aeshlea

This may sound a little strange but how much water do you drink? I am a natural health consultant and when I deal with clients who are having cravings I tell them they need to quit drinking ALL sugary drinks..including juice..but especially sodas (diet sodas too!). I dont know what you have access to over their beverage wise, but something that I can tell you works, is if you drink only water, or at least 80% of your beverage intake needs to be water. And you need to be drinking a lot of it...im talking half your body weight, in ounces. So if you weigh 130 lbs, drink as much WATER (other drinks dont count) as possible, trying to get as close to 65 ounces a day as possible. I hope that made sense?! Water cuts cravings incredibly..if you are properly hydrated you body will stop craving sugars (which is what bread is mostly broken down into in your body when it is processed). Also, stop eatting other sugary things. Good luck over there, my brother was in Iraq serving for a year so my heart goes out to all of you over there.

also dosent take me too long. If its a small amount I feel it quicker ironically. And it usually is just a massive headache within 20-30 minutes...but if its a larger amount I always have D within a 2 hour time period..usually by the 1 and a !/2 hour mark.

I would stay on the diet if I were you. It won't hurt, and you will know for sure as soon as you accidentally eat gluten, or do a challenge. Like the above poster said, a positive result from the dietary changes is really the true indication of what your body is trying to tell you. I have not seen a nutritionist because after I read up on what I could and could not eat, it was fairly easy. Not easy at first finding the things I could eat, but you get use to reading labels and before you know it you will be a pro at scanning for gluten ingredients. If seeing a nutritionist would make you feel better though, go for it.

Your response to going gluten free is really all you need to feel better. But a lot of people feel they need more then that..or at least it validates them to get a test positive. One thing you could look into would be going through enterolab. Enterolab is semi-controversial on here as not everyone believes Dr. Fines tests should qualify as a way to test for gluten intolerance. I however believe that until I read otherwise, his tests are on the cutting edge for testing. Blood tests and endoscopy exams, like others have mentioned, may or may not show you what you are finding out on your own by going gluten free. If you feel you want to try another route, I would try enterolab.

if I eat a lot of gluten, maybe a half hour...but normally about an hour

I just read somewhere the vanilla is not gluten free if it has an alcohol base?? Does anyone know this to be true? A lot of posts I have been looking at on here for the holidays have receipes that use vanilla extract..so I am confused.

I have gotten pretty bad headaches being gluten free. Someone else mentioned on here it being connected to the liver. I have heard that a lot as well. There is a liver cleanse you can find directions for on the internet (it involves apple juice, epsom salts, and olive oil, its easy to goggle and you can find differen variations) that is short and not too terrible to do. It rids the body of gallstones (that sounds far fetched probably) but it really does work and has made a huge difference for me when it comes to headaches.

Haha.. I saw the name of this post and I had to check it out..and when I read 'wow this stuff is FOUL' I could not help but laugh. I was SOO excited to try my first gluten free bread (I must have been high on some left over gluten in my system) and that is what I bought. Needless to say, I thought it 'wasn't that bad...maybe' but Im pretty sure I was trying to think reallly positive. I tried it a second time, and I couldnt keep it down! Very disappointing...I have however discovered some glutino english muffins that I find to be soo delicious! They are soft and squishy and taste actually good when toasted! Im still on a search for excellent bread though...

I am new to being gluten free..only about two weeks in. I have been experiencing daily headaches which I imagine could be from withdrawal? Ive read about other people experiencing that sometimes too...or possibly they could be 'liver headaches' ive read...but anyway....I am new to this and I have had a few times where I have still had digestive issues after being gluten free. People talk about being 'glutened' on accident, and I wonder, is it possible that is happening to me? Or since I am so new to this I could still be experienceing symptoms from things that I ate before going gluten free? I went to a 'gluten free' restaurant last night (which was featured on the news for being so great and really careful with all their food because the owners children have celiac) and right after I had major digestive stuff, very similar to what happened to me before going gluten free. And then I wonder about the headaches too....am I possibly getting those as withdrawal symptoms? or could I be getting 'glutened' by mistake. Since going gluten free I make all my own food (in a kitchen I share with 3 other non gluties) but I am careful. And this was the first time I had eatten out since going gluten-free.

I guess I am just confused. Would getting glutened really have such a strong effect on my since I have only been doing this for a little over 2 weeks? I just wonder if other people still had digestive issues after going gluten free and if that is normal, or if you think I am eatting cross-contaminated things.

Thanks for all the help.

*confused glutie free girl

I thought cocoa pebbles had carmel coloring in it? Can't carmel coloring contain gluten? I recently tried fruity pebbles since going free, just today actually, and had some interesting digestive stuff happen. I am new to being a celiac (2 weeks) and it may be too soon to tell if it was from that, or something else. I was just recently glutened (i think?) because I had really bad stomach cramps and gas after eatting at a 'gluten free' restaurant last night, so who knows, maybe my stomach stuff was still left over from the night before. I have no idea how long 'being glutened' symptoms last..but I am not going to eat fruity pebbles again.

I love love love no bake cookies. They taste the same I think, with the gluten free oats. My recipe is a little different then the one above so I thought I would add mine to the pot since I love it so much.

Chocolate p.b oatmeal no bake cookies

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup powdered baking cocoa (I prefer Hersheys)

1/2 cup milk (or soy)

1/2 cup butter or alternative

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

3 cups gluten free oats

add the sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter in saucepan. Stir regularly bring to a low boil, be careful not to burn mixture. Turn heat off, add vanilla, then p.b. When peanut butter is completley melted into mixture, add oats. Set globs onto wax paper, put in fridge to chill. Use fingers to lick saucepan clean.. (optional).

Since we are on this topic, I have read somewhere that not all turkeys are gluten-free. Has anyone heard of this, or what it means? I think it said something about butterball turkeys and the

'butterball' part uses wheat in its butter mix. I dont know much about this, has anyone else heard of having to be careful about the actual turkey purchase?

Grrrr...Well I read about this happening. I just spoke with my mom for the first time about celiac disease. I sent her info over email so she could learn more about the diet I would be venturing on...so she in turn did her own research and told me that I must not have any problem with wheat because I did not have the 'gold standard" tests preformed for diagnoses. I explained how I went through enterolab, and sent her info about their tests. My tests came back positive, so I was not sure why she believed I didnt have it. She told me they were not the 'official' tests so they must not be right. I inturn let her know that those tests may be the 'official' tests, but it dosen't mean they are the most accurate.

This whole conversation would have not been a problem if she would have called me sounding concerned, but that was not the case. She called me to accuse me of making it up. And then proceed to yell at me for what I was about to embark on with this diet and how I don't need to. I told her I would send her more info so she could further understand my reasoning but we ended on a bad note.

I didn't think I would have this much of a problem with one of my parents. But, what are you going to do I guess. I am just frustrated with her right now and am going to have to just follow on my way without her support, which is doable, but not ideal. So, I thought I would vent here instead of taking it out on my boyfriend later, which Im sure he will appreciate.

Thanks for listening to me vent.

I am soy intolerant, er have an allergy to it...whichever, I can't eat it. However I did eat it for a very long time (I was a vegetarian for a while and ate lots of tofu) and I can attest to the D. I have found that if I eat a good amount of soy I will have D, but if I just eat a minimal amount I get an instant headache. Sometimes its mild, but its obvious it is still there. I also will get a 'sour stomach' feeling when I eat small amount.

One way I found out for sure (other then being tested) that I have soy issues was when I hadn't eatten much one day and then my mom had my try this new stuff called 'soy milk' (this was a while ago before soy milk was popular) and right after I ate it I had a major reaction. For some reason soy in liquid form effects me much quicker then when its mixed in with other foods as an ingredient. Maybe if you went a day without eatting too much else and then just had some soy milk and see what happens you could know if you had a reaction more easily. Also, something that always effected me was tofu. I dont know if you have ever had it, its really not bad at all (like soft chicken) but I ALWAYS would have D that night or the next day when I had it..it took me a while to figure out what it was from though. Good luck!

  confusedks said:

2. (This was already kinda mentioned but...)Don't let people tell you it's not worth it. As much as you are going to seem like a PITA, you and your health are worth it! Do NOT let anybody tell you otherwise!

On a side note, I can tell I am missing the glut a bit today because as I reread the post above I had a total homer moment and was like "...mmmmmm, PITA............Oh wait, she means pain in the ass..."

That is a good question that I wonder about too. The general consensus I have gotten is you need a new collander for straining (as gluten gets stuck easily in those) and you need new cooking utensils if they are wood or plastic since wood and plastic could have tiny little scratches in it that could hold the gluten. But I wonder if you just cleaned it REALLY WELL it would be okay...I guess you could try that if you can't afford it, although I don't know if you would really want to.

As for pots and pans, I have heard a lot about how its important if there are nics or scratches, but as I am new to this all as well, I 'feel' like I am going overboard. But if people who have been dealing with this longer then me (which is about everybody) tell me its important I would think about it more seriously..

Maybe others on here can tell you if they used the same pots and pans and stuff and were okay...

So there is wheat in them! ...hmmm..well, I guess I could have done this in the first place, duh, just check their website and see what they say. Its interesting now since people have responded to me saying they do not have any reaction..but this is what it said on their website when I checked today..

French Fries:

Potatoes, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavor (wheat and milk derivatives)*, citric acid (preservative), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), dimethylpolysiloxane (antifoaming agent)), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil ((may contain one of the following: Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated corn oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness), dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent). *CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK (Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.)

so they just come out and say there is wheat...which seems like news to me, and maybe to others who arent having a reaction. I wonder if somehow since it is a 'starting' ingredient that it basically gets processed out (I dont really know how that logic works but Im just grasping here...)...I am not sure if I will eat them though since they say they do use wheat...very interesting...

what do you guys think?

I have heard conflicting things about McD's french fries...I read in a book that they have a dedicated fryer so that gluten-free'ers can eat the fries...but then I just read something that the 'flavoring' ingredient contains wheat. Has anyone else heard this?

I have to say this topic of self diagnosis is interesting. My boyfriend and I were watching oprah one day (he likes oprah surprizingly) and jenny mccarthy was on (or maybe that is why he 'liked oprah' that day..hmm) talking about how her son's autism basically went away when she put him on a gluten-free/casein-free diet. We got to talking and wondering if a child who has autism can improve SOO much on that diet, what could it do for a regular person? How much healthier could they become? So we deicded to try going gluten free just to see how it felt....needless to say we didnt last long....BUT something interesting happened that after 4 days of going gluten free when I went back to eatting bread I had almost 2 days of extreme digestive distress you could say.....so I started to wonder....

to make a long story short my intution told me 'something was up' and I put two and two together and realized I probably have this. Then I got results from enterolab which confirmed it. My point to all this rambling is that I agree it is hard to go by self diagnosis because in this society 'nothing goes' unless you are 'officially' diagnosed by 'someone who knows what they are doing' ...as in a doctor. But what I find interesting about this whole topic is that most 'doctors' and medical websites have different defintions for this all...and there 'diaognostic' testing dosen't work for a lot of people.

Since I have joined I have heard so many people say that they got the blood test and it came back negative....so they must not have celiac, right? But on columbia universitys website about celiac they even say 'if you get tested and it comes back negative and you think you might have it, keep getting tested".....so what does that mean? Doctors can't even trust their test it seems like ...because 'sometimes ' it just might not show up for some reason.

Anyway, this is not the rant I expected to have here but I think self-diagnosis when it comes to celiac is probably NOT going to be understood by most because they have not gone through all the tests that suck, or the tests the come back negative when they KNOW inside something isnt right. I think it comes down to how empowered you feel and how confident you feel about yourself. Like someone on here who said she self diagnosed and has no regrets about it so confidently, if I met her and she told me that, I would not second guess her because of the energy that comes through when she says that. For me its about knowing for myself what 'fits' not what a 'doctor' tells in a lot of cases. Because doctors are just people too, and they don't know everything.

No one else is in your body experiencing what you experience. Society has gotten WAY to far from their own inner wisdom about things. When it come to celiac, I think the "gold standard" test is what makes you feel better. Its too bad that people feel bad sometimes about self-diagnosis, because they are only following what they feel is true for them..which should be honored. blah blah blah...okay so I must have had that built up inside me a bit...also, as a disclaimer, I dont dislike doctors or think people shouldnt go to them. I just think the time is coming where people are going to start honoring their own intuition about their bodies and doctors and physicians need to evolve to help that and become more of a guide with information, not so much a 'what I say goes'.

  happygirl said:

Enterolab can't diagnose Celiac, though.

The traditional bloodwork, which since you have insurance through your job, will likely be covered:

(taken from Columbia University's Celiac Disease Center: Open Original Shared Link

Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG

Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA

Total IgA level.

Really? I guess I thought they could diagnose it, but I am new to all of this so its good to get the clarity. They do all the tests you listed above (although I am not so sure about the anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) IgA) but it is not through blood work, its is through the stool work that I thought was actually more accurate..so I guess I am confused now. Can you only be 'diagnosed' through blood work then? What am I missing here?

Hi Casey,

I can't believe I am posting a reply to some else's question as I am VERY new to this..haha....but I wanted to see if you had heard of enterolab? Its all over this forum, and I dont want to assume you have heard of it, but if you haven't you should check them out. My doctors didnt know what was going on with me, and so I followed my intution and took my health into my own hands. I discoverd www.enterolab.com and they do all these great tests...and they can do the right tests for your child too. The tests are relativley affordable, depending on which one you choose. And they offer insurance codes in case your insurance covers for it. I dont know how much it costs to go to the doctor for these kind of tests, but I imagine the ones on the website are comparable...and possibly much less invasive. No blood work, just stool samples and mouth swabs. They worked for me when others didnt. Good luck to you.

I have to say thank you SOO much to everyone who has posted so far. Really great book suggestions and you guys brought up things I wouldn't have thought about (medications, shampoo, etc)along with the support. I am so grateful tfor this. I haven't started the diet yet. That happens tommorrow. I gave myself this weekend to say good bye to some of my lovers (betty crocker chocolate cake, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal blueberry muffins, mcdonalds french fries etc...)I have to say I am a little obsessed with this forum here...I have been on here searching questions and reading about everything I can while I prepare for this. I spend hours on here..maybe that is normal since this is new to me. But I wanted to thank everyone for all the suggestions and I welcome anyone else who reads this to add their two cents as well.

So..I was just recently diagnosed as having a wheat intolerance. I am new to the forum and so thankful for the help I have received about the questions I have posted. I was lying in bed tonight after a bath and my feet were itching like crazy, also my palms a little. This is not new for me...for a long time I have had to be careful with how long I take baths for, or at least how long I let my feet and hands soak, because RIGHT after I get out I have crazy painful itching on them. It lasts anywhere between 10-30mins...depending on if I let myself itch or not. Nothing actually changes with the skin itself...maybe red from the itching...but no hives or anything like that. So as I have recently tested positive for wheat intolerance I thought 'Hell, this could have something to do with that maybe' so I looked it up and a found a few random things about people having this (I think its called aquagenic pruritis?) and it being related to celiac disease. I am wondering if any of you out there have experienced this??

Is Celiac disease just advanced gluten intolerance??

Thanks...

Hello all,

I am new to this forum, and new to the diet. New to everything really. I was tested and received the positive results just yesterday that I am gluten intolerant. I am going to by some books on the topic...but since there is a whole world out there with people who deal/live with this daily I want to know what the top three things people who have this would like me know. Suggestions, tips, stuff I will enjoy, favorite recipes, websites that would help, things that I should be prepared for..ANYTHING.....whatever you guys think, from your own perspective, that I should know. Thank you ALL so much for this..