bigbird16

Come a Little Bit Closer -- Jay and the Americans

Hugs, Fire Fairy. It's natural to want to please those you love. But you gave eggs and dairy up because your body rejected them. How much fun will you be to be around if your intestines are tied in knots and you have the hershey squirts? Anyone who slams you for your diet, no matter what way you chose or need to eat, is not your friend. Your boyfriend's family not only accepts you but tried to accomodate you. The person you are is what matters. He souns like a good guy! :-)

LOL!!!

It's funny....I don't OD on food anymore. One serving (sometimes a couple bites more) is sufficient. I can't seem to stuff myself, even when others are going back for more.

Dancing Queen --ABBA

To start introducing more meat into your diet, you might try fish first. Some of my vegetarian friends who have found they've needed more protein have successfully done that by first going for the not too fishy fishy -- trout, tilapia, whitefish, haddock, catfish. You can bake it, pan fry it, season with dill and olive oil, put it in salad, top it with salsa, etc. You can move on from there. Once you get more protein into you, you may find your energy increasing.

Congrats on your new job!!

The Letter -- The Box Tops

Did you notice whether your dogs felt any better on a grain-free diet? Or is there no difference to them?

My first has been eating grain-free since he was 9 weeks old. He's 3 years now. His coat is shiny and sleek, never has digestive issues, has never been sick, has perfect teeth. When he gets hold of his cousin dog's food (some wheat- and corn-filled brand), he pukes and gets the runs. Same if someone at the pet store slips him a biscuit. That's when I notice the difference.

My second came to me as a young adult a year and a half ago. He has pale, slimy poops, some runny. Within a week of being grain-free, his poops were perfect. He gets the runs if he gets into the cousin's food.

Raven, I've been experimenting with my own mixtures, and I've been happy with the results, too. One especially loves fish and bitter greens. The other seemed to know that the turkey I made the other day was partially for him. He circled my feet like a shark while I chopped up the cooked offal and meat. I mix that with veggies. I love it when they lick their chops in anticipation.

There are truly gluten-free dog foods. You have to read the ingredients, because what the pet food companies call gluten-free isn't the same as what it means for humans. Look for the foods that do not contain wheat, barley, or rye. If you go for grain-free dog food, you eliminate the possibility of the evil three. Pure Vita, Nature's Variety Instinct, Orijen, Acana, Natural Balance, Merrick, Avoderm, and others have grain-free or rice as the only grain varieties. Ask your pet store to show you limited ingredient or grain-free foods. Both of my dogs are grain-free and I love never having to worry about sloppy puppy kisses or drool.

Gas up your car, too. Were you in an area hit by the derrecho in June? Getting gas for a friend's generator the next day was quite the production.

Be safe, fellow East Coasters!

It will get easier. I remember the first trips I took after going gluten-free. I was so hungry and miserable; I didn't pack enough food and had no chance to find a store to go shopping. Learn what fuels you best and pack extra of that. I used to be the kind that could get by with just a carry-on bag. Now I check a bag filled with food. I'm grain-free, dairy-free, and soy-free by necessity and paleo/primal by choice. In case of no fridge, I take pouched/tinned tuna and chicken, Tanka Bars (bufffalo jerky), and sometimes dried beef (soak it to get some of the salt out). I figure how many meals I'll need and add a few more just in case packages. For veggies I bring a bag of broccoli florets or other hearty bagged veggies. Sometimes I bring a package of romaine lettuce. This last trip I took an avocado and some yellow squash. These veggies don't need refrigeration and hold up well to being bounced around. They also can be eaten raw if necessary. If I don't take my mini grill, I use the room's coffee maker to heat water and blanch the veggies in very hot water. Sometimes I pack baby food pouches of squash and yams. I take salt, pepper, a plastic container of olive oil, maybe spices, sometimes hemp milk. These are all things that don't need refirgeration, can be eaten as-is, and travel well. Most times I end up eating better than my coworkers. I've taken instant mashed potatoes but won't again. TSA opened my taters looking for drugs maybe? I ended up with potato flakes all in my clothes and papers. I scope out grocery stores and Super Walmarts before I go but don't count on having time to go.

Thanks! I'll check the local fish market. If rice is the hardest part, then this should be easy. I make rockin' sushi rice.

I would really like to make my own sushi. I've gotten nailed every time I've gone out for sushi, even though I've asked them to use clean utensils, use clean boards, don't use egg, fish egg, unagi (my former favorite), imitation crab, or anything with soy and have gone at a not busy time. Not sure whether it's been CC or some random thing containing or soaked in soy (can't do soy products, either) or maybe something with barley malt, but I've gotten sick every time.

What kind of fish do I get to make it? How do I make sure it's high quality so that I won't be afraid to eat this raw stuff? Should I freeze the fish first? Smoked salmon wrapped in nori just doesn't cut it when I get mad cravings for raw fish. Mmmmm, sushi.

That sounds awesome! Let us know how it goes!

Sandra,

A lot of us were bread and pasta fiends. I was a baker and cake decorator. I loved baking for people. I rarely ate my own cakes, as they made my stomach hurt. (Hmm, I wonder why?) My favorite breads to make were banana nut and dill onion. I loved it when my home reeked of sugar and flour from the cakes.

When my dad suggested that my migraines might be connected to gluten, I gave it up. Cold turkey. The possibility that there might be even some relief from the incredible daily pain was enough to make me stop eating gluten. I had no idea that so much of what I had been feeling would be affected by dropping it. I had been feeling like I was slowly dying with extreme fatigue and various pains. Instead of genuine hunger, I felt a gnawing pain in my belly. Within days I started to feel better, and a matter of weeks later I felt better than I had in ages with increasing energy. My stomach actually started to rumble when hungery instead of hurting, and I didn't get lightheaded anymore.

Too bad I didn't know about testing beforehand. When I did inquire about testing, I was blown off and couldn't even get an appointment to see a doctor for at least another two weeks. I had been gluten-free for a number of weeks already. I ordered a Biocard test to see if I could test myself, and I tried going back to eating gluten so I could be tested. I didn't make it through one meal. I had a violent reaction. That was my answer. Of course I tested negative on the Biocard test; I had already been free for too long. Who cares. I understood what my body was telling me. Screw the tests.

I mourned the loss of my breads and pastas and cakes and cookies. I wondered what I would eat that would satisfy me. But I took it as a challenge to get creative in the kitchen and try new things. I've tweaked my diet over the last four years, discovered more intolerances, and am in a happy place. I know what fuels me well, and I know what makes my body happy. It's a far far cry from how I used to eat.

Give up the stuff that hurts you, and play with your food! Sure it will take some adjustment time, but it will get better.

Congrats on the new pup! Pet stores carry wipes for dogs; if you're worried about a particularly gooey gluteny child smearing his goldfish or cheerio encrusted hands on your pup, you can always wipe him down or bathe him after. I wouldn't worry too much about petting. If my pups find bread on the ground and eat it, I won't let them lick me until they've had a good long drink of water.

Adalaide, I'm like that, too with other people's kids.

I used to be able to do half a bottle of wine or a few pints of Guinness or a couple of margaritas with no problem. I can't do any alcohol at all anymore. After going gluten-free nearly four years ago my tolerance started dropping. I dropped to where I was more than tipsy at a glass. Finally this spring I had to give it up completely. Even after one glass of wine or one shot of the finest hard liquor -- whiskey, tequila, brandy, vodka, etc. doesn't matter-- or half a hard cider or one of anything else, nursed for an hour or more on a full stomach or not so full stomach, I feel like I have a frat house party level hangover the next morning. Sad to not have a glass of wine with dinner but soooo not worth the pain the next day. Please pass the plain water.

I keep it simple, except on weekends when I have more time to play with my food.

For breakfast: beef or chicken or bacon, steamed broccoli or zucchini or spinach, dollop of Spectrum canola mayo or spoonful of olive oil

For lunch: tuna, huge bowl of romaine lettuce, variable toppings (tomato, carrots, relish, cukes, avocado, etc.), hemp seeds, olive oil, apple cider vinegar

For dinner: fish, beef, or chicken, steamed veggies, spoonful of olive oil

I rarely snack anymore. I just find I'm not hungry for one. If I'm really in need of one, though, I have a So Delicious coconut yoghurt or a bit of meat. If I want dessert, I'll pop open a can of coconut milk, spoon off some coconut cream, and plop it on berries then top it with cinnamon.

1342906824' post=812528]

Scott, on the celiac.com website you list corn as an acceptable food on a gluten free diet, with no mention that it may not be appropriate for some people. You say: "In any case, as far as we know, corn does not seem to cause harm to celiac patients."

Would it hurt to say that corn may be harmful to some people? Do you see what I'm saying? I'm coming to you for current, accurate information and making a blanket statement that corn does not seem to cause harm, etc. is absolutely not accurate across the board.

Corn IS acceptable on a gluten-free diet. So are sorghum, buckwheat, lupine, amaranth, etc. But they are not acceptable across the board. Corn and rice are the only gluten-free grains or grasses that I do not have some sort of reaction to; I am very sensitive. Sorghum, buckwheat, lupine, etc. make me feel like a sick dog's excrement. So should there be a disclaimer for ALL things containing gluten-free grains and grasses? No. I use my brain. For the new Celiac, there's no reason to be alarmist. You don't automatically strip your diet of things that MAY be a problem. If you don't feel better on a gluten-free diet, THEN look into what may be other culprits. NO food is acceptable across the board. You can be allergic or intolerant to anything that's consumable. You simply have to listen to your body and do what is right for yours. This is a wonderful forum for getting ideas on what else to explore when there are further issues beyond wheat, barley, and rye. And a big part of that is because of the wide range of digestive experience.

My new home's kitchen when I moved in last year was vile, almost as bad as the bathroom; neither looked like they'd ever been cleaned. It was a foreclosure, and I'm lucky the worst thing was the nastiness. The entire kitchen was sticky with orange grease, with an especially thick circle of it above the stove. The cabinets had expired cans of food as well as crumbs of who knows what. They stored their flour in a deep drawer. I opened the drawer and was assaulted by a little puff of flour. The drawer was white with flour film.

For the oven, I burned off what I could. Using heavy duty scratchy sponges, I scrubbed the racks and the stovetop pieces. I ran the stovetop stuff through the dishwasher twice to get the rest of the gunge off. I vacuumed all of the cupboards and drawers, hosed everything down with a water and dishwashing liquid solution to work on the grease and dampen any remaining crumbs or flour and keep them out of the air, wiped, soaked, scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed, scrubbed until everything was unsticky, spritzed with a hydrogen peroxide solution to kill germs, wiped, then collapsed for a nap. Then came the soy sauce stains all over the carpets and doors. At least I hope it was just soy sauce.

1) Yes. Even as a kid I remember my stomach hurting after eating donuts and other baked goods.

2) No. My diet before was tons of bread and pasta. Comfort was a big bowl of garlicky, buttery pasta or a piece of toast with butter. Snacks at work were crackers and pretzels.

Beans and other legumes aren't considered ideal in primal and paleo diets because of the lectins. Lectins aren't particularly good for digestion. They keep critters from eating the plants. Soaking before cooking and fermenting can help with that.

This past spring, I took a wild edibles (and non-edibles to avoid) course.* Two plants we looked at were wisteria and redbud. Both are legumes. Redbud pods can be eaten raw when they are at their teeny tiniest. As they grow, the lectin content increases. Any larger than miniscule, they must be cooked. At a certain point, even cooking won't help, and they are poisonous. Wisteria seeds are deadly. They'll end your foraging right quick. According to the instructor, most of the world's legumes are not fit for human consumption. Why? The lectin concentration.

*Disclaimer: Do not eat plants in your yard or in the wild unless you make a 100% positive ID and know without a doubt which parts you can use and how they should be prepared, or you can die quickly in a lot of distress.

We have catered lunches a lot at work and go out for staff meetings while we're on travel. Lunches are always provided on travel. When we are visiting colleagues in other states, they often feed us. I take my food along, open it up, and eat it like it's nothing. I never eat any of the provided food. If asked, I say "multiple food allergies" and move the conversation in another direction. At restaurants that can't accommodate, I just order tea or coffee. No one can't forcefeed me. Some colleagues have looked at me funny or asked for more details, but I've worked to make sure they see someone competent at her job rather than the girl who eats differently. It was awkward at first, but now...whatever. If someone thinks poorly of me, that's his/her problem.

Take and eat your food. You don't have to go into details with people. It'll be a curiosity at first, but soon they'll just come to accept that you bring your own food. Your health isn't an issue for compromise.

Mom: I made this pasta special for your dad. You should try some.

Me: I can't. It's pasta.

Mom: What do you mean?

Me: I can't eat wheat, remember. Pasta is made from wheat.

Mom: It is? (moment of silence) How do you know?

Me: Look at the box, Mom.

Mom: (ignores box) Well this is special pasta. It's low carb. It's high in protein, low in carbs. All the bad stuff is taken out.

Me: It's still wheat. (examining box) And it has extra wheat gluten added.

Mom: Just a bite. For me. Just one.

Me: (roll eyes) I'm not hungry. And when I am I'll make my own rice noodles.

BTW, my mom is a nurse. We have the same discussion about pasta or bread almost every time I see her.