Overwhelmed

[JmeD]

I just found out I have Celiac, and I am feeling totally overwhelmed. I can't eat Lactose either, which mentally kills me because I used to be a dairy-o-holic!

It was nice to finally know what was causing all my problems... even down to the reason I have been breaking out on my face/scalp. I don't know what I can use as far as products I buy from stores like target, I keep buying things I think are gluten free, then end up breaking out, or getting rashes, and it turns out there is some random contaminate in there... What are some brands you trust?

I have been lucky my husband is really trying to be supportive and understanding; but how do I explain to my family that 1)this is real, and 2)this is forever, not just a temporary thing... and that even "one bite" in fact will hurt me.

I guess I just feel alone, and lost. I have been doing lots of research, but I just keep coming up more overwhelmed.

Any Directions to start would be awesome.... Thank You!

Jamie D

[foodiegurl]

Jamie,

I just wanted to give you hugs! I basically wrote what you did 2 months ago. I was in shock and so overwhelmed. I love food, and I love baking....I was just crushed.

We are lucky that we both have husbands that are trying to be supportive, because I know some people who have husbands who won't go along with it at all, and it would be so much more challenging in that environment.

This place has been a great place of support and answers for me. If I ever want to know about a product, I search here and usually it will pop up. My iphone has been a life saver for me....I have looked up products so many times while I have been at the store (or called the company directly).

I am not as overwhelmed as I was at first..it does get easier. I mean, I still have difficult days..where I see people eating what I would have eaten 2 months ago, and no longer can, and that hurts mentally....but then, it is over with, and I know I am healthier for it.

You came to a great place...welcome!

Anne

[ang1e0251]

I know it can be a lot to take in in the beginning. And forget trying to read labels and cook and keep a schedule. It makes a day seem like a year you just can't escape! But... it will get better, it will get easier and it does help so much to have the support of your spouse. That is huge.

The rest of your family, just tell them the basics and let them ask any other questions they want. I guarantee they won't get it for awhile and some never will because they aren't living it like you are. They aren't doing the research and living the illness you have to. And let's face it, you don't understand it all the way so don't expect that they will. I'm still learning new things.

The best advice on food I can give you is to start out simply. For the first month, just eat simple whole foods that you prepare yourself; meats, vegetables, fruits, rice. You can substitute corn tortillas for anything you used to use bread for. I like them toasted in the toaster. When you feel confident eating and buying and preparing food this way, then add new foods. But only add new foods one at a time. That way if they don't agree with you, you'll know exactly what caused the problem. You can use spices but you do need to go through your whole spice cupboard and read each label. Throw out anything containing gluten and anything you may have shared a gluteny spoon with.

The way I explain that even a little bit will hurt me is the way I coped in the beginning. I envisioned gluten as poison ivy. What would happen if you ate even a tiny amount of poison ivy? Would you risk it ? I wouldn't. I wouldn't eat a salad if poison ivy touched it then was removed. I wouldn't eat anything that was cooked in a kitchen where poison ivy flour was just used. This helped me establish gluten as the enemy in my mind. It helped me sit at a wedding and not crave or be bothered by the foods I couldn't eat. I also never allow myself to be hungry in a social situation. I always have a Lara bar or safe, filling food in my purse to fall back on. Because, if I'm hungry, then I do feel sorry for myself, big time. If I'm satisfied, nothing bothers me.

I hope you continue to post to the forum. This is such a supportive group, it has helped me through a trying time when I felt alone many times. I feel so much stronger and in charge with the knowledge that has been shared with me here.

[Takala]

Okay, you could be breaking out from something topical applied to your skin, in addition to eating something, and it doesn't necessarily have to be gluten, it could be another ingredient. I know I break out from things that I have not identified all of, and maybe never will. I also know I react to wheat in cosmetics by getting skin irritations, no matter what other people think.

And you will want to use gluten free lipsticks and lip glosses. Burt's bees lipglosses are safe. Call the manufacturer on the others as ingredients change over time. Mineral makeups can be great.

This was simple for me, I just ditched the offending products, found ones that didn't do it, and my skin got better. I know I'm okay with ivory bar soap, so I will even use it sometimes on my hair, and then rinse the hair with apple cider vinegar and water to restore the pH, detangle, and add shine. Works better than fancy shampoos and conditioners full of bizarre ingredients that set me off. I found some sort of plain cucumber body wash that has no oats or wheat in it, that also makes a dandy shampoo. I also put a tiny dab of coconut oil on my palm and massage it into my wet hair sometimes, and you can use coconut oil on your skin. I have been reading the Long Hair Forum, even though I have shorter hair, because they are really into natural ingredients in beauty treatments and there's a lot of good ideas there.

If you are lactose intolerant, you may heal up eventually that you can once again eat non lactose dairy items like gluten free yogurt and hard, aged cheeses. I do better with organic than with regular dairy, esp. with butter. For dairy substitutes, there is nothing better than a nice big heaping spoonful of coconut milk in coffee or tea to help with cream cravings. On things like mexican food, go ahead and use a lot of ripe avocado to help satisfy the cheese cravings. There are lots of gluten free boxed nut milk and rice milk substitutes, too. (Rice dream is not good, it says gluten free but is made with barley and will cause reactions in sensitive people.) You can make dairy free baked puddings with pumpkin and egg and coconut milks that are sinfully rich. It's just a matter of experimentation.

For Rice Cakes, use Lundberg, which are gluten free. Don't use Quaker, which are not. For cereals, you can use those rice cakes crumbled up as rice cereal in a pinch, or as the basis for a rice granola if you add nuts, seeds, coconut, and raisins. Chex makes gluten free cereals, but always read the labels.

Regular oatmeal is not safe because of cross contamination. Certified gluten free oats are safe for some people, but others react to oat protein.

Read the labels on corn tortillas because some brands put gluten in them. Yuck. And taco bell shells are not safe.

Gluten free bread- many people develop an interest in home baking after experiencing commercial gluten free bread. Most people can eventually devise a personal gluten-free bread that contains things that they are not allergic to, are not intolerant to, and does not contain gluten, and does not flop after coming out of the oven and didn't take 6 hours to make. It won't have the consistency of adobe and it won't taste like sawdust. Check out the baking forum... Oh, and .... you need to buy new baking pans to do this.

I have not tried Dove shampoo products but supposedly they are gluten free. So are Dove chocolates. Hershey chocolate bars has thrown us under the bus and won't disclose ingredients now in their flavorings. This always puzzles me when a company could have had millions of happy, loyal eaters and they go pffffffffffffffft we don't care for you anymore.

Kraft is a good company and calls their gluten on the label. Heinz ketchup is safe.

This should give you some ideas to start with.

[JmeD]

Thank Y'all so much for the wonderful advice! All of it is really useful!!

I had a good Gluten Free day, and I am starting to feel better mentally/physically... I also found a really great smelling gluten free lotion today by pure & basic, so that got me all excited on top of reading all this great advice, and helpful directions of where to get started on my new journey. I still feel overwhelmed, but it's awesome to have a network!

Thank You, Thank You!