Newly Diagnosed

[christianmom247]

I was just officially diagnosed with celiac. (Blood tests and biopsy both positive, bloating and abdominal symptoms, sister and possibly other relatives with celiac.) My GI doctor does not do follow-up or advising, so I have several questions about how to become gluten free.

--Is it ok to eat regular grocery store items that claim to be gluten free (things like Ortega beans, Corn Chex, Kraft dressings, etc.? Or should I eat only things that have been actually certified as gluten-free?

--How careful do I have to be about being around gluten? Is it safe to handle flour and still bake breads and cookies for my family, or would even touching or breathing in flour be harmful? What about things like washing their gluten-filled dishes or kissing my husband after he's had a piece of toast or a beer?

Any guidance you can give would be appreciated--this is so overwhelming!

[sa1937]

  On 5/19/2012 at 12:36 PM, christianmom247 said:

I was just officially diagnosed with celiac. (Blood tests and biopsy both positive, bloating and abdominal symptoms, sister and possibly other relatives with celiac.) My GI doctor does not do follow-up or advising, so I have several questions about how to become gluten free.

--Is it ok to eat regular grocery store items that claim to be gluten free (things like Ortega beans, Corn Chex, Kraft dressings, etc.? Or should I eat only things that have been actually certified as gluten-free?

--How careful do I have to be about being around gluten? Is it safe to handle flour and still bake breads and cookies for my family, or would even touching or breathing in flour be harmful? What about things like washing their gluten-filled dishes or kissing my husband after he's had a piece of toast or a beer?

Any guidance you can give would be appreciated--this is so overwhelming!

Welcome to the forum! As a starter you might like to read this helpful info that Irish Heart has posted. http://www.celiac.co...ewbie-info-101/

If you are going to limit yourself to products certified gluten-free, you will have a limited diet. Certain companies are very good about listing ingredients on the label and will not hide barley (think malt) or other ingredients in their products. General Mills and Kraft are among those companies, as well as Unilever and Hormel...am sure there are others but these come to mind quickly.

Personally I would not bake or even allow regular flour in my house. The risk of cross-contamination is just too great. There are so many good gluten-free baking mixes on the market that there's no reason to put yourself in danger as flour can remain airborne for hours. If you check the recipe section, you'll know we can and do eat very well.

Your husband would need to brush his teeth before kissing you if he consumes gluteny foods or beer.

It's important that you have your own toaster, colander, cutting boards, wooden spoons, etc. Since I live alone, I got rid of anything that I knew I couldn't get clean (also got rid of scratched non-stick cookware). If you have a mixed household, you should also have your own condiments like peanut butter and jelly, mayo, butter and anything else that cannot be kept crumb-free.

Your best bet right now for family meals would be to stick with whole foods (fresh fruits, veggies, meats, fish, eggs, dairy (if you can handle it). It'll make your life much easier. A lot of the things I eat now are foods I've eaten all my life.

Trust me, it is very overwhelming at first but it'll soon get easier. Poke your nose around the forum and ask questions as needed. The diet is not as difficult as it might appear at first.