!...Both of these responses helped more then you know!!!...I can actually see above the pool of Gluten that I was swimming in yesterday!! Oh!...and I am with you about that Chocolate Pie Link??!!?? ]

[kareng]

Dear Marilyn R...THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!...Funny how a person can read and read about this and then when it came down to it...was at a total loss as where to even begin...to say the least...of course having ADD does not help in crunch time!!!...LOL...So after reading the responses it put me back on the path of some sanity???...Which brings me to say that we dined on a "Edible" gluten-free Supper last night...and the Bf even made homemade Ice Cream...but was dreaming about that chocolate pie in a meringue shell!!!...Where would one find that recipe!??!

Look at this thread.

There is a pavlova with a fruit. You could use chocolate pudding instead. I put the whole thread on here because I thought you might find it interesting. We have lots of recipes, some simple and some more complex on this forum.

This is a really easy & yummy choc chip PB cookie with no flour.

Open Original Shared Link

[Jinx]

Look at this thread.

There is a pavlova with a fruit. You could use chocolate pudding instead. I put the whole thread on here because I thought you might find it interesting. We have lots of recipes, some simple and some more complex on this forum.https://www.celiac.com/public/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif

This is a really easy & yummy choc chip PB cookie with no flour.

Open Original Shared Link

OH Kareng...Think I am going to try making those cookies tonight!!!well that's if I can find gluten-free chips!?! ...Those look yummy!!!...THANK YOU!!!

[kareng]

OH Kareng...Think I am going to try making those cookies tonight!!!well that's if I can find gluten-free chips!?! ...Those look yummy!!!...THANK YOU!!!

Choc chips are gluten-free. I use Nestles.

[Jinx]

Choc chips are gluten-free. I use Nestles.

YEAH!!!... Thank You!!!

[Marilyn R]

Here's the link for the chocolate pie. I substituted Rum for the vanilla because my vanilla was so old (it had been a long since I'd actually felt like baking.) If the link doesn't work, check allrecipes.com for Dream Pie.

Open Original Shared Link

I topped the pie with sweetened whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings. I don't have a double boiler, but if your boyfriend made ice cream last night (WOW!) I reckon you two can work it out, you aren't cooking newbies. (Just stick the chocolate chips or chunks in a sauce pan which you place over a 2 qt pan with 1/2" of water on the stove, or nuke.)

Warning: the first time I made this pie, I consumed 1/2 a pie in one sitting. My DP almost fainted because my appetite had been lagging for months.

I made it for a family potluck the second time. My niece loved the pie (she's not gluten-free) and wanted the recipe because, in her words, that crust is great and why go for calories in a crust when you can have whipped cream? I took it to a holiday party at work and the owner of the company asked me for the recipe. He said it was the best crust he'd ever had.

Those peanut butter cookies are absolutely fabulous too, especially when mixed with roughly chopped dark chocolate. OMG!

That reminds me. Put parchment paper on your shopping list. I had expensive hammered cookie sheets that I was worried about because of nooks and crannies. I still use them for pizza or baked goods, but use a piece of parchment paper on them. It makes clean up really easy, and it seems most of the gluten-free recipes are sticky, so parchment paper is a good thing to have on hand.

And LOL I thought I could make my own toast protectors with parchment paper before I bought a gluten-free toaster. That worked good once. The second time I tried it, the paper caught on fire. That's when I found out you can get a toaster for $5 at your favorite box store.

In the meantime, you can do fish or chicken or veggies in parchment paper on the grill or in the oven. I think it's more earth friendly. DP started the paper on fire once on the grill, but we've used a boatfload of parchment paper in the past couple of years.

Good luck to you and your DP and son.

[FoodisLife12]

All of this recipe talk is making me hungry.....

I am very new to this forum, as you can probably all tell, and I am a non celiac who is looking for help for friends and searching all possible answers to a family members health problems. Does this condition severely affect dining habits? I feel as though there is not sufficient enough information in the market to allow people suffering from a diet restricting condition to eat with confidence. All of the posts I have visited so far gave me the impression that eating at home where your food can be monitored better is the suggested route. I personally have a form of GERD that restricts what I eat but I can still enjoy eating out as long as I watch what I eat. However, with Celiac, I feel like it is a riskier situation because your health is in the hands of chefs who may or may not be worrying about CC. Is the main concern with eating out fewer options or concerns about the kitchen? I am trying to warn a family member with possible issues and a friends sister with an intolerance. I will point my friends sister to this forum for support if it becomes any worse.

[GFinDC]

All of this recipe talk is making me hungry.....

I am very new to this forum, as you can probably all tell, and I am a non celiac who is looking for help for friends and searching all possible answers to a family members health problems. Does this condition severely affect dining habits? I feel as though there is not sufficient enough information in the market to allow people suffering from a diet restricting condition to eat with confidence. All of the posts I have visited so far gave me the impression that eating at home where your food can be monitored better is the suggested route. I personally have a form of GERD that restricts what I eat but I can still enjoy eating out as long as I watch what I eat. However, with Celiac, I feel like it is a riskier situation because your health is in the hands of chefs who may or may not be worrying about CC. Is the main concern with eating out fewer options or concerns about the kitchen? I am trying to warn a family member with possible issues and a friends sister with an intolerance. I will point my friends sister to this forum for support if it becomes any worse.

For me eating out is a concern because I don't like to get sick and in pain for weeks on end. Limited choices is a minor thing. I already have limited choices in the foods I can eat anyway, so no biggie. Most restaraunts that have gluten free menus at least have a good idea of what is required for gluten-free eating. But soy-free, dairy-free, nightshade free is another story. Soy is commonly used and so are nightshades and dairy. The food industry is a mine field for people with food sensitivities. Even gluten free processed foods are often made with soy ingredients.

[donnajen]

All of this recipe talk is making me hungry.....

I am very new to this forum, as you can probably all tell, and I am a non celiac who is looking for help for friends and searching all possible answers to a family members health problems. Does this condition severely affect dining habits? I feel as though there is not sufficient enough information in the market to allow people suffering from a diet restricting condition to eat with confidence. All of the posts I have visited so far gave me the impression that eating at home where your food can be monitored better is the suggested route. I personally have a form of GERD that restricts what I eat but I can still enjoy eating out as long as I watch what I eat. However, with Celiac, I feel like it is a riskier situation because your health is in the hands of chefs who may or may not be worrying about CC. Is the main concern with eating out fewer options or concerns about the kitchen? I am trying to warn a family member with possible issues and a friends sister with an intolerance. I will point my friends sister to this forum for support if it becomes any worse.

I am only beginning to understand what celiac is. For someone who is non celiac, it is hard for me to understand a friend who is going through with it. I had more questions than I had answers. I am just so glad I bumped into this site because it helped me understand and I can now suggest recipes or even make them in consideration to my friend. Thank you for sharing everyone.

[1desperateladysaved]

Thank you very much for helping a friend.

Diana

[FoodisLife12]

For me eating out is a concern because I don't like to get sick and in pain for weeks on end. Limited choices is a minor thing. I already have limited choices in the foods I can eat anyway, so no biggie. Most restaraunts that have gluten free menus at least have a good idea of what is required for gluten-free eating. But soy-free, dairy-free, nightshade free is another story. Soy is commonly used and so are nightshades and dairy. The food industry is a mine field for people with food sensitivities. Even gluten free processed foods are often made with soy ingredients.

By limited choices i meant that restaurants don't have a lot of gluten free food to offer. Sorry if it was convoluted. Restaurants are starting to have req'd training in gluten allergies, which is smart because 21 million people accounts for significant missed profit opportunities. Their loss. Anyway, I completely agree with the fact that restaurants need to be more conscious of food allergens. 150 million people in the U.S. have some form of chronic illness that will restrict their diet.

[GFinDC]

By limited choices i meant that restaurants don't have a lot of gluten free food to offer. Sorry if it was convoluted. Restaurants are starting to have req'd training in gluten allergies, which is smart because 21 million people accounts for significant missed profit opportunities. Their loss. Anyway, I completely agree with the fact that restaurants need to be more conscious of food allergens. 150 million people in the U.S. have some form of chronic illness that will restrict their diet.

The GIG (Gluten Intolerance Group) has a program called GFRAP that trains and certifies restaurants for gluten-free food prep. They have a listing of them on their website. It is still a good idea to check with the restaurant staff because their program does not include ongoing monitoring of compliance. So staff turnover or management changes could degrade the restaurants performance on gluten-free prep.

Your are right that more could be done. People with diabetes may need low carb diets. And there are plenty of people with food allergies also And people with heart problems are often on low fat diets.