Help! So Close To Quiting

[lyndszai]

Hello my name is Lindsey and im 15 and I was diagonosed 3 months ago with celiac and i have lactose and intolernt too and i've been i the diet for 3 months .People say that u will learn more about it as u go on and im not well I am but as of food wise I am totally clueless all I eat is chicken(chicken sandwiches) and steak and veggies and I am getting tired of it .I dont know whats save and what isnt .I looked up stuff on the internet and got sick so i dont really feel confortable looking stuff up when i dont know if i can trust it. I ordered a book but it never came yet .Im like so close to cheating or just saying heck with the diet but I cant beacuse I cant go back to the condition I was in when I wouldnt even eat anythingand was sick everyday .If you Have any ideas of foods that are not veggies and chicken it would be a great help thanks lyndszai

[joemoe003]

hi lindsey im also 15 and about 3 months ago i self diagnosed my self. i know its hard some times it gets really boring eating the same stuff over and over again. if you would like to email me you can my email address is pippigirl32@hotmail.com that is also my msn sn or if you would like to talk feel free to email or im me i would love to help you out the best i can.

julianne

[Guest jhmom]

Hi Lindsey, welcome!

I know this diet can be VERY frustrating and overwhelming at times but hang in there, it will get easier! Here are some helpful links, I suggest printing them out and putting it a notebook, especially the Safe and Forbidden food and ingredients and take them to the store with you when you shop for your food.

Open Original Shared Link

Mainstream gluten-free products

Open Original Shared Link

How active are your parents in helping you deal with this disease? If they allow you to order things online here are some places that have great gluten-free food in case they don't carry them in your local grocery or health food store. A lot of times the stores will order items for you if they know you will buy from them.

Open Original Shared Link - awesome bread, bagles, english muffins and cinnamon buns!

Open Original Shared Link - awesome brownies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also take a look around the recipe section, there are some very simple recipes that you could make for yourself.

Please do not give up, your health is worth much more than that, you do not want to intentionally harm your body! Keep posting and ask questions, that is what we are here for. Take care and feel free to email me any time!

Take care

[lyndszai]

hello joemoe thanks i will email u .

Hello jhmon thanks for all the links im looking at them now they are very helpful.As for my parents I will asking them about ordering the stuff.My mom belives and understands celiac but my dad he thinks it is something i will grow out and doesnt want to except it but hes getting better .Hes actually comming around hes giving mom tips now on not to leave the gulten things near my things. He'll get use to it soon like he will buy me all my gluten-free free stuff he just doesnt want me to miss out on things.Im trying my best to hang in my friends are really surportive so it helps . thanks

[tarnalberry]

I think the first thing I'd go for is rice, and rice noodles. there are so many things that you can make - salads (I'm big on bean salads during the warm months...) and one pot dishes (like chili, and stir fries) and desserts like peanut butter on apples... Keep reading around here (I posted recently a big long list of the types of food I've been having recently), and don't give up. (There's a great, easy muffin recipe on the back of the package for Bob's Red Mill Soy Flour.)

[GFdoc]

Hi Lindsey - hang in there honey...I know you can do it! This is your chance to show the world (and your parents) how grown-up you are- you have been given a chance to change your health for the better, and you know that it's important and will make you feel better. Start by taking control of what you eat - don't depend on your parents or others to prepare your foods or shop for you. With their consent and support, you should start making lists of meals and foods you like and are safe and then you should go find the foods at local stores or order online. Use the links from jhmom's post above, and spend some time looking around this site -

Be strong - you'll get there!

Sara

[lyndszai]

tarnalberry

I have been on some rice things like rice bread (bascially for the last 3 months )made chicken sandwiches I think I hate chicken now lol ,rice spagetti (I dont like that stuff) .Our grocery store has a few things but not many so im going to see if I can order stuff on the internet .Im going to try a salad today although I dislike it I have to get use to the things I dont like now.I am going to look for more rice things tonight im gonna do some more research and try to get some things tonight.

thanks

GFdoc

I hope I can stick with it but when I have really bad days I just feel like giving up and those days are comming more and more but i know it's important to stick with it . I do take control I make all my meals and try to make up list but am not that sucessful I usually end up with chicken.Im going ot the grocery store tonight to look for more things .

What type of things do your guys eat in a typical day?

thanks

[GFdoc]

breakfast is Rice twice cereal by Erewon or a granola bar by EnerG

Lunch is hard - sometimes I make tortilla wrap sandwiches (I make my own tortillas and keep them in the fridge), sometimes a frozen gluten-free meal by Amy's meals, risotto or other rice dish,

snacks are gluten-free pretzels, nuts, fruit, fruit leathers (from Trader Joes - only some flavors are gluten-free), granola bar by EnerG

dinner is fish/meat/chicken and a side of rice/potatoes/gluten-free pasta and veggies or fruit. Sometimes I treat myself to gluten-free ravioli (from Dietary Specialties - it's great, but pricey). I don't eat bread with dinner anymore - you'll get used to it after awhile and won't even miss it very often- it's empty calories in my mind now.

Desserts are strawberries dipped in chocolate, gluten-free brownies (Gluten Free Pantry's are the best), fruit sorbet (with M &Ms on top!), Smores made with gluten-free graham crackers

[burdee]

Hey Lundszai:

Think gluten-free substitution, not deprivation. There are MANY safe gluten free choices from which you can prepare meals and snacks. Please refer to the topic "Bored with Gluten Free Foods" under the Section "Gluten Free Foods, Products, Shopping and Meds". I (Burdee) and Tarnalberry posted long lists of safe gluten-free foods and combinations which work for us for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I posted in response to someone who was bored with meats, vegies and starch meals. So I included a lot of nonmeat protein sources as well as a dairy free list. Tarnalberry listed choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I don't eat specific foods for specific meals, so you can use my suggestions for whichever meals you like.

Gluten Free eating does not have to be boring, just careful and mostly healthier choices. Enjoy!

Burdee

[JeninWI]

(I make my own tortillas and keep them in the fridge)

Hi there,

I would love to have a recipe for gluten-free tortillas. Care to share?

Thanks!

Jen

New member as of 6/12

Just went gluten-free this week and feel better already!

Self-diagnosed so far, but will be taking tests from Enterolab soon.

[flagbabyds]

Amy's Frozen food is what I eat when we have nothing else in the house. they are very simple to make and we always have them in our freezer. my favorite gluten-free one is either the mac & cheese and the shepards pie. they are very comforting food but also very different from homemade gluten-free food. They say if they are gluten-free on the box so you don't even have to call them. I find not following what normal people eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner works better for me. I eat what i want to eat not what a normal breakfast is.

[kalo]

How do they make gluten-free macaroni? That is an interesting one. Will have to check it out. thanks. Hugs, Carol B

[flagbabyds]

it is made with rice noodles and they are great for kids because it has orange cheese just like the regular orange macaroni

[kalo]

Thanks Molly. I love mac and cheese with hot dogs. I use Shelton free range hot dogs with no preservitives. Will have to add this to it when I find some. May check the Whole Foods Market on Monday when I'm out of town and see if they carry it. Hugs, Carol B

[kalo]

I just realized you said Amy's meals. My local stores probably hav it. I'll look. Thanks again. Hugs, Carol B

[lyndszai]

hi guys thanks for your reply .Thanks for all the info its very helpful

[Guest NitaB]

I liked Amy's frozen veggie lasagna. It was surprisingly good! I bought the mac and cheese, cheese enchilada, and a rice bowl, that I haven't tried yet. I found these in my local store, one that has a pretty good health food section.

I'm really lazy about cooking, so hope to like these frozen meals.

Lyndszai, keep trying! I've made some mistakes and paid for them, too. But, it just makes me try harder! I've only been at this for 2 1/2 weeks! I do feel better when I eat right, so I can tell the difference.

Nita

[khyricat]

our meijers doesn't have a lot, but they do have the amy's meals.. thanks guys- I can still do frozen dinners for work if I don't have time to cook and pack a lunch! Once I actually go gluten-free that is.. I was going to, but talking to the doc, they want me to wait until after they do another test. I am assuming that is the biopsy but she didnt' want to tell me about it on the phone.

[lyndszai]

I made a mistake yesterday i didnt mean too ,I dont even know what I made a mistake on I think that I cross contaminated my food caz as far as I can see nothing had gulten in it but when u make mistakes does it do alot of damage like am i back at square one again?

[tarnalberry]

I don't think you're back to the very beginning - it can take years for the full amount of damage to develop. It's a set back, sure, but one accident... I don't see any reason to worry about being back at the starting gate of this.

Try not to worry too much - accidents happen even when we try really hard. It's best to do what you can to avoid them, but once they happen, they've happened, and the most we can do is ride out the symptoms, and figure out how we might avoid doing it again in the future. (And sometimes the answer to that question is "I have NO IDEA!!!", and that's ok.)

[celiac3270]

Hi Lindsey,

Obviously, the only reason we're all on gluten-free diets is because we don't want to run into complictions like cancer in the long term. However, having "short-term" symptoms helps a lot. It takes a long time, but your symptoms will start to go away. It could take a year, but eventually they'll go away and then you're free from them for life. Having symptoms helps us, because first, it gives us good reason to stay on the diet (not getting sick), and second, in the future (once you're better), it's an indicator if you ate something with gluten...etc.

You're not at square one. About 5 or 6 weeks in, I made a stupid mistake. I was on vacation, and I had a gluten-free cereal similar to frosted flakes. Before heading to the mountain to ski, I went back grabbed a box, and took a handful of REGULAR CORN FLAKES that my brother had...I realized it half-way through eating them, and spit what I had in my mouth out. That, too, was unintentional. It didn't set me back; I never even got sick from it...don't worry about it...stress and worry is your worst enemy in making progress.

As for getting used to it and learning more about it...I've been on the diet for...maybe 19 weeks (about 5 months...wow, the time has past quickly). At first, I had no idea what to eat, and actually, thought that as long as it didn't say "wheat", "oats", "rye", "barley", etc. (one of the basic ingredients), it was guaranteed to be safe. Therefore, I made numerous mistakes in the first 1-2 weeks "on diet". I would still be doing that, today, and still getting symptoms, but I wanted to learn more about it. Read books on dealing with the diet, and most importantly, read these boards--I've learned so much here and when you have questions about something, it's easy to get a quick response. If you try hard to educate yourself about celiac disease, you'll consider yourself an expert in no time.

You said that you don't really know what you can and can't eat. First, I'll just backtrack to the basics...much of which you might already know. Obviously, wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats (oats are debatable) have gluten. Then, of course, there are other ingredients like malt, dextrin (unless it's made with corn), and many others. For a full list, look at Celiac.com's list: Open Original Shared Link. To get there, and access lists of safe ingredients, etc., go to Celiac.com's site index. I typed up the list in tiny font so it was the size of a business card (front and back), and then laminated it, so if I ever question an ingredient (which I rarely do now), I can check if it's gluten-free. It is helpful because ingredients can be confusing. For example, malt is bad, dextrin can be bad, but maltodextrin is fine. Wheat is bad, but buckwheat is fine; that sort of thing. Of course, nine times out of ten you need to call the company to check if it's gluten-free. This is because natural and artificial flavorings CAN contain gluten, but don't always. They are in everything. One little note: Kraft says that all their colorings and flavorings are fine unless they write "wheat" or something like that in parentheses.

As for quitting, don't...after all, what do you acheive by going back to a diet of gluten. You eat normal food--with a feeling of guilt, knowing that it's destorying your small intestine. You get symptoms just as bad as they are now -- or worse. You retrogress into your previous state -- you started to heal and then you'd mess it up again. And, in the long term, you'd get cancer or osteoporosis and lead a miserable end of your life... Stick with it for another month or two at least...you'll see progress...and don't focus on whether or not your symptoms go away or stay. Look at the severity of them. You'll see that they either become less and less frequent, or they become less and less harsh. One more thing, a nutritionist that works with Dr. Greene (that famous adult Celiac doctor in NYC...aka she knows what she's talking about) warned that symptoms may even get worse before they get better...just don't give up hope.

Thanks for putting up with my rambling: now I'll move to some food suggestions:

- Cookies: try Pamela's Products -- the BEST cookies. The lemon shortbread are decent, but some people find them too strong a lemony taste. However, try the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies. They are AMAZING!!! Even including regular cookies, they are the best store-bought I've ever had.

- Cookies: if your mom has 15 minutes to spare, have her make peanut butter cookies. Very good...even my aunt who hates PB liked them. Preparation time is about five minutes and the recipe calls for 10 min. baking -- it might take 15. All you need is 2 cups of PB (Skippy or Jif), 2 cups of sugar, and 1 egg (this is also good because there aren't any weird gluten-free flours and stuff...where do you buy those things?).

- Fruits/Vegetables/Meat: I eat so much more fruit now...apples, bannanas, strawberries, blueberries, canned mandarine oranges, canned peaches, etc. You're probably "chickened" out, but don't forget steak, pork, hamburgers, etc....no fresh meat is excluded. Fish are gluten-free, too, of course.

- Bread: People will say Knikinick or whatever, but I've found Ener-G to have a great bread...that's what I use...make your pick.

- Pizza: probably thought you'd never have that again. Get Chebe (you can only get it online), but buy the bread mix, not the pizza crust (the bread mix turns out better). Follow the instructions, mush it out into a round "thing", bake as instructed, and then add sauce (Classico is good), and gluten-free cheese. It's terriffic. By the way, you can get the Chebe at Open Original Shared Link. Try it...the shipping is free and once you realize that you like it, you can buy it in bulk and get discounts.

- Raisins, Quaker Rice Cakes, most things by Frito Lays (not Doritos), you can have: Lays Potato Chips, Wavy Lays Potato Chips, Cheetos, Fritos, etc. By the way, most soft drinks are gluten-free including all kinds (diet, caffeine free, etc.) of Coke, Sprite, Sunkist, Pepsi, etc. I haven't checked with the other companies. There are many gluten-free candies...I actually made a post under the "Teenagers Only Section" for gluten-free candies...check there for the complete list that Gf4Life provided.

- Genisoy Bars: good for high-fat snacks, and on-the-go meals...only two flavors are gluten-free: A honey Creamy PB Yogurt, which isn't the best, and Southern Style Chunky PB, which tastes like candy...it's great.

- If you don't want to bother to make your own Mac and Cheese and want it the quick way like you may have had it back in the day...the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese SAUCE PACKET is gluten-free. Then use your own gluten-free noodles (such as DeBoles), and you have a quick lunch.

- Foods By George: set a high-standard for gluten-free foods. Their brownies...to die for, especially when you heat them up and put gluten-free icecream (Haggen Dasz: strawberry, vanilla, chocolate...anything except for the obvious, like cookie dough) on them. Also amazing, their corn muffins...heat them up, smother them in butter, and I literally checked the box again to make sure they were gluten-free after I took the first bite.

Oops, I completely forgot that you were also lactose-free. For lactose free icecream that's also gluten-free, try Organic Soy Delicious...it tastes pretty good. The gluten-free brownies from Foods By George are gluten-free, wheat-free, lactose-free, casein-free, dairy-free, and soy-free...fine for anybody... :-)

Got to go for now, but good luck. Try to get your parents to understand, cause unhelpful relatives who don't get it can mess you up...that's good that your father's starting to get it. The worst thing is having people who don't get it: either think what's the big deal or why are you eating this way. Once again, good luck; I hope this post is helpful. Most of all, don't quit...

-celiac3270

[Queen Serenity]

Hi, all!

This topic started to discuss health and beauty products, so here is a tip. When going to the hair salon, please bring your own shampoo and conditioner. Everything in a hair salon contains some form of wheat. I had a bad experience with a wheat based shampoo. The reaction I had was a burning sensation on my scalp. It took days to heal! I also noticed that a lot of teenagers are asking questions about Celiac's. Listen, you'll do fine. Be grateful you were diagnosed early. I have had mine now for 9 1/2 years, and I am 37. There was always something wrong with me for a lot of years. No one knew about Celiac's, or even to test for it. Now, even with three kids, I feel good. I have energy and have a healthy diet. I hope you all make good adjustments to the diet. Good Luck!

[catfish]

I am also lactose intolerant, but I have heard that if I remain gluten-free and my symptoms abade I might be able to slowly "wean" myself back onto moderate amounts of lactose. This makes sense to me because basically the damage caused by the gluten (protein chains) has caused my guts to cease functioning properly in many different respects. I'm hopeful anyway, but in the meanwhile options are pretty limited. Right now I'm enjoying one of my favorite treats, Guacamole with corn chips! Hey, I can afford to spoil myself with the few luxuries I can still eat, right?

[cybergran10]

I have been able to add small amounts of dairy to my diet with out any ill effects. So I think you may be right. I think sometimes you get a hold of something that has been cross contiminated with gluten no matter how careful you are. I did that last saturday and boy did I ever pay for it. All you can do is try to make sure you prepare your own food as much as you can. Have a great day, Cybergran10

[chefjaimegarcia]

hey lindsey, here's a simple recipie for ceviche (seafood salsa)

2 ea. Tomatoes (diced)

1/2 Onion (diced)

3 T. Cilantro(chopped)

1ea. Serrano/or jalapeno(minced seeds removed)

1 cup Lemon Juice

1 lb. Fresh white fish(chopped, snapper, mahi, or grouper)

tortilla chips(i like tostitos rounds, any corn chip or tostada will do)

Method: Soak the fish in lemon juice for at least 2 hours up to 4 in refridgerator.

Once the fish "cooks" in the lemon juice it will look porcelin white, then drain the fish in a colander over the sink, press with your hand untill all excess juice is drained.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add salt to taste.

Sread over tostadas or use it like a dip for your favorite corn chip!

it will keep under refridgeration for up to two days.

I hope this dish will give you a delicious break from chicken. athough i have a ton of gluten-free/wf chicken recipies. i'm in the process of writing a gluten-free/wf cookbook with easy recipies so that people like yourself with a limited diet can enjoy a better quality of life through the joys of food! I wish you the best. Buen Apetito!

chefjaimegarcia