pixiegirl

I just returned from a 9 day vacation on the Windsurf which is owned by Windstar Cruise lines which is owned by Holland America. They told me before I cruised that they are a small sailing ship with only one kitchen so they could not guarentee gluten free, but they did say they would try like heck. Also on some Holland American cruises they will get you gluten free rolls and such, on my boat they said they "couldn't".

Well on top of being a great cruise, I was NOT glutened even once. The crew took my gluten issues and my daughters peanut allergy very seriously and checked all the ingredients in each dish. They alas do not have a dedicated fryer for french fries. But I had many choices at every meal and they were happy to give me things not on the menu. We had a great time!

Susan

My favorite scrubby thing is the Buff Puff I use the one for sensitive skin, its not quite as scrubby. People that have very dry skin should only exfoliate about once a week. Drink lots of water, most people don't drink enough. I've had very very dry skin for years, the flakey kind and I discovered La Mer products about 3 years ago. The are the only product for me that keeps the flakies away all day. However, once you see the price of them you will drop over dead, expensive is an understatement.

I've had people tell me that I'm being ripped off by these products but I firmly believe that everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. People have told me to try Aquaphore (makes me shiney and break outs), eucrine, Oil of Olay, clinic, I've tried them all but still the La Mer is the only one that keeps me flake free. I only use the lotion (not the cream which is way too emolient for even me) and I only use it in the cold months of the year because its too much for me in the summer. And I only need a little bit, so its not as costly for me as it seems.

Susan

When I get glutened I don't think I actually gain weight but I look like I do, I get so bloated up I look like I'm pregnant, its awful.

As far as gaining weight because you don't like the food you can eat, you should try more gluten-free stuff at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or off the internet. I've found replacements for almost everything I thought I couldn't have.

Trader Joe's sells something they call umm french bread muffins or something, they look like a thick english muffin. you can have a big thick hamburger on that. I actually stick one in my purse and then at my local hamburger haven I order the thick hamburger with no bun. When it comes I whip out my own bun and eat my burger that way.

I'm having problems with eating out too.... its hard without a doubt. And as I've said before I come from a family that puts food above a whole lot of things, every thing we do is food centered (and no one is overweight, fyi). I have 2 restaurant critics in the family! I use to eat out at least 4 times a week. Now since October when I found out I have to be gluten-free I've not gone out too often... I have a few places I can go. But that's what I miss by far the most about all this... my family and friends go out and I can't or don't. I want more places to eat out (Santa are you listening?)

Susan

Thanks for this post I am flying American in a few days and I called them for Gluten Free so I'm all set, I hope they remember!

Susan

I'm new at this (2 months or so) and I've noticed that fruit of any sort really bothers me now, I can hardly eat it without a bad reaction. I've read on these boards that as your intestines heal the new skin is more sensitive then the old damaged stuff so that might be why. I'm just hoping that new skin, once there a will will calm down a bit, I love fruit and really miss it.

Susan

Are both kinds gluten-free, both the Lundenburg and Quaker...

Susan

I understand that we all have to make our own decisions and that every family is different but I'd never miss an important event like a family wedding because of my eating problems. On the scale of importance to me a wedding .... say my brothers would be so important to attend and my eating issues would be a non issue.

Eat before hand, leave for 45 minutes and eat in your room or in the car, or just bring food, who cares if people ask why? Go in the bar and have another drink you'll forget all about eating (ok just kidding). But at least in my family weddings are so much fun, we dance, talk, laugh, drink, yes and eat that I wouldn't miss out on such an important day because I have food issues.... this day to the bride and groom is more important then that as far as I'm concerned. I'd find a way to make it happen. But again I know that all families are different.

Now a Christmas party I might pass on, but a family wedding, no way.

Best to all,

Susan

No I don't think I will buy them regularly but I know I would occasionally, well I love pizza so I'd probably buy that on a regular basis.

Was at Whole Foods today and they had less gluten-free then usual! Nothing in the bakery, not any of that Joesph's stuff, nothing, just the frozen foods. Oh well.

I'll keep trying.

susan

Hmmm I thought I read here that Lactaid is gluten-free but also some ice creams are not gluten-free. I know that Ben and Jerry's is gluten-free except the obvious gluten choices... Like Chocolate Chip cookie dough or Chocolate Fudge Brownie.

Susan

Still no bakery items at the Whole Foods in Hingham, MA. I ask every single time I go to the store, fill out a suggestion card and once a week I send a suggestion in to their web site. I do love the place but I'm a little miffed that not once have they answered a single e-mail of mine. Oh well, I'm driving up there today (its 45 miles and an hour away) so I hope maybe they will have something new this time.

Susan

Hmmm... I guess I miss some of the stuff I use to eat, especially a local gourmet pizza place, Sweet Tomato's. And my local Thai resturant, i know they use both rice and regular noodles and since no one there speaks English very well, I'm afraid to try it. I guess I miss eating out, we use to do that about 3 times a week and now I almost never eat out. But mourning? For me its not that bad... I just accept this for what it is... its a new challange for me and I'm trying to meet it head on. However my attitude about everything in life is this way... I know it sounds so "rose colored glasses" but I really do try and make lemons into lemonaide... we all make a choice, our glass is half empy or half full, its up to you, you get to pick.

When I was younger and I'd complain to my mom about whatever crisis was happening in my life she'd always say to me, well such and such has this problem and its way worse then yours... and to me that was insensitive and not sympathetic (and I still feel that way and she still sometimes does it!) but you know what as much as I hate to admit it, she's right. My only sibling is battling mouth cancer right now (never smoked, no hazardous jobs, drinks only occasionally) and I'll I've got it a little dietary problem. I'm good.

I don't mean to down play our issues (like my mom does so often) I know they are big and mean a whole life style change, but its a new journey for me and I'm making the best of it. I'm actually enjoying finding new things like like to eat and making things from scratch... I guess I just love a challenge.

Best to all of you, Susan

the link doesn't work and it didn't google either, is that just me??

Susan

I'm having bad luck getting answers from various companies. I thought there was a post about kefir a while back but searched and can't find it.

Does it contain gluten? I have the plain and strawberry and the strawberry says it contains beet juice and natural flavors. I've e-mailed the company twice but not received any answers.

thanks, Susan

This has been a wonderful and really interesting discussion, I've really enjoyed our "cooks" insight. There are a few really popular restaurants here on Cape cod that I use to go to all the time and now that I have to do gluten-free I don't.... They are popular and busy all the time so I always feel like my dietary restrictions are a hassle, but after reading this thread, I'm thinking on an off night, maybe a tuesday I'll give it a try, perhaps I'll call ahead.

I've asked this before and I don't remember getting an answer... where can I get a resturant card that tells our dietary restrictions, has someone made their own up I can use?

lastly... to our resident Chef... I love Vermont and go there often in the summer I hope to catch up with you sometime, you sound like an interesting person and a great chef!

Susan

Yes I was eating them too.... try not to get frustrated...(easier said then done I know..) but life is a learning experience, every day should be and I just feel glad now that I know they are not gluten-free. I've only been doing this for just over 2 months and I know there is a huge learning curve.

Susan

Ok thanks so much, I ate them the other day and didn't feel right that's why I thought I better look into them. I'll try the Green Mountains' if I can find them, thanks!

Susan

I've written the company but so far not recieved any reply yet... they list the ingredients on the bags but some say flavors so I'm not sure if they are gluten-free or not. does anyone happen to know?

Susan

I have written to Whole Foods 3 times now asking for their gluten-free bakery products in my MA store and as much as I love the store, they have not once written back. Sigh.

Susan

Its funny how saying allergy convinces people that its more important and real then food intolerances. If I say allergy everyone is very careful and understanding, if i say food intolerance they say, "oh you can eat it this once". So generally I stick with allergy, its easier and I prefer to talk about more interesting things then what I eat.

Someone a few posts back that polite people wouldn't discuss this sort of thing and added how would you feel if they were talking about your attire vs eating habits. I'm not sure how you meant that..... exactly... but it made me laugh, people always talk about my attire AND my eating habits!! I hear a different drummer and I don't really mind. I know that some of us are more sensitive then others and I am too in certain areas... but mostly I'm pretty happy with myself so I don't care if they talk.

But overall the, "I ate already" answer should keep most of them quiet.

Susan

Well I'm new to this... so I'm sure I haven't figured it all out yet. But here are two things that came to mind....

If you know the host really well you could speak to her before hand and explain that you have celiac or "food allergies" (people seem to understand that term better even though I know its not right explaining celiac) and ask if you could bring a "dish" to the party for everyone to enjoy, then you could bring something veggie, with marinated olives, and mushrooms, rice crackers, or whatever sort of things you eat.

If you don't know them well, then you can always say that you went out to dinner prior to the party or something like that, then when people say aren't you eating, you can just say I had a previous engagement and ate there already.. (and be sure you do eat so you don't get hungry).

At least where I'm from (East coast) it seems that everyone has so many different diet issues or preferences that no one bats an eye with them anymore... I use to have a Christmas party every year and even without asking people just brought stuff, I thought it was nice, but I'm sure some wouldn't like it (depends on the sort of party of course).

I have to tell you I know people like to talk and many are just plain gossipy but I've never been to a party where we stood around and talked about what people at the party are eating... who cares? Anyhow I have such a healthy diet (and ego) that I feel good when I tell people I don't eat junk, I don't usually go into the celiac issue, I just say I closely watch what I eat. its why I'm 5'8 and weight 119 lbs (and I'm pushing 50). They can talk all they want but I'm healthy, lean, full of energy, in good shape... let them eat cake!

Good Luck, susan

Ummm I'm confused here... do you mean colonosocopy or endoscopy? For celiac they usually do the endo... one.

I'm just curious because I'm getting a colonosocopy in January as I'm of the right age for it as a preventative test and I sure don't have to fast for 60 some odd hours, the day before I can actually have an egg for breakfast and then I have to drink the yucky stuff that cleans you out. the next morning I have the test and also on that day before I can have tea and some juice.

I hope its not painful, my mom had one last year, I took her down for it and she said the clean out day was way worse then the test I know that to be true because when I picked her up after the test she said, "Lets go out for lunch" and we did!

Susan

No I've not had that and at this point I'm not going to. I'm assuming from the other levels in my test results that I don't have any damage yet, all those number were low normal, so from what I've been told the likelihood of my actually having damage yet is slim.

Susan

I wish I could figure out cast iron, I've tried it a million times and seasoned it the way the directions have said and every time stuff sticks to it, I know I'm doing soemthing wrong but I don't know what. I had one cast iron pan for a good year thinking that with time it would get better but it didn't, stuff just stuck to it. Any hints.

Susan

I'm not sure I'm actually adding anything to this... its really a technical discussion and I'm a new Celiac and still learning about all of this. However you seem to imply that the beta blockers somehow caused your mom's Celiac? Is that what you are sort of saying? Why doesn't she have her DNA tested and see if she has the genes for Celiac. I happen to have 2 of the main celiac genes, so for me that was a big answer.

For what its worth, I had rhumatic fever as a child, I too have a MVP but my heart damage is mimimal, I just had an echo last week and was told evreything is looking good.

I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalsia about 10 years ago.... diagnosed with Celiac about 2 months ago and have been as gluten-free as a beginner can be since then. I feel good at this point.

Susan

Well I agree, most of us can't run out and buy new appliances, pots and pans, etc when we discover that we need to be gluten-free, I haven't used my bread machine yet but I'm going to clean it well, run it thru the dishwasher and see how it goes.

Susan