Brand New And Totally Confused

[katievesledahl]

So I was just diagnosed about two weeks ago... I keep making food without gluten and still have pains, mainly after I eat. I get so afraid to eat that i have only been eating fruits lately. I have been keeping a food diary to keep track of what is not making me sick and what is..... could it be cooking with my old pots and pans? Also can I buy prepackaged seasons, or should I make my own mixes from scratch? Also all of the scientific terms on the ingredients lists are quite intimidating....any suggestions on how to deal with this would be more than welcomed! One more thing, does anyone know a good recipe book to buy! I am fine with having to cook but I am living really tight, so I don't want to buy a book I won't use!

[Celiactapper]

Many of us have been where you are now. The easiest way to approach this is to eat only natural foods--fruits, vegetables, meat, most dairy, and nuts. You don't need to understand complex ingredients yet, because you'll only be eating basic foods. As for seasonings, simply eat basic herbs for now. Cookbooks? You can use the ones you have! Simply substitute gluten-free ingredients where needed. When flour is called for, substitute with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour (and if baking, also add 2-3 teaspoons of xanthan gum). Believe me--once you've eaten natural foods for a while, you'll lose your taste for processed foods. It's not scary...it's healthful eating.

Good luck!

[GlutenFreeManna]

Welcome! Sorry you are still having pain. If you have non-stick or cast iron pans you definitely need to get new ones and dedicate them to gluten-free cooking. Gluten can get in the scratches of the pans and contaminate the gluten free food you are trying to cook. Colanders are really hard to clean with all those little holes and plastic or wooden utensils and cutting boards will have the same problem. I have read on here that the only way to get rid of gluten particles (beside really hard scrubbing) would be to burn it off by heating something to 600 degrees for at least 30 minutes. You can re-season a cast iron pan this way, but you can't do that with non-stick and you can't scrub a non-stick pan clean either.

ETA: there are safe and unsafe ingredients lists on the home page of celiac.com Print them out and take them tot he store so you can read the labels if you need to. But in the beginning of this diet it helps if you stick to mainly whole foods--meat, poultry, veggies, rice, potatoes, etc. and stay away from too many gluten free substitutes and other processed foods. You body will heal better and it will be easier to figure out if you have and additional intolerance besides gluten (many of us do).

[WheatChef]

First step: toss any teflon pans. Not because yes, they are now unsafe for you as a celiac, but because they have always been unsafe for you as a mammal (and are merely coverups for poor cooking techniques).

While you're at it, toss your cast irons. Cast iron pans are probably on the very short list for absolute essentials in any kitchen (along with knives, a cutting board, salt and fats). They are simply put, amazing cookware. They are unfortunately also simply put, full of holes. Cast irons are severely porous and can gather all sorts of compounds, considering you are now trying to avoid a particular microscopic compound you'd be best off just replacing these to be on the safe side.

As far as other sorts of pots and pans go, scrub off any visible stains and scum from them and then if you want to be extra sure of their cleanliness, soak them in everclear (the "bad" gluten is alcohol soluble) and then scrub them again. This is probably slight overkill but you'll have some clean pans out of it at least!

I have a degree in food science and the scientific reading of ingredients labels intimidates me too! However this is mostly because at this point I can point out the ones that probably shouldn't be assumed fit for human consumption. A good general rule of thumb would be that the longer an ingredients list is and the more complicated it is, the less it is something you should put into your body. A lot of times all the complicated names are really just science speak for compounds found commonly in different plant or animal tissue but if you want to get a little more knowledgeable in your label reading I suggest you read up on antioxidants and emulsifiers, most often times these constitute the bulk of added ingredients as they either keep the product from going stale or make the compound thicker (no one pays for water unless they think it's coming from some magic stream somewhere).

Overall though I would highly recommend that you learn to make your own seasoning mixes. The stuff sold in the store is such absolute crap compared to what you could make at home with just some minimal practice. The ability to make your own spice rubs, currys and curing salts is not only impressive to others but liberating to yourself and your taste buds!

[cassP]

like the above posters have said- stick with all naturally gluten free foods.. meats, fish, veggies, rice, and some good fats too- like EVOO & nut butters...

everybody's different- but i find a cup of lightly cooked vegtables with butter or olive oil much easier to digest than fruit. i eat a little fruit- but if i was ONLY eating fruit- i would be doubled over in pain-

your body definitely needs more than sucrose, fructose, and fiber.. also read up on the daily threads on here- everyone has a lot of great advice! and dont get disheartened- it's only been 2 weeks- in the past when i would "try" gluten free- it would take me at least 3 weeks to feel like i was on the right road. hang in there