New Girl With Questions

[MissCici]

I'm still waiting on my blood work to come back, but based on my symptoms, my nurse practicioner is pretty confident I will test positive for celiac. I've had stomach problems for a few years and just discovered I have many food allergies.

Apples, canteloupe, cashews, coconut, peaches, peanuts, potatos, rice, rye, spinach, strawberries, tomatos, tuna, walnuts, watermelon, wheat, baker's yeast, and brewer's yeast.

I just had the scratch test, so I'm not worried about everything I wasn't specifically tested for. It looks like it will be a while before I can see a dietician, so I'm just afraid of food.

The gluten-free products almost always have rice or potatos, so I can try them at all. I've been eating a lot of turkey, yogurt, oranges, and cheese because I'm pretty sure they are safe.

Can any of you give me some suggestions or advice? What should I? Avoid? I feel very lost right now.

Cici

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Hello, my adivce is to stick with naturally gluten-free foods while you learn the ropes. This would include fresh/frozen fruit, vegetables, meats, and such. Being gluten-free can be very easy once you get used to it. Start slow and then add in the new breads, baked goods, and products!

Good luck!

[lob6796]

Yes just stick to what you know. you might want to check out some sites on the elimination diet - alot of times they have great ideas of food you can eat while on that diet (eliminates the major food allergens), and you could transfer that into meals for yourself. Also, some gluten free products are made with corn or soy flour, bean flour, etc - so look into that! Alot of the homemade foods that use a glutenfree flour you can substitute if it says 1cup rice flour, you can put 1 cup garbanzo bean flour instead. I know it seems overwhelming, but just take it a little at a time.

[grey]

Hi Cici,

I mainly just wanted to offer support as I'm a newly diagnosed celiac & going through this too & finding it harder than I thought. Go slow and be gentle on yourself. I tried to go crazy at first, making interesting things from cookbooks, but my system isn't ready for them yet. I'm ok w/ a bread from Whole Foods (rice flour), but I tried some of the fancier, more fun gluten-free products & it was too much.

I'm eating a lot of rice still, and seem to be lactose intolerant- whcih is very common w/ newly diagnosed celiacs because if you have any loss of villi (I have total villous atrophy), you have trouble digesting it. It will (so it's promised) come back. I can still handle some cow's cheese in moderation. Not yoghurt, butter, milk, goat's cheese, or (sigh!) ice cream though.

Raw vegetables too hard still too. So I'm mostly eating very simple things -brown rice, cooked veg, salmon, bananas, organic pb, salt, gluten-free tamari sauce, lots of water, quinoa flakes w/ honey and blueberries, sleepytime tea. The boards have great suggestions.

I'm afraid of food too! They say it gets better ...

good luck!

grey

  MissCici said:

I'm still waiting on my blood work to come back, but based on my symptoms, my nurse practicioner is pretty confident I will test positive for celiac. I've had stomach problems for a few years and just discovered I have many food allergies.

Apples, canteloupe, cashews, coconut, peaches, peanuts, potatos, rice, rye, spinach, strawberries, tomatos, tuna, walnuts, watermelon, wheat, baker's yeast, and brewer's yeast.

I just had the scratch test, so I'm not worried about everything I wasn't specifically tested for. It looks like it will be a while before I can see a dietician, so I'm just afraid of food.

The gluten-free products almost always have rice or potatos, so I can try them at all. I've been eating a lot of turkey, yogurt, oranges, and cheese because I'm pretty sure they are safe.

Can any of you give me some suggestions or advice? What should I? Avoid? I feel very lost right now.

Cici

[SunnyDyRain]

  Quote

I'm eating a lot of rice still, and seem to be lactose intolerant- whcih is very common w/ newly diagnosed celiacs because if you have any loss of villi (I have total villous atrophy), you have trouble digesting it. It will (so it's promised) come back. I can still handle some cow's cheese in moderation. Not yoghurt, butter, milk, goat's cheese, or (sigh!) ice cream though.

Just a FYI, Soy Delcious is good brand of dairy free ice cream. It's not an exact match, but it's pretty good. It's been getting me though my bouts of "I need Ice Cream it's too HOT not to have Ice Cream!"

Look for it in store with Organic/ Gluten free areas. Also not all Varieties are gluten free, but they have a list on thier web site what is and they label clearly. Also, you can tell something like "cookies and Creme" isn't gluten-free!

[bluejeangirl]

At first I'd just eat simply, single ingredients. When you get hungry for bread it'll have to be made with baking soda or powder. I get a great millet/flax bread from Sami's bakery in Florida that you could get shipped but not sure how costs are for that. I get it at my local health food store. I'll post the link. Otherwise read ingredients lists which will be overwhelming at first but it gets better after awhile. I think I tried every grain out there that was gluten free at first to see if I like them, since everyone has a different opinion what is good.

It looks like you can have almonds and there are alot of recipes that are made with almond flour. I've made cookies and pancakes with almond flour that were great. You have problems with peanuts so I'm wondering if you'll react to other legumes too? That would include bean flours.

Hang in there like I said the beginning is tough but it gets easier when you find what agree with you.

Gail

["www.samisbakery.com"]

[mroper]

  bluejeangirl said:

At first I'd just eat simply, single ingredients. When you get hungry for bread it'll have to be made with baking soda or powder. I get a great millet/flax bread from Sami's bakery in Florida that you could get shipped but not sure how costs are for that. I get it at my local health food store. I'll post the link. Otherwise read ingredients lists which will be overwhelming at first but it gets better after awhile. I think I tried every grain out there that was gluten free at first to see if I like them, since everyone has a different opinion what is good.

It looks like you can have almonds and there are alot of recipes that are made with almond flour. I've made cookies and pancakes with almond flour that were great. You have problems with peanuts so I'm wondering if you'll react to other legumes too? That would include bean flours.

Hang in there like I said the beginning is tough but it gets easier when you find what agree with you.

Gail

["www.samisbakery.com"]

I too enjoy the Sami's Bakery bread it really is good, someone just the other day has advised of the major cross contamination. I have personally stopped purchasing this to see if it makes a difference.

[Vykt0r]

Legumes: chick peas(garbanzos), kidney beans, lentils, etc....

They're easy to prepare -- just eat them the way you would rice: whole and boiled along with spices and salt. Be sure to soak them overnight and rinse them well before cooking if you buy them dry. If you have no allergies to legumes(especially lentils), they can become your staple.

Vegetables and meats are good too.

[gfpaperdoll]

if you are allergic to peanuts be careful with eating beans which are another legume like peanuts.

Also legumes are a high lectin food. If you can eat them make sure that you soak them overnight & cook them on top of the stove. Cooking on top of the stove at a high heat destroys some of th bad lectins. If you cook them in a crock pot the heat is not high enough to destroy the lectins.

i would make sure that you add kale & broccoli & cabbage to your diet. carrots & sweet potatoes are good also.

tomatoes, potatoes (not sweet potatoes), peppers, eggplant are members of the nightshade family - it looks like you need to avoid nightshades.

also check into the high oxalate foods to see if you have a problem with oxalates, like spinach. Some (gluten intolerant it seems especially) people do not excrete oxalates like they should...

P.S. once you have been gluten free for awhile some of those food allergies should go away. Of course if it is a bad one then you might not be able to eat that food ever... I used to be allergic to more foods than you are & mine went away. Oh, also a caution do not eat oats, with your food allergies, big chance that you will not be able to tolerate them

[stargazer]

Try Chebe bread. www.chebe.com

[JNBunnie1]

  stargazer said:

Try Chebe bread. www.chebe.com

I second that wholeheartedly, I made hamburger buns out of Chebe, which is tapioca flour, and they were amazing! chebe is remarkably versatile. Almonds will be a good snack with dried fruit that you can have too. And you might try avocados cut up on a salad with safe dressing, the fat will make your stomach feel better and help your brain work.

Also, one of my favorite recipes has all ingredients I think you can have, here it is!

Alfredo!

For the sauce:

1 cup milk

1 stick butter

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1 cup grated hard cheese- parmesan, romano

Put first three ingredients in saucepan and stir rather vigorously until cream cheese is mostly melted and mixed in on medium heat, usually takes 8-10 min, then add grated cheese and stir for another 1-2 min and remove from heat. I like to add garlic (powder or chopped) and a little pepper.

Meanwhile, I saute one pound of either ground beef or small chunks of chicken in one pan, and in another pan one large chopped onion, and one large chopped green pepper til tender.Then I mix everything together, and it's delicious. Not sure what to call it, because it's not pasta, but it's always been my favorite.

Grey- you might try Rice Dream, I've heard it's good, I don't know if it's gluten free.

[Shotzy1313]

Hi, I am also new to this. I just got my blood work back about week ago and it came back posative. My doctor said the only way to know for sure is to have a biopsy done. I am getting one done at the end of the month.

[mftnchn]

Just a comment that skin testing is only a guide for food allergies, it is not an absolute, neither are blood or stool tests.

Dietary testing is the best way to determine.

I'd suggest you eliminate totally for 7-10 days, and if you feel better, then challenge the food.

You could also be sensitive to many many foods due to another underlying issue having to do with leaky gut.