I am having a very hard time with foods calling themselves "Gluten Free" but in reading ingredients are not safe, cross contamination

[Mary Miller A]

I am new here.  I am really totally frustrated by trying to be as gluten free as possible, only to find out that products being called "gluten free" have serious ingredients that need clarification (like Methocellulose) which can be derived from wheat shafts, "yeast extract" which can be grown on wheat, rye or barley, and issues with companies that claim they are making "wheat free bread in a facility that can cross contaminate because they mostly make wheat bread.  I remember about a month ago reading from the Celiac's Foundation a paper regarding how it is virtually impossible to be "gluten free" (https://celiac.org/gluten-impossible-to-avoid-for-most-people-study-shows/).  And here I am again, with a basketball sized stomach (even when laying down), and frustrated beyond belief.  How do we do this? How do we fix this?  Is it even possible, to fix our diet to be without any possible small grain of gluten in our system?  It's hard emotionally, (not to mention physically;  the gassiness, the bloating, and certainly back door incontinence, as well as gastric problems and lack of nutrition, etc.  How do we fare when we don't even have doctors to advice us in small communities where "celiac's doesn't exist."  I am tired.  Anyone else?

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @Mary Miller A!

May I ask, you say you are new to this online community but how long ago were you diagnosed as having celiac disease?

You seem to have a good awareness of cross contamination issues but have you considered cross reactivity issues?

Some of your cross contamination concerns should be addressed by FDA disclosure regulations having been put in place in recent years that require disclosure of the source of ingredients such as "modified food starch" and "natural flavorings" when they are made from any of the nine FDA recognized major allergens, wheat being one of the nine.

 

[Scott Adams]

Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months.

Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal.

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