Just A Few Questions

[karma]

Hello. I was just tested for Celiac, and the results came back borderline. I was a little confused has to what this meant? I called the advice nurse at kaiser and she said I should quit eating gluten soon as possible. I have been suffering from ibs for the past two years and a nurse friend of my mothers told me to get tested for Celiac. So can anyone let me know of any books that can be useful to me? When reading lables for food should I be looking for Gluten or Wheat? Thanks any help, advice, or knowledge is appreciated.

Thanks Again,

Karma

[hez]

Welcome to the board!

I really do not have any suggestions for books on celiacs. I learned most things on this board and other web sites.

Welcome to the world of reading labels, everytime. I would look for both wheat and gluten on product labels. Keep in mind wheat free does not mean gluten free.

My advice would be to keep it very simple for the first month. This allows time to research what words to look for and what companies you can trust. Remember that meats, seafood (real stuff, not the fake), fruits and vegetables are gluten-free.

As far as the boaderline question, I am not sure how to answer. My mom came back the same way. However, she had already gone gluten-free before the test which can mess with the results. For her, she tried the diet and could not believe how much better she felt. She is gluten-free and has never looked back.

Hez

[EBsMom]

Danna Korn's "Living Gluten Free for Dummies" book is great! It will get you started in knowing what to look for on labels, which ingredients are safe, which are suspect, etc. I also like "The Gluten Free Bible", but Korn's book is the best "primer." If I could only buy one book, that would be the one. Good luck!

Rho

[Eriella]

Hello,

As far as books, I didn't have time to read any when I got dx-ed, so I have no recommendations.

With labels, look for an allergy warning label that says wheat and read the ingredients to look for barley, wheat, oats, and rye (and then re-read them at home to make sure you didn't miss anything). Then, also look for hidden gluten in: modified food starch (could be corn, potato, or wheat-- if it doesn't specify, don't use), natural flavors, artificial flavors, malt, spices, and broth/stock. Wal-mart and Wegmans label their generic products as gluten-free if they are, so it can be an easy place to start shopping. Also, for the first month or two, try not to use gluten replacement products such as bread, cookies, and the like. They are hard to digest, a lot of them taste like cardboard (although there is some really good stuff), and expensive.

What I recommend eating is very simple meals of eggs, rice, vegetables, fruit, and meat/fish. Keep spices to only McCormick (they don't add gluten) and I'd recommend cutting out dairy because lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose, is produced in the same villi that celiac destroys. Therefore, most celiacs are lactose intolerant for awhile. After a month of healing and researching safe foods, start introducing processed foods.

Some of my essentials are: Nutrition Kitchen soybean pasta, Tinkyada brown rice, ortega taco shells, Namaste cake mixes, and tortilla chips.

My weekly shopping list (ie cheap, healthy, gluten-free food) is: broccoli, carrots, lettuce, peaches, banana, canned pinto beans (to make refried beans), canned tomatoes (for pasta sauce, although many jarred sauces are gluten free), brown rice, Nutrition Kitchen soybean pasta, eggs, cheddar cheese (naturally low lactose), soy milk, McCormick taco seasoning, Mission corn tortillas, pork chops/chicken breasts/beef.

I normally eat grilled meat, broccoli, and rice; soy or rice pasta with sauteed veggies or tomato sauce; or tacos/burritos for dinner (I george forman the meat to get out the fat, then finish cooking it with the seasoning and beans). For lunch I eat leftovers or rice and beans. Breakfast is either an omelet or fruit with peanut butter.

I hope this helps!

[stargazer]

Hi Karma, were you tested with just the blood test? A biopsy is more accurate. You should try the gluten free diet and see how you feel. As for the labels, you have to look for gluten free, not just wheat because gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats (through cross contamination). There are several good books about Celiac disease that I found at Barnes and Noble book store (I'm sorry I can't remember the titles, it has been a while since I looked at them). I hope you feel better.

[happygirl]

Actually, the biopsy is not necessarily more accurate, as the damage can be patchy, not enough biopsies may be taken, etc.

Check out the book in my signature, written by one of the leading experts on Celiac Disease.

I would obtain a copy of your records so that you know which tests were run. There is a full celiac panel, but many drs only run part of it.

If you want a consult with a GI, he will probably recommend a biopsy, which means that you will need to continue to eat gluten until the testing is finished.