Another Newbie In Town

[Tsunami]

Well...I was just diagnosed w/ celiacs and I'm full of questions. The dr will bring me in next week to discuss things, but in the meantime, I'm lost.

When I read food labels, some will say "natural thickeners." What does that mean? Is this ok to eat? The label says nothing about gluten free, but no wheat or wheat product is listed, so I'm a bit onfused.

Oats....what is up with oats? Are they ok to eat or not. I keep hearing both sides.

Finally, milk...should I give it up, or slow down on consumption. I've already slowed down on my milk intake, to just the occasional bowl of cereal, cream in coffee...yogurt and ice cream...I just feel overwhelmed and I'm not sure what to do until my dr. appt.

Thanks for any help...

[Amyleigh0007]

It is very overwhelming in the beginning. I remember having a breakdown in the middle of Walmart because I had no idea what my poor son was going to eat. I would stick to whole foods until you have a chance to speak to your doctor. Meats, fruits, and veggies are gluten free and there are no ingredient lists to stress over. Celiac's are told to stay away from oats due to contamination during processing. While your body is healing, Celiacs are also told to avoid dairy. You can slowly add it back in time. There is a link (and I'm sure someone will post it for you - I'm not that computer savvy) that lists all safe and unsafe ingredients. It's a big list and it will seem impossible to learn it all but it does get easier. Many companies will fully disclose gluten in their products (there is a link to this list too but I know Kraft is one of them) so it pays to learn these company names. My family is very brand loyal due to that. Walmart's Great Value brand states Gluten-Free on their products that are free of gluten. This forum has helped me so much. Danna Korn's book Living Gluten Free for Dummies also helped me. Good luck to you!

[Tsunami]

Hi Amyleigh...

Thank you for the advise....That is basically what I've been doing...with those occasional flings w/ dairy. I am going to hit walmart today, take a look around the place....

I was also wondering, just as an off the wall question if you know much about sushi? I imagine the sauces and flavorings are things to avoid, but I was wondering about the wasabi and the sea weed wrap. I already know most soy sauces are out.

Thanks again...and hang in there...

It is very overwhelming in the beginning. I remember having a breakdown in the middle of Walmart because I had no idea what my poor son was going to eat. I would stick to whole foods until you have a chance to speak to your doctor. Meats, fruits, and veggies are gluten free and there are no ingredient lists to stress over. Celiac's are told to stay away from oats due to contamination during processing. While your body is healing, Celiacs are also told to avoid dairy. You can slowly add it back in time. There is a link (and I'm sure someone will post it for you - I'm not that computer savvy) that lists all safe and unsafe ingredients. It's a big list and it will seem impossible to learn it all but it does get easier. Many companies will fully disclose gluten in their products (there is a link to this list too but I know Kraft is one of them) so it pays to learn these company names. My family is very brand loyal due to that. Walmart's Great Value brand states Gluten-Free on their products that are free of gluten. This forum has helped me so much. Danna Korn's book Living Gluten Free for Dummies also helped me. Good luck to you!

[missy'smom]

The lists of safe and undafe ingredients are on this page.

https://www.celiac.com/categories/Safe-Glut...3B-Ingredients/

Remember that wheat is required to be listed by law but barley and is not.

Some nori(seaweed paper) is gluten-free, others are not. The one that they use for sushi is supposed to be unseasoned and gluten-free, but you should ask. The kind that is not gluten-free has soy sauce or teriyaki sauce in it. Fake crab meat is not gluten-free, ask to substitute with fresh real crab meat. The egg can sometimes have a broth or other non-gluten-free ingredients in it so ask about that too. There are many threads about sushi on the forum. Check them out before you go.

Here is the link to the list of companies that will disclose all gluten.

Open Original Shared Link

When in doubt, go without. And don't be afraid to call the 800 numbers. Most are helpful. You can also find info. on the company or product websites. Look in Contact Us or FAQ's.