A Few Questions

[ashleyld]

We just got our daughters endoscopy results. They are positive.

Do I need to replace all the cutting boards and cooking utensils? Anything else that can potentially hide gluten I need to think about?

Silly question maybe... I know rice is gluten-free.. is there anything I need to worry about?

Anything else that is easily overlooked?

Thanks!

[cyclinglady]

Read the newbie section under the "coping" section of this forum. Also, my husband went gluten-free 13 years before me. I think it is easier to make the entire house gluten free for a while. Better for her and for you. Testing is in order for all of you. Do not stop eating gluten until testing is complete.

Welcome!

[Celiacandme]

The toaster, collanders, wooden/plastic cooking utensils, collanders, anything plastic, etc. I even replaced my canister set because the rims of the tops had plastic in order to suction/securely close. I didn't want to take a chance; I figured the flour wouldn't get out of the plastic no matter how hard I tried. You shouldn't have to worry about rice, I don't think, unless you are buying something packaged with seasoning/mix. Plain white or brown rice would be fine though.

 

The Gluten-Free Grocery Shopping Guide by Cecelia's Marketplace is a handy little book that fits in your purse which helps if you are questioning whether something is safe when grocery shopping. (There are symbols and a chart which explains which products are guaranteed gluten-free, processed in a dedicated facility, in a shared facility, etc.)

 

Don't forget to make sure chapsticks/toothpaste are all gluten-free. (if she has DH, the skin version, you'll need to make sure lotions, shampoos, etc are also gluten-free) I haven't read your previous posts so I'm sorry if this is all just repeated information for you.

 

I hope she starts to feel better before you know it.

 

~Julie

[BlessedMommy]

Also, if you have cast iron pans, putting them in a self clean cycle of the oven (which gets up to 900 degrees) will burn off any gluten. Then re-season them and they should be safe for use.

 

Don't forget waffle irons! It's pretty much impossible to get the gluten off of a used waffle iron. Flour sifters should also be replaced.

[BlessedMommy]

One unlikely place where gluten hides is in salad dressings. Fillers, thickeners, vinegars, and soy sauce. Always verify gluten-free status of salad dressings before using.

[ashleyld]

Thank you so much! How do I know if she has the skin version? Will that come out in time? It might be the cause of the weird rashes she gets every once in a while

[mamaw]

Just  a note  Vinegar,,, white  distilled  or  apple  cider  vinegar  in the US  is  gluten free..... flavored  vinegars may not be....

 

Malt  products  are  also not  gluten-free...

[kareng]

You can't get a celiac reaction from skin contact. You have to get the gluten into the intestines. So,,,,if it might get into your mouth, it should be gluten-free. Shampoo might get swallowed by some people. I just look for ingredients like wheat germ oil and avoid those because , even tho I am an adult, I get shampoo in my mouth.

[mommida]

I think her daughter was getting odd skin rashes.  Her odd rashes may have been from fat malabsorption, hyperkeratosis folliculitis, or dermititus herpetiformis (DH).

 

I still think newbies should keep a food journal.  It can help track down cross contamination sources.  (we had a bottle of vanilla that I kept from kitchen clean out that must have been cross contaminated from gluten baking.)

[ashleyld]

^^ good idea! I'll start today with the journal!

Thanks about the vinegar I had no idea! I'm going to go home and check all the salad dressings

[africanqueen99]

I ran this process in waves once we got our DX.

 

1. Had one last "Goodbye to Gluten" party!  Friends over to eat out our freezer and pantry.  It was awesome fun for the kids.   We had so many desserts of just gluteny goodness!

2. Got rid of all gluten containing food.  Friends, food bank, a family on Craigslist took all the expired things.  ANYTHING opened went away - spices, condiments, etc.  I wasn't chancing anything with small kids.

3. Started cooking gluten-free with my regular kitchen items - all the while I was slowly paying attention to what I was using and replacing those things leaving them in the package in another room.  Cutting boards, toaster, these gorgeous wooden/bamboo bowls, anything plastic/metal/silicone, pasta strainer, fry daddy thingy, knife block, silverware separator thingy, cupcake/cake pans.  Some things I didn't replace b/c I realize that I never used them.

4. Once I had my bearing (it took less than a week to figure out what I was using) I had the Great Kitchen Clean of 2013.  Yes, it was the cleanest my kitchen had ever been!  Everything came out, cabinets scrubbed, refrigerator scrubbed.  It was great!  Then I opened all those lovely packages and had a new kitchen!

 

About 2-3 weeks after I did the kitchen I moved to the bathrooms.  Every open medication was pitched.  Shampoos/conditioners/body wash = swapped to gluten-free products.  Toothpaste, chapsticks, hand lotions (we hit Winter shortly after this happened and finding a gluten-free hand lotion for our cracking knuckles was HORRIBLE!!).  Right now I'm looking into sunscreen and bug sprays to use for the summer - this researching mom gig never ends.

 

I've been at this a while and have a completely gluten free house and car - with the exception of some beer and my husband's shaving cream.  I am crazy, crazy about things coming in to the house.  My youngest is still a toddler and would 100% eat something off the floor so friends just aren't allowed to bring food over.  Also, I make every kid entering my house wash their hands.  This is a hugely social house and nobody complains about hand washing.

 

ETA: If you're looking at a product and just not sure if you want to allow it in your house - call the manufacturer.  Seriously, I'm the lady in the aisle at Target calling the company on my cell.  And don't ever worry about asking questions from the slew of moms here.  We totally get it!

[africanqueen99]

You can't get a celiac reaction from skin contact. You have to get the gluten into the intestines. So,,,,if it might get into your mouth, it should be gluten-free.

OP's kid is still really young so I'd recommend making anything on the skin be gluten-free, too.  Kids always seem to have their dirty hands in the mouths.  Heck, my 8 y/o and her gross little friends can't stop picking their lips and sticking fingers in.  Why are kids so weird?

[kareng]

OP's kid is still really young so I'd recommend making anything on the skin be gluten-free, too.  Kids always seem to have their dirty hands in the mouths.  Heck, my 8 y/o and her gross little friends can't stop picking their lips and sticking fingers in.  Why are kids so weird?

 

 

I think I did say that if it would get in your mouth it needs to be gluten-free and that I get shampoo in my mouth.  I am as bad as an 8 year old, I guess.  

 

The real point is that gluten has to be in the intestines.

[africanqueen99]

^^^ Oh, I get it.  My 2 y/o was licking her arms the other day.  Why?  Heck if I know!  But lotion would end up in her intestines.

 

I'm sure you are nowhere near as bad as an 8 y/o.  At least you shower!

[ashleyld]

LOL Yes my daughter is 3. She doesn't put things in her mouth but it doesn't mean i don't catch her fingers in her mouth when shes eating or wiping her face. And yes.. my 6yo started sucking his fingers recently. YUCKO

[BlessedMommy]

I like Seventh Generation products. Their baby lotion and their baby shampoo/body wash are both gluten free and say so on the label.

[mommida]

My daughter was really young.  (with PICA/iron deficiency that causes the individual to crave non food items)  She went to eat dog food.  So check the pet's food too.  Interesting enough there are so many pet foods labeled gluten free now.

[africanqueen99]

^^^ Good point. My kids are responsible for feeding the dog and providing treats. We had to switch out all that. I didn't want any chances.

FWIW, the dog's coat looks so much better on the grain free diet.