Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

First Christmas As A Celiac

eborzecki

By eborzecki
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

eborzecki Explorer
eborzecki
Posted

This will be my first Christmas as a Celiac and I am still learning, although my sister has Celiac she is the kind of a Celiac that cheats on her diet so my whole family thinks that its okey to cheat sometimes :(

I am suppose to bring cake and I am hoping that you guys can give me some suggestions of cakes I can find that are gluten free that everyone can enjoy.

My mom said she will make some gluten free stuff for me and my sister but I insisted that I will bring my own, she isn't to happy about it but she will not let me make enough for everyone because she has to have the ones that contain gluten. Makes me said but oh well I will still make enough and I will be curious to see if people can tell the difference.

We are also going to my husbands family and not all of them know I have Celiac, I am from Poland and we have the tradition of breaking first communion wafers (in larger size) with each other and wishing each other well. How do I deal with this, as I can't eat it obviously? I don't want to look like an idiot or someone who doesn't appreciate the wish but I also don't want to step in the door and tell them I have Celiac I can't eat anything you made unless you tell me exactly whats in there. My in laws know but not all of the extended family.

Any tips on how to decline things and not hurt others feelings, how to deal with Christmas in general, and any good store bought cakes like from Whole foods or trader joes?

Thank you

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


pricklypear1971 Community Regular
pricklypear1971
Posted

There are multiple threads around here right now about dealing with food at parties....the Martha Stewart one, the I was glutened at a Christmas Party one...

As far as premade cakes While Foods carries a WHEAT FREE cake but they don't say it's gluten-free. TJ's carries one that is "no gluten ingredients".

You could make on easily using a mix - King Arthur has a chocolate cake mix that is unbelievable. You'd never know its gluten-free. Frost with your favorite icing ;most are gluten-free).

Dana Ward Newbie
Dana Ward
Posted

This is also my first Christmas as a diagnosed Celiac. Thanksgiving was somewhat of a nightmare for me, so I understand. I have learned that you should never feel pressured to eat something just to avoid explaining. It's not worth it. Take care of yourself first, and have a good trip!

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

I don't think you can decline something like a Christmas communion wafer without explaining the situation. It might be easiest to show up with some gluten-free wafers to break with people. Recipes are here. Open Original Shared Link You'll need to talk to your mother and father-in-law and explain that you need a little support in the situation.

The Betty Crocker cake mixes are easy and good enough for gluten-eaters.

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

The Betty Crocker cake mixes are easy and good enough for gluten-eaters.

Or do a flourless chocolate torte.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

birdie22 Enthusiast
birdie22
Posted

I just celebrated my daughter's 2nd birthday with the gluten-free Betty Crocker mix. My whole extended family ate it and no one knew it was gluten-free and all said how yummy it was.

I am finding it is easiest to a)when possible eat ahead of time, b)bring a dish to pass that I know I can eat that will also be filling, c)when necessary explain that I have a food "allergy" since that's easier for people to understand.

I had Thanksgiving at SILs and while I told her ahead of time (as host), I did not tell anyone else and no one noticed what was/wasn't on my plate at dinner. I've also attended a cocktail party with friends and a formal dinner at my boss' house this past weekend. Again, no one noticed or asked.

lovegrov Collaborator
lovegrov
Posted

Pammala's white cake mix has a recipe on the side for making it into a spice cake or carrot cake. Add some cream cheese frosting (Betty Crocker is gluten-free) and you've got a cake that EVERYBODY I know has loved. Delicious.

IMO, you're better off letting people know ahead of time about the gluten problem. But you know the family and I don't.

richard

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


LReynolds Newbie
LReynolds
Posted

This will be my first holiday season since my diagnosis (I was just diagnosed last week.) Thankfully I will be spending Christmas with my in-laws who have no experience with food allergies, etc. and are taking it very seriously. My grandmother in law called my husband today to go over some menu substitutions and see if they were okay.

This is also my first Christmas as a newlywed. yay! :-)

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

I don't think you can decline something like a Christmas communion wafer without explaining the situation. It might be easiest to show up with some gluten-free wafers to break with people. Recipes are here. Open Original Shared Link You'll need to talk to your mother and father-in-law and explain that you need a little support in the situation.

The Betty Crocker cake mixes are easy and good enough for gluten-eaters.

I agree, you should explain to your family. We had a Polish exchange student and we shared the same communion with our friends. It's a lovely tradition. :)

And bring Pamela's Chocolate cake (two mixes make an impressive cake) and everyone will love it, and won't even know it's gluten free.

ciamarie Rookie
ciamarie
Posted

One of my weaknesses is cake, and this will be my first year being strictly gluten-free. I'd previously avoided wheat, but 'cheated' sometimes when it came to cake. So I offered to bring the cake this year, and I'm usually not one to use a mix. However I've had enough with baking experiments for the moment; so I got a Betty Crocker yellow cake I'll be making, and I'm going to give it a chocolate frosting. Thankfully I don't have to put any writing on it. I anticipate it will be yummy. :)

I didn't see any King Arthur mixes at the store I went to, but that option sounds yummy too!

domesticactivist Collaborator
domesticactivist
Posted

I'm not much of a baker and never really liked cake but I'm sure others have you covered there.

Open Original Shared Link in my town won the food network's cupcake wars! My mom had all gluten-free cakes at her wedding because they happened to be her favorite cakes, and she is a gluten-a-holic. So I know it can be done!

As for coping with the holidays themselves, I've got a blog post called "The Holidays" on the blog linked from my profile about all the different ways we handle holiday gatherings.

We always bring our own food. The only food we eat that others provide is whole fruit that can be washed or peeled.

I'm not sure what to do about the wafer as I'm not Catholic - if your religion requires wheat in a wafer that's a problem. But it sounds like this may be the kind of tradition where bringing a large gluten-free wafer (can you make or buy one and have it blessed by a local priest?) might work. I'd be a little worried about eating even the gluten-free one after others had been handling it, though. If you provided it you might be able to be very careful about keeping it under wraps until it's time to break it, then only taking the part that you and only you have touched.

If gluten-free is not doable, maybe you can break it but not eat it, and then wash up carefully?

BeFree Contributor
BeFree
Posted

I had my first gluten-free Thanksgiving this year and I also was concerned about it, because I was staying with family, (rather than just attending one dinner). Therefore we were sharing every meal together, and sharing food and cooking is a big deal in my family. I know it's complicated and worrisome. I'm happy to say it went really well!

The important thing is to plan ahead, and stay positive:

**I told myself before I went, "I'm in charge of my own body. I don't have to eat anything I don't want to eat!"

**I brought LOTS of my own food, more than I thought I would need, so I could prepare my own food whenever needed. I included all of my favorites so I would know I'd have food to be excited about. That helped me to be a good mood!

**I called ahead and asked what were some of the meals they were planning, so I could bring my own foods to match theirs. I think it's a really good idea for you to bring your own communion wafers.

**When my mother reached her "breaking point" and started to get irritable and asked, "Aren't you being a little too strict with your diet?", as all family members will at some point!, I just stayed positive and calm and politely said, "I know it's hard to understand, but this is just the way I have eat now", and I offered to take over and cook the meal for us so I could be more helpful. Just be assertive and stand up for yourself, but be nice!

**I brought Bob's Red Mill mixes and some recipes that we could cook together, since my family likes to cook together and that's a big tradition for us at the holidays.

**In the end my mother got through that "irritable" stage and everything went really well, we were sharing the gluten free foods and she said they were tasty! (The Udi's chocolate muffins helped a lot! :) ) Just give your family time to get used to it and don't expect everything to go completely smoothly right at first.

  • 2 weeks later...
SGRhapsodos Rookie
SGRhapsodos
Posted

I hosted Christmas at my house so I made sure that everything I made was gluten free. I even made a delish dessert from crumbled chex cereal and peaches. Everyone loved it! I guess learning how to cook for all that time finally paid off!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    2. SilkieFairy
      - SilkieFairy replied to SilkieFairy's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      4

      IBS-D vs Celiac

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens. I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium. I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells. When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly. This is safe...
    4. Jane02
      - Jane02 replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency. I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently...
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to Jane02's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      9

      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      Hello, @Jane02, I take Naturewise D 3. It contains olive oil. Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets. Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking. Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,336
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Jeffrey Yeres
    Newest Member
    Jeffrey Yeres
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By trents · Posted

      No coincidence. Recent revisions to gluten challenge guidelines call for the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (about the amount in 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for a minimum of 3 weeks. If possible, I would extend that two weeks to ensure valid testing.
    • SilkieFairy
      IBS-D vs Celiac

      By SilkieFairy · Posted

      Thank you both for the replies. I decided to bring back gluten so I can do the blood test. Today is Day #2 of the Challenge. Yesterday I had about 3 slices of whole wheat bread and I woke up with urgent diarrhea this morning. It was orange, sandy and had the distinctive smell that I did not have when I was briefly gluten free. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the brain fog is back and I feel very tired.   
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Jane02, I hear you about the kale and collard greens.  I don't do dairy and must eat green leafies, too, to get sufficient calcium.  I must be very careful because some calcium supplements are made from ground up crustacean shells.  When I was deficient in Vitamin D, I took high doses of Vitamin D to correct the deficiency quickly.  This is safe and nontoxic.  Vitamin D level should be above 70 nmol/L.  Lifeguards and indigenous Pacific Islanders typically have levels between 80-100 nmol/L.   Levels lower than this are based on amount needed to prevent disease like rickets and osteomalacia. We need more thiamine when we're physically ill, emotionally and mentally stressed, and if we exercise like an athlete or laborer.  We need more thiamine if we eat a diet high in simple carbohydrates.  For every 500 kcal of carbohydrates, we need 500-1000 mg more of thiamine to process the carbs into energy.  If there's insufficient thiamine the carbs get stored as fat.  Again, recommended levels set for thiamine are based on minimum amounts needed to prevent disease.  This is often not adequate for optimum health, nor sufficient for people with absorption problems such as Celiac disease.  Gluten free processed foods are not enriched with vitamins like their gluten containing counterparts.  Adding a B Complex and additional thiamine improves health for Celiacs.  Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  Thiamine helps the mitochondria in cells to function.  Thiamine interacts with each of the other B vitamins.  They are all water soluble and easily excreted if not needed. Interesting Reading: Clinical trial: B vitamins improve health in patients with coeliac disease living on a gluten-free diet https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19154566/ Safety and effectiveness of vitamin D mega-dose: A systematic review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34857184/ High dose dietary vitamin D allocates surplus calories to muscle and growth instead of fat via modulation of myostatin and leptin signaling https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38766160/ Safety of High-Dose Vitamin D Supplementation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31746327/ Vitamins and Celiac Disease: Beyond Vitamin D https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11857425/ Investigating the therapeutic potential of tryptophan and vitamin A in modulating immune responses in celiac disease: an experimental study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40178602/ Investigating the Impact of Vitamin A and Amino Acids on Immune Responses in Celiac Disease Patients https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10814138/
    • Jane02
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By Jane02 · Posted

      Thank you so much @knitty kitty for this insightful information! I would have never considered fractionated coconut oil to be a potential source of GI upset. I will consider all the info you shared. Very interesting about the Thiamine deficiency.  I've tracked daily averages of my intake in a nutrition software. The only nutrient I can't consistently meet from my diet is vitamin D. Calcium is a hit and miss as I rely on vegetables, dark leafy greens as a major source, for my calcium intake. I'm able to meet it when I either eat or juice a bundle of kale or collard greens daily haha. My thiamine intake is roughly 120% of my needs, although I do recognize that I may not be absorbing all of these nutrients consistently with intermittent unintentional exposures to gluten.  My vitamin A intake is roughly 900% (~6400 mcg/d) of my needs as I eat a lot of sweet potato, although since it's plant-derived vitamin A (beta-carotene) apparently it's not likely to cause toxicity.  Thanks again! 
    • knitty kitty
      Desperately need a vitamin D supplement. I've reacted to most brands I've tried.

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Hello, @Jane02,  I take Naturewise D 3.  It contains olive oil.   Some Vitamin D supplements, like D Drops, are made with fractionated coconut oil which can cause digestive upsets.  Fractionated coconut oil is not the same as coconut oil used for cooking.  Fractionated coconut oil has been treated for longer shelf life, so it won't go bad in the jar, and thus may be irritating to the digestive system. I avoid supplements made with soy because many people with Celiac Disease also react to soy.  Mixed tocopherols, an ingredient in Thornes Vitamin D, may be sourced from soy oil.  Kirkland's has soy on its ingredient list. I avoid things that might contain or be exposed to crustaceans, like Metagenics says on its label.  I have a crustacean/shellfish/fish allergy.  I like Life Extension Bioactive Complete B Complex.  I take additional Thiamine B 1 in the form Benfotiamine which helps the intestines heal, Life Extension MegaBenfotiamine. Thiamine is needed to activate Vitamin D.   Low thiamine can make one feel like they are getting glutened after a meal containing lots of simple carbohydrates like white rice, or processed gluten free foods like cookies and pasta.   It's rare to have a single vitamin deficiency.  The water soluble B Complex vitamins should be supplemented together with additional Thiamine in the form Benfotiamine and Thiamine TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) to correct subclinical deficiencies that don't show up on blood tests.  These are subclinical deficiencies within organs and tissues.  Blood is a transportation system.  The body will deplete tissues and organs in order to keep a supply of thiamine in the bloodstream going to the brain and heart.   If you're low in Vitamin D, you may well be low in other fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Have you seen a dietician?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.