Is Fresh Fruit Ok?

[jen3175]

Is it ok to eat fresh or canned fruit as soon as you start the diet? My digestive system has been basically shut down for the better part of 10 months. I've been gluten-free for almost 3 weeks or tried to be. In the past week, I've tried some raisins, strawberries, dried apricots and grapes. Then after 2 days of that I've been sick for 5 days and today finally ate a waffle. I don't know where I got glutened! There was no HFC, wheat or other preservative. I know that I tried other prepared sauces and some herby crackers which I'm sure didn't help. Also, is all feta cheese gluten-free or does it specifically say "goat cheese" on the label? I just realized too that "rice dream" isn't gluten-free! Now, I'm going thru my lotions, makeup and such. I got this really good mango and sugar scrub as a gift and having been using it for about a month. Checked the ingredients, first one is wheat milk! This is gonna be alot work. I don't care as long as I can feel alive again. ANY info or advice would be really appreciated!

Thanks,

Jenny

[Guest schmenge]

Hi Jenny- Food kind of falls into three groups:

1. Food you KNOW does not have gluten
   
2. Food you know DOES have gluten
   
3. Food for which you are not sure
   

I guess you could also argue that you could have option one with cross contamination as well. Any way, cross contamination aside you only eat out of group one. Fresh fruit and veggies are all naturally gluten-free, so as long as they don't get somehow contaminated you are safe with those. Canned may be a different story. There are lists on this site that you should print out. They show "hidden" gluten ingredients (i.e. malt) and those which doe not have gluten(i.e. maltodextrin). You gotta be diligent, but you can figure this out.

[gf4life]

I've been glutened by contaminated fresh fruit twice. Once was strawberries and once was grapes.

With the strawberries it ended up that the tops were sliced off on a wooden cutting board on which sandwiches had been cut earlier and then merely wiped clean with a cloth. Not only did this gluten us, but it also was a little disgusting to think that they didn't wash the cutting board between uses, especially when you are talking about meats and cheeses that should be refridgerated and fresh fruit!

The other time was grapes. They were fresh picked from a farm and washed thoroughly, so I figured they were good (and they were really tasty!) But this was the only thing I can figure why we got sick from them...they were the only gluten free item at a meeting we were at and everyone else was eating cookies, donuts, etc. and then dipping their fingers into the bowl of grapes and grabbing some. So I figure the crumbs of gluten were scattered onto the grapes and that was enough. I had never thought about it before and we were very new to the diet. So now I hesitate to eat from a buffet fruit bowl unless there is a serving spoon or I am getting to it first! Of course I have already put in a request to the farm owner for some grapes as soon as they are ready for harvest. It pays to have good friends!

Other than that, it can be hard to digest a lot of fresh fruits and many other foods when you are in the first stages of healing. If you continue to have problems and are sure you are not getting gluten from hidden sources, then you might want to check into either eliminating the fruits temporarily and see if it makes a difference or get your self some digestive enzymes to help them digest.

[Ursa Major]

Is it ok to eat fresh or canned fruit as soon as you start the diet? My digestive system has been basically shut down for the better part of 10 months. I've been gluten-free for almost 3 weeks or tried to be. In the past week, I've tried some raisins, strawberries, dried apricots and grapes. Then after 2 days of that I've been sick for 5 days and today finally ate a waffle. I don't know where I got glutened! There was no HFC, wheat or other preservative. I know that I tried other prepared sauces and some herby crackers which I'm sure didn't help. Also, is all feta cheese gluten-free or does it specifically say "goat cheese" on the label? I just realized too that "rice dream" isn't gluten-free! Now, I'm going thru my lotions, makeup and such. I got this really good mango and sugar scrub as a gift and having been using it for about a month. Checked the ingredients, first one is wheat milk! This is gonna be alot work. I don't care as long as I can feel alive again. ANY info or advice would be really appreciated!

Thanks,

Jenny

Jen, many people with celiac disease find that when they start out with the gluten free diet, especially the people who have been very sick, can't tolerate anything raw for a while, that includes fruits and veggies. I could only eat well cooked fruits and vegetables for over a month, some of them about three months. I am just starting (after seven months on the diet) to truly be able to digest all raw foods again.

So, you may still get what you think is glutened, when in reality maybe your digestive system needs to heal a lot before being able to digest anything raw. Canned fruit is usually fine, or you can steam it yourself. Cook your vegetables well. People always say that they should still be sort of crunchy to be healthy, but in your case, that might be far from the truth. If you can't digest it, it won't do you any good.

Also, try to stick at the beginning to foods naturally gluten free, and fairly low in fiber. I found fiber would make me worse for the first while.

Also, you may be intolerant to dairy as well, most people with celiac disease are at least at first. The small intestine produces an enzyme called 'lactase' when it it healthy, which is essential to the digestion of dairy. If your intestine is damaged it can't produce lactase. It is possible you can tolerate milk again after a year, as some of us can. But for now, your best bet is to eliminate all dairy.

You will also need a new toaster, as you can't get a toaster cleaned out properly to be safe. The same goes for strainers, wooden cutting boards and wooden spoons, can openers and scratched non-stick pots and pans.

[lorka150]

I have a lot of problems with many fruit, but during the whole ordeal, never with citrus. Perhaps I was getting contaminated, and because citrus need to be peeled, it's always been fine. Oranges, pink grapefruits, dragon citrus, and tangerines.

[jen3175]

Thanks to everyone for the info- This message board has been such a godsend. I cut out dairy and soy when I found out and started gluten-free. Can you become allergic to "nightshades" due to celiac disease? I seem to have new questions everyday....

Thanks again for all of ya'lls help,

Jenny

[Ursa Major]

Thanks to everyone for the info- This message board has been such a godsend. I cut out dairy and soy when I found out and started gluten-free. Can you become allergic to "nightshades" due to celiac disease? I seem to have new questions everyday....

Thanks again for all of ya'lls help,

Jenny

Well, that's a hard question. Does celiac disease have anything to do with a nightshade intolerance? I don't know. What I do know is, that I am intolerant to nightshades, and so are two of my grandchildren. I don't think they have celiac disease, even though it might be too early to tell (they're three, and strangely, even though they are twins, they're a boy and a girl, and yet they're both intolerant to nightshades).

[ravenwoodglass]

Thanks to everyone for the info- This message board has been such a godsend. I cut out dairy and soy when I found out and started gluten-free. Can you become allergic to "nightshades" due to celiac disease? I seem to have new questions everyday....

Thanks again for all of ya'lls help,

Jenny

ask any and all questions you need to, nothing is off limits. I don't think celiac causes nightshade intolerance but I know I also have a problem with them. I've been able to see a definate link between my joint pain and the nightshade family. Potatoes were a daily staple for us even before celiac was found and my allergist had said that we can develop sensitivities at any time. He thought I should make sure I don't eat something every day. I am not sure but I think the damage to the intestines from the celiac does make us more sensitive.

[evie]

ask any and all questions you need to, nothing is off limits. I don't think celiac causes nightshade intolerance but I know I also have a problem with them. I've been able to see a definate link between my joint pain and the nightshade family. Potatoes were a daily staple for us even before celiac was found and my allergist had said that we can develop sensitivities at any time. He thought I should make sure I don't eat something every day. I am not sure but I think the damage to the intestines from the celiac does make us more sensitive.

[evie]

Yes, in my case potatoes became a problem food soon after I found i had a celiac problem.

not something i was pleased about of course but just one of those things!! It may be caused by the ability of

of tiny bits of food to go thru the intestines into the blood and cuse food sensitivities. i wish you lots o' luck

the celiac problem. it is so good to be able to gain info from the many postings here on the board.

Hang in there evie