Couple Of Questions For Now :)

[2009]

Hi Everyone,

I am new to this group, and I guess i have a million questions

but i will try and pace myself as I was diagnosed yesterday!!

does anyone have a list of to dos and not to dos if your are on a gluten-free diet?

Also can you have lentils , chicpeas , beans etc?

Thanks

2009

[Professor]

Hi 2009,

I'm new to the group, too, but not to celiac disease.

I'm sure there is everything you need somewhere on this site, but the really fast low-down is below. I keep this "note" on my fridge, since we have a gluten-free household, and even occasional visitors aren't allowed to bring gluten into the house:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The gluten is in wheat, rye, barley, oats ("WRBO")

In addition to things that list those four plainly,

there is WRBO (therefore, hidden gluten) in other things:

Modified food starch

Soy sauce or soy sauce solids

Malt vinegar

Malt or malt flavoring (usually made from barley)

Dextrin (often derived from corn, but sometimes wheat)

Caramel color (frequently made from barley

-- this means watch those colas and dark soft drinks)

Brown rice syrup (frequently made from barley)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

As far as beans, lentils, etc, if you are buying them uncooked in a sack, and they are just beans, for example, they are safe. But if you bought a can of baked beans, it may have modified food starch or other gluten ingredients. Read VERY carefully -- it often won't say "gluten" even, just like a bag of flour (pure wheat) doesn't say it. We have to learn where it is. I only make my foods from scratch, but others in my household who are not celiac disease (but still have to abide by the gluten-free rules! ) buy processed foods that are safely gluten-free. Just a matter of learning the basics (above, in bold -- maybe print it out?).

Hope that helps?

Patty

[KaitiUSA]

Welcome to the board:)

Kraft foods are safe as long as they don't say wheat, rye, barley, and oats. They will not hide gluten under modified food starch etc.. in their products. Progrsso also does not hide anything. If you contact Progresso they will give you a gluten-free list. Campbells has a gluten-free list you can request as well.

Amy's has a gluten-free pizza, and prepackaged meals such as gluten-free mac and cheese that is really good. Amy's has lentils soup and other soups that say gluten-free right on the can.

Thai Kitchen has gluten-free soups. My favorite is the spring onion soup.

Foods by George has really good english muffins...cinnamon flavor and plain. I love the cinnamon ones toasted with butter and cinnamon on top(make sure you get a new toaster because of bread crumbs) The plain ones are also good toasted. I use those to dip into my sunny side up in the mornings.

You should use gluten-free shampoos, soaps, makeup, lotions, etc. as well. I can give you some brands if you need help with that. There are also gluten-free crackers that are good to put in soups or have peanut butter crackers or whatever..those are by glutano.

Glutano and glutino has crackers, cookies, breakfast bars etc.

There is gluten-free bars by Envirokidz. They also have cereal that is gluten-free. I don't know where you live but you can get these things at health food stores like Whole Foods and Common Market, and Roots...that's where I get mine. Frito lay has a list of their gluten-free products as well....snickers are gluten-free...some of edy's ice cream is gluten-free...breyers, good humor, popsicle, and klondike will not hide any wheat, rye, barley, or oats. Unless it says one of those things you can have those 4 brands.

If you need any more help PM me or post here to ask I would be happy to help. Good luck...and don't worry it gets alot easier when you find the good brands and know what you can eat

[celiac3270]

I made a pretty lengthy post before, which didn't go through........argh!

Anyway, my main point is to start with the site index at this site: https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html and also, here is where the forbidden/safe ingredient lists are: https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...-16105456015.30

Welcome

[tarnalberry]

does anyone have a list of to dos and not to dos if your are on a gluten-free diet?

Three Do's:

1. Do avoid EVERYTHING that contains wheat, barley, rye, or oats. To play it safe, I do truely mean EVERYTHING - ingredients, foods, costmetics, toilettries, medicines, toys (like PlayDough), etc.

2. Do eat everything else.

3. Do be patient with yourself and forgiving of slipups.

If nothing else, being gluten-free will teach you about food origins. Basically, the deal is that your body finds the protein in WBRO to be a foreign invader - one which signals the body to destroy itself. (That's the autoimmune part.) So, ALL you need to avoid is those four grains. If you think about all the possible sources of foods (plant and animal), that's really not much that you're eliminating. Four things, out of hundreds.

The problem is that the standard western diet relies HEAVILY on those grains. Just look at the list that Patty put up - those vaguely descriptive ingredients are in all sorts of packaged foods - and a lot of the western diet relies heavily on packaged foods. I'll bet you see where I'm going with this one - minimize packaged foods. (I'm probably a bit of an outlier on the importance I place on this one here on the board, so I'm not the best person to ask about replacing processed, packaged items in your diet. But we all have to do what works best for us in this arena! )

And whole, natural food in it's original state that isn't WBRO is going to be gluten-free. (The obvious exceptions are close relatives of wheat like spelt and kamut. Those are also out. The not so obvious exceptions are alternative names for wheat like durum and semolina. Those, of course, are also out.) Of course, whole, natural foods that are nearly in their original state, and only minimally processed in ways that do not add any gluten (such as packaging beans/lentils to see dry, or even - in many, but not all, cases - canned plain) will be gluten-free as well.

One of the things I like to tell people is to go to their grocery store, and look at the produce department - the whole area. Aside from the packaged stuff they try to get you to impulse buy there, you can eat all that produce. Same thing in the fresh meat department - aside from the prepared stuff (including marinated items) - you can eat the plain meat. Same thing with all the varieties of non-gluten grains (rice, corn, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, etc.) and legumes.

When you start getting into items that are somewhat processed (like canned tomatoes - when out of season, fresh tomatoes just don't cut it for pasta sauce or chili), you need to read labels. In fact, anything with a label, you need to check the ingredients on. A lot of minimally processed things will usually, but not always, be gluten-free (frozen vegetables, canned plain beans, corn tortillas, for instance) but you ALWAYS have to read the labels.

It's a tough start, sometimes, because we're trying to be so vigilant, even if we're not used to being quite _that_ vigilant. So realize that mistakes will happen, even as you try to avoid them. And realize that you're learning a new lifestyle - one that is different from, probably, what people around you practice, so it will be even that much harder to pick it up. But, like any dietary change, you CAN learn it with time and practice.

[Professor]

I'll bet you see where I'm going with this one - minimize packaged foods  . . .  And whole, natural food in it's original state that isn't WBRO is going to be gluten-free . . .  One of the things I like to tell people is to go to their grocery store, and look at the produce department . . .  you can eat all that produce . . . fresh meat . . . non-gluten grains (rice, corn, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, etc.) and legumes.

Oh, you're after my heart! OK, not like that, but you know what I mean. This is what I'm all about -- back to basics, whole foods, one ingredient in it's natural state. It's always safe to get a potato, some canola oil (and I go organic for both), some sea salt, and make your own fries! Or chili, or burgers, or whatever . . . I also think part of my reasoning is that for too many years, before my celiac disease diagnosis, this poor old body was abused by gluten. Now I can do it a favor and make up for it. I treat it kindly.

That's all -- already added my teensy advice at the top. Just had to say, "Right on."

Patty

[catfish]

Some not-so-obvious mistakes I made at first that you can avoid;

If it says' "Wheat Free," that does NOT mean gluten free. Spelt tortillas were my mistake here. Spelt and kamut are not frequently mentioned in the bad grains to avoid but they are frequently found in whole foods products and are not gluten-free.

Corn Flakes, Rice Crispies, and all those other cereals have malt flavoring added. This is made from barley and is not gluten-free.

Soy sauce is usually made with more wheat in it than soy.

And something to give you hope;

The most easily found and purchased gluten-free breads and products frequently taste terrible, but don't lose hope. If you look long enough you will find recipes and products for almost everything that are as good as if not better than the original- especially if you are willing to spend the time searching online and cooking in the kitchen.

[luvs2eat]

I'm with you guys... simple, basic food is not hard to cook and easy to find without wheat or gluten.

The operative word here is READ... read every single label... EVERY single label... so who knew the second ingredient in red licorice is wheat? They stick wheat, modified food starch, and malt derivitives in so many things...

I've stood in the soup aisle and read tens and twentys of labels to find ONE soup without modified food starch... it was a Progresso chicken cheese enchilada and it was very good!

I was always a label reader but it's really imperative cause wheat and gluten hide in things!

And, as others have said... wheat-free is not necessarily gluten-free.

[2009]

I just wanted to thank luvs2eat,catfish, Professor, tarnalberry, celiac3270, Vote4PresBush04 for your very helpful comments and advice. I think i need

to just absorb everything and start reading the ingredients section of whatever

i pick up at the market next time.

You guys really made me feel at home and were great.

Have a great week.

[sfortney]

2009,

It's great to have you here! Starting a gluten free diet can be really overwhelming, but always ask questions and keep your eyes open for information. Despite the fact that most people haven't heard of celiac disease, there is information out there. I found info in magazines at the health food store and through some friends I met at an autism workshop.

You need to decide whether you want to buy bread products or make them. It helps a lot if your willing to work at cooking with the gluten free flours that are available at some supermarkets, health food stores, and online. Baking yourself can be cheaper, but not always possible. I have been gluten free for only three weeks, but my son has since last August. In the beginning I bought most everything, but now I bake the majority of our breads, treats, and other pastries.

If you decide to bake check out Bette(?) Hagman's cookbooks. I started with "Living Well without Wheat". It gives a lot of basic information about celiac disease including eating out, support groups, online retailers of gluten free products, and travelling. She has several other cookbooks that are well worth the attention.

Tinkyada pastas have been a blessing to us because we love Italian foods. Also the Gluten Free Pantry has a lot of good mixes for things such as pizza crust and pumpkin bread. I buy the majority of our mixes and flours from the Gluten Free Mall though because I like their selection and they tend to carry items that I would have to go to many different sites to buy. It's just more economical. Mary's Gone Crackers makes some great crackers--my whole family loves them, not just the Gluten free members.

[mopsie]

Lots of good advice here! I also make all my own foods from scratch. One area where I've had a gluten accident was with my calcium pills. I assumed they were gluten free, then it took me a while to figure out what was making me sick. Now I read labels on my vitamins carefully and when in doubt don't take it!

Mopsie

[mommida]

I would also like to add to the wonderful advice...

Check out your toothpaste, lipgloss/lipstick, and chewing gum/mints.

It gets easier!

Laura

[sfortney]

Soy sauce is usually made with more wheat in it than soy. 

I use gluten free Tamiri Sauce instead (Tree of Life brand). It's a pretty good substitute. Sometimes I even use it instead of Worcestershire sauce. Lea and Perrins is the only gluten free brand of that sauce that I know of.

[cdford]

Are you feeling even more overwhelmed yet? Take courage. The first three or four months are the toughest. You are still trying to figure out what you can and cannot eat. Unfortunately, this also means you are more likely to accidentally get into something.

It is not hard once you get into a pattern of shopping. You figure out what you can have, verify periodically to ensure that the manufacturer has not made a change, and buy your groceries much the same way you used to...you had a set idea of what brand you would buy unless something was really on sale and then you would stop and check its ingredients to see if there was some big difference in it that cause the price difference.

Our once hours long grocery trips have trimmed to something approximating normality. I keep a notebook listing my verified brands so that I can check if something is on sell. I take my cell phone with me to contact a manufacturer if necessary (if the cell phone won't work in the store, most have customer service departments who will call for you...keep those items in a separate section of your buggy and drop them off to be checked while you finish your shopping or wait for a prescription to be filled). Should you get an eye-roll from a CS person, write down the bar code and phone number from the item--and the name of the unhelpful CS person-- and make the calls from your home so you will know next time. It would have to be an awfully big sale to risk buying and checking later.

One really good thing about the gluten-free diet and grocery shopping is that the temptation to splurge buy is limited. You just can't risk the consequences. You would not believe how much this one thing can save you over time.

[Carriefaith]

Also can you have lentils , chicpeas , beans etc?

Yes

I eat those all the time