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Just Diagnosed

minnow

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minnow Newbie
minnow
Posted

I am a 45 year old women who has just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Can anyone give me advice on what to do....what to eat, to buy, how to restructure my whole life and how I have done things? I need specific names of things you can buy at the grocery that are safe. Pls Help.

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minnow Newbie
minnow
Posted
  • Author

Hi I was just diagnosed with Celiac. I have no idea what to take what to eat should I take supplements how long untill my abdominal symptoms leave and I feel more normal again? I feel lost and don't know where to start. thx

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Welcome to the Club! You have found yourself the best source of Celiac information around.

The best advise I can give you is to start simple. Simple meats, seafood, rice, potatoes, fresh veggies and fruits. Limit your seasonings to salt and pepper until you learn what you can expand upon. Wheat, barley, malt, rye and oats are your enemy.

Your old toaster, chopping block, and scratched pots and pans are subject to serious cross contamination as gluten can hide everywhere.

Anything that you can put in your mouth must be checked for gluten, including your shampoo and lip balm or lipsticks.

If this is overwhelming to you, it's because it is! The beginning is very difficult and the learning curve is steep. With the help of these good folks here, they can teach you everything you need to know. Questions are always welcome.

Recovery is different with every one. For a totally recovery, it took me a full two years, with initial improvement within a month or so. It also is correlated to the level of damage. Good health can be yours again with diligence with the gluten free diet. It will get better and you have come to a wonderful place.

~alex~ Explorer
~alex~
Posted

There's not much I can add to the great advice and information that Lisa posted. You may want to stay away from dairy products for awhile since damaged villi can lead to temporary lactose intolerance. It's not a problem for everybody but might be a good idea if you're still feeling sick on the gluten-free diet.

If you haven't already, you may want to get some blood tests to check for deficiencies like anemia, low B12, etc.

I definitely does get easier. I never thought it would become second nature, but it has!

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Here is a list of companies who will clearly list all gluten (as in wheat, rye, barley and malt):

Open Original Shared Link

Learning to read labels will be the key to your success. It does get easier.

AndrewNYC Explorer
AndrewNYC
Posted

Depending on how sick you've been you might, for the moment, consider doing something like the caveman diet (meat, vegetables, fruit) for a while, to allow your stomach to heal. newbies inevitably gluten themselves by accident and it slows down the healing process.

I am a 45 year old women who has just been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Can anyone give me advice on what to do....what to eat, to buy, how to restructure my whole life and how I have done things? I need specific names of things you can buy at the grocery that are safe. Pls Help.
MDRB Explorer
MDRB
Posted

Hi,

You have come to the right place for information. Have a browse through the posts here and have a look at some other sites. When I was diagnosed I cleared out my entire pantry of anything that contains gluten. I stopped eating most processed food and made everything from scratch. I eat the occasional gluten free corn cracker or chocolate biscuit, but other than that, I don't trust companies to list ingredients properly or to avoid cross contamination.

Try to eat foods that are easy to digest, at least until you heal, flax seed oil is really good for this.

Oh, if you live alone, buy a new toaster. If you live with others don't share the toaster!!!!!

Good luck and welcome :)

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    • trents
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      thank you for your advice.   I have always taken them and I use Stonehedge because they are in a glass bottle, but don't have to be refrigerated.  I also like they are 3rd party tested and state gluten free. But you never know if something better has come alone over the years.
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      By KathyR37 · Posted

      Thank you for your response. I have already learned about the info you sent but i appreciate your effort. I am the only one in my family cursed by this disease. I have to cook for them too. I make sure that my utensils are free of gluten and clean after using them for other food. I use non-porous pots and pans and  gloves when cooking for them. One huge problem I have is a gag reflex out of this world and if something doesn't taste good it is not going down. Most commercially made breads and such taste like old cardboard.Pastas are about the same. I did find one flour that I like and use it regularly, but it is so expensive! All gluten free food is way more expensive. I only eat twice a day because I cannot afford to buy all that. We live on a very low income so my food purchases are quite limited.
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      I am new here but celiac disease is not new to me. I was diagnosed with it at age 60. At the time I weighed a whopping 89 pounds. I was so ignorant to celiac so I buried myself in learning all about it and looking for food I could eat. I lost so much weight and stayed sick all the time. So to combat the sickness I was give all sorts of meds for loose bowels and vomiting. All that just made me sicker. Eventually I chucked it all and went back to eating like I had all my life. Now I am from the south and biscuits and gravy are a big part of our food, as are breaded foods, pasta, and sandwich bread. Through the years I would try to do the gluten free thing again and am doing it now. It has not helped any. Within and hour of eating I have to run to the bathroom. I am now 75 and am wondering if I should just forget it and eat what I like, take Immodium and live the best I can. I cannot eat before going anywhere for fear of embarrassing myself. Family and church dinners are out of the question unless I eat and run straight home. I am so frustrated I just want to sit down and cry or throw something. Does everyone go through all this?
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