I Dont Know How I Am Going To Do This

[melisadki]

I havent quite started the diet yet because I am not done with all the tests but I am already stressing myself out because not only do I have to do the gluten-free diet it also has to be low in sugar because I have Insulin Resistance and PCOS.

I just feel so restricted. I already dont eat half the time because everything makes me so bloated or nauseas and gives me the big D. I am just fed up with everything. I started eating beef jerky before diagnosis and it makes a really good snack because it is low in sugar but now I dont think I can even eat that and I have no idea how to make my own.

I am also not really a big cooker I just always made really simple meals and now I am going to have to make just about everything from scratch just to afford it.

Just ranting..

[cornbread]

Hi Melisadki,

Please don't panic - it's only as restrictive as you make it. You can pretty much 'fake' most of your old gluten foods, or you could do as I do - forget about them and switch to a naturally gluten free diet of whole natural foods. Works for me (easy and fast to cook, and I feel great), but it's your choice of course. My mother (diagnosed after I was) has taken it the other way and replicates her old recipes with gluten-free ingredients. She enjoys that, but I'm more of an "I'm hungry right now where's dinner?" kinda person! So it's got to be fast and it's got to be simple.

I used to eat out every day (pretty much every meal) before I went completely gluten-free, but now I just buy fresh produce and cook (very simply, very quickly) at home - eggs, meat, fish, veggies, fruit. I try and avoid the gluten-free 'fake' gluten stuff, ie: brownies, rice pasta etc., partly because it's expensive but mainly because I just feel great eating natural foods all the time. Of course I will break out the mixer and make bread (dead easy, just follow the instructions on the packet) every so often (like, once a month), but on the whole I just either bake fish (throw some herbs on, wrap in foil, bake for 20 mins), make stir-fry's or cook up a pan of ground meat (burgers or bolognese style) with olive oil or flax oil. It's all incredibly easy, fast and delicious. The most preparation I ever do is maybe chopping a little garlic or onion. I really was no kind of cook a few months ago, but once I got over my fears I started to really enjoy it. Now if I get home late and drunk I make myself scrambled eggs with paprika! Pre-gluten-free I would've just grabbed some cookies or something.

Ok, the jerky... Fear not, you can totally eat jerky on the gluten-free diet, just check it's a gluten-free brand, ie: Open Original Shared Link

But try making your own - it is SO EASY! I made some for the first time ever yesterday, promptly ate the lot and made some more this morning!

The only thing I purchased was a $32 Open Original Shared Link. The 'gun' came with packets of spices but all had gluten in, so I just used other spices that I used in cooking (namely the 'herbed spices' from Open Original Shared Link - I used the beef rub for the buffalo jerky and the poultry rub for the turkey...)

1. Grab a fistful of ground meat (beef, turkey, buffalo, whatever)

2. Sling in a bowl, sprinkle on some spices, mix it all around

3. Load jerky gun and squeeze jerky strips onto mesh tray (provided with jerky gun kit)

4. Stick jerky in a 180 degree oven for 90 minutes.

5. Eat, repeat.

I couldn't believe how easy it was and the buffalo jerky in particular was delicious.

Ok, hope some of that helps a little.

[Carriefaith]

I already dont eat half the time because everything makes me so bloated or nauseas and gives me the big D. I am just fed up with everything.

Before I started the gluten-free diet and even months into the diet, most food seemed to make me sick. I think this was becasue my intestines were damaged and most foods I ate irritated my intestines. Once my intestines healed, I got sick less often. Now I only get sick when I have gluten, dairy, or too much sugar.

The gluten-free diet is overwhelming at first, but it gets better with time. Please let us know if you need meal ideas, recipes, or any other help.

[melisadki]

Thanks for your tips and ideas

Cornbread how do you know if a seasoning for jerky is gluten free? Is there something I should watch out for in spices. Also the Jerky Outlet where I get mine I am going to ask them if they have a list of spices or if they know there stuff is gluten-free or not.

Just with all this extra cooking making beef jerky sounds like more of a burden. I am sure it is just going to take some time to get used to all this new stuff but in the mean time I am starving and I just cant figure out what to eat..

[cornbread]

Cornbread how do you know if a seasoning for jerky is gluten free?  Is there something I should watch out for in spices.  Also the Jerky Outlet where I get mine I am going to ask them if they have a list of spices or if they know there stuff is gluten-free or not.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If the seasoning contains just straight up spices then you're safe. I knew the packets of seasoning that came with the jerky gun weren't safe as they had ingredients like soy sauce (which is made from wheat) and 'natural flavoring' (which may or may not contain gluten - always assume it does). If they just say, for example, "salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper" then that's all that's in there and you're safe. If they contain stuff like anti-caking agents or fillers, they have to declare it on the label.

If you have a packet of jerky from the Jerky Outlet you can probably just check the ingredients. If you want, list them here and I will see if it looks gluten free. I'm sure if you emailed them they could tell you the exact spices they use in each type of jerky. This whole gluten-free thing turns you into a label detective, but it really does become second nature very very quickly.

Just FYI, a lot of BBQ sauces contain Worcestershire sauce which itself contains soy sauce (wheat). I found this out the hard way! If you get BBQ make sure that they don't baste the meat in their BBQ sauce - I ordered BBQ without sauce at my fave BBQ place (the Saltlick, Austin) because I read the sauce contained Worcestershire sauce aka wheat, but then I *still* got sick. So I asked if by chance they basted the brisket in BBQ sauce they said "oh yes, ALL our meats are basted in our sauce..." However, I get my fix now by making steak or jerky at home with their dry rub, which is gluten free.

[melisadki]

Darn I really liked the barbeque flavor... Yea I will have to check with them next time I am down that way.

Soy sauce wow I didnt know that no more chinese for me.. at least not from magic wok...

Do you buy any chance have a recipe for the spice you use on your jerky? Also do you use a dehydrator or your oven. I have a dehydrator but I have only used it once.

thanks again for the info...being new at this is so alarming trying to figure out things..

[Carriefaith]

Soy sauce wow I didnt know that no more chinese for me..

I cook with VH soy sauce.

[cornbread]

Hi again

Yes - you can get wheat free soy sauce. Tastes exactly the same. I get the San J wheat free low sodium version (the wheat free regular sodium is really salty).

I just used my oven for the jerky. I presumed a dehydrator was needed (I have one ordered actually), but the jerky gun instructions showed me how to make it in the oven. It needs to be refrigerated to be stored though, whereas the properly dehydrated stuff obviously doesn't and keeps much longer.

The spices I used are just a mixed blend (Napa Valley beef & burger rub), the ingredients just say 'herbs & spices, sea salt'. However, I did make half of the buffalo jerky batch with the Salt Lick's dry rub, which has salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. That was much spicier than the Napa Valley blend and much more jerky-like. I will experiment with some other spices though.

I will also let you know how making jerky in the dehydrator goes. I wanted to make a bunch of gluten-free snacks for when I'm travelling, and a dehydrator seemed like a good place to start.

[Bette]

Just FYI, a lot of BBQ sauces contain Worcestershire sauce which itself contains soy sauce (wheat).

I guess I am finding out the hard way too. I have Wal-marts Worcestershire sauce it does not list soy sauce as an ingredient, but it does list tamarind extract , is that also made from wheat?

Cornbread, I love the beef jerkey ideal. I am getting so tired of putting( loaded up with perservatives and nitrates)deli-meats in my daughters lunch. This sounds like a great alternative. Thanks for the links. The Napa Valley herbs sound great, I don't see anything about being gluten free, do they just use straight spices and no caking agents.. I am always afraid to try spices that are mixed like that.

Soy sauce wow I didnt know that no more chinese for me..

There are gluten free soy sauces as CarrieFaith pointed out. I use San-J ,Organic Tamari Sauce, I actually think it taste better than the regular soy sauces. Don't have to miss out on Chinese now , in fact I bring mine with me when we go out to eat Sushi!!

[cornbread]

Hi Bette,

I think if your Worcestershire sauce doesn't list soy sauce then you should be ok - most of them have it though. Tamarind is the pulp of a fruit! (so gluten free). I just found this out here:

Open Original Shared Link

I thought I read somewhere that if there are no ingredients listed on mixed spices other than 'herbs/spices', then they have to be just that, herbs and spices. I am trying to dig out where I read this. As for the Napa Valley mixes, the three I have tried (beef rub, poultry rub and fish rub), I have used frequently over the past 2 months and had no reaction whatsover to them, and I am reeeeally gluten sensitive. I have emailed the company though to find out the ingredients of some of the other blends (wanted to order some at their site but it doesn't give ingredients), and I also asked them which products were gluten-free, if they knew. I'll pass on whatever they tell me.

[Claire]

Thanks for your tips and ideas

Cornbread how do you know if a seasoning for jerky is gluten free?  Is there something I should watch out for in spices.  Also the Jerky Outlet where I get mine I am going to ask them if they have a list of spices or if they know there stuff is gluten-free or not.

Just with all this extra cooking making beef jerky sounds like more of a burden. I am sure it is just going to take some time to get used to all this new stuff but in the mean time I am starving and I just cant figure out what to eat..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Many places that make their own - jerky, sausage etc. will tell you that it is gluten free BUT they cannot speak for the spices they use as those are not their own but purchased.

We have a place that makes wonderful chicken sausage but when we had it the other night, I got suspicious of it. Had been assured it was gluten-free. Claire

[cornbread]

Ok, I've found that info on spices I was looking for:

Open Original Shared Link

"Spices and Seasonings

Pure spices are gluten free. Bottled spices often contain something to keep the spice free flowing. Usually it's silicon dioxide, which is gluten free. If a spice container does not have a list of ingredients on the label, the only thing it contains is the spice indicated. Seasonings have not been defined by the FDA and therefore could contain anything. Sometimes the contents of a seasoning are included on the label in parenthesis."

[melisadki]

Yes - you can get wheat free soy sauce. Tastes exactly the same. I get the San J wheat free low sodium version (the wheat free regular sodium is really salty).    I just used my oven for the jerky. I presumed a dehydrator was needed (I have one ordered actually), but the jerky gun instructions showed me how to make it in the oven. It needs to be refrigerated to be stored though, whereas the properly dehydrated stuff obviously doesn't and keeps much longer.    The spices I used are just a mixed blend (Napa Valley beef & burger rub), the ingredients just say 'herbs & spices, sea salt'. However, I did make half of the buffalo jerky batch with the Salt Lick's dry rub, which has salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. That was much spicier than the Napa Valley blend and much more jerky-like.  I will experiment with some other spices though.    I will also let you know how making jerky in the dehydrator goes. I wanted to make a bunch of gluten-free snacks for when I'm travelling, and a dehydrator seemed like a good place to start.

Thanks for the ideas on jerky spices Cornbread!!

Many places that make their own - jerky, sausage etc. will tell you that it is gluten free BUT they cannot speak for the spices they use as those are not their own but purchased.    We have a place that makes wonderful chicken sausage but when we had it the other night, I got suspicious of it. Had been assured it was gluten-free. Claire

Hmm that is interesting. I remember mine saying they use sodium nitrate but I dont know about the others. I know they make there own but as far as the spices go no I am unsure whether to buy there even if they claim gluten-free..

Guess it all boils down to I need to learn how to really cook...lol. my hubby is already making fun of me because my gluten-free bread came out kinda soggy but it was my first one.. Oh well better luck next time......at least the dogs ate it that made me feel a little better..

[Guest nini]

Shelton's makes some great jerky's and sticks...

Pepperoni Turkey stick, regular turkey stick, beef sticks, turkey jerky regular, turkey jerky hot, and beef jerky are ALL gluten free according to the list I just got from the company last week.

[cornbread]

THanks for the tip Nini. I googled them - here's a link to their gluten/casein free stuff if anyone needs it: Open Original Shared Link

[melisadki]

THanks for the website!

Man that stuff is pricey though..

Well I made my first gluten-free bread in my bread machine but it didnt turn out. I made another one and it turned out OK I guess so practice makes perfect.

[cornbread]

Did you make it from scratch or from a bread mix? I've found the mixes turn out great every time - I've tried Bob's Red Mill 'Wonderful Homemade gluten-free Bread Mix' (white bread) and bought a case of the Breads From Anna bread, which is brown and reputed to be the most amazing, real bread-like gluten-free bread. I'm going to make some tonight and find out.

[melisadki]

I used the mix from Bob Mills Bread mix but the crazy thing is I bought two bread makers one was on sale for like 14 bucks a toastmaster but only makes 1.5lb loaves....so I bought that one along with a Kenmore breadmaker also on sale for 69.00 it makes up to 2.5lb loaf.

I made the recipe exactly the same and used both bread makers the toastmaster one was soggy and wet and the kenmore one was pretty good I think it spinned the dough a little harder cause it was soooo noisy. I have tons of recipes I want to try but I cant have all this bread.. its just me and DH.

Did I mention my dogs like the soggy bread so at least it is not going to waste.

The Anna bread I looked at but 6.50 to make one loaf is kinda steep for me. I think I will stick to scratch recipes and the bulk bin..(I know possiblity of cross contamination but I will take my chances cause we dont have alot of money.. plus whole foods is pretty clean)

There is probably no way to make a Low-carb gluten-free bread......that is what I really need since all these flours have high gylcemic indexes..

[cornbread]

I have the low-carb/gluten-free dilemma too. My solution right now is to make the nicest bread I can find but only once a month! Stick it in the freezer and then just pop a slice in the toaster every couple of days. It's turned a staple into a special treat, which is a bit sad but at least it means $6.50 per loaf doesn't seem as crazy. I'm thinking I might make the next one with flax seeds so the extra fibre lowers the net carbs.

Weird about the difference in breadmakers. I just make mine in the oven and it always turns out great. I use a ceramic bread dish (Le Creuset), I think maybe that helps.

[melisadki]

Adding flax seeds is a good idea. The more protein and fat the slower the sugar goes in your system. I will have to remember that.

Problem is with my gluten allergy or whatever I am always nauseas and if I try to eat meat without bread sometimes I gag or I just cant seem to get it down. I swear I thought I was pregnant this month because I was so sick to my stomach just looking at food but of course I wasnt.

I just hope going gluten-free will eventually help all of this nausea and other GI problems if ya know what I mean..

[cornbread]

It should do. I used to get waves of nausea out of nowhere - I'd be really hungry, sit down for dinner and then "urgh, I can't eat this!..." As soon as I went gluten-free that stopped. I hope it does for you too, there's not much worse than feeling like that around food.

[melisadki]

It should do. I used to get waves of nausea out of nowhere - I'd be really hungry, sit down for dinner and then "urgh, I can't eat this!..."  As soon as I went gluten-free that stopped. I hope it does for you too, there's not much worse than feeling like that around food.

That sounds exactly like me.. Of course I am still eating gluten until my testing is done so I have no way to compare right now but I pray it gets better. This doesnt help the malnurished thing when you cant eat anything..