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Almost Gluten-free?

JenM

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JenM Apprentice
JenM
Posted

Just wondering, is there such a thing as almost gluten-free? Would being on a 80% gluten-free diet be of any benefit? Thanks.

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skoki-mom Explorer
skoki-mom
Posted
Just wondering, is there such a thing as almost gluten-free?  Would being on a 80% gluten-free diet be of any benefit?  Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not if you have Celiac Disease. If you have celiac disease, you must be 100% gluten-free. People with intolerances may have different thresholds, but the pathology is not the same as celiac disease. If you have celiac disease, you body will react to even the smallest amount of gluten. This is why you can't have cake on your birthday, for instance. So, for someone with celiac disease, if you don't give it 100%, I don't really know what the point would be. Trust me, it's hard enough to be gluten-free when you are really trying, and most of us with celiac disease wind up inadvertently ingesting it anyhow, which is why it is so hard for some people to control symptoms.

Hope that helps.

MySuicidalTurtle Enthusiast
MySuicidalTurtle
Posted

No, 80% gluten-free would not be helpful to someone with Celiac Disease.

nettiebeads Apprentice
nettiebeads
Posted
Just wondering, is there such a thing as almost gluten-free?  Would being on a 80% gluten-free diet be of any benefit?  Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, no. It's almost like saying 80% pregnant or something like that. The body will react to a minute amount - someone in another post said to take one slice of bread, divide it into 48 pieces, and that 1/48 of a slice is enough to trigger a reaction. And remember, if you have celiac disease, when the body reacts to the offending protein, it also attacks itself, which is not a good thing.

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

Nope. It's a chemical reaction, so any gluten will cause the reaction in the intestines.

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

Any amount of gluten can cause intestinal damage in celiacs, a crumb, a slice a bread, medication with gluten in it, ect. In order to feel better and heal the intestines you must be 100% gluten free.

If you are gluten free for other reasons, then you would also have to be 100% gluten free to notice improvment and get better.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

Yep backing up what the others have said here....you have to be 100% gluten free to prevent damage.

Anything and everything needs to be checked...gluten can be in makeups, hair products, soaps, household products, medications,foods, etc... and the gluten containing ones all must be eliminated.

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JenM Apprentice
JenM
Posted
  • Author
:huh: Your'e all making this very hard! :( What it all boils down to is that I need to go 100% gluten-free, assuming I have a gluten sensitivity. Is that correct?
aikiducky Apprentice
aikiducky
Posted

That's correct. Otherwise you might just as well not bother. It's an all or nothing thing.

It's worth it though, when you finally start to feel well. :)

Pauliina

skoki-mom Explorer
skoki-mom
Posted

Jen, I was where you are less than 2 months ago. Well, the exception being that I have a conclusive diagnosis of celiac disease. The limitations of the diet are overwhelming. But, it's one of those things you just have to do. It gets a little easier every day. Is there stuff I wish I could have?? Oh yeah, but then I think of the risk factors, and remind myself it's just not worth it. I'm one of those freaks that has absoloutely no GI symptoms, so it's not like I'd even "get sick". Fact is, my gut is sick, so I need to take care of it. There are a lot of pretty good substitutes out there. I just had my first gluten-free Thanksgiving, complete with stuffing and gravy (it was great!), and today is my first gluten-free birthday. I just got home from a fab dinner at Tony Roma's and my kids and I had brownies that I made with gluten-free graham wafer crumbs. I am (was?) the hamburger queen, and if I can do it, so can you! About the only unforged territory left for me is gluten-free bread....as in to eat it like regular bread/toast. I find it a little intimidating looking and I'm scared to blow that much $$ on it, lol!!!

Keep coming here, it's a great place for info and you will also find that people can relate to what you are going through.

((hugs))

JenM Apprentice
JenM
Posted
  • Author
Jen, I was where you are less than 2 months ago.  Well, the exception being that I have a conclusive diagnosis of celiac disease.  The limitations of the diet are overwhelming.  But, it's one of those things you just have to do.  It gets a little easier every day.  Is there stuff I wish I could have??  Oh yeah, but then I think of the risk factors, and remind myself it's just not worth it.  I'm one of those freaks that has absoloutely no GI symptoms, so it's not like I'd even "get sick".  Fact is, my gut is sick, so I need to take care of it.  There are a lot of pretty good substitutes out there.  I just had my first gluten-free Thanksgiving, complete with stuffing and gravy (it was great!), and today is my first gluten-free birthday.  I just got home from a fab dinner at Tony Roma's and my kids and I had brownies that I made with gluten-free graham wafer crumbs.  I am (was?) the hamburger queen, and if I can do it, so can you!  About the only unforged territory left for me is gluten-free bread....as in to eat it like regular bread/toast.  I find it a little intimidating looking and I'm scared to blow that much $$ on it, lol!!! 

Keep coming here, it's a great place for info and you will also find that people can relate to what you are going through.

((hugs))

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have no GI symptoms either, just an autoimmune disease and a recommendation to go gluten-free. I'm glad to hear you can eat out. My husband and I do often (I hate to cook and am horrible at it.) Good luck with the bread. I just went to the store and bought some today. I've tried it before. I don't want to discourage you, so I'll say it wasn't bad. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm on my way to Outback now. :):)

ILOVEOMC Enthusiast
ILOVEOMC
Posted
:D You can do it!! Just make the initial adjustment and you will feel better and that will be incentive enough. Good luck!
Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

You will feel overwhelmed at first, but you should quickly adjust. Once you know what you can and can't have, it gets a lot easier. Please ask us if you need gluten-free product lists, recipes, or meal ideas. That's what we are here for B)

Claire Collaborator
Claire
Posted

Plenty of reaction to this thread!

What can I say? Grrrrrrr! The question disturbs me that much! I am one of a few people on the forum who have the neurlogical damage done by gluten - see posts by tiredofdoctors. Gluten attacks your cells - any cells and promotes the development of autoimmune diseases - meaning that the body's immune system is attacking your body. If it attacks your brain cells - then you, like me, would be in big trouble.

Don't even consider a little bit of gluten. It's true that you might as well do nothing as do a little. It is an all or nothing situation. No compromises, no cheating. Because you may not feel the damage being done does not mean damage isn't being done. It sneaks up on you - and then it is too late. Claire

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      To me, this bread is pretty special. The first time I tried adapting it I used a commercial gluten-free flour blend and it was good, but when I experimented using individual flours I tried the almond flour and it took it from good to special. I add walnuts or pecans to a lot of my desert bread recipes but I haven't tried nuts with this one. I would guess that adding either of them would result in the whole being less than the sum of the parts because the almond and other nut flavors would be competing. I wouldn't want to add almonds because of the texture. But you never know until you try. Have not tried cinnamon in this recipe. I imagine it would work. As I modified this recipe from the original, I reduced the sugar. The posted recipe is what I currently use. You are right that the pears bring a little sweetness to it.
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      It's kind of funny that before my celiac diagnosis I did a lot more "functional eating" where I just needed a meal and wasn't so worried about how interesting/delicious it was, just needed to eat something. After my diagnosis I've become a dedicated cook and I am very tuned into flavor and novelty. In answer to your question, I find the recipe very forgiving for trying add-ins. I've supplemented the greens with green onions, bell pepper (any color), celery leaves and stalks, and fresh parsley. Sometimes I throw in pepitas (pumpkin seeds), craisins, walnuts and/or sunflower seeds. One thing I tried that didn't really work was currants. I think that maybe it's because they are too small and too sweet. I haven't experimented with cheeses beyond the 2 in the recipe. I would guess that grated hard cheeses would work, medium hard cheeses (like swiss or cheddar) might work, and soft cheeses would not.
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      That actually sounds really nice. Pear bread feels like one of those things that would be soft and a little sweet without being too heavy. I like the idea of using fruit like that instead of just relying on sugar. It probably makes it feel more fresh and homemade. Have you tried adding anything like cinnamon or nuts to it, or do you keep it simple?
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