New To This! Any Celiacs/gluten Free In Uk?

[cristiana]

Thank you so much for getting back to me.

I don't get grey patches but eithert tiny sparkling lights in my centre vision, or sometimes what I can only describe as what looks like water on a windscreen, either in a tiny line acrross my central vision or sometimes covering a third of my central vision.  It does not obscure my vision,  I can still see but it tends to be more noticeable if I squint, i.e. putting pressure on my eyeball. It goes away afer a few minutes.

I have googled expecting to see loads of people with the same symptoms but I have found nothing.  The only thing that did seems similar was one website saying optic neuritis can cause sparkles.  If that is what I have I obviously have it very mildly.  I honestly don't think I'd be aware of it but I'm currently doing a lot of computer work and staring at black text on white - which seems to be a big trigger.  My optician says it is a type of migraine but I'm not so sure.  Has that ever been put forward as the cause for your problem?

I get tinnitus that side (hence MRI) and also tingles in my right trigeminal nerve so perhaps that side of my brain/nerves has been damaged by gluten.

I'm wondering if it might be worth my while starting a new thread.  Have you already done this yourself as I'd like to read what you wrote?

 

[Jmg]

37 minutes ago, cristiana said:

and also tingles in my right trigeminal nerve

 Interesting. Hadn't heard of the trigeminal nerve before. I got regular twitching, like a trapped nerve on my face. That stopped after going gluten-free. Another one of those things I never connected till later, I was falling apart but in a state of denial as it turned out!

I now think opticians may not have the experience of this sort of stuff, certainly the one I saw didn't think of telling me to see a doctor, which I think he should've in retrospect. 

Migraines often seem to be a catch all diagnosis a bit like IBS. Something to fob people off with?

Definitely go ahead and start the thread. I haven't written anything specifically about that. I did write a big long moany thread awhile ago in which I mentioned the eyesight thing but people would've been asleep by the time I got to that bit

[cristiana]

 

13 hours ago, Jmg said:

Definitely go ahead and start the thread. I haven't written anything specifically about that. I did write a big long moany thread awhile ago in which I mentioned the eyesight thing but people would've been asleep by the time I got to that bit

Wilco!..... zzzzzzz

 

[Jmg]

2 hours ago, cristiana said:

 

Wilco!..... zzzzzzz

 

Next time someone comes on asking about gluten induced insomnia you know where to point them:)

[cristiana]

Another great gluten free menu!

A great recommendation about Cote Restaurants from Gemini has just appeared on a separate thread.  I have decided to share it here as having done a bit more homework I cannot believe what a good gluten-free menu Cote has. I am also surprised to find that we have one less than half an hour's drive away.

Here is the menu.

https://www.cote-restaurants.co.uk/Downloads/Cote_Gluten_Free.pdf

I have just been to Ask and had an amazing gluten-free pudding called Chocolate Etna!  Also, their risotto was delicious.

 

[cristiana]

Just discovered that Mr Kipling are now doing gluten-free cakes and I found one in Tescos. If you have oat sensitivity check the labels but I have to say the Cherry Bakewell Loaf Cake is an 'Exceedingly Good Cake'!   

[Jmg]

That Daim chocolate cake is on offer in Tescos at the moment. I really like it.

 

[cristiana]

Toblerone Almondy is another good gluten free cake. 

I'd also like to say 'full marks' to Marks and Sparks (!) as I noticed that when I was preparing some ready meals  for my family the other days they stamp allergens on the removeable film on the top of the containers.

Oh dear... just reading this entry makes me realise just how much I'm relying on pre-prepared meals!

[Jmg]

Yeah the toblerone cake is nice too. 

 

Now, Fanfare....

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=295327675

I was super excited to see this  

It tasted good too. Super indulgent and very nice to know there's another option for a frozen dessert to go alongside the cheesecake. Well done Tesco...

 

[cristiana]

Has anyone found or tried any gluten free doughnuts in the UK? Something I really miss all of a sudden.  

[Jmg]

No and now I miss them too 

 

 thanks for sharing 

Tesco used to: https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=290037330  but I dont remember seeing them.

[cristiana]

They look good and if I manage to track them down I'll let you know ... but I haven't seen them either.

BTW I'm sorry I reminded you of something you didn't realise you missed!

What I really miss at the moment is one of those doughnuts with icing on them.

I think I spot a hole in the market!  Tee hee!

 

[Jmg]

I used to love the doughnuts filled with custard. Hey who am I kidding, I loved the ones with jam and the iced ones and the ones on their own too  but yeah, I could manage a custard doughnut...

Still given I polished off the gateau the other day and had a lovely pannacotta the day before its probably just as well that I can't get my hands on one!

 

[cristiana]

I can't help feeling this thread is flying in the opposite direction of whole food eating advice that seems to flood the rest of the forum.  Us Brits are letting the side down!

And yum, those apple filled iced doughnuts were soooo delicious.

[Jmg]

Ah to hell with it. Most of the time these days I'm super good. I have so few vices now. I don't drink, smoke, explore the cosmic depths within my soul via chemical enhancements or eat fast food. 

God I'm boring.

The way I look at it the odd frozen gateaux or cheesecake is owed to me for all this forbearance. Besides we have an excuse for slipping below the standards of our American cousins. We sent all the puritans across the pond on the Mayflower leaving our island stuffed with hedonists and gluttons. Can we really be blamed for the odd sugary overindulgence? Living on an island of perpetual rain whilst they sun themselves in Florida or California? I think not! 

 

 

[cristiana]

3 minutes ago, Jmg said:

We sent all the puritans across the pond on the Mayflower leaving our island stuffed with hedonists and gluttons. Can we really be blamed for the odd sugary overindulgence? Living on an island of perpetual rain whilst they sun themselves in Florida or California? I think not! 

 

 

Ah ... so that's why I've got a sweet tooth! Now I understand!

Oddly enough I don't drink, smoke, do drugs or eat fast food either (although I did have a Gourmet Kitchen Burger the other day - did you know they did gluten-free? It was amazing!)

So before I leave the doughnut question behind I'd just like to say, if a food manufacturer is reading this, please take note - there is a hole in the UK Doughnut market. 

 

[Jmg]

On 3/28/2017 at 9:35 PM, cristiana said:

(although I did have a Gourmet Kitchen Burger the other day - did you know they did gluten-free? It was amazing!)

Never been there but just looked at their gluten free menu online and am impressed. I tend to make my own burgers now and cook them separately when bbq season arrives. There's a Gourmet Burger not too far away however so I will give them a try. 

Funnily enough although I'm probably coming over all:

its actually savoury things which I miss more. I miss pies, pasties and the like. Terrible thing to deny a northern male his savoury pastry birthright.

On 3/28/2017 at 9:35 PM, cristiana said:

there is a hole in the UK Doughnut market. 

 

[Jmg]

Happy Easter!

This is the special time of year when we celebrate the divinity of chocolate.  coeliac uk have posted a safe list of eggs etc link is on this page:

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-and-lifestyle/food-shopping/easter-treats/

Nom nom!

[cristiana]

On 4/14/2017 at 0:50 PM, Jmg said:

Happy Easter!

This is the special time of year when we celebrate the divinity of chocolate.  coeliac uk have posted a safe list of eggs etc link is on this page:

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-and-lifestyle/food-shopping/easter-treats/

Nom nom!

This is great!  Good of you to share (and nice of Coeliac UK to make the list accessible to those who are not members).

Isn't it great, too, that we can eat Dairy Milk again for a while without gluten! Sooner or later I hope the penny will drop at Cadbury's that they don't need to stick gluten in their chocolate bars.

[Jmg]

I saw a giant dairy milk bar on the supermarket conveyor belt the other day. I wanted it sooo bad  I didn't get any eggs in the end, bar a creme egg, do they count?  

12 hours ago, cristiana said:

nice of Coeliac UK to make the list accessible to those who are not members).

It is indeed  In the past they've also published an ice cream list as summer arrives, doesn't seem to be available now though. Maybe I should rejoin for a year to get some up to date info.

Incidentally whilst idly googling I found this list, few surprises on there:

https://glutenfreepsd.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/loving-gluten-free-chocolate-bars-your-ultimate-gluten-free-listing-with-photographs-allergen-info-and-links-updated-january-2016/

It's all so exciting as I am bored of my twirl/crunchie/wispa/flake options. I didn't know Galaxy was ok and I've not had a snickers or a bounty since I went gluten free. Actually the thought of a bounty before then would've knocked me sick but I've found that coconut grew on me once I couldn't eat most everything else

 

 

[cristiana]

 

Come the Revolution all Lindt will be Gluten Free.

 

 

[Jmg]

On 4/17/2017 at 2:42 PM, cristiana said:

 

Come the Revolution all Lindt will be Gluten Free.

 

 

And the people that put wheat in Walkers crips ready salted will be first against the wall...

Reading the lindt section they have that ambiguity on barley malt extract from coeliac uk. That winds me up, I got ill from barley malt in cereal in part because coeliac uk were so relaxed about it. I was eating harvest morn corn flakes with barley malt because they;d been in the guide, then I got ill and then found theyd been removed in the new guide. Now I avoid all of it of course and feel a bit foolish for being so blase

I also seem to have misread the post linked to above, regular snickers bars are not ok  It's why I like toblerone, theres no ambiguity all their stuff is ok. 

 

 

[cristiana]

1 hour ago, Jmg said:

And the people that put wheat in Walkers crips ready salted will be first against the wall...

Reading the lindt section they have that ambiguity on barley malt extract from coeliac uk. That winds me up, I got ill from barley malt in cereal in part because coeliac uk were so relaxed about it. I was eating harvest morn corn flakes with barley malt because they;d been in the guide, then I got ill and then found theyd been removed in the new guide. Now I avoid all of it of course and feel a bit foolish for being so blase

I also seem to have misread the post linked to above, regular snickers bars are not ok  It's why I like toblerone, theres no ambiguity all their stuff is ok. 

 

 

I've not been a member of C UK for a couple of years now but I thought Snickers were OK in their last book?  I think I need to join again.

However, changing the subject, I have just discovered Tesco's own yeast extract spread, unlike Marmite, does not have gluten listed in its ingredients.  Hooray!

 

 

[Jmg]

On 4/19/2017 at 11:31 PM, cristiana said:

I have just discovered Tesco's own yeast extract spread, unlike Marmite, does not have gluten listed in its ingredients.  Hooray!

I never could get into marmite in the days of gluten past. Our antipodean friends failed to sell the delights of vegemite when I lived there either. But now, starved of variety and intrigued by the B vitamins and Iron I'm almost tempted to give this a shot.  Have you tried it yet?

[cristiana]

19 hours ago, Jmg said:

I never could get into marmite in the days of gluten past. Our antipodean friends failed to sell the delights of vegemite when I lived there either. But now, starved of variety and intrigued by the B vitamins and Iron I'm almost tempted to give this a shot.  Have you tried it yet?

Its great - it tastes just how I remember Marmite used to taste - but then again, after four years of eating gluten-free bread which is beginning to taste like I remember glutenous bread - think I'm just getting used to it! - I'm not sure if I'd trust my sense of taste these days.