bridgetm

I do consider it very seriously, that's how I got to this site years ago. The wheat vs barley reactions puzzled me though based on what I read when I first experienced symptoms. But what you said about immune fluctuations and form/varieties/prep makes sense. I was planning to ask the doc to retest after being back on wheat/gluten but my insurance changed so I'm going clean and eliminating gluten again, but without being strict about cross-contamination like I was the first time around. Hopefully it will be the same improvement as the first time and I'll know what my boundaries are.

I expected a reply like this so I feel I should add: I do not take gluten intolerance or celiac disease lightly. It took two years to get a diagnosis for a myriad of gut symptoms, but that 'diagnosis' was more of a agreement to disagree on a cause and a decision to slowly add foods to my rice/chicken/applesauce diet until I regained a semblance of normal. Why play with it now? Years later, after unknowingly eating things I shouldn't have and then realizing I didn't react as expected, I wanted to see what I truly had to avoid and hoped that some of the past eliminations were desperate, unnecessary guesses. So here I am. I can eat a slice of white bread when I'm in the middle of nowhere with no Udi's in sight, but not a cookie that contains malted barley. Maybe some of my joint pain or chronic sinus inflammation would improve if I avoided that occasional slice of bread altogether, or maybe that pain is solely due to the injuries and the sinus inflammation is just a continuation of the respiratory problems I was born with. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Hi all. These forums were incredibly helpful 10 years ago when I was discovering a gluten intolerance. I tested negative for celiac, but had already cut gluten from my diet 2 months prior to testing so the docs agreed to call it intolerance, plus severe reflux and IBS. I ate strictly gluten free for about 8 years but began allowing small amounts by necessity (there were times I had no choice). When I tolerated small amounts I started experimenting with more. At this point I can handle bleached wheat flour (basic white bread when there are no other options), occasionally whole wheat, and I do best if I am eating a high amount of protein. It's a cumulative effect so if I have to "cheat" for a couple days I'll follow it with a week of clean eating. I definitely feel better eating completely gluten free and know I need to get back on that 100% but I still give in to convenience. My question is, I know there are people who are allergic to wheat but tolerate barley and rye, then the gluten intolerant who have to avoid all three. But what about tolerance to wheat with intolerance of barley and rye? What is the immune system reacting to? Barley and rye cause the same symptoms I originally had to all three (wheezing, headache, brain fog, abdominal pain/cramping, etc etc) and it only takes a small amount. Is the gluten protein more concentrated in those two?

Instant as in potato flakes? Some brands add milk. Ask the person who made them what kind it was? When buying instant potatoes yourself, compare brands and take the one with the fewest ingredients. Some contain just potatoes and a few preservatives while others add flavoring or ingredients to make them "light and fluffy." However, CC is a likely possibility whenever you eat something made by someone else, whether the pot is used for other things, like Jestgar suggested, or the cook had gluten-y foods going at the same time and dropped some flour or dipped the wrong spoon by accident.

I wasn't able to contact Udi's until today, but I agree about their unmatched customer service -- I received an email from customer service within an hour. Dear Bridget, Thank you so much for your interest and support in Udi

Thank you for all your replies! This loaf is going in the garbage. It's always past its peak within a week anyway; if there's any left after that I usually nuke it for a bit to soften it up and then use it for french toast or something that covers the staleness. Rosetapper: Good suggestion. I'm going to call the company this morning. I love their products and this is the first time I've had any problems.

I don't usually have a reason to check the expiration dates on my gluten-free bread because I never have it long enough to worry. But I've been cutting back and I have a 2-week old loaf of Udi's that's moved between the fridge and freezer a couple times. It doesn't smell quite right, but neither does my freezer, and there are some white spots on it, but I can't tell if they're mold or just the spots of flour that get more noticable when the bread is frozen. The trouble is... There's no expiration date stammped on the bag or the clip! I don't know if this loaf was just skipped over or if this is standard now on the new packaging. So I have two questions: 1) Has anyone else noticed a lack of expiration dates? and 2) How long is a gluten-free loaf safe to eat when stored in the fridge or freezer? I'm going to go out and buy a fresh loaf in any case, but I never really thought about the expiration date.

This is the first I've heard of any black coffee containing gluten, but some instant flavored coffees do contain wheat, for example some flavors in the Maxwell House International tins. Whenever I buy anything flavored, I just make sure to read the label like I do with any other food.

Anything that processed shouldn't be marketed as 'edible.' With that said, I had a problem with the fries last year. I didn't have the full-on glutening symptoms - just a nasty stomach ache and I couldn't even think about food for a day or two after - but it was enough that I haven't ordered fries at any restaurant since.

Side note: I just checked with the Liffey, an Irish pub in St. Paul across from the X. They have a full gluten-free menu including Bard's beer.

I have tickets to see a Wild game with my family next month and am wondering if anyone knows of gluten-free food or beer offered there? I know Target Field and the Twins take good care of us, but I can't find anything about the X. We taking the shuttle from the Liffey though and I just read that they have a gluten-free flourless chocolate cake so at least I have that to look forward to alongwith a big ginger before the game.

I really don't understand why people can't look at it like other serious allergies. Peanuts get a lot of attention; everyone instantly puts away anything containing peanuts with little or no complaint when asked to by someone with a serious allergy. Peanut, animal, medication-allergies rarely get the eye roll, so why gluten?

One of my roommates has celiac in her family and is likely celiac herself, but she gives me the most trouble of any of my friends. She talks about going gluten-free like you would about not drinking soda or avoiding sweets. Every time I pass up a treat offered by someone who forgets I can't eat it, this roomie says something like, "What, are you scared? It's just a little." For her if the majority of the ingredients are gluten-free ("Barley's only one of the 20 ingredients") then I'm just being picky. I didn't find out until just last month that the celiacs in her family are the type who think the pain and illness is "worth a bite or two".

I'll look into those. I just always liked being able to keep a bottle in the fridge on stand-by. But I guess I could handle scooping and shaking on occasion Thanks for your reply

I like the New Grist. If you were a fan of Leinie's before pre-gluten-free, this is probably as close as you'll come to a similar product. I used to buy Red Bridge because it was the cheapest on the shelves of the stores in my hometown, but then they bumped up the price about $1 and dropped New Grist by about the same... Haven't bought Red Bridge since.