ShayFL

First of all welcome!

Anyone can get Celiac regardless of their ancestry. There is just a stronger link to certain ethnicities. Did he do a biopsy? Not that you need it because a positive blood test is POSITIVE....PERIOD. But a biopsy will tell how your intestines are doing and how much damage you have. You may wish to consult with a gastroenterologist (sp?).

With that said, you will need to follow a strict gluten free diet regardless of whether you have a biopsy or results of a biopsy. Do you have symptoms? Once you go on the diet, you should see some clear up soon enough and hopefully all of them with time. This will also tell you what you need to know without a doubt.

Even if you DO NOT have symptoms, damage is being done. It can lead to a wide variety of autoimmune diseases like Diabetes type 1, MS, etc. And celiacs have a much higher rate of various cancers. You can have the same risk of those cancers as everyone else by following the gluten-free diet.

I have found this site a great resource.

The easiest way to go gluten-free is to eat simply. Think paleolithic type diet. Meats, veggies, fruit and nuts. However, most can eat the gluten-free grains like rice, quinoa, buckwheat, etc.

I hope this helps. I am new to it too. 6 weeks in. But I have learned A LOT on this site plus tons of surfing. Knowledge is key!

Shay

Tonight is Quinoa Taboule and roasted chicken and salad.

I miss the "hot" peppers as well. But Ginger has heat and so does Tumeric and Cinnamon and a few others. You do learn to be creative.

BTW Black Pepper is NOT a nightshade.

I need to add more to my signature. I have now cut out Eggs and All Legumes. Not eating Yeast either, but then again, I havnt since going gluten-free. All to help try to heal my nerves.

Life....what a ride!

I love chocolate. The dark bitter kind. I dont need much sweetness to it to enjoy it. BUT....over the years.....I have learned that if I eat more than a nibble of it, I get SEVERE rebound depression that lasts about a day. I can eat a bite of brownie or a bite of a candy bar, but if I eat a whole brownie or whole candy bar.....I pay. So I just dont bother. And carob is NOT a substitute.

Hey...it's just food. There are so many pleasurable things in life.

Hey RunnerGirl....your signature could be mine.

I cannot tolerate wine. It gives me ocular migraines. Scary. I avoid at all costs.

Two endorsements for TJ's brownies means they must be good. We dont have TJ in Tampa FL. Do they ship?

I have purchased two items so far that in big letters said "gluten free" on the box. One was a lentil pasta and the other some almond/rice based crackers. Before I actually cooked/decided to eat them I read the whole box only to find "processed in a facility that also processes wheat". So I threw them out. It did piss me off, but then I realized I learned something. You can only trust what you make yourself. So now I am sticking to "whole foods" and Bob's flours/grains only. No sugar because a. it isnt that good for you and b. none of them are gluten free that I have found. And before gluten-free I would only use small amounts of the "raw cane juice"....no white sugar. So I use a little honey if I need sweetener for cooking or stevia for cold stuff.

It is especially hard for people who either are not comfortable cooking/baking/preparing their own food or simply do not have time. I feel for you guys. I work from home and while it is still a lot of hard work to prepare all of my own food, I am able to do it.

Welcome....you are among friends.

I am excited for you! And you are feeling results already, so I am a bit jealous too. I have neuro symptoms and they can take a long time to heal.....so I must be patient. And listen to everyone else chart their progress.

Cookies are the easiest and yummiest things to make gluten-free I have found. I made some teff/almond butter cookies a few days ago and we all fought over them. My DD said they were the best cookies I have ever made. Pumpkin muffins were a hit and creamy buckwheat the other night was ubber yummy with dinner. I am keeping positive and enjoying experimenting. Tonight I am making an applesauce cake.

I sure hope the "bet" idea will work. Might be great for a guy. I dont know anything about your brother, but it could be a "co-dependent" thing between him and your Mom. Psychological issues are very deep. It maybe that your Mom needs a "sick" kid and your brother needs to fill that role. So you def have a battle if that is the case. A good therapist could help.

Hi Sandi!

I did not get a biopsy. My bloods all detected "1" for EMA, tTG IgG and IgA, AGA both IgA and IgG. All "1"s. Negative for both Celiac Genes. Positive gluten sensitive through Enterolab. Double Gluten Sensitive Genes. Do I have celiac? I am gluten-free based on Enterolab.

Sorry to hijack.

Just as Sandi says do not worry about the past, try not to worry about the future either. The only moment you have is the one you are living in right now. Do what you can right now and every moment you live in to heal and keep yourself healthy. Worrying about possible cancer in the future will do you no good. You simply face it if it happens and do what you can to prevent it. You cannot do anymore than that.

I know every time I get behind the wheel of my car, statistically I could be killed driving to the grocery store. But I do not worry about it. I have to shop. So I go. A life driven by fear is no life at all. You gotta live!

Remember 9/11? For awhile we were all scared to go to malls, sporting events, airports, etc. But it does pass. This will too. You are on the right track to optimal health. Focus on that and know you have friends here to help out.

Deleted double post.

broiled,poached and steamed are the best bet. Stick with meat and veggies. I tell them no seasonings of any kind. No coatings/breadings of any kind. No marinaded meats. Just plain meat with salt and pepper. Same with the veggies. I tell them olive oil is o.k.

Dr. thought I had Endo in my early 20's. I had horrible pains with my periods and would bleed heavily and clot. I also had pain during intercourse. And pain when I had to go poop. It was awful. Both my Mom and Sis had Endo and both had hysterectomy by mid 20's after done with babies. But I was nowhere near ready. No babies for me till 27. Anyway, I had a laparoscopy and what they found was a basket weave of adheasions from an abdominal surgery I had when I was 13 (appendix). The Dr. cleaned it all up and I have been pain free ever since. I had no problem conceiving. And even though he said there was a chance I could get adhesions from his surgery and I might need a "clean up" again in about 10 years, it has not happened. It has been over 17 years ago.

So if you have EVER had abdominal surgery of any kind, adhesions could be the cause of your pain.

Chia have an even better Omega 3 profile. Dont have that fishy taste and dont give me gas.

That rice protein powder tears me up. Rice doesnt, but the powder does. Ditto for Cocunut powder. Hemp powder sits well with me. You have to experiment with the proteins till you find one that works for you.

Breakfast is my biggest "beef".

But I have found "Lydia's Granolas" and absolutely love them. I make my own almond or hazelnut milk and I have been noshing on this for over a week now and still look forward to them. You can use store bought milks if you dont have time to "make" stuff.

Lydia's is gluten free, corn free, soy free and yummy!

I make pumpkin muffins and eat leftovers the next few mornings. I put eggs in the muffins, so you wouldnt taste the eggs and they add protein.

I just wish I could eat chocolate.

Fab!! You DO get BETTER Service eating gluten-free out. I always get to meet the chefs at the nicer places.

Your lymph system is the "great custodian" of the body. Always cleaning crap out. It could be that they are moving toxins out. You can help them along by doing rhythmic exercise like a mini trampolin or even walking helps.

Renee,

You should have your thyroid monitored closely for awhile because the way you absorb your medication can change on the diet. Usually for the better. And some can reduce their meds. A few can quit taking them over time as their body heals.

You could gain weight because your body is finally absorbing nutrients (vitamins and minerals) but also FAT. I know you dont want to gain weight, but if it were me, I would allow for some (maybe 10 pounds) so your body can get what it needs. And then reassess where you are.

I use my Vita-Mix (dry container) to make flour. It does pretty well. I then sift through a strainer to "refine" it for baking.

You need calories, but not that much more right now. In a couple months, you will need A LOT more. Do you like acorn squash? It is delicious with a sprinkle of cinnamon and your favorite sweetner....baked in the oven. Yum!!

Nuts pack nutrition and calories.

Beef, Turkey, Eggs

Pancakes made with grains you tolerate plus eggs.

Ive noticed I am soooo much less gassy on gluten-free and when I do it isnt so stinky like before.

Anytime you take a pro-biotic it changes your intestinal flora. It could be that randomly taking them is disrupting things a bit and causing the gas.

I am gluten-free now 5 weeks and eating about 60% - 75% raw. I am in the healing phases, but the raw feels good to me. I make walnut pate's and eat with celery and carrots. I make fresh almond milk or hazelnut milk which I eat with "raw granola" by Lydia's. Lots of salads with homemade "raw dressings" and fruit smoothies. It is all very delicious and I feel great after eating raw. I am also making 2 green drinks a day (not wheatgrass). I do still eat meat as I feel best doing so. I also enjoy eggs now and again. No dairy though.

I think it is a healthy diet to eat up to 75% raw. Not many actually feel great forever on 100% raw and the ones that do will supplemnt B12 and a few other nutrients that meat provides.

The fact that so many vegans/raw foodists get ill and realize they NEED B12 is MORE than enough evidence for me that I need meat in my diet. Granted our ancestors might have botten B12 from grubs and bugs, but I am not going to eat those. So I will stick with fish and chicken. And I tried 100% RAW VEGAN for 6 months and just got sicker. When I added meat back, I felt better.

I am using Chia seeds now. They dont have a strong taste like flax and they have HUGE amounts of Omega 3s (the good fats) 4 to 1 to Omega 6s. Superior to flax in this respect. And HIGH FIBER. They can be used whole or ground. And they dont give me gas.