Advice Needed On How To Start A Gluten Free Diet

[Curlyqueen]

I have not gotten the real diagnosis yet( i should get it today). However, regardless of the diagnosis because it could be a false negative I plan to go gluten free. The only thing stopping me is i get overwhelmed when I get to the grocery store. Even when I look in my kitchen cabinets I get overwhelmed thinking where do I begin. I think part of it is that I'm still waiting to start my temporary job so money is tight and gluten free eating doesn't seem cheap. So if someone could shed some light on this for me I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

[Lisa]

I have not gotten the real diagnosis yet( i should get it today). However, regardless of the diagnosis because it could be a false negative I plan to go gluten free. The only thing stopping me is i get overwhelmed when I get to the grocery store. Even when I look in my kitchen cabinets I get overwhelmed thinking where do I begin. I think part of it is that I'm still waiting to start my temporary job so money is tight and gluten free eating doesn't seem cheap. So if someone could shed some light on this for me I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Keep it simple and natural. Meats,fish, rice, veggies and fresh fruit. And give it some time before you try prepared gluten free products.

The only gluten free products I buy are Van's waffles, pasta, an occasional cookie mix and Udi bread which I use for croutons and bread crumbs for cooking.

It is overwhelming and I recall may tears in the grocery isle. It will get better. Check out the Product Thread here. It can give you plenty of ideas.

[Curlyqueen]

Keep it simple and natural. Meats,fish, rice, veggies and fresh fruit. And give it some time before you try prepared gluten free products.

The only gluten free products I buy are Van's waffles, pasta, an occasional cookie mix and Udi bread which I use for croutons and bread crumbs for cooking.

It is overwhelming and I recall may tears in the grocery isle. It will get better. Check out the Product Thread here. It can give you plenty of ideas.

Thank You so much. I will check that out right now. I really appreciate all the support I've gotten here.

[Roda]

You will want to replace/get another, when the budget allows: cutting boards, wooden utensils, toaster, pasta strainer, waffle iron, worn/scratched cookware/bakeware. I replaced all baking items, herb/spices, and condiments that may have been cross contaminated. I went through my pantry, and things the gluten eater in the house wouldn't eat I donated to the food bank. I rid the house of regular flour and only allowed baking to be done with gluten free ingredients. All shared meals were gluten free. The gluten eater had a separate shelf in the pantry and drawer in the fridge just for there stuff. They also have a small section of the counter just for gluten. The rest of the kitchen is for gluten free. We share all the condiments, luchmeat, cheese etc. My husband knows not to double dip or get out what he needs before touching the bread. I buy squeeze bottles when able to help that too. If you have non stick cookware that is in good shape, a good cleaning is all it will need. If you can't replace your old bakeware (pyrex/glass with cleaning should be alright) you can use parchment paper on them.

As for food, just stick to the basics. Shop the perimeter of the store. Lots fo fresh fruits, veggies, meats, dairy(if you can tolerate), rice, canned/frozen veggies, corn tortillas, nuts, etc. The expense is all the replacement items, they aren't cheep. I buy Sams Mill pasta for around $2.00-2.25/16 oz bag. I find it cheeper than other brands of gluten free pasta. We like the taste better than the rice based pastas too. Mai fun noodles are pretty inexpensive also. I do splurged on Udi's bread and Betty Crocker gluten free bisquick. Buying in bulk will help keep costs down.

[T.H.]

I think part of it is that I'm still waiting to start my temporary job so money is tight and gluten free eating doesn't seem cheap. So if someone could shed some light on this for me I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

If your symptoms are not severe, my dietician recommended a slow approach for the process. She has her patients start by making gluten free foods for one meal a day - natural ones, like, say, a baked potato with broccoli and cheese on it. Do that for a week, about. Then the next week, do it for 2 meals a day, then three meals, then snacks, then eliminate the gluten cc.

The reason she does this, she says, is that it seems to help people adjust with less stress, they stick to the diet better, too. She doesn't do the same for people with severe symptoms, just for those with less severe symptoms. I think partly because without the severe symptoms, there's not as much internal motivation to stick to the diet, for many of us, so the slower approach seems to do better.

...all that said, I was so sick that I dropped all the gluten on day 1, so I can't say whether her diet advice works well or not. It sounded good when she said it, anyway!

[Curlyqueen]

If your symptoms are not severe, my dietician recommended a slow approach for the process. She has her patients start by making gluten free foods for one meal a day - natural ones, like, say, a baked potato with broccoli and cheese on it. Do that for a week, about. Then the next week, do it for 2 meals a day, then three meals, then snacks, then eliminate the gluten cc.

The reason she does this, she says, is that it seems to help people adjust with less stress, they stick to the diet better, too. She doesn't do the same for people with severe symptoms, just for those with less severe symptoms. I think partly because without the severe symptoms, there's not as much internal motivation to stick to the diet, for many of us, so the slower approach seems to do better.

...all that said, I was so sick that I dropped all the gluten on day 1, so I can't say whether her diet advice works well or not. It sounded good when she said it, anyway!

I appreciate the advice. I actually was able to drop all the gluten on day one and from then on I've been doing ok. I get a little stressed if I don't plan what I'm going to eat ahead of time but research has given me the knowledge to make gluten free choices. I do however think I've probably eaten things contaminated by gluten but it hasn't seemed to bother me. I'm feeling a lot better. So maybe I have gluten sensitivity. Well I go to a specialist in December so we shall see. Thanks for your help!

[Curlyqueen]

You will want to replace/get another, when the budget allows: cutting boards, wooden utensils, toaster, pasta strainer, waffle iron, worn/scratched cookware/bakeware. I replaced all baking items, herb/spices, and condiments that may have been cross contaminated. I went through my pantry, and things the gluten eater in the house wouldn't eat I donated to the food bank. I rid the house of regular flour and only allowed baking to be done with gluten free ingredients. All shared meals were gluten free. The gluten eater had a separate shelf in the pantry and drawer in the fridge just for there stuff. They also have a small section of the counter just for gluten. The rest of the kitchen is for gluten free. We share all the condiments, luchmeat, cheese etc. My husband knows not to double dip or get out what he needs before touching the bread. I buy squeeze bottles when able to help that too. If you have non stick cookware that is in good shape, a good cleaning is all it will need. If you can't replace your old bakeware (pyrex/glass with cleaning should be alright) you can use parchment paper on them.

As for food, just stick to the basics. Shop the perimeter of the store. Lots fo fresh fruits, veggies, meats, dairy(if you can tolerate), rice, canned/frozen veggies, corn tortillas, nuts, etc. The expense is all the replacement items, they aren't cheep. I buy Sams Mill pasta for around $2.00-2.25/16 oz bag. I find it cheeper than other brands of gluten free pasta. We like the taste better than the rice based pastas too. Mai fun noodles are pretty inexpensive also. I do splurged on Udi's bread and Betty Crocker gluten free bisquick. Buying in bulk will help keep costs down.

I will look for the Sams Mill pasta. I had a brown rice pasta and I didn't like it very much. I've managed to slowly transition to gluten free however, I haven't replaced the cutting board and other things. So I guess I'm only partially gluten free but I'm feeling much better now that I've cut gluten out of my diet. It's getting easier as I do more research and understand what is and what isn't gluten free. Reading labels is very time consuming but necessary and I just have to adjust my grocery shopping. Thanks for the advice!

[cougie23]

I don't know what part of the country your in but if you have a trader joes, they have a 5 page list of all their gluten free stuff if you ask! It makes things alot easier at first...but I would still read the labels!Not all things labeled gluten free are!

Remember not to give up on your diet...it takes time to detox...so this might take a while to truly see results.also just when you start to feel better you might suddenly feel glutened ...some of us go through gluten withdrawls, especialy in the first month! but just stick with it, you'll feel much better in time!

If you feel like giving up..or you start to feel sorry for yourself, read some of the other posts...some people have SOOOO much damage to themselves and sooooo much sensetivity to MANY things because of said damage and malnoutrition from years of being undiagnosed that it definatly puts a new perspective on the whole situation and a good insentive to go gluten free to avoid all that damage!!!

definatly read all you can on this site, the info here is invaluable....priceless!!!

I'd stay away from dairy at first, if you have any type of villi damage( not all test results are correct)dairy is'nt going to digest well..also to be on the safe side wait alittle to try wheat subs...heal some first! just keep it simple! Fruit ,meat, rice,

(remember..a lot of soy sauces and ponzu sauces,teriaki.. have gluten so READ THOSE LABELS).Print out list (google)of hidden gluten(words to look for on labels that really stand for wheat derivitives).If your not sure about something...Gogle it!...(ie: is _____ gluten free?)Be aware that gluten is everywhere and that some products are safe, some are not.example of some products with gluten...instant coffee (Nescafe is Gluten free),shampoo...(Nexxus has wheat..made me VERY ill),toothpaste...some do, some don't...

I hear Betty crocker has a gluten free cake mix out now! It takes a little ajusting but in the long run you'll be eating healthier...and feeling healthier...wether its an allergy,an intolerance or Celiacs...if your body is having a reaction,it can't be good for you!

go to the food section of this site we have wonderful cooks with great Ideas and sugestions...Just have fun with it!

Also I would sugest trader joes sweet potatoe ripple chips and thier sweet potatoe corn torrtilla chips...OMG...soooo gooood!!! definatly takes care of the crunchy..chipy...salty craving we go through depriving our selves of wheat....phycologically its a reward!!! LOL So Like I said ...have fun with it!

if you have any questions you have but to ask!!!

[Curlyqueen]

Sorry it took me so long to reply but I wanted to say thanks for that pep talk! Since my initial post or question I have gone gluten free..kind of. Let me explain what has transpired over my several doctor visits. Celiac and wheat allergy have been ruled out by the blood test and genetic testing. HOwever I feel a lot better not eating gluten but I find that cross contamination isn't really a concern for me. Its only when I eat something directly that has gluten. I tried this recently, I had a spoon full of mac and cheese (homemade) and a spoonful of stuffing and it left me with the worst stomach ache, head ache, and just plain awful feeling.

So I think maybe I just have a sensitivity or intolerance to it. Maybe there is something else that is going on. Maybe I have an ulcer? So these are questions I'm now trying to answer. Personally I feel like gluten is the devil even if they told me I could eat gluten again and feel fine I wouldn't. I feel so much better cutting gluten out of my life but at the same time I wish I had definitive answer as to what is going on. With all that said thanks to everyones support and advice I was able to go gluten free and it has worked out for me so far despite having a medical diagnosis.

Thanks Again

I don't know what part of the country your in but if you have a trader joes, they have a 5 page list of all their gluten free stuff if you ask! It makes things alot easier at first...but I would still read the labels!Not all things labeled gluten free are!

Remember not to give up on your diet...it takes time to detox...so this might take a while to truly see results.also just when you start to feel better you might suddenly feel glutened ...some of us go through gluten withdrawls, especialy in the first month! but just stick with it, you'll feel much better in time!

If you feel like giving up..or you start to feel sorry for yourself, read some of the other posts...some people have SOOOO much damage to themselves and sooooo much sensetivity to MANY things because of said damage and malnoutrition from years of being undiagnosed that it definatly puts a new perspective on the whole situation and a good insentive to go gluten free to avoid all that damage!!!

definatly read all you can on this site, the info here is invaluable....priceless!!!

I'd stay away from dairy at first, if you have any type of villi damage( not all test results are correct)dairy is'nt going to digest well..also to be on the safe side wait alittle to try wheat subs...heal some first! just keep it simple! Fruit ,meat, rice,

(remember..a lot of soy sauces and ponzu sauces,teriaki.. have gluten so READ THOSE LABELS).Print out list (google)of hidden gluten(words to look for on labels that really stand for wheat derivitives).If your not sure about something...Gogle it!...(ie: is _____ gluten free?)Be aware that gluten is everywhere and that some products are safe, some are not.example of some products with gluten...instant coffee (Nescafe is Gluten free),shampoo...(Nexxus has wheat..made me VERY ill),toothpaste...some do, some don't...

I hear Betty crocker has a gluten free cake mix out now! It takes a little ajusting but in the long run you'll be eating healthier...and feeling healthier...wether its an allergy,an intolerance or Celiacs...if your body is having a reaction,it can't be good for you!

go to the food section of this site we have wonderful cooks with great Ideas and sugestions...Just have fun with it!

Also I would sugest trader joes sweet potatoe ripple chips and thier sweet potatoe corn torrtilla chips...OMG...soooo gooood!!! definatly takes care of the crunchy..chipy...salty craving we go through depriving our selves of wheat....phycologically its a reward!!! LOL So Like I said ...have fun with it!

if you have any questions you have but to ask!!!

[sa1937]

Curlyqueen, I think your body is telling you something that your doctors have been unable to. And eating gluten-free will not affect the results of any other testing you might have to rule out other conditions.

Wishing you good health eating gluten-free!

[Curlyqueen]

Curlyqueen, I think your body is telling you something that your doctors have been unable to. And eating gluten-free will not affect the results of any other testing you might have to rule out other conditions.

Wishing you good health eating gluten-free!

Thanks! You"re right and you make a good point that it is important to rule out other possible conditions.

[Reba32]

when you're grocery shopping, stick to the outside aisles only. Fresh veggies and fruits, meats, and real cheese (not velveeta or processed "cheez food"). Stay away from the inside aisles and the manufactured foods, that come in pressed paper boxes or shiny crinkly plastic. The only "packaged" foods you should have are canned fish, like tuna, or salmon. Cocoa powder, flax meal, and nuts are good gluten free alternatives for baking (grind nuts in a coffee grinder or food processor to keep costs down). Stay away from "seasoned" or marinated meats, and even the stuff in the deli section. Always read the ingredients labels on ANYthing manufactured. Even a lot of salad dressings and BBQ sauces have wheat or barley in them.

It may seem expensive at first, but it really isn't, once you get the hang of it.

[cougie23]

Thanks! You"re right and you make a good point that it is important to rule out other possible conditions.

Of course the "Tests " could be wrong...A lot of people here have had negitive or false results...listen to your body...best advise!!! follow your heart and do whatever makes YOU feel better...bad stomache ache after eating gluten? yeah...sure theres no problem!!!