How To Get Rid Of Gluten In My House

[kara7]

I had my upper endscopy today. Doctor said everything looks fine, but waiting for the biopsy results.

I think I have decided to get rid of gluten in my house. If I don't do this, I fear I will cheat. I have no will power.

How do I get my husband to understand this and help me? I told him that if I decide to so this, he will have to eat gluten free at home.

Is it wrong of me to only buy gluten free things for both of us, if he has no issues with gluten?

Thanks for your help.

Kara

[Sweetfudge]

My husband still eats white bread, frozen burritos and frozen waffles. When he wants any of these, he has to get them himself, and I nag him to put things on a plate, use his butter, etc. It works out pretty well. I do a lot of cooking using naturally gluten free things like rice, potatoes, corn tortillas (chips are a staple for us!)....look for recipes here, that should help! Also, if he wants to keep a sweet or two, tell him to hide them from you, or keep them in a specific basket in the kitchen.

[GlutenWrangler]

You shouldn't force him to eat gluten free. It's not really fair. You just have to teach him how to be careful and make sure his food is separated from yours.

[BRUMI1968]

I disagree. I made our household gluten free except for pizza (from a parlour) and beer. These two things are very easy to keep track of. the pizza box never leaves a particular counter, and we have a mudroom sink where plates that have touched gluten get prewashed before going into the dishwasher.

Gluten isn't good for anyone. Bread ins't good for anyone. I bet your husband will be healthier eating the way you do. He will still be able to eat gluten when he eats out - and getting a scone and coffee at Starbucks can solve that craving. How hard is that?

As to it being "fair"? I think that's an oddly American idea - that our households need to be fair. Your household is a community that supports one another. Your husband does not NEED gluten; you NEED to be gluten free. Thus, your need trumps his desire. He can achieve eating gluten in his private time or in space that is not YOUR HOME. Communities sacrifice things for one another. I bet you sacrifice for him.

Anyway, that's my two cents. My husband and two friends (both who eat over a lot) have handled it gracefully.

-Sherri

[ravenwoodglass]

Stress to him how important it is for you to heal and if needed ask him to just humor you for 6 months. He will not want to go back to a poison household when he sees the difference it makes in you. You may also find by doing this that your husband has a problem with it too. Many folks don't realize how much gluten effects them, even ones who seem to have no symptoms. If you start our by serving as much naturally gluten free meals as you can that don't have our 'weird' stuff with it that can help. Things like stews thickened with potato starch, roasts and veggies, steak and potatoes, broiled chicken, fish, chicken in a parmasean cheese coating, homemade soups etc. Let him have his poison if he likes outside the house but it is very hard to heal completely if you are cooking with and inhaling gluten. Some are able to do it but a gluten free house is not that hard today and well worth it. And think how much your food bank or a non gluten-free neighbor will value your throw aways.

[Nancym]

I had my upper endscopy today. Doctor said everything looks fine, but waiting for the biopsy results.

I think I have decided to get rid of gluten in my house. If I don't do this, I fear I will cheat. I have no will power.

How do I get my husband to understand this and help me? I told him that if I decide to so this, he will have to eat gluten free at home.

Is it wrong of me to only buy gluten free things for both of us, if he has no issues with gluten?

Thanks for your help.

Kara

It is what I would do if I had people living with me. You never know, your husband might feel better too!

[BFreeman]

I had my upper endscopy today. Doctor said everything looks fine, but waiting for the biopsy results.

I think I have decided to get rid of gluten in my house. If I don't do this, I fear I will cheat. I have no will power.

How do I get my husband to understand this and help me? I told him that if I decide to so this, he will have to eat gluten free at home.

Is it wrong of me to only buy gluten free things for both of us, if he has no issues with gluten?

Thanks for your help.

Kara

Kara, I'm on the other side of the coin; I decided to make our house gluten free when my husband couldn't have it, partly to avoid crumb contamination, partly as an "I support you" thing, and partly so I won't have to stop and think when I take something out of the cupboard to cook with. If you are the meal preparer, I think things would be much easier for you with a gluten free house. (That being said, I don't know how I would have handled things if the boys had still been living at home.)

BF

[TinkerbellSwt]

In my house, all is gluten free. My b/f and son eat gluten free at all meals. It doesnt bother them. (well Colin is 19months old) The only real food that I use that is gluten free that my b/f eats is breading on any type of chicken breast ( I use the heals of the bread I bake and food processor them up, add seasoning and voila, bread crumbs) Otherwise all our food is naturally gluten free, and he seems to enjoy it.

I do, however, concede on two things for him. He is allowed one loaf of regular sandwich bread, which has to be prepared on a plate, cleaned by him. And he is allowed one bag of cookies, ie, chips ahoy, or whatever is on sale. He is also allowed ice cream that may have gluten in it. That isnt something I am worried about getting in my system. That is it. no more than that.. no how, no way,

I just had a visit yesterday, an old friend from when I was a child, havent seen her in over 10 years... told her sorry, she cant bring her own lunch and I cannot prepare lunch for them (not wasting my expensive food on the non celiac that isnt related to me) she ended up bringing rice crackers that were gluten free and tuna in a tupperware ( she was worried about the tuna ) LOL.

that is how I run my household. I dont see anything wrong with cleaning out the house of all gluten containing foods. You may work out a small compromise like I have about the sandwich bread and cookies. That is totally up to you. Everyone is different in what they will tolerate in their house. Good luck!

[GlutenWrangler]

Wow I guess I was way off on this one. I didn't realize that it was such a common practice among celiacs to keep a gluten free home with non-celiacs. I really wish I could do that, but it would never happen. In my house, 2 of us are celiacs and 2 of us are not. It's like a gluten warzone here and its incredibly hard to get anyone to be careful or mindful of what they are doing. I'll be moving out next August. I'm guessing I probably won't be doing much healing until then.

[Adelle]

My husband voluntered to go gluten-free with me (it's just the two of us). The origional agreement was that he could eat whatever he wanted with friends and at work, but home was to be gluten-free. After just a few days gluten-free HE started feeling better! More energetic and some mild GI symptoms he'd had his whole life cleared up!

We're gluten-free and we'll never go back!

I think as a matter of your health and safety your house should be as gluten-free as possible, but that's just me. I hope you can stay gluten-free and heal well! And welcome!

[dragonmom]

I'm the only one with celiac disease in our house, I make most of the food so most of the time we are all gluten free, my daughter has become a great gluten free cook, made gumbo the other day and can make a great cheese cake using gluten-free gingersnaps. My husband eats regular cereal in the morning because it is cheaper not because he won't eat gluten free. My son comes home from college and doesn't know that he is eating gluten-free. they all eat regular pizza , I make my own. They go out for Italian on nights I'm working late. Everyone just accepts that it is the only way I will stay healthy, and that is what they care about - so it works. I guess I am very lucky that they will just roll with the punches. Brenda

[Lymetoo]

I"ve been wheat free for 30 yrs....except for several yrs when I cheated!! [like the last 10!!] So i'm used to avoiding bread and such. I weaken when there are sweets around, but I have my own stash.

My home is not gluten-free.....just me. We eat mostly proteins and vegetables....and have for years. There are only two of us.

[Guest Kathy Ann]

[draeko]

My husband had opted to join me in the Gluten Free world with my two sons, but my dietician told me that the kids would not get the proper nutrition....After reading this, I think I was mislead. Hmmm I hope he will reconsider..

[Sue F]

This all so new to me, but do you need to keep a gluten free house. I teach cooking in a public school and am always around flour. I just finished a cookie unit and was not tempted, I never want to have the pain I lived with before. Does just touching effect you? If it splatters in the air will it cause me to become sick? I'm beginning to feel that I live and work in a war zone!

[zansu]

I teach cooking in a public school and am always around flour. I just finished a cookie unit and was not tempted, I never want to have the pain I lived with before. Does just touching effect you? If it splatters in the air will it cause me to become sick? I'm beginning to feel that I live and work in a war zone!

Very few (but some) have said they react by touching gluten. The problem for many is that what is on the hands will end up in the mouth.

Also, with flour, the problem is airborne. If the flour gets in your nose (which it will if you breathe it in), the natural design of the nasal membranes to to self clean by producing mucus which normally goes straight down the back of your throat (without you even being aware of it), taking the mucus and flour into your digestive system. You just got glutened!

[wildkat]

My hubby does the low carb so I also can not have a completely gluten free house. It was a problem at first. I spent years of research trying to figure out how I kept getting gluten into my system when I knew exactly what I was eating (fresh veggies, chicken, rice, potatoes -nothing I didn't prepare myself). Kind of like the caveman diet.

I finally got my own dishes, pans, storage bowls, silverware etc. and low and behold...the problems started to ease. I do not use any plastic or teflon pans that have ever even remotely been around gluten. When I heated anything up in either of these items it seamed that the effects were deadly(bathroom all day, rashes, poor appetite). I think plastic soaks up the gluten and when reheated it releases into the food causing ickyness.

Ya... I know that sounds stupid but since I did this change three weeks ago I stated feeling alot better. I had to do something to quit loosing weight. (I was at 90 lbs then and have just about gotten up to my drivers license weight of 100 lbs)

By the way, now that my hubby decided to try my caveman diet, he has lost well over 100 lbs, doesn't snore anymore, and now has normal blood sugar. Diabetes runs in his family.

[Helena]

I second zansu's comment about the problem with being around flour dust----my dietician told me to be careful of this.

Wildkat, What you are saying makes perfect sense. My dietician also told me to get rid of any teflon coated pans, wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards used during my previous gluten unfree life. Gluten gets stuck in any scratches in plastic or wood and then contaminates your food.

[SillyBoo]

I think it's a great idea to make your house gluten free. I sure wish I could do that! I have no temptation to eat anything with gluten - that's not my issue.

I have a husband and two teenage daughters. Both daughters have been tested, and have "equivocal" results. One is trying to go gluten free with me because she has SOOOO many symptoms. The other ("differently" symptomatic - very anemic) is adamantly resisting, and even got upset with me when I cleaned out the pantry yesterday, separating gluten-containing foods from gluten free. I commandered an entire cabinet for gluten free foods, and got resistance from my wonderful, usually supportive, husband who is a dedicated bread-head.

I have one side of the kitchen that is supposed to remain gluten free, but it's such a struggle. I was diagnosed not quite 2 months ago, and really need to do some healing without constant exposure. With gluten still in the house, I feel as though I am continually battling this - crumbs, sponges, dish towels, surfaces, air-borne gluten...

I really think that a gluten free house is not such a huge request, considering the potential harm of exposure.

[Guest Kathy Ann]

I disagree. I made our household gluten free except for pizza (from a parlour) and beer. These two things are very easy to keep track of. the pizza box never leaves a particular counter, and we have a mudroom sink where plates that have touched gluten get prewashed before going into the dishwasher.

Gluten isn't good for anyone. Bread ins't good for anyone. I bet your husband will be healthier eating the way you do. He will still be able to eat gluten when he eats out - and getting a scone and coffee at Starbucks can solve that craving. How hard is that?

As to it being "fair"? I think that's an oddly American idea - that our households need to be fair. Your household is a community that supports one another. Your husband does not NEED gluten; you NEED to be gluten free. Thus, your need trumps his desire. He can achieve eating gluten in his private time or in space that is not YOUR HOME. Communities sacrifice things for one another. I bet you sacrifice for him.

Anyway, that's my two cents. My husband and two friends (both who eat over a lot) have handled it gracefully.

-Sherri

Wise and sensible thoughts! I've been feeling that way, but thought it was being selfish and unfair. I am sure having a difficult time preventing accidental glutening with gluten stuff everywhere. I think the key is that my family isn't convinced that it actually is a NEED of mine. I'm afraid they still think this is all bogus. I don't have a "doctor's" diagnosis and that doesn't sit well with skeptics.

[dragonmom]

If you feel better and stronger gluten-free , tell them it can be much worse-my family is pretty much gluten free, they eat out when I'm at work and eat regular pizza from a parlor, they watched me turn into a person that couldn't lift a 3 pound weight, and nearly die. Great Alternative- ask them they are more than happy to be gluten free.