How Fast Can gluten-free Work?

[sugarsue]

My daughter already seems different after only 1 day, can that be possible? Her teacher said she did better in school today than the norm (she's in kindergarten). We played cards tonight and she seemed more mature, more able to use a quiet voice. She and her sister played nicely for an hour without any crying or fighting.

She had a diarrhea at school and a bad, sudden stomach ache tonight but no diarrhea at home.

She's still grieving over the loss of her favorite food items and the tears are breaking my heart. But I know she will get past it as she feels better. So far, I'm pretty happy with the food and think she will adjust. She thinks once she feels better she can go back to the old food, like she's going to get well. That's hard to explain to a kid. Although without a diagnosis, she may get to eat it one day but that is so far away, I can't even tell her that now.

Susan

[mymagicalchild]

Hi, Susan...I emailed our daughter (mother of our 12-year old granddaughter) an excellent article published in the NY Times 2 days ago.

I JUST went to "www.nytimes.com" and scrolled down quite aways until I found in the lower right-corner "most emailed articles." It's called something like "6 Mistakes Parents Make in Children's Diet" and a few minutes ago it was the 2nd most emailed.

It has nothing to do with celiac disease but a LOT to do with mistakes parents make in dealing with food issues. It's kind of a "concept" article: If you adopt the healthy concept, you've got it made!

I'm thinking you might find some valuable information in that article about the general way to approach diet issues of ALL children. Creatively applying those rules to your daughter's new reality might help you recognize and accept your path.

Your daughter's dreams that she'll eat regular food when she grows up? I wouldn't worry about that at all. It's her way of coping. YOU deal with reality. Let HER dream. Somewhere down the road, as you love her and raise her to be a beautiful, strong, independent, healthy young woman, she'll start dealing with reality and be Mom to your "dreaming" grandchildren.

It' called LIFE.

[Amyleigh0007]

It's hard for a young child to grasp the concept of "never" such as she will "never" eat her favorite foods again. As she gets older she will grow to realize that she won't be able to eat those foods but right now it's a concept she won't understand very well. I would focus on all the yummy foods she can eat right now and help her discover new favorites. Also, as she begins to feel better she won't want to eat the foods that make her sick. She will love feeling good and those old favorites will be a thing of the past. I speak from experience as my son has often said that the gluten free foods taste better than his "old" food. He was so upset at first to have to give up take out pizza and Tyson chicken nuggets but we have found substitutes that he has said are even better!

[CeliacMom2008]

SugarSue, what foods is your daughter sad over? We might be able to help you find a really good substitute to surprise her with. We try really hard to focus on all the great foods our son can have - and he's tried so many foods he never would have before and really liked them. We all have. I am now addicted to LaraBars and Oskri Sesame Bars and I NEVER would've even known they existed much less tried them pre-diagnosis! But there are very few things that my son had to give up completely. Let us know what she thinks she might be missing...

[sugarsue]

SugarSue, what foods is your daughter sad over? We might be able to help you find a really good substitute to surprise her with. We try really hard to focus on all the great foods our son can have - and he's tried so many foods he never would have before and really liked them. We all have. I am now addicted to LaraBars and Oskri Sesame Bars and I NEVER would've even known they existed much less tried them pre-diagnosis! But there are very few things that my son had to give up completely. Let us know what she thinks she might be missing...

Thanks for the offer! She was addicted to pasta so that's the first thing she is missing. I bought some tinkyada pasta and that was OK but she hasn't asked for it again yet. It was OK and I think I'll be able to make meals with it but she didn't go for it with just butter which is how she liked her gluten pasta. I have a hard time finding meat protein that she will eat. She likes chicken nuggets and fish sticks but the prepackaged gluten free one we tried from our local healthfood store was not good (Ians). She has not liked the nuggets I've made in the past but I have not tried this week. She does like meatballs so I know I can make some of those, I'll do that this weekend.

I feel like I have a lot of junky substitutions for her (chips, desserts) but not a lot of interesting healthier snacks. And really like I said, she lived off of wheat pasta.

Any suggestions are much appreciated!

[CeliacMom2008]

We really like the Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta. I think it would probably be OK with just butter, but I never could understand how people ate that so I'm not a very good judge!

Don't sweat that you are into the junk right now. We went through that phase too. I think it's normal. Those are the first things you think of when you say you have to get rid of flour (at least they were the first things I thought of!). Just make sure it is just a phase and that you eventually get back to moderation.

Here are some of the healthy things we keep loads of at our house:

Fruitabu - these are 100% fruit and soooo kid friendly. The twirls are these long fruit roll up like strip things. My son takes one in his lunch almost every day. This morning I commented that his lunch wasn't looking too healthy today (PB&J on pancakes, apple, pudding, chips, and Fruitabu). He informed me that Fruitabu's might taste like candy but "they are all fruit you know, Mom!"

LaraBars - there are all kinds of flavors of these and they are great. I'm addicted to them. But you do have to try a few of the flavors. Some I really don't care for others I can't get enough of. Same goes for my son. Luckily we have different favorites so there's no fighting.

Oskri Bars/Products - Son loves the mixed nut (which also has fruit) it's very chewy, kind of like a granola bar...sort of. Very yummy. I love the sesame bars in date syrup - kind of like peanut brittle, again, sort of...

Fruit Leather - My son likes Trader Joe's varieties and Stretch Island (who also are the makers of Fruitabu). They're healthy varieties of the fruit roll ups, but they're 100% fruit and you can even get organic if you want.

Apples and TMarzetti carmel (partially healthy)

Corn cakes and PB or Lundberger Rice Cakes and PB or just the cakes if you prefer

Popcorn (maybe...kinda...healthy...the Trader Joe's Kettle corn we're currently in love with probably doesn't count as healthy!)

Veggies and TMarzetti ranch dip

Nuts, nuts, and more nuts - we keep all kinds of nuts around here (some are human, some are edible )

Bakers On Main granola bars

Mrs. Mays nut crunch

Freeze dried fruit - my son LOVES this stuff! It's kind of like the "astronaut food" you can get. There's all kinds of varieties.

Cheese and Glutino Crackers - OK, not healthy, but not sugary. My son likes the cheddar Glutino crackers alone.

Tigers Milk bars - but be sure to get the gluten free ones some of the varieties are not gluten free

That should get you started.

[buffettbride]

My daughter was "instantly" better the minute she stopped eating gluten. It took several weeks for the peripheral symptoms to clear up, but the acute glutening reaction and gut problems stopped immediately.

[sugarsue]

That should get you started.

Super great, thank you so much!

[mymagicalchild]

Hi, Susan...I emailed our daughter (mother of our 12-year old granddaughter) an excellent article published in the NY Times 2 days ago.

I JUST went to "www.nytimes.com" and scrolled down quite aways until I found in the lower right-corner "most emailed articles." It's called something like "6 Mistakes Parents Make in Children's Diet" and a few minutes ago it was the 2nd most emailed.

It has nothing to do with celiac disease but a LOT to do with mistakes parents make in dealing with food issues. It's kind of a "concept" article: If you adopt the healthy concept, you've got it made!

I'm thinking you might find some valuable information in that article about the general way to approach diet issues of ALL children. Creatively applying those rules to your daughter's new reality might help you recognize and accept your path.

Hi again! I just went to the NY Times again and the article is still the 2nd most emailed. I emailed it to myself.

If anyone wants a copy of SIX MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE WITH KIDS' DIETS, leave me a message and I'll forward it. There's lots of really good general information that can easily be applied to gluten-free diets of kids.

One of the remarks is: No child likes new foods. That's a showstopper right there when, Susan, you're introducing ALL new foods. Article has hints on how to do that without creating additional issues.

Regarding your daughter's preference for wheat pasta as a diet mainstay, does she like any kind of beans? Pinto? Pink? Black? Make them (or buy canned) with lots of juice and mash them. Excellent, filling substitute for pasta and they can be served with eggs, with veggies, with fruit or green salad, with meat, with corn tortillas as a burrito or tostada.

I switched to almond butter from peanut butter, and I use it on toast with preserves for breakfast, stuffed in celery sticks as a side dish or dessert.

If your daughter likes avocado, my favorite way to use it is on toast with a little salt and pepper. For breakfast or lunch or dinner. Half an avocado for one slice toast. That's a REAL avocado lover!

My Mom served us that when we were kids. Which reminds me of something else she made that was soooo yummy I can taste it as I write: half a grapefruit, sections loosened for ease of removal, sprinkled with brown sugar and a little butter (you could use coconut oil) and placed under the broiler until the sugar melts.

Sigh!

[sugarsue]

Hi again! I just went to the NY Times again and the article is still the 2nd most emailed. I emailed it to myself.

If anyone wants a copy of SIX MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE WITH KIDS' DIETS, leave me a message and I'll forward it. There's lots of really good general information that can easily be applied to gluten-free diets of kids.

One of the remarks is: No child likes new foods. That's a showstopper right there when, Susan, you're introducing ALL new foods. Article has hints on how to do that without creating additional issues.

Regarding your daughter's preference for wheat pasta, does she like any kind of beans? Pinto? Pink? Black? Make them (or buy canned) with lots of juice and mash them. Excellent, filling substitute for pasta and they can be served with eggs, with veggies, with fruit salad, with meat.

I would love to have this article. I will try to find out how to send you my email address. I am so upset tonight, I can't even bare to start a new thread about it. My daughter has been eating wheat at school for breakfast all week it turns out, not just today (see Fruit Loops post maybe I will post there again). I am wondering if her amazing change this week that I thought was from gluten-free eating was really a fluke. Now I'm so confused and stressed and lost.

Susan

Susan

[mymagicalchild]

I would love to have this article. I will try to find out how to send you my email address. I am so upset tonight, I can't even bare to start a new thread about it. My daughter has been eating wheat at school for breakfast all week it turns out, not just today (see Fruit Loops post maybe I will post there again). I am wondering if her amazing change this week that I thought was from gluten-free eating was really a fluke. Now I'm so confused and stressed and lost.

Susan

Susan

Hi again, Susan. DO NOT DESPAIR. I'm a firm believer that parents of celiac children have to spend part of every day feeding and growing their senses of humor. It's the only way to relieve some of the stress and guilt and worry. If you can find ANY LITTLE THING to laugh about, you're moving in the right direction.

I am a total DOOFUS on this computer. I went to my personal page and found your message and had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how to communicate with you.

Right now go to your "Open Original Shared Link bar at the top of the page. erase that and put in "www.nytimes.com." It should take you to a general New York Times' article recap/info page.

Scroll down and down past all the different article recaps. In the lower RIGHT-hand corner you will see "Most emailed articles" and the 2nd one is the Six Mistakes Parents Make article.

If that doesn't work, tell me here and I'll start a topic with the Powers that Be about how we can communicate.

AS FAR AS BEING CONFUSED AND STRESSED AND LOST: if I were in your situation, I would ASSUME that gluten is the problem, go to a gluten-free diet and stick with that until you are proved wrong. The alternative is dangerous. I don't think there is any danger in that assumption.

PS Susan: I just returned to your original topic remarks. I'm thinking you'll be getting some posts tonight from the advanced support system here, but my "bottom" line would be: The Proof is in the Poo.

'Nuf said?

[sugarsue]

Hi again, Susan. DO NOT DESPAIR. I'm a firm believer that parents of celiac children have to spend part of every day feeding and growing their senses of humor. It's the only way to relieve some of the stress and guilt and worry. If you can find ANY LITTLE THING to laugh about, you're moving in the right direction.

AS FAR AS BEING CONFUSED AND STRESSED AND LOST: if I were in your situation, I would ASSUME that gluten is the problem, go to a gluten-free diet and stick with that until you are proved wrong. The alternative is dangerous. I don't think there is any danger in that assumption.

I found it! Thank you!

Thank you as well for the support. I'm in tears now from the stress of it all but also from just having someone understand. The crying will probably help a lot but maybe I can find some laughter tomorrow too.

Susan

[mymagicalchild]

I found it! Thank you!

Thank you as well for the support. I'm in tears now from the stress of it all but also from just having someone understand. The crying will probably help a lot but maybe I can find some laughter tomorrow too.

Susan

Do you live in a place where the sun rises? Have you cuddled close with your daughter while watching it?

Do you live in a place where the sun sets? Have you walked hand-in-hand with your daughter toward that setting sun?

Do you live in a place where that sun makes trees and grass and food and flowers grow? And you can gaze at all of that beauty while you watch the clouds write their story in the sky? Lying on the grass with your daughter?

If it's a "yes," you and your daughter will be okay. Because the Big Picture is always the picture kids take with them to the very end of their journey. Gluten-free diet is just a little, tiny hitch in their stride.

[mymagicalchild]

I found it! Thank you!

Thank you as well for the support. I'm in tears now from the stress of it all but also from just having someone understand. The crying will probably help a lot but maybe I can find some laughter tomorrow too.

Susan