How Do You Do This?

[StephHappens]

For the last seven weeks (diagnosed Celiac Dec of 2010, began diet 1/1/11) I have been eating anything that says gluten free, no gluten or doesn't have wheat in bold or listed as an allergen on the ingredient label. Now I am finding out that wheat free is not the same as gluten free! I am so confused. How am I supposed to memorize every single possible derivative of wheat, barley and rye? This is too much. I have only had one reaction, as far as I could tell, about one week in. Since then, I think I have been fine. I can't make EVERYTHING from scratch. I am only 29 and have spent the last 4 years of my 20's sick. I want to go out and eat socially and I don't feel I can remember all of the things that contain gluten. How do you do it?

Thanks!

[glutenjunkie]

It takes a lot of practice and unfortunately, quite a few mistakes. I haven't found anywhere to eat out that you can guarantee to be gluten free in my area. In the beginning, making your own foods or making sure labels say GLUTEN FREE and sticking to those products until you know all the hidden gluten is a good idea. I think I have a list of hidden gluten somewhere, let me see if I can find it...

What is Gluten?

Q. What is gluten exactly?

A. Gluten is the protein found in wheat, oats, barley and rye.

Q. What are the most common foods that contain gluten

A. The common foods are: bread, cereal, pasta, cake, donuts, flour, some alcohol, bouillon, some vinegar and sauce thickeners. It is also very common in medicines, vitamins, lotions and lip balms.

Q. Does it matter if the flour is organic?

A. No. Gluten is gluten, organic or not, and is therefore not allowed.

Q. Do oats really contain gluten?

A. Yes and no. Oats themselves do not contain gluten but are almost always grown with and/or processed with wheat, therefore are tainted with gluten. Bob

[SarahMae]

For the last seven weeks (diagnosed Celiac Dec of 2010, began diet 1/1/11) I have been eating anything that says gluten free, no gluten or doesn't have wheat in bold or listed as an allergen on the ingredient label. Now I am finding out that wheat free is not the same as gluten free! I am so confused. How am I supposed to memorize every single possible derivative of wheat, barley and rye? This is too much. I have only had one reaction, as far as I could tell, about one week in. Since then, I think I have been fine. I can't make EVERYTHING from scratch. I am only 29 and have spent the last 4 years of my 20's sick. I want to go out and eat socially and I don't feel I can remember all of the things that contain gluten. How do you do it?

Thanks!

Don't be so hard on yourself, it's a learning process. There is no way to know everything in such a short amount of time. You do need to be patient and read packages if you want to still eat convenience foods, and you need to be patient with yourself, keep lists of what products you react to so you can avoid them in the future and have fun exploring food items you normally wouldn't go after.

The simplest way to eat in a restaurant? ASK. Don't be afraid to ask the server what is in the food you want to put in your body. Be polite about it and don't be ashamed. You are no different than the person who is allergic to shellfish, peanuts or pepper.

I am 5 months in, started having trouble again about three weeks ago and have just realized that about the same time I increased my vitamin intake. These are the same vitamins I have been taking FOREVER, so I didn't think anything of it....Did some research and found that two of the six have gluten containing ingredients.

I am a bone-head! How could I have missed this? Easily, it's a whole new thought process and it takes time to re-train your brain how to think about food.

The point I am trying to make is: Just be patient and absorb what you can at your own pace. Don't be put off by veterans, learn from them and keep moving. This is a huge support network and we all learn from eachother's (even people like me who lurk for 5 months before actually joining)experiences.

Best advice I took was to keep a list and compare ingredients to things that you start reacting to, soon you will find a link and eliminate the hidden problem.

Good luck! This is a new adventure in your life, keep an open mind.

[StephHappens]

Thanks! This helps. I will print it out and carry it around with me!

[Kolla]

Im also wondering how this is possible I try to read the labels but.. dont understand everything...

[diane64]

Yes, this diet is very difficult at times, but you do get used to it. I eat only veggies, fruits, meats, dairy and products that are labeled gluten free. If it doesn't say gluten free, I don't eat it! It is hard to give up the old favorites, but feeling better is worth it!

Good luck!

For the last seven weeks (diagnosed Celiac Dec of 2010, began diet 1/1/11) I have been eating anything that says gluten free, no gluten or doesn't have wheat in bold or listed as an allergen on the ingredient label. Now I am finding out that wheat free is not the same as gluten free! I am so confused. How am I supposed to memorize every single possible derivative of wheat, barley and rye? This is too much. I have only had one reaction, as far as I could tell, about one week in. Since then, I think I have been fine. I can't make EVERYTHING from scratch. I am only 29 and have spent the last 4 years of my 20's sick. I want to go out and eat socially and I don't feel I can remember all of the things that contain gluten. How do you do it?

Thanks!

[rosetapper23]

Here's a Web site that provides you with all the processed foods found at regular supermarkets that are gluten free (even though they don't say so on the packages):

Open Original Shared Link

It's over 100 pages that list everything you could possibly want to eat (well, except croissants, donuts, etc.). Also, you'll always need to have a pharmacist check with the labs where any of your medications come from before you accept and pay for them. Although fewer and fewer medications seem to contain gluten, there are still quite of few of them that do. Be very careful about buying any generic-brand OTC liquid flu medications, because the colors and flavors tend to contain gluten. Here's a good source for checking out medications:

www.glutenfreedrugs.com

Good luck!

[ravenwoodglass]

You do need to read labels. As mentioned if you can go with whole unprocessed foods it is a bit safer. If you live near a Wegmans they label all their name brand gluten-free stuff with a circle G. Kraft, Unilever, Hormel, Yoplait are some of the companies that will all clearly label gluten ingredients. If you don't see wheat, rye, barley or oats it is not in the product.

[cap6]

Take a deep breath. Yes it is too much and no you can't learn it all ~ at least right away. I am 11 months into this and finally feeling like I have a handle on it. I started out in the beginning shopping with my Gluten Free Grocery Shopping Guide and a list of ingredient definitions. Shopping took forever. And cooking? I am 60 and have always hated to cook. One day I woke up and realized that cooking wasn't the odious chore it once was and that I had gone shopping and left my Shopping Guide in the car! Please give it time. Take time to grieve your loss because and food and the choices you now have to make are a loss - and know that one day it will all come to you. Honest.

[glutenjunkie]

Im also wondering how this is possible I try to read the labels but.. dont understand everything...

Don't get discouraged. I promise it gets easier with time!! While I'm new to being gluten free, my daughter (5) has been for 3 years. I remember the beginning and feeling like "OMG, how can I do this, this is impossible".. but 3 years later, it's just become part of life.

[glutenjunkie]

Take a deep breath. Yes it is too much and no you can't learn it all ~ at least right away. I am 11 months into this and finally feeling like I have a handle on it. I started out in the beginning shopping with my Gluten Free Grocery Shopping Guide and a list of ingredient definitions. Shopping took forever. And cooking? I am 60 and have always hated to cook. One day I woke up and realized that cooking wasn't the odious chore it once was and that I had gone shopping and left my Shopping Guide in the car! Please give it time. Take time to grieve your loss because and food and the choices you now have to make are a loss - and know that one day it will all come to you. Honest.

I'm 33 and NEVER been one to cook. I hate it. Raw meat grosses me out and I just can't do it. Thankfully, my husband picked up on that one for me. But lately, I've started baking gluten free and I'm actually starting to enjoy it. Quite a few bombs so far- because apparently baking isn't easy lol- but I made a gluten-free cake on Valentine's day for my daughter that was actually one of the best cakes I've ever had. (Bob's Red Mills Vanilla cake mix- I cheated lol).

[HopefulMama23]

I'm 33 and NEVER been one to cook. I hate it. Raw meat grosses me out and I just can't do it. Thankfully, my husband picked up on that one for me. But lately, I've started baking gluten free and I'm actually starting to enjoy it. Quite a few bombs so far- because apparently baking isn't easy lol- but I made a gluten-free cake on Valentine's day for my daughter that was actually one of the best cakes I've ever had. (Bob's Red Mills Vanilla cake mix- I cheated lol).

This is only my sixth week, but I do feel like it's getting a lot easier. I'm off dairy and gluten, and in the beginning after being so sick so long I was terrified of food- I would eat like 3 things. But now I'm learning what to make for dinners and even how to feed my family (of 5) this way. I mostly buy and eat whole foods- veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, rice, quinoa, lentils, beans, etc so I don't have to worry. I use coconut milk as a milk sustitute for smoothies and in my buckwheat for breakfast- I actually like the taste. And I just discovered the BEST coconut milk ice cream- gl, dairy free, organic, and heavenly. It made me cry becuase I had been convinced my days of ice cream were over.

Sometimes, if the mood strikes, I browse around the grocery store just looking to see what things I can find- that's how I dsicovered the coconut ice cream. If I'm in a good mood, I can even see it as a challange. If I'm grumpy, it's a burden. But more often than not I'm in a good mood these days. :-) I'm lucky enough to shop at a Wegmans and they are very good about labeling.

I agree about restaurants- this weekend we went to an expensive fabulous restaurant and I assumed the staff would be very knowledgeable and I was wrong. I ended up having a quarrel with our server about whether or not I could have the cous cous. That was discouraging- it makes you feel very vulnerable.

When I have time, I make a bunch of things- a bunch of hard boiled eggs, some grilled chicken breasts, a pound of rice, etc- and I store it in the fridge for the week. The first thing I struggled with was no longer being able to just "grab something" at a deli, convenience store, etc. So this way I always have something on hand I can throw together on a busy night when I don't have time to cook a proper meal.

Good luck to you and keep your head up!