Frustrated Newbie : / Advice?

[LiL'B123]

So...I found out I was gluten intolerant/celiac just 4 months ago and sometimes I get so frustrated because as soon as I heal from eating something that I didn't even realize could have gluten in it, I do it all over again unintentionally and it hurts all over again for days. I'm sick of it...things I wouldn't even think of;ice cream, salad dressing, salsa, refried beans...what else has gluten in it that I am unaware of?! I don't want to make these silly mistakes anymore, I'm trying to do my research but it's sooo hard sometimes. Please give me the best advice you guys have...and some of the things you wish you knew when you were new to this.

[mushroom]

Hello, and welcome.

Yes, it can be very frustrating at first to figure out the hidden sources of gluten because it seems like it is in everything. The following list is a good place to start:

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/forbidden-gluten-food-list-unsafe-ingredients-r182/

The best advice I have seen given here is to start out with foods that are naturally gluten free - fresh meats, vegetables, fruit. Even then you have to be careful about things like rotisserie chicken which have been pre-injected with broth. Many chicken and beef stocks contain gluten. Even things like mustard can contain gluten, and ice cream as you have found out. So just shop the outside of the supermarket, and when you venture inside for rice or gluten free pasta, or for that matter anything that has a label on it, read the label (in its entirety) and if you see something that is equivocal or ambiguous like "flavorings" or "seasonings" don't buy it until you have checked with the manufacturer. Fresh whole foods are better for you at this stage of healing anyway, as they don't require any digestive circus tricks like trapeze acts to break them down . It is best to save the gluten free substitute foods for later in your recovery when your digestive tract has healed a bit and is better able to perform the gymnastics of digesting substitute grains it is not familiar with. Plain unseasoned nuts and seeds are good and it is generally best to cook all veg at first and take the skins off things like apples which are hard to digest until some healing has taken place.

Good luck on your healing journey.