Celiac Day 1

[amcam17]

Hello Everyone,

I'm new to all of this so I have no idea what to do. Yesterday I had an endo procedure done to confirm Celiac. Well,it turned out that I have Celiac. I have no idea where to go from here. All I know is I'm beyond fed up with feeling crummy all of the time. I have nothing really to go off of on what I can and can't eat all I know is my diet has to change today. Someone please help guide me, I'm scared and all I know is it is a huge life change.....

~Amie

[Ninja]

Hi Amie – Welcome to the board!

Here's an awesome thread that may help you: "Newbie Info 101"

Ask as many questions as you need/want to, we're all here to help! It will get easier, especially once you start to feel better.

[GFinDC]

Welcome Amy,

It can be kind of scary at first. After while you will find there are lots of foods to eat though. Staying away from dairy and soy may help you adjust. Cooking your food at home from whole ingredients is also very helpful. Limiting sugar and starch can help too. Many people end up with a lot of bloating at first due to the bacterial changes in the gut. Different food for you equals different food for them too. So limiting sugars and starches can help by discouraging overgrowth of gas making bacteria. Taking probotics and digestive enzymes may help too.

Think about eatting a simple diet of whole foods, rather than lots of processed foods. If you can find foods with 3 or fewer ingredients that is usually a good thing. As long as though ingredients aren't wheat, ray, barley or oats. Not all of us react to oats and soy but some do.

Dairy is often a problem but you may be able to eat it after you have healed a while.

Remember to bring your towel and don't panic. (Hitchhikers)

More threads to consume:

FAQ Celiac com

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/forum-7/announcement-3-frequently-asked-questions-about-celiac-disease/

Celiac Newbie Info 101

What's For Breakfast Today?

What Did You Have For Lunch Today?

What Are You Cooking Tonight?

[Mateto]

Hi!

You are SO fortunate to have had an endoscopy to find this out. Welcome on the board, and watch out for triticale too. It's a cross of wheat and something else that I can't remember right now, but it's 100000% pure sickening gluten.

[jigsawfallingintoplace]

Welcome to the forum:P

...and welcome to the start of your brand new life.

Iam nearly 4 months in and apart from the odd crash and mistake, my life is better than I couldever imagine when I was feeling as you put it 'crummy all the time'.

Everyone on here is lovely and some are very wise and experienced at all this gluten-free stuff so read, read and some more.

I have found that sticking to food as nature intended has been the best start for me. So I am eating roast chicken, potatoes - jacket, boiled, mashed or chipped, veggies galore (although I am a fan of frozen pease lol) . I eat salmon, beef, all the meats really. I eat crisps (read the ingredients as many are naturally gluten-free) and I have the odd treat like a choc bar which i check is gluten-free (many are).

On the whole, I find I have to be more organised - can't just say sod it I will have a take away and not cook tonight lol but its not that difficult.Once this option for pizzas and chinese etc was gone I kinda just accepted it really - it's easier than trying to lose weight and being tortured with the should I or shouldnt I school of thought. The answer is well if it makes me sick then I cant have it and that is that.Infact I really dont want it as I remember how bad I feel if I eat gluten stuff.

A word on the dairy - yes, stay of it for at least a month. goats cheese and sheep cheese feta were fine for me but other stuff including yoghurt of all things made me feel rotten. Your tummy just can't handle dairy until it hashad a chance to heal and the syptoms can be very similar to gluten so it is confusing. I am just starting to have cheese and milk now and I seem to be okay.

Eat loads of fresh veg and salad and fruit if you can. I love olives and herby salads so I am really enjoying salads again.

I suggest you don't eat out for a bit until you have built up some confidence - it just isnt worth it. I ate out in the early days and guessed or was given poor info. I was ill as a result. Now I know what to ask and I double check. I dont care about being a pain in the butt because I do not want to be ill its as simple as that.

Bit by bit you will get used to it and the change in your health will be marked - I can virtually guarantee it.

wishing you lots of luck (((hugs)))

Jigsaw xx

[Cara in Boston]

Welcome -

We have been gluten free for 1 year and three months. It was hard and overwhelming at first, but once you start feeling better, you get really motivated to get it right. Now it is a piece of cake and I really don't miss out on much.

Here's what NOT to do: Don't just go to the store and buy all the Gluten Free food you see - you don't really need it and it is mostly just empty, starchy calories. We bought it all - bagels, waffles, bread, crackers, pizza crusts, etc. etc. and I quickly put on 20 pounds.

After a while, I stopped craving these food (and for the most part, they really were not as good as the original, so why bother?) are started concentrating on cooking really delicious, fresh, naturally gluten free food. Since we no longer go out to eat as much, it sort of balanced out in our budget. Now I buy really good oils, cheeses, etc. and really enjoy my food. The whole family is eating better and we all feel better because of it.

Hang in there - it gets easier with time and practice.

Cara

[sharilee]

Welcome! I was diagnosed with celiac late February 2012. It is very overwhelming at first. But it does get easier with time. When I was first diagnosed I took my list of ingredients to watch for and checked everything. Would spend a long time shopping. Now I have learned the ingredients to watch for and it is easier and quicker to read the labels. At first (as others have said) it is best to avoid dairy and try to eat natural foods not processed foods while your body heals.

[txgal748]

Hi! Amie,

My neurologist told me I have Celiac disease May 21st because my IgA was 101. The gastroenterologist decided on a celiac panel to check for the celiac genes.

Anyhow, fortunately I am a Mexican. Traditional Mexican food uses very little flour. Flour tortillas are more of a modern Mexican food. As previous people have posted cooking meals from all natural ingredients is great. One thing to be mindful of in the beginning is condiments. You have to read labels. Worstesire sauce, Heinz 57, soy sauce, BBQ,sauce, and other marinades have gluten. Fortunately you can find substitutes for these such as gluten free soy sauce and BBQ sauce.

Chin up, at least with celiac you don't have to take any medications with terrible side effects.

Txgal