sallyterpsichore

Thanks for the responses! If I do get really into the hiking, I may have to look into a dehydrator. Also, does walking 4 miles to work a day count as "hiking"? It's uphill. Both ways. Really.

As for getting out to the trails, I think I will, indeed, have to rent a car. The whole car rental thing becomes a bit of an issue because I'm only 24, so it's generally expensive because insurance is expensive for rental companies for anyone under 25.

There are zipcars, though, that may be perfect for a day trip.

Thanks again for the advice! Also, Tarnalberry, good luck on the summit attempt. I'm in awe of people who can do these things!

~Sally

Yep, I bought pieces of fruit from one of the little markets and ate hunks of cheese. Venice is very touristy and they serve food that Americans and Europeans think of as being traditionally "Italian" (pizza, pasta). In reality, Italians eat all sorts of things, many of which are gluten free, but not in Venice.

Are you sure that they are completely unaware of the gluten-free diet? I hear from my friendly Irish bartenders that Celiac (Coeliac there) is very common and highly prevalent in Ireland. Then again, it may be a rural/urban thing; like Dubliners know about Celiac, but out in the country they have no idea of what you're talking about.

I still struggle with the being a gracious guest vs. getting sick thing. So far, people who truly care about me and want me to spend time with them, go way out of their way to provide food for me. Those who don't get it have wanted to learn and have done things like buy me fresh fruit, Blue Diamond Nut Thins, and hunk of amazing cheese for snacks. I am assuming that they know that you have Celiac, but you don't really mention that in your post.

Absolutely do bring some of your own food, especially for the hiking. There are fruit and nut bars like Lara Bars (which I hate, honestly) but they provide you with solid nutrition for a day of hiking. Also, dried fruit from Trader Joes is good. As ArtGirl mentioned, there's gluten-free jerky available. Eat a big protein-filled meal in the morning before your hike, that'll help. If you're taking a cooler, roll up a couple of slices of gluten-free deli meat with some avocado or tomato in a big Boston lettuce leaf and munch on that.

Try not to worry too much, but definitely don't be too shy to explain your dietary situation to your boyfriend's family. The good thing is that they live on a farm and you can eat most stuff straight from the farm (plain grilled meats, veggies, etc.) so you just skip the gravy and you might very well not have to deal with it too much.

I do quite a bit of adventure travel and did a lot of serious backpacking when I lived in Arizona. The best advice I can offer is to start out with day hikes and when you're comfortable move on to an overnight car camping trip.

I did join a local meetup group of hikers so that I can "train" with some people who know what they're doing. I don't have a car and live in Boston, so I'm really limited as to parks and wilderness area, but there are a few. And the hiking group does quite a bit of carpooling, so that should work.

I'm still interested in traveling through South America, Canada, and maybe Europe (if I suddenly get a promotion ($$$$) at work! Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks for the response!

I just wanted to put up a warning about antibiotics. They kill off the good and bad bacteria in the digestive tract. They can also cause sudden weight gain. I had over 3 times the normal bacteria in my digestive tract, and a 1 week antibiotic actually caused 4 months of steady weight gain. I gained 20 pounds in 4 months. The weight gain started the week I stopped taking the meds (I weigh myself daily so I could pin point the weight problem). They will keep trying to make you take the antibiotics but I suggest checking out the candida diet that others have recommended that I try. I'm currently looking into it and it seems logical and helpful. Just be careful with the use of antibiotics. I think that consuming organic yogurts are the best way to help control the overgrowth by promoting good bacteria. Good luck.

I know this is an old post, but I was just prescribed Xifaxan by my doc and am taking loads of it (1200mg/day). I asked about probiotics to avoid any unpleasant infections after the antibiotics and he suggested I get my pharmacy to order a probiotic called "Align." I also have an affection (addiction?) to Stonyfield Farm's yogurt, so that's a nice additional supplement.

Hi everyone,

I'm sure this has been addressed on a situation by situation basis on the forum, but I'm looking for general feedback from backpackers. I've traveled a bit in my life so far, but have never backpacked because it never seemed that "safe" when I was in my teens. I'm interested in both travel backpacking (and staying in hostels, dorms, etc.) and backpacking into the wilderness and camping.

Have any of you done either of these since being gluten free? The food obviously wouldn't be an issue with wilderness packing as you'd bring it all yourself, but is anyone else worried about getting sick out there and then being, well, screwed?

As for the travel backpacking, I don't know the kind of strength it requires and am curious about this as I'm building up my muscles again and getting back to working out.

I'd appreciate any advice/tips or discussions you all have about the topic!

Thanks,

Sally

Since you are, presumably, sharing a kitchen, you just have to be ridiculously careful that you keep your utensils separate; that you have a separate serving of butter or peanut butter, or anything that you might spread on something and could collect crumbs from your aunt's food. Also, don't use her toaster. If she's thinks you're being paranoid, she'll probably be obnoxious about your "overreaction" in her kitchen as well, but just keep reminding yourself that it's better than being sick. I really loathe people who aren't supportive about these things....seriously, what good does it do them to criticize you for taking care of yourself? Toxic...okay, I'll stop whining, but really, these people are toxic.

Hey there. I'm sorry to hear about your breakup.

Just curious, were you trying to force her to be gluten free as well or did she just not like that you had to be?

I have a boyfriend who eats the standard american diet, and I'm a gluten free, mostly raw vegetarian. Our diets have absolutely nothing in common but never has my diet effected him beyond that I can't eat out certain

places, but I don't like to eat out a lot anyway because I've always been a health freak.

I guess I'm just wondering what her problem with it was.

I'm wondering about this, too. If you don't mind me asking, how do you deal with intimacy if your boyfriend eats gluten? I've been trying to figure this out and have so far just been avoiding the dating scene because I'm super sensitive and don't want to carry around a little travel toothbrush and Colgate in my clutch. hahaha

I just wanted to add a note to say that I think being at our age (I'm nearly 24) is just tricky. It seems that this is just a really selfish age. I have a lot of friends who just don't "get it" or they think it's odd at first and then just don't understand how serious it is and try to be supportive, but end up being critical. Most people I know are mostly just interested in "being young" and having fun. There's the newfound freedom of having more money than we did in college, but still acting like college kids. It's rough. It's not just a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship thing, either, but just friendships in general. It seems that friends are quickly weeded out, which is crappy, but probably good in the long run. Is this where I write my personal ad? 24, single, and in Boston (doh!).

~Sally

Also, check the labels on your gluten-free foods, even though you probably already are. A lot of times it seems like foods that are made to replace gluten foods (such as breads, snack bars, cereals, cakes, pie crusts, pizza crusts, etc) are really high in calories. I'd guess they're just trying to make them taste better, of course. Maybe just eat some basic foods that are naturally gluten free like veggies, meats, fruits, brown rice, and those things and see what happens. I guess that's kind of a low carb diet, but it kind of happens naturally when you cut out gluten.

Good luck!

bump.

Help! This is also sometimes accompanied by really foul-smelling flatulence...sulphur like. It's not really painful, just chronic and only (usually) in the evenings. The rest of the symptoms still are a problem...as well as this new gas issue.

Does anyone else have any problems with cardio exercise and strange digestive symptoms?

Thanks in advance,

Sally

I hope I'm not hijacking the thread, but I can't imagine living in a house with gluten food around all the time, just waiting to contaminate your food. Whenever I visit my parents, we have to keep such a close eye on where each knife has been and which container of butter I can use, etc. etc., that it's just exhausting.

I'm single and living alone with no roommates, but when I think about my future and possibly getting married and having kids, I'm pretty certain that they'll have to be gluten-free too. It's not that big of a deal, once you get the hang of it. I mean, they can go out to get bread, bagels, pastas in restaurants, etc., but most recipes you can make gluten free and no one would even notice. Have you talked with your family to see what they'd think about making the diet change together?

Just my thoughts,

Sally

Darn it, I just lost my post. Anyway, I live in Brookline, work in JP, and am a member of the Healthy Villi, but also am dependent on public trans. I was thinking awhile ago about starting a dinner group with local celiacs in the area, but have since added other things to my platter and don't have enough time anymore for that, really.

However, I'd be very open to meeting up with all of you. We could just head downtown and grab a bite at Legals or PF Changs. None of my friends have celiac and they're probably sick of hearing about it!

There's also a place out by me in Washington Square that has Redbridge and are aware of celiac disease and know enough about the diet to be able to make gluten free stuff, I've heard.

Looking forward to meeting you all!

~Sally

Stonyfield Farm is gluten-free. It's also organic and has a whole bunch of probiotic characteristics. They sell it in our normal markets, though I'm in Boston and they have a lot of organic, health-foodies here to support

I was diagnosed about a week ago with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and am trying to exercise and keep my energy up. I'm on two different antibiotics to kill off the bacteria. I tried doing some cardio today (only about 20 minutes) and I got a sharp pain in my lower left abdomen. Now, it could be a stitch, like I used to get in track, but it also felt a lot like the pain I felt when I was running when I had mono (I didn't know I had mono at the time).

Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks,

Sally

I know, I think I will have to be a bit more adventurous when it comes to meat. Well, I'll have a kitchen, so hopefully that will help (? )

That should make quite a big difference. I'm sure you can find potatoes, and possibly rice. Maybe corn meal to make grits/polenta?

Or drink so much Becherovka that you'll be too drunk to remember that you're hungry...or eat spoonfuls of Nutella for dinner.

Enjoy your time there!

One more thing (sorry!):

DRINK Open Original Shared Link! (pronounced Beck-er-ov-ka)

The stuff's fantastic. It's sort of like pumpkin pie in a shot glass. It's an herbal liquor that used to be used to soothe upset tummies and is now served in every bar in the country. It's also naturally gluten-free. My mom emailed them when she heard that they sold it in a couple of my local markets and they confirmed this.

Hey thanks for the info! It's nice to hear that you were able to find fresh vegetables. Did you go into any of the regular grocery stores?

I'm wondering what kind of alcohol options there are besides beer. (any? LOL).

I'll be there for a really long time and I think I'm crazy, because I can't do dairy, gluten or soy and I don't really eat meat. I'm excited though!

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you may need to break down and eat meat. Otherwise you're not going to get any of the nutrients you need because gluten-free options are few and far between. Then again, much of the meat is breaded. You may be able to say "no flour" on a lot of it. Again, though, many places are trying to be more youth/trendy-friendly and are doing things like stuffed mushrooms (with cheese....and often breadcrumbs), but with some language understanding you should be okay. Eat peanuts, drink, wander the streets and you'll forget about food altogether!

Hi all,

I was in Prague for a month in a study abroad program (summer 2005). This was before I was gluten-free, but I just wanted to add in some ideas. The food is bread-heavy as was mentioned here already. The markets have basic staples (such as cheese and Nutella ), but restaurants tend to serve heavy, gravy (flour-thickened)-laden food. There are more and more trendy cafes with lighter fare popping up downtown, but in general, the food is high on gluten.

You should be able to find fruit and veggies in the market as someone already said.

In terms of drinks: absinthe. Hahaha, for sipping though, I guess I'd go with the wine. The wine I had there was horrendous, to be perfectly honest, and I'm not really a wine snob. They do have mulled wines and ciders, and those tend to be slightly better. Maybe just ask the servers what they have other than beer. Everyone has vodka, rum, the basics, though, so you should be fine. You can't eat, but you can drink. Story of our lives!

It's a gorgeous city and I plan to go back some day. In short, pack food with you and enjoy the lovely place. If you want to be glared at for being American, go to Paneria near the Metrostanska stop on the metro. It's good fun.

~Sally

Does anyone have any practical travelling tips? I've been reading crazy tips like bring your own breadmaker and toaster, ship things to yourself at your destination. I'm going backing packing in Australia, New Zealand and Europe for 6 months and will be staying mainly in hostels, and moving frequently. None of those tips are very practical. I've also heard people saying that its easy to find gluten-free products in these countries, but then I"ve also seen numerous posts from people who are travelling there and can't find any food! I'm worried about how to get carbs, without travelling with a sack of rice in my luggage.

To make matters worse, I was only just diagnosed this month, and leave in a month. I"m starting to think I should just cancel the whole trip because its so overwhelming.

Does anyone have any advice?

To tell you the truth, you're going to have to pack food in your backpack just in case you can't find food. I haven't traveled to Australia or New Zealand, so I can't say for those places. I have only traveled in Italy since going gluten-free and it wasn't hard to find gluten-free food to eat, but I went to sit-down restaurants and resigned to spending money on steak and that sort of thing. It's hard to grab quick "street food" that's gluten free, or at least it is in Italy. Trail mix is easy to pack, of course. Nuts, dried fruit, Lara bars (and I hear Clif Nectar is a new line of gluten-free bars that are tasty), fruit cups, are easy to pack. For carbs/energy, there are gluten-free pretzels that travel well, bag up some gluten-free dry cereal, rice/flax seed crackers, that sort of thing. It won't be easy, but I don't think you'll need to cancel the trip.

I was freaking out before my trip to Italy because I was still not feeling well (at all!) and the whole finding food outside of my home bit was really overwhelming and intimidating. Just plan ahead. Bring enough food with you to anticipate not being able to find food, but also realize that there are little markets with fruit and veggies all over the place. Carbs will take some planning ahead. Head to Whole Foods, buy some serving size baggies, and prepare to spend a whole lot of money on gluten-free version of normal snack foods, and you'll be all set. In fact, if you have a Whole Foods near you, the staff there are usually really knowledgable and helpful and you can set up a tour of the store with them showing you gluten-free items to buy and pack.

Sorry, that was long! Good luck! Wish I could come!

~Sally

Hi all,

I went to college in Kalamazoo, MI, and still have loads of friends in the town, one of whom works at Water Street Coffee Joint downtown. She's mentioned a few times that they have many gluten-free items, salads, sandwiches on gluten-free bread (I think), among other things. I just thought I'd mention it. They have a couple of locations. Open Original Shared Link

It's also just a really cute place with good coffee. You'll find students camped out at the tables at all hours, but if you can stake out a spot, it's fabulous.

Enjoy!

~Sally

What ever came of this for you? I just did a forum search for this as I just took my first antibiotic today (I tested positive for SIBO yesterday). I'm on antibiotics for 10 days...is that long enough? What kinds of experiences have all of you had?

Thanks in advance,

Sally

...but in case they haven't: (my title may be misleading )

I just wanted to share a tip with everyone. If you cook a big pot of brown rice and then let it cool, you can store it in little sandwich bags (for one serving) or larger freezer bags in freeze it. Then when you need some quick brown rice, just toss the bag in the microwave and turn it on for about a minute/minute and a half. Then, voila! Brown rice ready in minutes.

~Sally

I'm sure you've already made these at this point, but from my experience, baked goods (and most things) taste more like gluten-filled goods if the flour is a mix of many different types of flours (i.e. not all rice, not all tapioca, etc.) I've only used premixed flour combos because I only cook for one and don't want tons of different flour bags to go to waste.

How'd these work out?

~Sally

Colleen,

I plan on ordering oats tomorrow or Saturday, then I'll give my recipe a try.

Here is the recipe

1 pound real butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

1/4 cup molasses

4 eggs

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. salt

4 cups of flour (I plan on using either white or brown rice flour)

4 cups of oatmeal

Cream butter, add both sugars and molasses, cream well. Add eggs beat well (1 minute) to mixture blend remaining ingredients.

Bake at 350 on greased cookie sheets. Do not over bake, take out when cookies look doughy.

This recipe makes 9 to 10 dozen (so you could half it if you don't want to make too many)

This are very tasty (I think its because of the brown sugar and molasses in the recipe)

Sue

I add a vote for the Open Original Shared Link. (click to see main site) My nutritionist is wonderful and she's there: Melinda Dennis.

Also, the GI who did my biopsy knew right off that I had Celiac and he seems like a trustworthy guy; very sympathetic and kind from my very limited experience with him. His name is Dr. Richard Doyle. He's also with BIDMC.

Best of luck!

Sally