Do I Have To Get Rid Of . . .

[ptkds]

I am going through my kitchen trying to get rid of everything that will contaminate me and my dd's. I have a BUNCH of plastic bowls and containers. Do I have to get rid of those?? Even if they don't have scratches?? I have already gotten rid of my plastic spatulas, plastic and wood cutting boards, and I will be gettting rid of my old scratched teflon pans. But I have so many plastic bowls and containers that it would cost me a small fortune to replace them. And stainless steel pots and pans are ok, right??

Also, I have been gluten-free for a few days, but sometimes after I eat I still get the stomach pains and diarrhea. Is this normal, or am I still getting glutened somehow??

Thanks for all yall's help!!

ptkds

[Ursa Major]

Personally, I don't believe you have to replace all your plastic containers. Just make sure you scrub them well. If you want to make doubly sure, scrub them first by hand, and then run them through the dishwasher for extra safety. IF (and only if) you find that they cause a problem, you can still do a radical purge if necessary. Only throw out (or give away) the ones with hard to reach corners, that may hide gluten you can't get out. And you absolutely can't keep using plastic colanders for gluten-free pasta (or other gluten-free food) that have been used for gluten pasta, as it isn't possible to get them completely clean.

It is possible that you haven't discovered all the gluten sources in your life yet. It is equally likely that you're simply not healed to the point of being symptom-free yet. It takes a while to heal, give it time. You may have to eliminate dairy as well, at least for a few months, to get better.

You might need to eat foods that are easy to digest while you heal. I was unable to eat anything uncooked for about six months (meaning, no salads, and all my vegetables and fruits had to be cooked until really done, no crunchiness allowed), because raw food is harder to digest. If I tried anything raw (like carrots) I would get awful stomach pains and loose stools. I still have to limit raw foods. But at my age I probably have some irreversible damage, people younger than me, who haven't been as ill as long usually heal faster and better.

Have you gone through all your personal care products, vitamins and meds to make sure none of them contain any gluten? Have you thoroughly cleaned your computer keyboard and mouse (I just did that today, because my daughter always seems to eat sandwiches at the computer, bringing me to tears at times, because I KNOW I am getting glutened because of things like that)?

It's a jungle out there!

[jerseyangel]

A jungle indeed, Ursula

ptkds,

If your plastic bowls don't have any scratches, and you've cleaned them well--which I'm sure you have--they should be fine. I didn't get rid of all of my plastic containers--only the ones that were scratched or otherwise comprimised on the inside.

Yes, replace the scratched teflon and your collander and any strainers you have. Stainless steel is fine--they can be cleaned thoroughly.

Since you've only been gluten-free for a few days, the first thing to look at is--do I really have all traces of gluten out? This means foods, beverages, medications, vitamins and suppliments, lotions, makeup--especially lip products, shampoo, conditioner, hair styling products, toothpaste, mouthwash. Be diligent about cross contamination in the kitchen. Wipe down with warm, soapy water the microwave, cabnets and silverware drawer (or as I refer to it as--the crumb magnet ). Replace your toaster, too.

Aside from that, it can take some time before you feel better consistantly. I had stomach pain after eating for weeks--it was if I could "feel" my small intestine trying to deal with the food. I was also very tired the first few months.

We're all different in terms of how fast we get relief with the diet. Do the very best you can, and you will get there--I promise! And we're always here for any other questions that pop up along the way.

[kbtoyssni]

I think you're safe keeping plastic bowls, too. I kept all of mine and didn't have any problems. I did throw out the really beat up tupperware, but that's it.