lynnelise

My hair has been awful for years! It's always been very fine but a few years ago it started shedding and breaking off really bad. It was so bad I was starting to seriously thing about what I would do if I went bald!

I stopped eating gluten in November of 2009 and I am cautiously optimistic that it may (fingers crossed) be growing back in properly! I notice that when I pull it back in a ponytail I don't have to carefully arrange it so little peeks of my scalp aren't showing. Also the ponytail part feels a bit thicker. There are some short hairs around my hairline where I think breakage is growing back. I've never seen that happen before so I'm hopeful.

As to the curly hair, I have a friend with spina bifida. As kids we both had straight hair. She had back surgery when she was in her teens and her hair grew in so curly it was literally unmanageable! Two years ago she had another back surgery and now her hair is straight again! The human body is a really funny thing!

I've had several people contact me for more information on symptoms and such because they are worried about someone in their lives who might benefit.

I am diligently trying to get a few members of my family to try it, but that is slow going. I'm trying not to be pushy but I really think my aunt with RA with benefit. Lately things have been getting worse for her in that she's anemic and has needed blood transfusions, her potassium is off, and her she now needs insulin shots for her diabetes. That is a work in progress.

I also have a blog where I share recipes and stuff so people can see it's really not a deprivation diet!

I'm 4'11. My mom used to be 4'10 but she's got osteoporosis and has shrunk a bit! My dad is only around 5'6. I had stomach problems my whole life but only figured out the gluten connection a year and half ago!

My daughter made it to 5'3 (her dad is 6'3) but at 15 she seems to have stopped growing. I suspect she has celiac but her bloodwork was negative and she refuses to try the diet! (Teenagers! )

I used cheddar once and it turned out fine! I don't know how to make the mix from scatch so I can't help you there!

I guess it depends on how you feel after you workout. Do you feel overly fatigued or have a lot of muscles aches or joint pain? Do you dread working out? Do you get sick a lot? If yes then I would cut back. I know when I overdo it I get sick a lot easier and more frequently.

I have had nothing but bad experiences at Applebee's. The worst was the time the manager flat out said nothing in his kitchen was safe so I had to sit and watch everyone in the group eat only to go home to rice cakes and peanut butter. I went back for a friend's birthday after they posted their wheat allergy menu because I thought it would be safer. The waitress had no idea they had such a menu so after much dealing with the manager I got what was supposed to be a safe meal but I was sick as a dog afterward. I have totally sworn off Applebee's from here on out.

Outback I have good experiences with. I love it!

Chili's is hit or miss. I've had safe meals and I've gotten sick. Any meal out is taking a chance though I suppose.

I've safely eaten at Red Lobster. No issues there.

I find sushi fairly safe. Just make sure there is no tempura flakes, watch for eel which is usually marinated, and avoid the anything with fake crab.

I got taken by Taco Bell my first week on the diet. I learned the hard way to never assume that what the menu describes as beef is actually beef! I just feel bad for people who don't have to double check before ordering. They have no clue what type of fillers and additives they are eating. It's funny because of all those pet food commercials talking about how their product is made with real meat and no fillers. People are probably buying that for their dog and eating Taco Bell thinking it's just seasoned beef! lol

Try to keep simple things on hand. Rice cakes and peanut butter got me through the first few months. I always carry Larabars and Kind bars in my purse for emergencies. I keep packs of tuna and plain almonds in my desk at work. There are a few microwavable Thai meals (Thai Kitchen and Taste of Thai)that are labeled gluten free. They are usually with the rice and/or the ethnic foods. These aren't the most nutritious but they can prevent you from missing a meal when you are in a hurry! Make snack bags of cut up veggies. Keep fresh fruit on hand! Use a crockpot for quick dinners!

What is vanilla powder and where do I find it? (I am in Canada)!

It's protein powder. I use the Jay Robb brand of vanilla protein powder. It's gluten free, the whey is free of rBGH, and it's sweetened with stevia.

Hope you feel better soon! I know my doctor told me Sudaphed was okay when I was preggo but that was 16 yrs ago. At any rate I did fine with it!

I prefer cream of rice or grits. I also have quinoa flakes that are pretty good. I don't love the texture but the taste is ok. You could try gluten free oats and see how well you tolerate them.

If I am starved and have almost no time I make scrambled eggs with cheese. Leftover meat like bacon or steak if I happen to have some in the fridge. Or veggies...goat cheese and spinach is good.

Another option that sounds gross but is actually good is cottage cheese mixed with tuna and steamed edamame. I eat this for lunch about once a week.

Salads with lunch meat, cheese, and dressing. If I have more time I might grill a chicken breast or a piece of steak in place of the lunchmeat. Still a fast meal.

Greek yogurt with Trader Joe's peanut flour and reduced sugar strawberry jam. I had this for breakfast this morning and for dinner last night!

Protein shakes with frozen fruit, milk, and a scoop of vanilla powder, sprinkled with cinammon.

Sometimes I cook a few pounds of ground beef at once so I can freeze a couple for later. Then I can make super fast chili or spaghetti.

I also keep frozen pizza crusts on hand for emergency pizza nights!

Splenda has always made me sick and I just think it tastes gross. I hate that all the sugar free syrups at coffee shops use it. It makes me gag. It's that bad. However I use Sweet n' Low and love it...a lot of people say it has an aftertaste but I don't notice it. I am trying to cut back on my addiction to those little pink packets so I've been using a lot of Stevia in the Raw. It's stevia and dextrose. The taste takes awhile to get used to but I'm ok with it.

LOVE the "friend" verb thing lol.

As for the pill, 90% of ladies say it helps. Depending on how much damage you have in your gut you may or may NOT want to try it right at the moment. From personal experience, when my atomach was at its worst,,i was on the pill, and started to spot, then got heavy..for almost 2 months STRAIGHT.. My doc said that since i had so much damage i wasnt absorbing enough of the pill to make it effective, only enough to piss my hormones off and pretty much trick me into spotting for what felt like forever !!

Your body is going through SOOOO SO SOOO many changes now because of of your diet change, the periods will get better or , umm, back to normal ( better periods? if there is such a thing)..if you know when your cycle is going to start, try taking advil daily about 3 days before you start, even though it thins your blood, it relaxes the muscles some..If you get serious you can try getting a RX for Levsin, its great for the guts and the baby-maker organs when they decide to cramp up on ya !!!

How interesting! I had to go off the pill last year because I kept spotting. They kept switching the types and nothing would help. At the end I was having two full periods a month! Of course my doctors were clueless...never mentioned that maybe I wasn't absorbing the pill properly. In fact they argued with me about discontinuing it even though I was bleeding most of the month and had bloodwork showing that my hormones were all out of whack!

I am another that couldn't understand why I felt so great on the first stage of the South Beach Diet and then went downhill when I started adding in whole grains and fruits. I never made the connection. I ate whole wheat everything because I thought it was healthy. I thought my bathroom issues were due to having my gallbladder removed. I eventually went on to have constant stomach pain, reoccuring outbreaks of shingles, mono, the flu, repeat sinus and bladder infections, rashes, it was nightmare the last year on gluten. I had an EGD to check for an ulcer and they told me I had gastritis and noted significant inflammation in my small intestines but didn't biopsy for celiac (I'm in WV and basically doctors here act like they've never heard of it)! I kept getting sicker and finally my cousin who works for GI doc in Maryland asked me to send her all the records from my labs and the EGD so the doc she worked with could review them. She immediately called and said he said it looked like celiac and to quit eating gluten and see if I felt better and sure enough. That was the problem the whole time.

I always eat at the Silver Diner when I visit my hometown! I was so excited when I saw the gluten free options last visit!

As for Cracker Barrel I have actually eaten grits there and not gotten sick. That is not to say it is safe just that I personally didn't have issues. I believe I read once that because grits themselves are subject to contamination in processing a lot of restaurants won't list them as gluten-free. That is what Denny's says at anyrate.

I like a few gluten free replacement products. A few things I keep on hand are pastas (Tinkyada or Ancient Harvest typically), Pamela's gluten-free Baking Mix (I can make almost any cookie, cake, or muffin with this), gluten-free Bisquick, and Betty Crocker mixes. I rarely use these items prefering to just eat naturally gluten-free stuff. For pizza night I love Chebe mix. I buy Udi's bread every few months as a treat. I have gotten used to using no bread however. Food for Life gluten-free english muffins aren't terrible and my husband actually likes them so I use them every once in awhile too.

The only "friend" I have the is gluten free is actually my cousin. She isn't celiac (that she knows of) but she has been on a diet free of flour and sugar for years so she eats no gluten. I trust her cooking because she won't anything processed and no wheat, rye, or barley enters her home. Works out well.

I will sometimes eat at certain NGF friends homes...only the ones that know the entire cross contamination spiel. There are two that I trust.

Restaurants. I've gotten sick dining out quite a few times. I've really cut back because it was really bringing me down. Lately I've been sticking to a specific sushi spot, Chickfila, and Outback. I did eat at a Mexican place last night and after a bit of trouble over a sauce on my fish managed to get a 100% plain piece of fish with mushrooms and guacamole. They may have spit in it due to my being a troublemaker but I'd rather have that than gluten! lol!

I think one reason that people like to think that stuff like this only exists in our mind because to admit that it's real would be admitting it could happen to them. My friends and family act like their whole world would be over without gluten. It's really ridiculous to give food that much power over your life but they do it. Just ignore them. You know the truth. Give them graphic details about what happens when you eat gluten if that is what it takes. Also point out that if your job was the cause of your issues then removing a food from your diet wouldn't make any difference at all assuming you still work the same job!

I have gastritis and it makes my stomach burn. It has mostly gone away since I stopped eating gluten but will come back if I get CC.

I go to Starbucks once a week and I've never had any issues.

I was drinking coffee daily and kept having reactions...stomach issues, rashes, metallic taste in my mouth, weird numbness in my gums...I was sure it was gluten and changed brands over and over and it kept happening. Went to allergy doc and I'm actually mildly allergic to coffee itself! If I drink it once or twice a week I'm fine but if I start drinking it daily the reactions get worse and worse.

To be accurate the scope needs to be done while you are still ingesting gluten. How long were you on the gluten free diet?

Chebe is so heavenly! I made the cheesy little rolls for Thanksgiving dinner and they got wiped out in no time! Their pizza crust is amazing too. I bake it in a 12 inch cast iron skillet and it's perfect!

I would say if you don't have a reaction then I wouldn't worry too much. I am mildly allergic to several things: tomatoes, onions, canteloupe, rye, and chocolate (horror!!!). Of these items I sometimes get a rash with tomatoes and onions. I don't notice any reaction with chocolate and I don't eat canteloupe or rye to know.

I'm moderately allergic to coffee...which I love. I can drink it every two days or so with no ill effect. If I start drinking it daily I will get numbness in my gums, a weird metallic taste in my mouth, and rashes.

I'm in WV which in my opinion is terribly gluten free unfriendly. We have no Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Seeing as how these tend to be in more affluent areas I don't see WV ever getting either store. As for restaurants we only have chains like Outback and Chili's. These are hit or miss as to safety. People in this area do not understand what gluten is or why people would want to avoid it.

I will say that Krogers has a decent gluten free section that appears to be growing (fingers crossed!!!). Other stores don't stock much at all. About an hour away there is a small drugstore that actually just started carrying Udi's. It was like a miracle to me! lol!