Gluten'd

[Strawberry-Jam]

I made myself some gluten-free cookies yesterday, my first gluten-free baking experience! And they turned out lovely--rich and chewy... but most likely CC'd.

I put in a gluten-free flour mix (rice flour and guar gum basically), brown sugar, almond milk, sliced almonds, almond extract, vanilla, baking soda, salt, almond meal, ground flax, and vegetable oil.

Immediately while eating them I started to have stomach pain, gas, and bloating. afterward, reflux, headache, and now a mild depression.

ARGH. I used tin-foil on the baking sheet and dedicated gluten-free utensils. I also wiped down the whole kitchen before baking and washed every measuring cup and bowl before using it.

But now that I am remembering baking a long time ago, it is possible the almonds were CC'd with wheat flour or the flax and almond meal were CC'd with non-gluten-free oat flour. I don't think the sugar was CC'd but that is a possibility as well. I don't think I'm reacting to the guar gum because I have xanthan gum all the time and don't feel ill effects from it. idkidk

I'm 4 weeks gluten free and my symptoms are all back. Time to root out all sources of hidden gluten I guess. Just emailed a company about my nail polish, and ordered new toothpaste and threw away old toothbrush.

Question: about my mortar and pestle. I used to use this marble mortar and pestle to grind roasted barley. I've washed it really well... if I soak it in rum--alcohol, since gluten in soluble in alcohol and rum is what I have on hand--and rinse it really good and wash it again, is it safe to use for spices?

[eatmeat4good]

I don't know about your mortar and pestle question but someone will answer you on that.

I think all those packages that were around in your gluten days need to go out if they could be cross contaminated.

However, what I found interesting is your use of vegetable oil..which is almost always soybean oil.

It can cause all the symptoms you described if you are sensitive to soy. Soy sensitivity is very common for Celiac/Gluten Intolerant people.

You could be reacting to soy.

[Strawberry-Jam]

is there a way to test the soy without a total elimination diet? Or, how long do I need to give it up before testing it again? I've been having soy this whole time but I WAS getting better...

[eatmeat4good]

Other food sensitivities can develop anywhere along the line of recovery and after.

I didn't think I had a problem with dairy or soy and did not eliminate them even though it was recommended.

I just wanted to believe gluten was my only problem.

It wasn't until I felt symptoms again that I had to consider other food intolerances. Then I found out many people start to have reactions to dairy, soy, corn, fructose, nightshades, etc. You just have to find out what you are reacting to.

I think Enterolab can test for soy if you want to have an actual test. Or ask your Dr. or an allergist about testing. I just did the elimination.

Food elimination is the other option. Eliminate it for a while and then try to have some and you will have a reaction if you are still intolerant.

Often when you are still healing, other foods can become a problem, but some people find they can go back to eating them once they heal.

I can't advise you about how long to avoid soy before you test it. When I started reading about how bad soy is for the thyroid, I decided never to eat it again. The only exception being soy lecithin in chocolate but that is a rare treat. Some people say they don't react to soy lecithin. There are some threads on the topic of soy here that may be helpful to you.

[cassP]

When I started reading about how bad soy is for the thyroid, I decided never to eat it again. The only exception being soy lecithin in chocolate but that is a rare treat. Some people say they don't react to soy lecithin. There are some threads on the topic of soy here that may be helpful to you.

yes i read that Soy especially aggravates Grave's antibodies. so i realized that i need to avoid it- but it's almost impossible :/ seriously- soy & corn are in EVERYTHING

ok, for the most part i can totally avoid soy- but it still sneaks in - and my gluten free chipotle they use soybean oil

oh, and i wanted to tell u- i recently bought "Enjoy Life" choco chips at whole foods- and they are Dairy & SOY FREE )) and they taste even better!

[Juliebove]

I don't know about the mortar and pestle. Mine is made of marble and that's porous. So I would think that could be contaminated despite washing. You could try covering them with a thick foil. Not sure if that would work or not.

As for other allergens such as soy, there are two kinds of tests that could be done. An allergist can test for IgE allergies. This is done via a prick of the skin and then application of the allergen to see if you react to it. Or by a blood test.

A Naturopath can test for IgG allergies. This is what my daughter and I have. It's done by a blood test. You will fill out some papers prior about your diet so they know what all to test for. Note that not all Naturpaths will do this kind of test.

As for the soy and thyroid connection, I do feel there is one. I gave up all soy and am no longer on thyroid meds. But it is true that it is very prevalent in the form of lecithin and oil. I do avoid soybean oil when I can. I know most restaurants use it. But if I were to buy something like chips, I would look for ones that contained a different oil. I'm also okay with the lecithin. I just will no longer eat things like tofu, soybeans, soy protein, etc.