Recently Diagnosed, Completely New To This :(

[kellyc143]

Hi everyone, I'm a 19 year old female and I've recently been diagnosed with celiac. It's a scary experience for me and I haven't fully adapted to the lifestyle changes I'm required to make, I just don't know where to start..

 

I'm not looking for anyone to hold my hand but a little advice and some tips to point me in the right direction would be more than appreciated. All the foods I used to love all seem to be foods which are now completely forbidden..

 

I'm struggling with what I should be eating and where to get it from.

 

I would be very grateful if anybody could take a couple of minutes just to give me an first hand introduction to Celiac and what foods I should be eating etc.

 

Thanks for reading.

- Kelly

[IrishHeart]

Welcome to the family! 

 

May I direct you to: 

 

(1) this thread for newbies--please read it--lots of good info there (some lady I know wrote it  )

 

http://www.celiac.co...ewbie-info-101/

 

 

 

and  

(2)   I recommend:

 

"Find Me Gluten Free"  for dining out

 

and

 

(3) I also HIGHLY recommend this must-read book:

 

Real Life with Celiac Disease

by Melinda Dennis and Daniel Leffler

 

Best wishes to you! we're here for you!

 

I promise you, soon you will see that all your favorite foods are not gone forever--they are just made with different flours.  We all eat plenty!!

 

I love this website too

 

Open Original Shared Link

 

[GFinDC]

Hi Kelly,

 

Concentrate on eating meats, veggies, fruit and nuts.  Those foods are mostly gluten-free naturally.  Some nuts may have gluten added so do check labels.  II suggest you try Mission brand or other corn tortillas instead of gluten-free bread.  They are cheaper and usually gluten-free.  There are also rice wraps made by Rudi's and Trader Joes and a few others.  They are usually pretty stiff and need to be wet a little and warmed up so they fold without breaking.

 

Stay away from eating out for a few months.  Some restraunts are safe but many are not.  It is important to learn how to cook your own food so you know what is safe and what is not.  There are gluten-free beers like Redbridge and several others available. But young people like you shouldn't drink that evil alcohol and just leave it to us older celiacs who can handle it.    OR you could drink wine or rum or tequila. There are threads on the forum about safe alcohol.

 

You will probably find a section in your grocery store for gluten-free foods.  Sometimes baked goods are kept in the freezer.  Often the gluten-free foods have a special label, sometimes green is used for them.

 

Think about eating simple foods like the pioneers did 100 or more years ago.  Avoid things (supposedly foods) that come in boxes and cans.  Frozen veggies are usually fine and are better for you.  But always check labels for wheat, rye and barley.

 

It all gets much easier after you have done it a awhile.  Just like riding a bike isn't easy the first time but you learn after a few scrapes and faceplants in the tree.  And eating whole foods is much better for your body than all that processed crap with chemicals in it anyway.

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

 

[Deaminated Marcus]

Use 5 minute rice for breakfeast and add onions, garlic powder and chicken or mackeral to it.

That's an easy breakfeast that will give you energy for the morning.

Potatoes are a cheap source of carbs.

I eat raisins, dates and sesame snaps as snacks.

[eers03]

Welcome to the board!  Don't worry, you're going to get the hang of this.  Give your body plenty of time to heal and give yourself plenty of time to get the hang of things.  GFinDC gave you some great counsel.  If you're an iPhone user check out the ShopWell app.  You can set your profile up for a gluten allergy and most items in the store that contain gluten will be red flagged when you scan the barcode.

 

As for the foods that you miss.  With some time you will find ways to replicate them on your own.  You're about to be a true gourmand. There will be some trial and error involved.  If you try a gluten free item that you don't like, don't be discouraged, you'll figure out quickly the products you like.

 

A great quick fix around the house for me is to pull out a gluten free crust, spread some tomato paste on it, some diced tomato, a layer of shaved ham and some cheese...  Throw it in the oven and presto!!!  Quick gluten free pizza served.  

 

Lastly, anytime you're feeling overwhelmed, check in with the board and someone is always able to shed some light on what you have going on.  Always helps me.  I was diagnosed last November so its all pretty new on my end as well but things are looking up.

 

Good luck!

[nvsmom]

Welcome to the board.

 

The first few months are by far the most difficult. I had a printout of ingredients that I couldn't eat that I would carry with me shopping. Labeling laws (In Canada) have become better over the past year so it is getting much easier - it's just label reading that you need to get used to.

 

Hang in there the first few weeks. Some people experience a withdrawal that can last two or so weeks. If you aren't past that, just hang in there.

 

Make sure you have portable snacks like Lara bars or nuts that you can carry in your bag in case of snack emergency. It helps not to get too hungry.

 

Surf the board. There is a LOT of good info, and there are some great veterans who can offer sound advice, a good laugh, or a shoulder to cry on.