Just Met With Dietician Today Really Confused And Slightly Scared!

[Meadowsk1002]

So, I was diagnosed last Friday and met with a dietician today, who did a great job breaking the disease down for me. I'm slightly scared to eat anything for fear of more pain! I've been in severe pain for 9 months as I went through every test known to man to find out what was wrong. (Including gallbladder removal with no relieve) After my meeting today I left with a sense of what now?

The problem lies with in my house! I'm a full time student so I don't buy or prepare the food in the house. My boyfriend's mother does and has stated she WILL NOT change how she eats or cooks!

I was wondering if I just go vegan and eat nothing but fresh foods will this help my stomach? I'm malnourished, but very overweight. I eat only once a day and its a small portion! I am completely lost as to what I need to do or how I need to change. I just need guidance I guess!

Any information, support or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you in advance!

[rosetapper23]

There's no reason to go vegan, since you can safely eat most meats. Do you know how to cook? If you cook the meat on a barbecue, be sure to place it on aluminum foil so that it doesn't touch areas of the grill where barbecue sauce or breaded items have been place previously. Get your own toaster and buy your own gluten-free bread. Vegetables, fruits, dairy products, nuts, and rice are all gluten free. Perhaps you should buy a crockpot and learn how to combine meats, vegetables, and potatoes to make great meals that you can eat for several days. Also, most importantly, you need to eat healthy saturated fats. You need fats to help absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and oftentimes people with celiac who are overweight are afraid to eat fats. Believe me--if you add nuts, nut butters, avocados, organic butter, and olives to your daily diet, the weight will come off more quickly, and you'll start feeling better sooner.

I'm sorry that your soon-to-be-mother-in-law lacks compassion. How soon before you and your boyfriend can move out? How about moving across the country from her?

I'm sure others will join in with some good advice for you. At first, it does seem a little confusing, but you'll get the hang of it soon.

[1desperateladysaved]

Breakfast in about 5 minutes: Okay so I cheated

Poached eggs, set the water to boil and crack the eggs. When the water boils turn the burner to medium and cook eggs 5 minutes. If it is a little to the soft side that is good.

Pull out your own premade almond flour muffin.( *here is the cheat)

Smear 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil on it.

Take supplements.

You need to eat a little protein, fat, and carbs 3 times a day. Then you will be able to recover.

[Takala]

I am not trying to be sarcastic, but.... whatever the h*ll is wrong with your boyfriend's mother ?!

Okay, now that we got that out of the way, you need to take charge of your own shopping, preparing, and eating, and if they can't cooperate a bit, you will need to find another set of humans to co-habitate with.

I suggest you immediately have set aside for yourself a gluten free work area, such as a little card table or small, portable, rolling kitchen aisle, or whatnot, either in a corner of the kitchen or near it, and that is your little space, where you do your thing while the barbarians continue to scatter gluten proteins around. Also, put up a shelf somewhere (2 brackets, 4 screws, and a board) or a small bookcase, and stash your non perishable gluten free food and the most necessary, clean and not used with gluten kitchen gadgets you need on it. (aka your own, dedicated cutting board and colander for rice pasta, your own toaster, your own manual can opener, your own baking pan for gluten free biscuits, etc) I am assuming these people are going to otherwise mess with your stuff. You will also have to get a sharpie permanent marking pen, and mark the refrigerated items you do not want them cross contaminating with their sticky- goo, such as butter or margarine, jelly, cream cheese, etc. Also, get a role of paper towels to lay down on work surfaces and perhaps in the microwave, plus, to clean up with.

Secondly, I would not recommend a gluten free vegan diet for a beginner (esp. if their boyfriend's mother is like that) because it is really complex and time consuming to do this properly in a gluten free manner, and not be making yourself more ill from being malnourished. You have the right to eat whatever you need to make yourself well, and you already said that you're overweight.... you will find out the hard way a lot of us are rather carbohydrate intolerant and insulin resistant anyway, and eating a lot of processed gluten free foods makes us really slow, puffy, and tired. Eating a lot more vegetables and proteins and good fats, plus some fruit, seems to work much better. When you shop, you will shop mostly around the edges of the grocery store. If you think you can not stand vegetables, there are several ways to get around this, such as putting them in a blender or a magic bullet type thing and whirring them with a banana or apple and some water and ice, and then drinking the results. This is also a fast way to deal with the vegetable obligation, without having to eat yet another d****d salad.

The bread problem when you can't buy it nearby: you CAN bake gluten free quick breads in a microwave, 1 or 2 serving sizes, and it is rather fast and fun. You can buy a bag of a gluten free flour mixture (for instance, Pamela's) and customize a "bun in a cup" type recipe to make a quick sandwich or hamburger bun, in a small ramekin or bowl or mini casserole dish. If you are really carb intolerant, you can make up your own mixes out of whatever high protein gluten free nut meals or seed meals you desire, and make a higher protein version. You can also grind your own nuts in a blender, and grind buckwheat seeds or cereal into flour in a coffee grinder. Adding a bit of amaranth flour to any baked good makes it store for a long time in the refrigerator without going moldy. (Yes, I do weird experiments like this).

Other sources of starches are plain, rinsed well, canned beans such as black or pinto beans, potatoes, and for some people, fresh sweet corn. (Many corn flours can be mildly cross contaminated with wheat or oats here, so you may want to test corn in that manner, first. Also, try organic corn products if you are not sure of your corn reactions. ) If you are okay with corn, you can try gluten-free corn tortillas. You may also get along with tapioca in the "Chebe" gluten free bread mixes, which are easy to prepare and have a higher success rate. Rice pastas by Tinkyada are gluten free and very good, and then there is plain, brown rice, and rice cakes (Lundberg is the go-to, gluten free brand).

This then, just leaves you looking for proteins, which are eggs, nuts, meats, chicken fish, and maybe cheese/yogurt. Add in some breakfast cereal if you eat that, and this thing is completely do- able.

[GottaSki]

Excellent advice has been given - take a deep breath and read it a few more times this weekend.

You'll figure this out and will find most healthful foods are gluten free - it just takes time.

Take several more deep breaths, perhaps a nice long hot bath and let us know if you have more questions.

The transition is never easy - but does ease with time.

Hang in there

[Meadowsk1002]

Thank you thank you thank you! Breathing deep and slowly rereading everything!

[Celiac Mindwarp]

Maybe print out some stuff for mother in law to be. Lots of people dont get that it is not a trendy phase you are going through. Maybe if she sees a list of symptoms and complications it might help her to understand. Though plenty of people have family and friends that dont.

I am the only one gluten-free in my house and it is possible, but takes a lot of effort. You may have to wipe surfaces and wash the things you use before use etc. Maybe keep your stuff all together in a box with a lid.

Crockpot sounds like an excellent idea.

I am 2 and a half months in, and I have found that if I take it seriously, and explain calmly if I see someone do something to put me in danger it works best (though to be fair when I found my purple gluten-free tongs sitting on top of the breadcrumb covered grillpan I was less polite, but my mother in law had already left).

Welcome. We are all here to help, advice and venting space

[IrishHeart]

Can I suggest something else?

Get a copy of Celiac Disease: The Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Green and Rory Jones and have her read it.

It may help her understand the seriousness of celiac disease and why it is imperative that you be careful with cross-contamination.

Most foods need not be altered that much to be gluten-free--meats, fruits, veggies, dairy, eggs, nuts, beans--these are all inherently gluten-free.

But you will need to pay attention to how it is prepared, otherwise, you'll just keep getting hit with gluten, hon.

You will need to learn to cook, I'm afraid. But that's a good thing.

Maybe after you have absorbed all this new info, you can peruse this thread:

http://www.celiac.co...ewbie-info-101/

You're not alone...we can help. And yes, breathe!

Welcome to the fold.

.

[rosetapper23]

Excellent advice! One last thing: your future mother-in-law needs to understand that, without strict adherence to a gluten-free diet, you may experience fertility issues...and she will never see a grandchild enter the picture. This alone may help persuade her to be a bit more compassionate. Also, I second the recommendation from IrishHeart about "Celiac: The Hidden Epidemic" by Dr. Peter Green. It's a fast, easy read.

[Celiac Mindwarp]

But also to let you know lots of us, especially once gluten-free, do successfully have children. But it can be an issue.

[IrishHeart]

I think some are assuming this is her "future MIL"--she refers to her as her "boyfriend's mother".

but yes, if this relationship is going anywhere and she is to be a part of your long and happy life, then you want to get her on board--and pronto!

I had horrible reproductive/GYN/fertility issues from unDxed celiac, but as Celiac MW says...staying gluten-free is in your favor.