Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[Rachel--24]

You can substitute baking powder in place of baking soda (you'll need more baking powder and it may affect the taste), but you can't use baking soda when a recipe calls for baking powder. Baking soda by itself lacks the acidity to make a cake rise. However, you can make your own baking powder if you have baking soda and cream of tartar. Simply mix two parts cream of tartar with one part baking soda.

Thanks ChelsE!!

Obviously I've been doing it all wrong.

No wonder why I broke my Mom's fork in half yesterday when I was cutting my pancakes!

She was blaming it on my gluten-free baking...the nerve!

[Jnkmnky]

Thanks ChelsE!!

Obviously I've been doing it all wrong.

No wonder why I broke my Mom's fork in half yesterday when I was cutting my pancakes!

She was blaming it on my gluten-free baking...the nerve!

LOL!

[tarnalberry]

Acid/base chemistry will get ya every time!

As for the xanthum gum, where does the corn come in? I know the substance itself comes from the cell wall of a bacteria. Is the bacteria grown on corn?

[Green12]

On the topic of baking powder....is it necessary for baking? I'm new at baking and I stopped using the powder because I just felt like it was "bad" for some reason. Everytime I used it I felt worse so I just used baking soda instead. My stuff doesnt come out great but its edible and I'm not picky so I eat it no matter what. What purpose does the tiny bit of baking powder in a recipe serve? Is it gonna make a huge difference in the final outcome?

Julie, I actually read that thread which is what put the thought in my head to begin with. I checked out the corn site and learned about the xanthan gum and all the other stuff...it kind of all made sense when I went back to my food diaries and started looking at the ingredients of what I'd been eating. I think I might email her....she seems to be the expert on corn stuff.

You are right about Simply V, you should contact her because she has lots of information and was offering her help and support. She would be an excellent resource.

About the baking powder and using cream of tartar as a substitute- just a thought, but give it a test run and see how it affects you. You seem to be as sensitive as I am to different foods and substances and when I tried cream of tartar it did not agree with me- but you might be totally fine with it. If that is not the case however, I found this information on a cooking website on substituting cream of tartar:

If you are beating eggs whites and don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute white vinegar (in the same ratio as cream of tartar, generally 1/8 teaspoon per egg white). It is a little more problematic to find a substitute for cream of tartar in baking projects. White vinegar or lemon juice, in the ratio of 3 times the amount of cream of tartar called for, will provide the right amount of acid for most recipes. But that amount of liquid may cause other problems in the recipe, and bakers have found that cakes made with vinegar or lemon juice have a coarser grain and are more prone to shrinking than those made with cream of tartar.

Not exactly foolproof for baking but might get the job done if you can't tolerate cream of tartar.

Acid/base chemistry will get ya every time!

As for the xanthum gum, where does the corn come in? I know the substance itself comes from the cell wall of a bacteria. Is the bacteria grown on corn?

I'm not exactly sure, but from some of what I read yesterday at the Avoiding Corn group at delphi, corn, or a corn derivative, is somehow used in the manufacturing process of the xanthum gum.

[penguin]

If that is not the case however, I found this information on a cooking website on substituting cream of tartar:

If you are beating eggs whites and don't have cream of tartar, you can substitute white vinegar (in the same ratio as cream of tartar, generally 1/8 teaspoon per egg white). It is a little more problematic to find a substitute for cream of tartar in baking projects. White vinegar or lemon juice, in the ratio of 3 times the amount of cream of tartar called for, will provide the right amount of acid for most recipes. But that amount of liquid may cause other problems in the recipe, and bakers have found that cakes made with vinegar or lemon juice have a coarser grain and are more prone to shrinking than those made with cream of tartar.

Not exactly foolproof for baking but might get the job done if you can't tolerate cream of tartar.

You can find powdered citric acid and powdered ascorbic acid, maybe that could be subsitituted for the vinegar in baking projects?

[nikki-uk]

I have a jar of xanthan gum.On the side it says

''Xanthan Gum naturally occurs in the fementation of cabbage and made industrially is used to mimic the effects of gluten in baking and cooking''

It doesn't mention any starches added,so I don't know if it's got corn in it.

I find with baking unfortunately that I better result if I add xanthan gum as well as baking powder.

[Carriefaith]

Corn is definately a possibility. I don't have a corn allergy but I know people here on the board do.

Here is a link on corn allergies:

Open Original Shared Link

Maybe you could get an allergy test done? I just had an allergy blood test back in February and one sample tested for about 30 different food allergies.

[tarnalberry]

You can find powdered citric acid and powdered ascorbic acid, maybe that could be subsitituted for the vinegar in baking projects?

I think citric acid is usually derived from corn in the US, which is one of the things that makes a corn allergy so difficult - almost all canned goods used citric acid in them, and that almost always means corn. (So, for instance, a bad corn intolerance means no plain canned tomatoes, from what I've read on corn intolerance sites, because of the citric acid used as a preservative.)

[Rachel--24]

I think citric acid is usually derived from corn in the US, which is one of the things that makes a corn allergy so difficult - almost all canned goods used citric acid in them, and that almost always means corn. (So, for instance, a bad corn intolerance means no plain canned tomatoes, from what I've read on corn intolerance sites, because of the citric acid used as a preservative.)

Tarnalberry, thats interesting because one of my first posts on this board was a question re: citric acid.....I was reacting to everything w/ citric acid in it and had one very bad episode so I wanted to know if it could contain gluten. I was told its usually derived from corn. You think I might have clued in a bit sooner huh?

Another one I had asked about was vanilla extract...I react to everything w/ vanilla flavoring or extract and now I find out that almost all vanilla contains corn.

Here's a list (for anyone interested) with everything that is derived from corn.

Open Original Shared Link

The list is very intimidating to me...way more than gluten and dairy put together. I never realized how much corn I had in my diet. I guess I loved corn alot because I havent found anything that I used to eat that doesnt have corn in it...except meat. I always chose corn tortillas rather than flour at the mexican restaraunts and I could never get enough corn chips. Who knows....maybe I can still eat wheat. If all my symptoms go away I'll be able to test myself finally.

Does anyone know if corn is in beer?

You can find powdered citric acid and powdered ascorbic acid, maybe that could be subsitituted for the vinegar in baking projects?

Actually not only is the citric acid derived from corn but the ascorbic acid and distilled white vinegar are both on the list too.

This is kind of scary.

[Jnkmnky]

Does anyone know if corn is in beer?

HAHA! There ya go. Find out about the IMPORTANT food/beverages!

[Rachel--24]

Does anyone know if corn is in beer?

HAHA! There ya go. Find out about the IMPORTANT food/beverages!

Yeah...its been forever since I've had a beer. After all this trauma I've gone through it would be great to come out of it drinking a cold beer!! Sheeesh the way my lucks been I'll buy some gluten-free beer for a small fortune and then have it kick my a** because its loaded with corn!!

[Jnkmnky]

Open Original Shared Link

Uh-oh... You may have to look around a bit.

[Rachel--24]

Bummer.

That really sucks because I wouldnt even be able to have gluten-free beer. I'm gonna have to look into the alcohol thing. Besides beer theres not much else I used to drink. I loved Kalua and cream. Sometimes wine coolers. I wonder what people with corn allergy can drink?

I know when I was sick before I started the diet I had some bad reactions to beer and also a red wine. I stopped drinking because it was messing me up bad and I felt hungover for days after one drink. I didnt like that feeling...I used to be able to drink and never get a hangover.

[Green12]

I think citric acid is usually derived from corn in the US, which is one of the things that makes a corn allergy so difficult - almost all canned goods used citric acid in them, and that almost always means corn. (So, for instance, a bad corn intolerance means no plain canned tomatoes, from what I've read on corn intolerance sites, because of the citric acid used as a preservative.)

Okay then, that leaves us with lemon juice to use as the acid ingredient in baking!

[flagbabyds]

Molly,

Theres a brand called Featherweight or something like that....suppossedely its the only brand thats corn-free. Ursula posted the recipe...I think I've seen it in one of my baking books.

I think I may have seen you at the game! Were you by any chance on crutches? If you were then I walked right past you. If not then it was another "orange" girl who looked alot like you.

Yep that was me! On crutches and all!

[Rachel--24]

OMG....the more I think about this the more I'm freaking out. I react to all the canned stuff that has citric acid...maybe my corn problem is serious. I never thought about having to give up popcorn permanantly. The MAIN reason I like to go to the movies is for the popcorn. I love nachos, Tostitos, corn dogs, creamed corn and corn tortillas. I went to the gluten-free store and I could only find 2 things that didnt have corn in them. I did find the corn-free baking powder though....its got potato starch instead of corn.

I wonder if corn can cause malabsorption? I never was able to figure out why my malabsorption score was so high and I was still losing weight even though I'd been off gluten 4 months when I got tested. I will be soooo excited if my symptoms disappear....I want so badly to challenge gluten and dairy and hopefully get some answers. Even if I could tolerate gluten I dont know if there's anything that I could eat w/out corn in it. Also after having spent the last 8 months learning everything I could about gluten I think I'm pretty much terrified of the stuff.

Yep that was me! On crutches and all!

How funny! I saw you right when I got there...way before the game started. That was a fun day.

[Jnkmnky]

Can you imagine??? That would be so cool if you've figured this out. What are we paying doctors for anyway???? Someone should start a website called "medicalmysteries.com" and have chat rooms devoted to symptoms and let the little, unpaid, non-hmo, uneducated folks like us sort out the maladies. Hey... nobody steal my idea.....

[flagbabyds]

How funny! I saw you right when I got there...way before the game started. That was a fun day.

That was a really fun day. Have been to 4 more games inc. the double header!

Hope you are feeling better soon on the corn free diet,

BTW iodized salt has corn in it!

I was very surprised Just so you know, get the non-iodized one.

[Rachel--24]

Can you imagine??? That would be so cool if you've figured this out. What are we paying doctors for anyway???? Someone should start a website called "medicalmysteries.com" and have chat rooms devoted to symptoms and let the little, unpaid, non-hmo, uneducated folks like us sort out the maladies. Hey... nobody steal my idea.....

I was thinking about that today!

I've spent...I don't even wanna know how much money on doctors...for WHAT? They havent figured one single thing out and I've done all the work. WTF

If I could go back in time....well first I'd make sure to eat alot of ice cream, pizza and corn dogs...but also I'd never waste one cent going to the doctors office. What did they do for me? Lets see...they nuked my thyroid for no reason so now I have to take pills everyday which have corn in them...which was probably the cause of my symptoms all along! Its sooo wrong!

I think we could "fix" alot of people and do a much better job than the docs are doing....sheeesh JnkMnky, you could be onto something here.

That was a really fun day. Have been to 4 more games inc. the double header!

Hope you are feeling better soon on the corn free diet,

BTW iodized salt has corn in it!

I was very surprised Just so you know, get the non-iodized one.

Wow 4 more games already! Sheesh you must be missing alot of school! Anyway you're lucky...I usually only go to 3 or 4 per season.

Yeah...I read that about the salt. I only use sea salt so I'm safe as far as that goes. Hmmm...does that mean if you buy something that has salt as an ingredient it could be corn? Thats crazy!

[flagbabyds]

I'm really not eating any processed food at all. Just making it all myself and my parents. It probably will be healthier in the long run

I had spring break last week, and went to them al during that week.

[DingoGirl]

OH my gosh Rachel, have you thought about being, say, a nutritionist or something like that? You have learned SO MUCH the hard way, and could (already do) help so many others.....doctors REEEEAAALLLY don't know everything, sometimes practically anything, and we, the guinea pigs, end up figuring most things out after giving them all of our money!!

Susan

[Rachel--24]

OH my gosh Rachel, have you thought about being, say, a nutritionist or something like that?

That made me laugh! That would be so ironic....me, the one who never ate anything that didnt come from a package and take more than 5 minutes to prepare. That would be so bizarre if I was to become a nutritionist of all things!

I do love that I can help people with what I've learned though. Theres a few people in my life that I think I can really help but they are the type who would rather take meds and wait for the doctors to "fix" them. I enjoy helping people online because these are the people looking for answers and who are "proactive" when it comes to their health. When I first started joining the message boards I had no clue what was wrong with me and I never thought food had any part in it. A person can learn alot in one year if they are determined enough. There are so many knowledgeable people here who want to help others. Its a great thing.

[miamia]

Rachel-

Have you had allergy tests done? I have and corn never showed up but your symptoms and story is so similar to yours its almost frightening. I also considered corn more or less safe but I ma not gettting better so maybe its not. Like I said I was just wondering if you had had food allergy tests done and whether or not corn showed up.

Miamia

My symptoms are basically poor digestion, cant gain weight, swelling, fluid retention, headaches, fatigue, brainfog, dont feel good when I eat, cant tolerate alot of foods....this is when I'm taking my meds, vitamins and supplements but eating no corn. I have problems with oils...I'm thinking they have corn in them.

If I actually EAT something with corn in it....I feel "glutened". Maybe I've actually never been glutened...maybe I've only been "corned".

I get a worsening of all my symptoms, more reactive to other foods, muscle and joint pains, burning sensations, blurred vision, numbness and tingling, nightsweats and bad dreams.. Thats why I avoid processed foods. The reactions suck...plus I lose weight.

I never get these type of reactions from meat, meat actually makes me feel good but sometimes its hard to digest so I cant eat tons of it.

Molly,

Theres a brand called Featherweight or something like that....suppossedely its the only brand thats corn-free. Ursula posted the recipe...I think I've seen it in one of my baking books.

I think I may have seen you at the game! Were you by any chance on crutches? If you were then I walked right past you. If not then it was another "orange" girl who looked alot like you.

JnkMnky,

I was checking out that site last night. You can type in your allergen and get a whole list of stuff. I saw marshmallows on there!! I was pretty excited about that. I've been kinda p'd off about not being able to tolerate one freakin marshmallow all this time. I was so confused as to why I couldnt have any gluten-free foods. Ummm...maybe its because I needed to be corn-free instead.

[key]

Molly,

I saw that you were diagnosed with GERD. WHat were you symptoms? How did you find out about corn and soy? What were you symptoms with that? I am wanting to know, because I am still having problems.

THanks,

Monica

[flagbabyds]

Molly,

I saw that you were diagnosed with GERD. WHat were you symptoms? How did you find out about corn and soy? What were you symptoms with that? I am wanting to know, because I am still having problems.

THanks,

Monica

With the GERD it was because I had had major allergy attackkks from corn and soy. They then did like 5 epis and major steroid IVs and then that caused the heartburn. Burping, acid backup, sore throats, and throwing up acid. They put me on zantac and prevacid, and it really helped.

Finding out about the corn and soy was through allergy tests, blood and skin, that both came up positive.