? About Getting Glutened In Beginning Stages Of Diet

[TPT]

Since I am still waiting on test results, I'm not about to go out and buy a new toaster, pots and pans etc. I'll cross that bridge if/when I think I need to. So, I guess that means I could easily still be getting traces of gluten. (I've been extra careful about cleaning.) My question is, can I still expect a level of healing? Having taken out all the large and obvious gluten, can I expect to feel better, even if not completely? My sympotms are very mild compared to some of you.

[Dixiebell]

I think what happens to most people is the longer they are off gluten, and healing, the small amounts start to affect them more than in the beginning.

If your pots and pans aren't scratched they should be fine. Just make sure to clean them well.

[TPT]

But I JUST went off gluten. Am I still going to heal if I might get CC here and there? I know I can't expect to get completely healed if there's any gluten, but will I at least see that my efforts are starting to work?

[SLRinPortland]

I am brand new to a gluten free diet. I'm watching out for any gluten in my food, but having problems with dairy. I went out and bought soy milk to deal with the lactose issue, only to discover after a long night of pain that there was gluten in the soy milk.

Yesterday, I ate some gluten-free macaroon cookies from a food co-op and a couple dairy free tostatas from Taco Bell. I used the new green "verde" sauce from Taco Bell on my tostadas. My night wasn't as bad as when I got glutened by the soy milk. But it wasn't exactly a pain free either.

The gluten-free macaroon cookies use a lot of soy, also brown rice syrup (which I saw someone mention on another thread as something to watch out for).

The Taco Bell green verde sauce is a mystery to me. So, I am not sure if I got glutened by Taco Bell sauce or if I am also dealing with a soy intolerance.

HELP! I need some simple suggestions for SAFE foods. Mission corn chips seem to be safe, and Langers fruit juice works for me too. Also apples and bananas work. Right now, I just need a diet that will allow me to get through the holidays pain free.

[WheatChef]

I couldn't fathom how Taco Bell anything could be considered "safe". Most expensive restaurants can't even get cross contamination issues correct, what chance do you think a Taco Bell staffed with nothing but minimum wage workers made up of probably zero people at most locations knowing anything about celiac disease? Whole foods are gluten free, green leafy vegetables, beef, chicken, pork, eggs, fresh herbs and aromatics, mushrooms. That being said, if you absolutely need junk food, try New Cascadia bakery on i believe SE 6th and Market just 2 blocks south of hawthorne. Their desserts and pastries are so amazingly delicious, the entire facility is gluten free. I'd still frequent there if I hadn't given up carbs and all that grain crap altogether. Oh, Whole Bowl is gluten-free too.

As for the lack of new kitchen utensils, the amount of potential harm caused by these will depend in large part on what sort of cookware they are. I think the toaster is pretty much out of the question, if you don't wish to replace it now then simply put it away in a closet for now it's not like there's any decent gluten-free breads for you to put in it anyways... The pots and pans will really only matter if they are cast iron (which unfortunately will need to be replaced) or teflon/nonstick pans with scratches (which are carcinogenic/toxic and you should have thrown out a long time ago anyways). Bare metal by itself (non-cast iron) is safe as soon as you wash it for the most part. Things that get people the most I think are the toasters/cast irons/cutting boards, plastics are potentially covered in dangerous little pores that can house gluten.

[jenngolightly]

I couldn't fathom how Taco Bell anything could be considered "safe". Most expensive restaurants can't even get cross contamination issues correct, what chance do you think a Taco Bell staffed with nothing but minimum wage workers made up of probably zero people at most locations knowing anything about celiac disease? Whole foods are gluten free, green leafy vegetables, beef, chicken, pork, eggs, fresh herbs and aromatics, mushrooms. That being said, if you absolutely need junk food, try New Cascadia bakery on i believe SE 6th and Market just 2 blocks south of hawthorne. Their desserts and pastries are so amazingly delicious, the entire facility is gluten free. I'd still frequent there if I hadn't given up carbs and all that grain crap altogether. Oh, Whole Bowl is gluten-free too.

As for the lack of new kitchen utensils, the amount of potential harm caused by these will depend in large part on what sort of cookware they are. I think the toaster is pretty much out of the question, if you don't wish to replace it now then simply put it away in a closet for now it's not like there's any decent gluten-free breads for you to put in it anyways... The pots and pans will really only matter if they are cast iron (which unfortunately will need to be replaced) or teflon/nonstick pans with scratches (which are carcinogenic/toxic and you should have thrown out a long time ago anyways). Bare metal by itself (non-cast iron) is safe as soon as you wash it for the most part. Things that get people the most I think are the toasters/cast irons/cutting boards, plastics are potentially covered in dangerous little pores that can house gluten.

I don't think it's fair to say that most restaurants don't get cc correct. I also think you are scaring people when you say that. I've had a lot of luck at restaurants. There have been a couple of occurrences when I was glutened, but very few. Mostly, you need common sense, and to know that the server understands what you're telling them. If it doesn't look like the waiter is clued in, talk to the manager. You can have Celiac and lead a normal life.

[T.H.]

The pots and pans will really only matter if they are cast iron (which unfortunately will need to be replaced) or teflon/nonstick pans with scratches (which are carcinogenic/toxic and you should have thrown out a long time ago anyways). Bare metal by itself (non-cast iron) is safe as soon as you wash it for the most part.

I believe you can recover cast iron if you put your cast iron in the oven on the self-cleaning cycle - that will strip off the seasoning and the gluten, both, if the stories I hear are correct. I didn't try this, because I got rid of my cast iron before I'd heard of it, but it seems to work well, from what I hear.

The other metal pans that we had needed a full scouring, with close attention paid to the little crevices where the bolts attached the handles to the pot, usually. We were still getting a little 'ick' from them until we really scoured them out.

[bincongo]

But I JUST went off gluten. Am I still going to heal if I might get CC here and there? I know I can't expect to get completely healed if there's any gluten, but will I at least see that my efforts are starting to work?

It is a question many of us have faced and you might find different answers. I found that I did feel better from the beginning even if I had not learned all I needed too but I had good days and bad days. Usually it was good weeks and bad weeks but I just kept learning what not to do and after about 3 months I quit having "bad" weeks. I am a long way from being healed since my intestines were badly damaged but I did see an improvement in my symptoms. Hang in there.

[RunningPickle]

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 1997 and unfortunately was lead to believe that I'd outgrown it in 2002. I just recently started going gluten-free again. It's been about a month. Now granted, I've done this before, so I'm having a better time knowing what I can and can't eat than a complete newbie (and I don't say that in any kind of derogatory way).

My recommendation is simple. Eat whole foods. Or at least eat foods with a short list of ingredients. Many companies now label their food "gluten free". If I'm looking for something new (like a snack item, a bag of chips, or just an item I'm not familiar with), I'll do some research or make sure what I get is gluten free. There are gluten-free microwave meals, though some are definitely better than others. I stay away from fast-food, because one, I think it's gross, and two, I don't trust fast-food.

As for restaurants in general, I've had mixed results. Those that have "gluten-free" menus tend to know a little bit more and you are at much less risk for cross-contamination. But don't assume, if the people don't seem to know what they're talking about, definitely ask to speak to a manager. I have a chef-friend at a restaurant here in Seattle, and he has a gluten-free menu. As I watched him prep my lunch one day, I noticed a potential for cross-contamination. We talked about it, and he hadn't realized, despite trying to study Celiac Disease, that this was a concern. His foods are all impecable and his ingredient list is definitely gluten-free. Now if he has a question, he comes to me and asks.

I hope you continue to heal and your exploration of gluten-free is as painless as possible. I started feeling better pretty quick. And now even minor gluten is starting to make me sick again. Try as best you can until you get your results, and like someone else said, just put those things away (like the toaster) and/or scrub them out well. It may not be the best solution, but sometimes we have to make due with the resources we have.