Help With Eliminating More Foods

[Strawberry-Jam]

As you can see in my signature, I was diagnosed with Celiac approx. six months ago, and self-diagnosed soy intolerance shortly afterward.

So I am as completely off all traces of gluten and soy as far as possible atm.

I also tend to avoid dairy and corn, but will imbibe from time to time. I still have symptoms. My main gluten symptom is acid reflux and toilet problems (both D and C), but I also have fatigue and brain fog and muscle aches as well.

thing is, I will have wonderful times when I feel great and energetic and so on and so on. This tends to happen when my diet is mainly rice, meat, fish, nut butters w/ strawberry jam on gluten-free bread, and gluten-free chips of varying sorts. But then sometimes my diet changes and all of a sudden I have crazy symptoms and headaches and I can't stop sleeping and my muscles all hurt.

I'm moving to the Republic of Ireland from the USA in about a week and a half. Once there I want to start an elimination diet, but I am a poor recent University graduate who will be living in hostels for probably the first month, then will get a flat when I get a job and have my own kitchen but need to buy all my cookware and dishes -- unless I can't find a cheap enough place to live by myself in which case I will likely have to share a kitchen with gluten-eaters.

So I need tips on how I can have a proper elimination diet without a kitchen at my disposal.

I have already eliminated: gluten, soy, dairy, peanuts (they give me gas, but small amounts of peanut oil in other types of nuts is ok).

I intend to eliminate in future: corn and possibly nightshades.

Tips?

I also have another question: anyone with a corn intolerance okay with straight corn and milled corn but not corn syrup? I seem to be okay when I eat organic gluten-free corn chips, but I recently had a gluten-free pecan pie and had some straight corn syrup like you would maple syrup and am having a lot of muscle aches and headaches recently.

[gabby]

Hi,

I don't live in Ireland, but I did move to a European country a few years ago, so I know what it is like to try and get things organized in those first few weeks and months upon arrival. I moved to Croatia, and I did not speak the language at the time, so it was near impossible for me to lean on any local type of celiac support. However, you are one lucky lucky celiac, because you are moving to a place where English is the main language!

Here's what I suggest you do now, even before you get to Ireland: contact the Irish Celiac society and lean on them for all the local resources you can. Find a local regular celiac support meeting, contact them, and ask the members for help in getting access to a gluten-free cooking facility for the first couple of months after you arrive. They ought to be able to help or at least direct you to some local resources.

I googled Ireland Celiac and came up with their website: coeliac.ie

Once in Ireland, check out the local health food stores and farmers markets to see if there are additional celiac groups. Food allergy groups might be another good place to look for support.

That's all I can really suggest for now. Best of luck with your move and your life in Ireland.

[Piccolo]

Strawberry Jam,

There is IrishDavyboy on this board and he is a native. Why not contact him for some help. He would be great.

Susan