Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Gluten Free Chocolate?


kalila

Recommended Posts

kalila Newbie

I'm new to this forum and the whole concept of Gluten free diets, so please take it easy on me.

My youngest sister is 6 years old, a bright little girl who I probably love most in my family. Since she was 3 she started lagging behind in development. Not so much, but she is a bit skinny and appears smaller than children her age.

Last month my parents took her for some medical checks, the doctor called them last week and was pretty clear: she has gluten allergy and she need a gluten free diet.

I spoke with her on the phone today and she took it with plain courage (she was the one who told me about it). My parents tell me she is pretty strict and asks them for any food that she's about to eat. However, she had to cut back on some of the stuff the enjoys most: cakes, french bread, Chocolate..etc

She is (was?) a chocolate freak. I see her only for a few months each year, and every time I buy loads of chocolate for her, stuff like Mars, Snickes, M&M's, Kinder, etc... It's sad if she can't eat stuff like that any more. I'm about to check if they are gluten free, if they are not, I'd have to find some alternatives. She lives in a 3rd world country, and stuff like Mars etc are not present there, most of the local chocolate brands have a very poor quality. I'll be visiting them next week so I don't have much time to play with.

The doctor told my parents that it will just be temporary, but I keep reading everywhere that gluten allergy is permanent.

I have to admit that I'm just starting to read about Gluten Diets. The concept was completely alien to me. I would appreciate if you could point to anywhere where I could read extensively on gluten free diets.

Thanks


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



BRUMI1968 Collaborator

A great gluten-free nice chocolate is DAGOBA. It's a bit pricey, but is gluten free. I think some Hersheys might also be gluten-free - but I only eat Dagoba, since it only has all natural ingredients, uses fair trade chocolate, and is, I think, organic.

Good luck. It's nice to hear you care so much and want to be helpful.

gdobson Explorer
I'm new to this forum and the whole concept of Gluten free diets, so please take it easy on me.

My youngest sister is 6 years old, a bright little girl who I probably love most in my family. Since she was 3 she started lagging behind in development. Not so much, but she is a bit skinny and appears smaller than children her age.

Last month my parents took her for some medical checks, the doctor called them last week and was pretty clear: she has gluten allergy and she need a gluten free diet.

I spoke with her on the phone today and she took it with plain courage (she was the one who told me about it). My parents tell me she is pretty strict and asks them for any food that she's about to eat. However, she had to cut back on some of the stuff the enjoys most: cakes, french bread, Chocolate..etc

She is (was?) a chocolate freak. I see her only for a few months each year, and every time I buy loads of chocolate for her, stuff like Mars, Snickes, M&M's, Kinder, etc... It's sad if she can't eat stuff like that any more. I'm about to check if they are gluten free, if they are not, I'd have to find some alternatives. She lives in a 3rd world country, and stuff like Mars etc are not present there, most of the local chocolate brands have a very poor quality. I'll be visiting them next week so I don't have much time to play with.

The doctor told my parents that it will just be temporary, but I keep reading everywhere that gluten allergy is permanent.

I have to admit that I'm just starting to read about Gluten Diets. The concept was completely alien to me. I would appreciate if you could point to anywhere where I could read extensively on gluten free diets.

Thanks

Kalila,

That is such a big question. I know many of us would be glad to help. Can you narrow it down a little? Recipes? Chocolates? Dos and Dont's?

Mango04 Enthusiast

If you are in the US, I believe M&M's are gluten-free.

gdobson Explorer
If you are in the US, I believe M&M's are gluten-free.

The last time I checked, plain and peanut M&M's, 3 Musketeers, Milkyway Dark, Snickers, Butterfingers, Dove Promises were all gluten free.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - trents replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

    2. - Ello replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

    3. - trents replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

    4. - Ello replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

    5. - trents replied to Ello's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      Small Bowel Resection 12 inches

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,832
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Duhgirl
    Newest Member
    Duhgirl
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      You might consider asking for a referral to a RD (Registered Dietician) to help with food choices and planning a diet. Even apart from any gluten issues, you will likely find there are some foods you need to avoid because of the shorter bowel but you may also find that your system may make adjustments over time and that symptoms may improve.
    • Ello
      I wish Dr’s would have these discussions with their patients. So frustrating but will continue to do research. Absolutely love this website. I will post any updates on my testing and results.  Thank you
    • trents
      Losing 12" of your small bowel is going to present challenges for you in nutritional uptake because you are losing a significant amount of nutritional absorption surface area. You will need to focus on consuming foods that are nutritionally dense and also probably look at some good supplements. If indeed you are having issues with gluten you will need to educate yourself as to how gluten is hidden in the food supply. There's more to it than just avoiding the major sources of gluten like bread and pasta. It is hidden in so many things you would never expect to find it in like canned tomato soup and soy sauce just to name a few. It can be in pills and medications.  Also, your "yellow diarrhea, constipation and bloating" though these are classic signs of a gluten disorder, could also be related to the post surgical shorter length of your small bowel causing incomplete processing/digestion of food.
    • Ello
      Yes this information helps. I will continue to be pro active with this issues I am having. More testing to be done. Thank you so much for your response. 
    • trents
      There are two gluten-related disorders that share many of the same symptoms but differ in nature from each other. One is known as celiac disease or "gluten intolerance". By nature, it is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the ingestion of gluten triggers the body to attack it's own tissues, specifically the lining of the small bowel. This attack causes inflammation and produces antibodies that can be detected in the blood by specific tests like the TTG-IGA test you had. Over time, if gluten is not withheld, this inflammation can cause severe damage to the lining of the small bowel and even result in nutrient deficiency related health issues since the small bowel lining is organ where all the nutrition found in our food is absorbed.  The other is NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or just "gluten sensitivity") which we know less about and are unsure of the exact mechanism of action. It is not an autoimmune disorder and unlike celiac disease it does not damage the lining of the small bowel, though, like celiac disease, it can cause GI distress and it can also do other kinds of damage to the body. It is thought to be more common than celiac disease. Currently, we cannot test for NCGS. Celiac disease must first be ruled out to arrive at a diagnosis of NCGS. Both disorders require elimination of gluten from the diet.  Either of these disorders can find their onset at any stage of life. We know that celiac disease has a genetic component but the genes are inactive until awakened by some stress event. About 40% of the general population has the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% develop active celiac disease. The incidence of NCGS is thought to be considerably higher. I hope this helps.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.