Getting Back With Sweetie, He's Going Gluten Free

[txplowgirl]

Ok everybody,

I have been talking with my ex sweetie that I kicked out of my life for several reasons but one of them was because he kept glutening me. We were a team driving truck for those of you who are new. He refused to go gluten free and needless to say it got bad.

Anyway, we have been talking again and he has said he is willing to go gluten free for me and he is finally admitting he might have a gluten problem. Duh! Anyway, he is a diabetic so I will need to figure out some kind of breakfast for him that will be quick and easy.

I got him to try going gluten free for a few days several months ago when we were still together and it was a disaster. He had withdrawals so bad after 3 days that he would rather suffer with the effects of eating gluten than deal with the withdrawals. I mean they were baaadd!

Another thing that I noticed is that he would have reations when he drank milk, so there is a lactose problem at least. Which he said he would not give up his milk, He has a problem with nuts, they give him D, so he definetly avoids those, so no almond or coconut milk. He is a heavy smoker, he's up to nearly 4 packs a day. He's had one heart attack. He is on 7 different meds plus fish oil.

Number 1, is the breakfast thing, 2, Will this help him stop craving cigarettes? I hope so. 3, I know I was able to taper off my meds and now am no longer on any. I was wondering about his heart meds. If going gluten-free will help his heart and he will be able to eventually be able to get off those. And, yes, I've checked all his meds, they are gluten-free, thank goodness, so we don't have to worry about that.

Now, i've got the next six weeks before we get back together to figure out what I need to do.

For those of you who don't know, we are stuck in a truck for 6 weeks to 2 months at a time. I have an inverter so, I have a microwave and an electric skillet. This keeps me out of the truck stop restaurants. I hit a walmart at least once a week.

So, any advice? This makes the 3rd time in 8 years this has happened but this is the first time he has agreed to see things my way. The other times I gave in. But, I have told him this is the last time, if it dosen't work this time i'm totally done.

Lord help me I must be out of my mind.

[kareng]

You might check some reputable diabetic sites. If you live near a hospital, the nutrion service- dietian may have free brochures you can pick up on diabetic diet. Breakfast doesn't have to be " breakfast food.". My SIL was just dxed with diabetes and the doc said to do the first part of the Atkins diet ( must be ultra low carb). Make scrambled eggs with 1 full egg to 2 more whites. Saut

[Skylark]

LOL! Maybe the third time's the charm.

The mix of diabetes and smoking is really bad news for his heart. It's really hard to say if he'll be able to get off the meds, but I suspect he won't unless he quits smoking and even then he may need some. As for stopping smoking, nicotine cravings are fierce. If he couldn't handle gluten withdrawal, the smoking will be hard. Maybe you can get him to swap some gum for some of the cigs?

I thought you were allowed some carbs on a diabetic diet as long as there is protein with them. The nursing home always gave my type 2 diabetic grandmother pretty balanced meals. For example, eggs, sausage, a cup of fruit, and a single piece of gluten-free toast.

[ravenwoodglass]

I hope things work out for you this time. One thing you may want to pick up is a book that deals with the glycemic index of foods. That may help him with his food choices for meals and may help the diabetes. A consultation with a diabetic educator and dietian may help with that also. Be forwarned that some know nothing about the gluten-free diet. Going gluten free may also help with keeping his diabetes under control.

As for the smoking issue. Some of the brands have many more addictive ingredients than just the nicotine. Some even have wheat based additives. What I did was switch to a brand called Natural American Spirit. I started with the rolled form and cut my smoking in half without even trying. I then switched to the 'roll your own' loose pouches. I did this long before my state raised cig taxes which increased cig prices to almost ten bucks a pack. With almost no effort I have gone from a pack a day smoker to only smoking about 4 to 5 a day. He will still get his nicotine but without the other additives. Some of the brands of cigs make me want another one as soon as I put one out so I know the additives were getting to me and increasing how much I craved another cig.

I can't say if he will be able to decrease of eliminate his heart meds. There are a lot of factors involved with heart disease. If he is heavy getting his weight down will help as will decreasing his smoking. Celiac inflammation can also play a role. Keep in touch with his doctor on that issue.

Good luck, give him as much support as you can with the withdrawl. You will need almost as much patience with it as he does.

[missy'smom]

I have to endorse the low carb approach. It works very well. I think most guys would find the animal proteins, full fat dairy and fats satisfying. I still manage just fine on low-carb without the dairy. It seems that many people's cholesterol numbers actually improve in low-carb. I know mine haven't suffered a bit and are still very good despite considerably upping my consumption of saturated fat. I have permission from doc to eat all the bacon I like. The ADA does allow refined carbs but for most they do spike the blood sugar. ADA accepts that as a necessary evil but patients don't have to ;)There are some forums for lowcarbers with diabetes. The diet I follow is more restrictive than most and was developed by a doctor with diabetes. A Paleo diet works well for some. Personally I tried the glycemic index but my blood sugar readings did not match up at all with the index so I found it completely ineffective. As for the coconut and almond milk, I wouldn't rule them out so quickly. Nuts are hard to digest for people with a variety of GI troubles. I have a parent with diverticulitis so nuts are out-too hard to digest and the bits get stuck in places. However, the almond milk is processed enough that it would be tolerated. Now for me, I found out that my problem with almonds is an allergy so I would react to the almond milk with D perhaps, as would someone with an intolerance. Same for the coconut milk. So I would let him try it and see.

[Juliebove]

Yikes! Smoking is probably the worst thing a diabetic can do.

As for the diet... It really depends on what kind of diet he eats. A lot of diabetics do low carb. I do not. But... I do eat a lot less carbs than I used to. I used to eat mainly beans and rice or pasta and rice.

Eggs and various meats are probably the best things for breakfast. If he needs some carbs (and I do), then perhaps some fruits such as berries or grapefruit. If he wants some sort of bread, you might try things like Wasa (crisp bread) or those small loaves of rye. You could do an egg scramble with a lot of vegetables, perhaps including a small amount of potato. Not all diabetics can do potato. I can.

Salads and low carb veggies should make up the bulk of the other meals. Add meat, eggs or some other form of protein and perhaps some carbs. I mainly do beans for my carbs. But it really varies from person to person. I hope he is testing his blood sugar. That way you can tell if the meals are working for him.

[celiac-mommy]

I agree--Diabetes and heart disease go hand in hand. Smoking is the #1 cause of stroke and heart attack. Put the 2 together and it is pretty much a death sentence.

I do NOT say this at all to be mean or callus in any way. These are the people I work with, what I went to school for, the people I try to help every day. If he makes any changes in his life, the most important would be to get off the cigs (for you too, if he's smoking in the cab with you) and get the diabetes under control--which I'm sure the gluten-free diet will help with!

[ravenwoodglass]

If he wants some sort of bread, you might try things like Wasa (crisp bread) or those small loaves of rye.

Since he is going gluten free those would not be options for him. Good idea if he wasn't though.

[txplowgirl]

Thanks everyone for the advise and well wishes. I'm gonna need it. Lol.

Yes, he is gonna slow or try to slow down on the cigs. He knows the smoke gives me problems. He's lost quite a bit of weight. 25 years ago he weighed 375. He now weighs in at 175. So, now, we're gonna see if he can deliver. I really hope so, because I really am in love with him and don't want to lose him.

[lucia]

He's lucky to have you. I see people on the site talk about the inconveniences of having to deal with a gluten-free partner, but I actually think that those partners who get us are lucky. We are forced to take care of our health in a country where people often ignore theirs. My husband eats a lot better because of my restricted diet (resulting from diagnoses of fibromyalgia & more recently, celiac). Seriously! Look at all the helpful information you are willing to provide to him about quitting smoking and taking care of his diabetes. Lucky, lucky guy!

[Juliebove]

I agree--Diabetes and heart disease go hand in hand. Smoking is the #1 cause of stroke and heart attack. Put the 2 together and it is pretty much a death sentence.

I do NOT say this at all to be mean or callus in any way. These are the people I work with, what I went to school for, the people I try to help every day. If he makes any changes in his life, the most important would be to get off the cigs (for you too, if he's smoking in the cab with you) and get the diabetes under control--which I'm sure the gluten-free diet will help with!

True! I wasn't even thinking there. I am not the gluten-free person. Daughter is.

[Takala]

For the lactose intolerant you can always take gluten free yogurt, such as that Greek Fage stuff, and thin it with some water to make a creamy sort of liquid for gluten free cereal. Add enough artificial sweetener and flavorings such as a dash of cinnamon or vanilla and it's workable. You can also take unsweetened boxed milk substitutes such as hemp milk and do this, only don't dilute it, just add the splenda or whatever.

If he likes oatmeal you can give him gluten free oats, which can be microwaved. I don't do oats but my spouse eats gluten free at home, and eats that a lot in the winter. You can add oil instead of butter to oats to give it more staying power if he's sensitive to butter.

You can also try going to organic dairy products such as butter, cheese. Makes a difference to me. He might also, on a gluten free diet, regain the ability to eat other things- I knew I was surprised at how many other things I could eat again once gluten was out.

However, for me, being carb sensitive, I usually eat fruit, nuts, a hard boiled egg or some cheese, and maybe some vegetables, and some tea or coffee with coconut and hemp or other nut milk for breakfast. I'm not wild about the vegetable part, unless it's fresh tomato season, but it really helps. Canned pumpkin or well drained rinsed canned beans work for this, too. You can always put beans and lettuce on a corn tortilla.

You could also do the bun in a cup type of microwave baking, where you take a ramekin or cereal bowl, add an egg and a little dollop of oil and vinegar, add some gluten free nut, seed meals, or flours, a pinch of baking soda and salt, some seasonings, maybe a spoon of water, and microwave it for however long it takes with your microwave and it turns in to a big bun or 2 half moon muffin halves in about a minute and a half. You can get up to 4 slices of hot fresh "bread" out of the bigger cereal bowls, too. You may have to tip it out of the bowl onto the plate to finish miking it. I had a lot of lemons last fall off the tree, and made a lot of lemon poppyseed bowl muffins sweetened with some splenda and they were really good. You can put some cream cheese on them with a little more sweetener sprinkled on, and they are stunning. You don't have to use rice flour, there are so many different types of hearty, gluten free flours you can mix together, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, amaranth, sorghum, millet, gluten free cornmeal.... I use almond meal and amaranth/sorghum a lot. I don't have to use xanthan gum this way. Of course, there's always Pamela's....

By using a small cast iron pan with a bit of oil in it, to start with and finishing it in the broiler, I can even approximate something that tastes very much like a doughnut, by cutting it in wedges, then sticking a piece of dark chocolate in the middle and sprinkling it with splenda or powdered sugar, but I can't do this too often, because I started gaining weight if I ate it every day.

Hint for making your own gluten free flour mixes- once you find what you want, you can take a big zip lock bag and just dump 2 or 3 or 4 kinds of those Bob's Red Mill packages of gluten free flours in it and mix well.

The vitamin B complexes are supposed to help with cigarette cravings as cigs as well as gluten intolerance makes for problems absorbing vitamins. Maybe try a calcium - magnesium supplement and a multivitamin too, can't hurt, might help.

Remember to eat more vegetables and good fats such as olive oil- each meal, should include a protein, fat, and vegetable.