New To This...some Questions

[hillarylmt]

Hello,

I am VERY new to all this. After struggling with some health issues, I have decided along with my doc to cut Gluten from my diet and see if I have an intolerence. So I have been educating myself like crazy, and started my gluten free way of life yesterday. But I do have a few questions I can't seem to find specific answers for.

1. Is Balsamic Vinegar gluten free?

2. I see a lot of recipes for Mayo, but from reading the labels on Mayo jars, it seems they must contain gluten. Do I need to buy a special gluten free mayo, or is all mayo gluten free?

3. What drinks are gluten free? For example, I bought some sparkling water, but one of the ingredients is "natural flavoring" . On my list, it says to avoid the word flavoring. Are there any sugar free drinks that are gluten free?

Thank you so much, I am sure I will be using the board lots! So glad I found it!

Hillary

[Lisa]

Hello,

I am VERY new to all this. After struggling with some health issues, I have decided along with my doc to cut Gluten from my diet and see if I have an intolerence. So I have been educating myself like crazy, and started my gluten free way of life yesterday. But I do have a few questions I can't seem to find specific answers for.

1. Is Balsamic Vinegar gluten free?

2. I see a lot of recipes for Mayo, but from reading the labels on Mayo jars, it seems they must contain gluten. Do I need to buy a special gluten free mayo, or is all mayo gluten free?

3. What drinks are gluten free? For example, I bought some sparkling water, but one of the ingredients is "natural flavoring" . On my list, it says to avoid the word flavoring. Are there any sugar free drinks that are gluten free?

Thank you so much, I am sure I will be using the board lots! So glad I found it!

Hillary

Welcome Hillary:

Balsamic Vinegar is gluten free, most are except for Malt Vinegar.

Hellman's and Duke's are gluten free. I use no other, but I think generally most mayos are gluten free.

Pepsi, Coke, 7-up are gluten free to include diets. Juices that are listed as 100% and all Gatorade products are gluten free. All of the v-8 line to include Splash are gluten free.

There is wealth of information on this site. Take some time and drive around here.

Hope this helps.

[NoGluGirl]

Hello,

I am VERY new to all this. After struggling with some health issues, I have decided along with my doc to cut Gluten from my diet and see if I have an intolerence. So I have been educating myself like crazy, and started my gluten free way of life yesterday. But I do have a few questions I can't seem to find specific answers for.

1. Is Balsamic Vinegar gluten free?

2. I see a lot of recipes for Mayo, but from reading the labels on Mayo jars, it seems they must contain gluten. Do I need to buy a special gluten free mayo, or is all mayo gluten free?

3. What drinks are gluten free? For example, I bought some sparkling water, but one of the ingredients is "natural flavoring" . On my list, it says to avoid the word flavoring. Are there any sugar free drinks that are gluten free?

Thank you so much, I am sure I will be using the board lots! So glad I found it!

Hillary

Dear Hillary,

Welcome to the forum! I have a present for you! I have a list that should really help. This is overwhelming. I went through this with myself six months ago. You spend most of your day cooking and cleaning obsessively. The rest you are on the phone with reps from companies trying to find out what is safe. I decided to save you the trouble!

1. There are a number of things in the regular grocery that are safe. Some things are labeled already. Wal-Mart's Great Value brand has numerous things you can eat.

2. For the love of God use Coupons on items you are allowed to eat. People can get them and print them out online even. Call some of the local stores and ask if they accept online coupons.

3. Check the ads online and in the newspaper. You would be surprised how many people do not do this.

4. Some items like rice flour and rice noodles are safe to buy at the Chinese or oriental market. The merchants are more than happy to help you if you cannot read the label.

Now, here is my list of great things to get you started:

Condiments:

Smart Balance Margerine

Crisco Shortening

Crisco Oil

Pompeiian Olive Oil

Great Value soy sauce

Heinz Ketchup

Lea & Perrins Worchestershire Sauce (all Lea & Perrins Products are safe)

Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce

Kraft French Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Kraft Thousand Island Fat-Free Salad Dressing

Pace Picante Sauce

Ortega Salsa

All Classico Red and *White sauces

All Jif Peanut Butters including Smooth Sensations

Welch's Grape Jelly

Cool Whip*

Philadelphia Cream Cheese*

Miracle Whip

Daisy Sour Cream (fat-free, low-fat, regular)*

Snack Foods:

Utz Potato Chips (Found at Sam

[4getgluten]

Noglugirl - what a wonderful list! Great for newbies and oldbies! Thanks for taking the time to post it.

[confused]

Noglugirl - what a wonderful list! Great for newbies and oldbies! Thanks for taking the time to post it.

I wanted to say thanks again for that list and thank you for adding info if it has dairy or not. I am printing this off again lol

paula

[NoGluGirl]

Dear 4getgluten and confused,

You are very welcome! Anything to make it easier! I am working on an even more refined list that will have everything organized by department to make shopping go even quicker! This is especially helpful if you have children with you! There are a few things I have forgotten to add.

We can also have:

Bush's Baked Beans (all except for chili beans and Chili Magic line)

Hormel Pepperoni

Planter's Nuts (Kraft makes these, so gluten will be clearly labeled if present)

Gatorade Thirst Quenchers

Fruit 2-0 Flavored Waters

Nestle Pure Life Flavored Waters

All Mori-Nu Silken Tofu (8 varieties)

Mori-Nu Mates Chocolate Pudding Mix (Chocolate, Lemon Creme, and Vanilla) (These are found at Wal-Mart Super Centers!)

T. Marzetti Fat-Free Caramel Dip*

Yoplait Yogurts (clearly label gluten when present) Try the Whips in the Latte Flavor! (I cannot eat them anymore, I can only tolerate extremely small amounts of casein now)

ZonePerfect Bars - fudge graham, chocolate almond raisen, and chocolate coconut crunch are gluten-free)*

Skittles

Starbursts

Jell-O Pudding Snack Cups* (Are clearly labeled when gluten is present)

Hunt's Pudding Snack Cups* (Are clearly labeled when gluten is present)

Dear Hillary and Everyone,

Please tell me if you are in Canada. This is very important. I do not want anyone becoming ill following my list. Ingredients vary in these products in Canada. What is gluten-free in the U.S. may not be safe there. Let me know if you are in Canada, so I may provide you with a link for a list of products in Canada that are safe.

* Dairy present

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[hillarylmt]

Thank you all SO SO much for the great information. I know it will really help. So after 2 1/2 days of no gluten, I am feeling good. The first two days I felt like CRAP! Really tired, sort of grumpy, and I felt really gassy and bloated. I'm wondering if this could be my body kind of "detoxing" because today I woke up feeling great, with renewed energy that I haven't had in a while. Maybe two days is a short amount of time, but I hope the improvement continues.

I have to say, I did the ATkins diet a few years ago, before it got such a bad rap, and I never felt better in my life. I lost weight, had a ton of energy, just felt like a million bucks. Because the Atkins diet pretty much eliminates gluten, I am now wondering if it was getting rid of the gluten that made me feel so good, not so much the carbs, KWIM?

Anyway, I am excited to continue this venture.

One thing that makes me nervous, one of the symptoms that I am addressing is the fact that I seem to hold weight around my middle. The other is that my psoriasis is out of control, and I know this can be a side effect of gluten intolerence. But in looking around the forum, it seems like a lot of people gain weight when eliminating gluten. I read that if you have in intolerence, eliminating the gluten should make weight drop because you are no longer putting that "glue" in your body. I'm curious what other people's results have been?

[WyattsMomma]

Hello everyone,

I am new to gluten free diet and am actually preparing myself to be strict with the diet starting Monday. I have not been diagnosed with Celiac but have been diagnosed with IBS in the past and have always had issues with my bowels and with other chronic issues that I think may be linked to a sensitivity to gluten. I am going to try the diet to see if it helps with my depression, headaches, joint aches skin eruptions on my legs and stomach and other issues because I am at my wits end. I have removed dairy, chocolate (I am a choco-holic), soda, processed foods and white starches out of my diet and still have not been able to lose weight. I have noticed the times that I ate a lot of protein and veggies and stayed off the breads that I felt better and have decided to test my theory. I think I am right. If not it is still a great idea to go gluten free and I will most likely keep with the change. My husband is on board and my son is at an age where if I start him now he won't refuse later. He is 26 months old and from birth refused to eat any dairy or meat so that is one reason I haven't had dairy and we eat a lot of soy and soy products.

I have tried a bread product called Chebe and was wondering if anyone has experience with this mix?

Can anyone tell me if Chebe bread is supposed to be chewy on the inside after baking? I followed the directions but am wondering if I didn't bake it long enough or if I added too much liquid.

Also can anyone recommend bread alternatives that are inexpensive and easy to obtain? I am in the US and located in VA but am not against ordering products on line if they are a bargain. Well it is late and I am rambling. I am so excited to have found such a wonderful site. And thank you for taking the time to post the lists that are on here so far. I appreciate it.

They are very helpful.

Kat

[NoGluGirl]

Thank you all SO SO much for the great information. I know it will really help. So after 2 1/2 days of no gluten, I am feeling good. The first two days I felt like CRAP! Really tired, sort of grumpy, and I felt really gassy and bloated. I'm wondering if this could be my body kind of "detoxing" because today I woke up feeling great, with renewed energy that I haven't had in a while. Maybe two days is a short amount of time, but I hope the improvement continues.

I have to say, I did the ATkins diet a few years ago, before it got such a bad rap, and I never felt better in my life. I lost weight, had a ton of energy, just felt like a million bucks. Because the Atkins diet pretty much eliminates gluten, I am now wondering if it was getting rid of the gluten that made me feel so good, not so much the carbs, KWIM?

Anyway, I am excited to continue this venture.

One thing that makes me nervous, one of the symptoms that I am addressing is the fact that I seem to hold weight around my middle. The other is that my psoriasis is out of control, and I know this can be a side effect of gluten intolerence. But in looking around the forum, it seems like a lot of people gain weight when eliminating gluten. I read that if you have in intolerence, eliminating the gluten should make weight drop because you are no longer putting that "glue" in your body. I'm curious what other people's results have been?

Dear Hillary,

I went gluten-free, and within three days, there was a difference. I was amazed. When you suffer from stomach problems for years, and suddenly that gets better, it is wonderful! I thought I would never be without reflux again. It had gotten to the point that I was sleeping practically sitting straight-up. That would not be so odd if I was not taking a double dose of Prilosec daily. I am surprised that I can actually lay down to sleep a lot of the time now! I never thought I would be able to do that. The nausea has lessened, as have the bowel problems.

Dear WyattsMomma,

Welcome to the forum! I am so glad that you found us! You sure sound like a typical Celiac. I had digestive issues from birth. I have been gluten-free for seven months plus now. I have been anemic, had Thyroid problems, lost my gallbladder, and was diagnosed with IBS and Acid Reflux.

Doctors doped me up on antidepressants and told me I was just crazy. Then, finally a holistic physician I started seeing last year told me that the blood work I had done for Celiac was likely inaccurate. She has had a handful of patients that have tested negative in blood work and were Celiac.

She feels I am one of them. I do not think the doctors I had before who did the biopsies new what they were looking for. We all seem to have been medical mysteries to doctors. Now, we finally have answers for the suffering we have endured all of these years.

Regarding the Chebe bread, I cannot afford it. I wish I could help you with that. I am afraid I have to make everything from scratch! I am on a tight budget. Making good gluten-free bread is tricky.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[WyattsMomma]

Dear Hillary,

I went gluten-free, and within three days, there was a difference. I was amazed. When you suffer from stomach problems for years, and suddenly that gets better, it is wonderful! I thought I would never be without reflux again. It had gotten to the point that I was sleeping practically sitting straight-up. That would not be so odd if I was not taking a double dose of Prilosec daily. I am surprised that I can actually lay down to sleep a lot of the time now! I never thought I would be able to do that. The nausea has lessened, as have the bowel problems.

Dear WyattsMomma,

Welcome to the forum! I am so glad that you found us! You sure sound like a typical Celiac. I had digestive issues from birth. I have been gluten-free for seven months plus now. I have been anemic, had Thyroid problems, lost my gallbladder, and was diagnosed with IBS and Acid Reflux.

Doctors doped me up on antidepressants and told me I was just crazy. Then, finally a holistic physician I started seeing last year told me that the blood work I had done for Celiac was likely inaccurate. She has had a handful of patients that have tested negative in blood work and were Celiac.

She feels I am one of them. I do not think the doctors I had before who did the biopsies new what they were looking for. We all seem to have been medical mysteries to doctors. Now, we finally have answers for the suffering we have endured all of these years.

Regarding the Chebe bread, I cannot afford it. I wish I could help you with that. I am afraid I have to make everything from scratch! I am on a tight budget. Making good gluten-free bread is tricky.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

Dear NoGluGirl,

Thank you for the wonderful response. I am hoping that this new way of eating will change the way I feel. In the past I have had what I call "episodes" where I would get hives and then get the worse type of stabbing pains in my gut and have to go run to the bathroom. While in the bathroom I would get so hot that I would have to remove my shirt. It was so bad that in between the pains that signalled another need to go I would lay lifeless on the bathroom floor. It didn't matter where I was either. I could be in a public bathroom and still have to lay down ( I am somewhat of a germ-a-phobe so for me to do that really says something about the state of my body at the time). These episodes took so much out of me I would be exhausted afterwards even though they only lasted about 20 minutes. This happened through high school and got really bad in College. I thought it was my nerves and no one could answer me. I had upper GI done and the technician asked if I had had an ulcer because it looked like I had scar tissue on my stomach (that was in High school) then Later on I had a lower GI and they diagnosed me as having IBS. I have ended up in the hospital twice for these "episodes" that didn't subside.I don't have insurance and don't like modern medicine so I have been doing everything holistically. I am studying to be a hypnotherapist to help others with chronic pain and weight issues, smoking issues and hopefully later once I start my practice and am bringing in some money I will continue my education to become a Doctor of Natural Medicine.

I am so glad I found this site. It will help me when I am at a loss for recipes or support. My son is very difficult to cook for and to come up with meal ideas. He is very picky and he will not eat very much meat. He loves veggies and fruit but I have a hard time finding proteins for him to eat other than tofu and Quorn protein. If anyone has any suggestions that are easy for a 2 year old I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Kat