So Confused On What I Can And Cant Eat

[bjb]

Ok so I have recently decided to go gluten and lactose free. I do have Celiac disease but have not actually followed the diet until recently. I am only going on about a week. I have removed all foods containing gluten and lactose from my home... or so I thought. I was just reading online about the SCD diet and Paleo diet. From my understanding not even most of the foods sold as "gluten free" are actually safe. SO WHAT DO I EAT? just when I was starting to think maybe I can handle the new food lifestyle I find more things I shouldnt eat. ugh why must it be so hard and confusing? What does everyone else eat? do you eat the exact same things every week? I am only 22 so a lifetime of only veggies, meat, and water does not appeal to me. especially because i dont like all veggies. please help!

thanks

[Celiac Mindwarp]

Hi bjb

Welcome to the board, great you have decided to go gluten-free for life now.

It can be confusing and overwhelming to start with, but it does get better as you get used to it and find out what you can and can't eat yourself. From what I read here, many people do fine with regular gluten-free foods as part of their diet. It can be wise to limit them to treats while you start out, as some have more sugar or fat for example, than their gluten counterparts.

Some people are more sensitive, and have to avoid foods which have been cross contaminated during production. Others of us find a paleo type diet works. Some find they uncover other food intolerances, like dairy or corn.

I would say that starting out you need to take it a step at a time, and not necessarily assume you will be at the extreme end of the scale. If you come here and ask lots of questions if you have any continued issues, someone will almost certainly have some help for you.

Good luck

[kareng]

I agree with CM. don't assume you will never eay dairy or gluten-free baked goods, etc. it may take a year or more to get healed. I'm not sure how long you have been ignoring your health, so it could take a while. I eat gluten-free processed foods like crackers, or cereal or bread. I don't eat lots of it, but if I want to take a sandwich, I have a sandwich. If I want a couple of the Glutino lemon wafer cookies, I eat 6.

Have you read this? It's filled with assorted info.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

[Gemini]

I agree with CM. don't assume you will never eay dairy or gluten-free baked goods, etc. it may take a year or more to get healed. I'm not sure how long you have been ignoring your health, so it could take a while. I eat gluten-free processed foods like crackers, or cereal or bread. I don't eat lots of it, but if I want to take a sandwich, I have a sandwich. If I want a couple of the Glutino lemon wafer cookies, I eat 6.

Have you read this? It's filled with assorted info.

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/

Kareng.......you are so funny!  I have this cookie weakness too. 

 

bjb......this is another example of misleading information on the web.  The only thing you need to drop from your diet for good is gluten but the dairy may come back.  If you are not having symptoms of lactose intolerance, there is no reason to give up dairy. Some gluten-free goodies/processed foods may contain some gluten but most manufacturers do strive to not let that happen.. if it may be of concern, they will clearly warn you on the box with statements about shared facilities or that their product may contain small amounts of wheat, milk, etc., etc.

There are people who can eat from shared facilites and they are just fine and heal well.  Some people don't do as well...I am one of them but that in no way means I don't stuff a little junk down my throat from time to time.  I try to stick with dedicated, certified facilites in products I eat every day like bread.  There are a few places and products that have shared facilites and I do fine with because they do a good job of cleaning the lines between runs.  Other products have made me sick as a dog.  You have to get to learn, sometimes through trial and error, which products you can eat.  You also have to remember that sometimes you may feel sick after eating something but the reaction may not be from gluten.  Other food issues tend to come to the forefront when you go strictly gluten-free.

 

Why don't you let us know what you need on a daily basis , as far as favorite foods, and we can steer you in the right direction with products that we like and work for us.  You are going to have to eat healthier, as a celiac, whether you like it or not, but yes, you can have goodies and live to tell about it.     I would disregard the stuff about those more restrictive diets because you may not need them.  Most celiacs do not have to go that road and some may have to, but it's usually because they have multiple food intolerances. 

 

Now take a deep breath and relax.  There are alot of things you can eat and we'll help you along the way.  This is not as hard as it seems.....you just have to get past the learning curve.

I am glad you have decided to become serious about your health! 

[bjb]

Thanks guys I guess I must have misunderstood what I had read. by what I read it seemed that all grains have gluten and can cause issues (including rice which is my new go to food) and that soy is so very bad for you and you shouldnt eat that. Just about all the "gluten free" foods contain soy so that seems a little overwhelming in general. I am not really bothered by the not having lactose thing it was more the whole list of "cant eats" seems never ending and the food allowed is so minimal. I feel like I may wither away to nothing lol.

 

so I may not need to go lactose free to begin with? I pretty much just cut it out just in case. how do I find out and know if I can tolerate it now or not? I thought I read somewhere that if you have non of those little hairs in your intestine that you shouldnt be able to tolerate lactose? I honestly didnt even realize how much the gluten has been affecting me until i stoped eating it. Its only been a week and I can already tell I have been dealing with so much for so long it was just "normal" for me to feel crappy. I have been diagnosed celiac like 6 years ago but refused to follow the diet until recently (mostly because I was a kid and it just made life to difficult at the time) I do not have insurance so I cant afford any extra testing so I am just doing everything based on reading and what my body is telling me works and doesnt. Like bananas for some crazy reason I cant eat them and they dont contain gluten

[Gemini]

bjb......if you go strictly gluten-free and are not experiencing major GI problems, then dairy may not be a problem.  Dairy reactions are extremely similar, GI-wise, to a gluten reaction.  However, if you have cut out dairy and don't mind, then stay with it. You would have continued bloating or diarrhea with lactose intolerance...those are the hallmark symptoms.  I am somewhat lactose intolerant but can eat small amounts without a problem.  If you were diagnosed with extreme damage to your gut, then it might be prudent to avoid dairy until you have healed a bit and then add it back in.  You may not notice a dairy reaction just yet because you are still healing from gluten.....it can mask underlying problems.  I did not notice I had a problem with dairy until 2 years into the gluten-free diet.  Symptoms returned and it wasn't gluten....it was the dairy.

 

There is much debate about soy but I really think if you are not having a reaction to soy or continued problems after going gluten-free/df, then don't cut out soy.  There is no gluten in soy but some poeple do have a problem with soy......has nothing to do with gluten.  I can eat soy without any issues so do not exclude it from my diet.  Most of the hoopla concerning soy has to do with it's affect on hormones but again, not everyone is intolerant of it or has hormone related problems from it.  There is so much misinformation regarding Celiac on the internet so keep that in mind.

 

All grains do contain gluten BUT the only ones you have to be concerned with are wheat, barley and rye.  Oatmeal can cause distress for some also but not everyone reacts to the protein in oatmeal.  You do have to eat certified, gluten-free oats, if you add them into your diet at some point because regular oats are highly contaminated due to processing them with other grains.  I eat certified gluten-free oats without issue and I am a very sensitive celiac.

 

I know it's hard to accept a celiac diagnosis when young but you must follow the diet or you could end up REALLY messed up later in life.  That happened to me and you don't want to go there.  Good for you for taking responsibility!

Just be strict about your diet with regards to gluten and maybe the dairy if you aren't feeling better or had major damage found.  But don't worry....you are young and will heal and feel good again.  Let us know if we can help further.

[mushroom]

I don't know whether or not you have an intolerance or allergy to bananas, but the inability to eat them is often related to a latex allergy.  Have you noticed any kind of reaction from latex gloves or any other latex products?  Avocados are also in the same family of foods related to latex.

 

Yes, the best way is to listen to your body -- it will usually tell you what it needs and what it doesn't like.  The problem with gluten is that it sends mixed messages, like other things we become addicted to.  They are bad for us and yet we crave them.  Like smokers, alcoholics, heroin addicts.  We are just like that with gluten   So do not listen to that siren message!

 

It is pretty hard to find a food that no one is intolerant of, but that does not mean that you will be intolerant of anything anyone else is.  We are all so different, so you just have to listen to what your own body doesn't like.  If you find something is still bothering you a food and symptom diary will usually help pinpoint what it might be.  Or just plain sense, like the bananas. 

[bjb]

"I don't know whether or not you have an intolerance or allergy to bananas, but the inability to eat them is often related to a latex allergy. Have you noticed any kind of reaction from latex gloves or any other latex products? Avocados are also in the same family of foods related to latex."

 

 

No I am not allergic to latex and honestly I never remember having any reaction to bananas until this week being gluten free and im not sure I would even call it an allergic reaction anyway I didnt get a rash or anything like that just a severe stomach ache with cramping. I m fairly certain it was the bananas because it happened like 3 different days all a few hours after eating a banana. I have not eaten one since and still no stomach ache. I may give them another shot in a few weeks but for now im staying away

[Pegleg84]

HI bjb

 

As everyone else said, best to take things one step at a time first. Worry about getting rid of the gluten. It might be a good idea to cut out dairy while you're healing, but honestly, if it's not bothering you at all, no reason to cut it out completely (though go easy on it).

 

Like Gemini, I didn't notice a problem with dairy until a couple years in, and then with soy a short time after. You might end up with other intolerances, but give your gut time to heal from the gluten first.

 

Also, your reaction to bananas might just be your stomach deciding to put up a fuss. If our guts are damaged, foods that should be perfectly safe can cause problems for no reason other than it doesn't want to process it.

 

Processed gluten-free foods can be tricky for some people (I'm really limited now that I can't do soy, which indeed is in virtually everything). Always check to see if it "may contain" or "processed in same facility as" gluten, as you could be taking a risk. 

 

But basically, if it doesn't have gluten and it doesn't hurt you (now), no reason to stop eating it.

 

Hope you start feeling better soon!

Welcome to the forum

[Juliebove]

Thanks guys I guess I must have misunderstood what I had read. by what I read it seemed that all grains have gluten and can cause issues (including rice which is my new go to food) and that soy is so very bad for you and you shouldnt eat that. Just about all the "gluten free" foods contain soy so that seems a little overwhelming in general. I am not really bothered by the not having lactose thing it was more the whole list of "cant eats" seems never ending and the food allowed is so minimal. I feel like I may wither away to nothing lol.

 

so I may not need to go lactose free to begin with? I pretty much just cut it out just in case. how do I find out and know if I can tolerate it now or not? I thought I read somewhere that if you have non of those little hairs in your intestine that you shouldnt be able to tolerate lactose? I honestly didnt even realize how much the gluten has been affecting me until i stoped eating it. Its only been a week and I can already tell I have been dealing with so much for so long it was just "normal" for me to feel crappy. I have been diagnosed celiac like 6 years ago but refused to follow the diet until recently (mostly because I was a kid and it just made life to difficult at the time) I do not have insurance so I cant afford any extra testing so I am just doing everything based on reading and what my body is telling me works and doesnt. Like bananas for some crazy reason I cant eat them and they dont contain gluten

Many foods contain what is called gluten.  Even corn!  But...  It's not the kind of gluten you have to avoid.  And that is from stuff like wheat, barley, malt and rye.  That part should be confusing but I know there is a list here somewhere of what is safe and unsafe.

 

There are plenty of mainstream products that are naturally gluten free.  Like popcorn, fruit leather, fruit snacks, many kinds of chips (but not all are).  Even if your grocery store doesn't stock specialty gluten free items, you can still make a meal that is gluten free.  But in this area, I think all of the grocery stores do stock gluten free products such as rice or corn pasta.

[Deaminated Marcus]

I did an IgG food intolerance blood test.

It confirmed foods I had suspected as listed in my food diary like red kidney beans and made aware of foods I never suspected like Casein (dairy) and peas.

 

 

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Juliebove... at the grocery store I saw Corn Tortillas... Oh good must be gluten free.... NOT!

 

The Corn Tortilla were made with wheat flour and corn flour.

 

A well intentioned person could give these to his friend if they don't read the ingredients.

[shadowicewolf]

I did an IgG food intolerance blood test.

It confirmed foods I had suspected as listed in my food diary like red kidney beans and made aware of foods I never suspected like Casein (dairy) and peas.

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Juliebove... at the grocery store I saw Corn Tortillas... Oh good must be gluten free.... NOT!

 

The Corn Tortilla were made with wheat flour and corn flour.

 

A well intentioned person could give these to his friend if they don't read the ingredients.

Some brands are made without wheat.