New To The Gluten Free Life.......

[Michelle-Idaho]

Hello everyone. First off I just want to say thank you for any help and suggestions right off.....we have got a large learning curve, as I imagine most have!

My fiance was just diagnosed 5 days ago through blood tests and biopsy, so very, very, very new at this whole thing.

We live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (Northern Idaho, next to Spokane, Washington), so if any on here knows where to shop up here, any help would be appreciated. I have gone to many places without much luck other than a small section of gluten free items.

Once again thank you for any help, suggestions overall on how to make this transition easiest.

[ShayFL]

Welcome to the board!

First, there is no need to buy expensive ready made gluten-free items. There is an abundance of naturally gluten-free foods at every grocery store. PLUS he can heal faster and feel better eating natural foods. Save the highly processed gluten-free foods for later when he is all healed.

All meats (without marinade or rubs, etc.), fish, eggs, veggies, fruits, rice, potatoes, most corn tortillas (you will have to check tho) and nuts are a good place to start. McCormick spices are mostly gluten-free. They are one company that will CLEARLY state on the package if there is gluten/wheat in the product.

What does he like to eat? If you tell us, we can help you find subs or offer suggestions on recipes.

[frec]

Hi Michelle--Shay is right. Natural food, cooked from scratch, is your best bet. It's what we all should be eating anyway. Any kind of takeout or processed, prepared, packaged food is usually full of gluten. BUT let's face it. We're all busy, and some of us (like me) are not great cooks--I'm learning--and we crave the foods we grew up with, especially at the beginning.

Since you are in Idaho (I'm in Oregon) I assume you have Albertsons? They aren't great for gluten free food once you get through the produce and meat sections. Rice Chex is now gluten free--I use them in snack mixes and as emergency soup croutons. You can eat corn chips, nut butters, jam, dried fruits... They have a few boxed soups that are gluten free. They have a Bob's Red Mill display, I hope, with many kinds of flour and some gluten free baking mixes for pancakes, brownies, and spice cake. Do you have Trader Joe's in your area? They have great nondairy milks, gluten-free pasta, decent rice bread, some rice and soy crackers, and even a few gluten-free baking mixes. If all else fails you can order things online on.

Has your fiance seen a dietician? He/she would have good dietary advice and knowledge of where to shop locally. Your gastro could recommend one if he/she hasn't already.

Be careful of cross contamination, since you can eat gluten and he can't. Even a crumb can make your fiance sick. Any wooden utensils are contaminated, and so is your toaster. He either needs his own peanut butter and jam or you must promise never to double dip! ( :

You can Google specific topics within this website and find a gold mine of information. Your fiance is lucky to have you!

[Michelle-Idaho]

Thanks to both of you

He loves all sorts of food, he was a big carb eater and craver.....his favorite meal used to be strawberry crepes He loved pasta, especially simple mac and cheese (lol at 31 years old you think he would have outgrown that). Was never a big fan of bread! Loved raisin bran or oatmeal in the mornings. Luckily likes meats, potatoes and fruits/veggies.

We have been eating the plain meats that I cook up and lots of fresh fruits and veggies, really not that much different than usual. I am doing this with him to avoid the cross contamination issue as I don't really mind what I eat lol. It will make it a lot easier in the long run I think.

I think I just need to try the cooking with the gluten free ingredients.....I used to make most of our food from scratch before, so I will just need to learn to convert the recipes over from what I have read so far. Hopefully that is pretty easy. I purchased some gluten free all purpose flour and xanthan (sp?) gum, checked all the spices, and rid my cupboards of anything that wasn't safe for him. I also got new PB and jelly thanks for that advice, I would have not thought of it!

We do have an Albertson's. I faired pretty well at the Fred Meyer's here in their health food section and the lady who worked in the area was very helpful and even offered to keep items in stock if I found something online or somewhere else that I would like to buy.

His doctor hasn't referred us yet. We are set to see him for followup this coming week, so I will ask then. I wasn't too impressed with the doctor as he was basically very unhelpful on it while we were there last. I am a clinical pharmacist and certified diabetes educator, and all he said is "corn and rice". So we will see where that goes.

Thanks!

Ohhhhh......and any restaurant suggestions? We don't go out often, but sure would be nice to know anywhere that might be halfway decent. We did go to a local restaurant called Bonsai Bistro where they have an awesome gluten free menu and were certified gluten free and their chef had speicalized training somewhere!

[Shelly D.]

Michelle,

Welcome and don't panic. I'm in Lewiston and have found some interesting places to shop and dine out in our areas.

Rosauers has the BEST section of foods for us in their "Huckleberries" sections.

I'm all for eating basic diet foods until feeling better, but it is a bit frustrating at first! So try to feed him well but have snacks to nibble when the urge strikes.

[Shelly D.]

As for restaurants...PF Changs if you want to make the trip into Spokane. Applebees and Red Robin will print out special menu suggestions, and I've had pretty good luck just ordering meat grilled with veggies on the side. Nothing breaded or deep fried (deep fryers seem to be able to spread the gluten) Salads are usually good as long as you remember to go without croutons. Most of the restaurants have ingredient and special menu info on their websites so you can plan ahead. Fast food is more limiting to me than dine-in. Taco Time and Wendy's are about the only places I'll drive through anymore.

I can't eat any dairy or eggs along with some other random stuff that I sensitized myself to by eating a lot of (garlic, almonds) so I try to be fairly picky about my eating.

It will amaze you where you find gluten. Pringles are bad but Stax are okay. Fritos are good but Lays are bad; it's weird. Be careful with the corn and rice stuff though because it has a high glycemic index and can cause weight gain. It has only been since July that I have been gluten free and, honestly, there are so many times each day that I miss my regular food or special treats, but I just keep telling myself that its for the better. I feel better, my family says I look healthier and am less grumpy so I just keep going, one day at a time.

Your guy might go through a bit of a rough spot anywhere from a week to a month in, it seems to be some sort of withdrawal. I relied heavily on this site to help when I felt crappy.

Get some cook books, just knowing that there are bunches of really great food to eat helps with the depression when it gets to be too much. Barnes and Noble has lots of good ones. I like the "For Dummies" one.

[Michelle-Idaho]

Thanks Shelly!!! A lot of good info, I truly appreciate it.

He does need to gain weight in a healthy manner, so a few carbs would be good. We exercise daily, so hopefully he will start to gain muscle mass soon instead of fat. He is 6 feet 1 inch tall and only 135 pounds......A BMI of17.8. So hopefully this will all help, he is very self conscious about it, and has been skinny for so long wishing he could gain weight. (I think he is still very handsome )

[Shelly D.]

Wow, he is very thin. I think this is a symptom of celiac disease, the more experienced members would be able to confirm this. In one of the books (Gluten-free Cooking for Dummies) she talks about her son looking like a starving baby even though he ate and it was due to the malabsorption caused by his gluten intolerance (leaky gut). My son, who is an undiagnosed, and in denial, celiac sufferer has the opposite problem, he's not fat but he has this soft tire around his middle and fatty pectorals even though he's in good shape.

I can ask my LPN and chiropractor if they know anyone who might be better able to help you both down this road if you'd like since your doctor isn't being helpful and supportive.

[Michelle-Idaho]

yep he is thin

I will have to get that cookbook for Dummies. I was hoping to be able to find one in the stores around here so I could look at it, but I haven't had very good luck. I would love some suggestions on some more cookbooks as I hate just buying one online without looking at it first. I seem to have bad luck that way lol! I end up with impossible recipe books with very difficult recipes.

We have an appointment with his gastroenterologist this week, I will let you know if he is any better this time around compared to last time. Thanks!

[mindwiped]

I don't know if you have either Trader Joe's or Whole Foods anywhere nearby, but they have many gluten-free items in the store. Also, since you said your SO like oatmeal, Bob's Red Mill makes a gluten-free hot cereal that is the only hot cereal I ever eaten (I'm not gluten-free, my dh is a celiac). For now, I'd try to keep his diet as simple as possible, in order to let him system heal.

[Janessa]

Annie's makes a gluten free mac and cheese that is yummy and you can order off amazon cheaper than a store anyways