jmengert

Soy lecithin is fine, from a gluten free standpoint. However, quite a few people with Celiac disease are intolerant to soy, so that might be where the avoidance issue came from.

Krispy Kreme donuts and Pizza Hut pizza. No matter what I do, I just can't get my pizza to turn out that good--you know, the greasy, gooey kind. Sigh.

Oh, but about chicken nuggets, I eat Ian's all the time. In the last 6 months or so, they changed their recipe, and I think they're really good (well, as good as microwaved chicken nuggets go). I get them at Whole Foods or my local Food Lion.

I've recently gone dairy free, and I'm also soy free, so I'm turning to rice milk for a milk substitute. Has anyone tried Whole Food's 365 Brand Vanilla Rice Milk? Is it any good?

Thanks for any input!

I'm also soy free and gluten-free, and Neutrogena has a bunch of moisturizers that are both. I'm currently using their 3 step acne control product, so I'm using the moisturizer that comes with that, which I really like, but you can't buy it separately--only comes with all three products. Neutrogena will email you a list of gluten-free products, but I've found that they label clearly, so just go read some, and you'll find several.

Tuna tacos (tuna salad in a corn tortilla)

Fresh fish tacos (any fish you like with some cilantro, sour cream, cheese in it)

PB & J tortillas

Chicken and cheese quesadillas

I'm not a teenager, so I hope it's okay to post here, but I'm a teacher, so I have to pack my lunch, too. When I don't have access to a fridge and it's lunchtime, I use freeze packs to put in my lunch (the blue ones you can buy at Walmart, Target, etc.). I bought an insulated lunch bag, and putting any cold salad (egg salad, tuna salad, potato salad), sandwich, cheese, etc. stays fine for several hours, so that's something to think about if you can't get access to a fridge.

I live in Blacksburg, VA and teach at Virginia Tech, so I go to Roanoke occasionally. In Roanoke, Nature's Outlet has a nice supply of gluten-free foods, as does the Co-op across from the Grandin Theatre (though I prefer Nature's Outlet). I've heard the Outback in Roanoke is pretty good with handling gluten-free food. However, I was severely glutened at the one in Christiansburg, so just be careful if you go to that one. There is a support group that meets on Tuesdays (I believe the third Tuesdays in a month) at the Montgomery Regional Hospital in Christiansburg, but I haven't been to a meeting. Sorry I don't have more info about eating out--I don't eat out at all since I was glutened at the Outback here, so I just go to health food stores and buy what I need and cook myself.

I used to be on it for a few years, actually. I was diagnosed with IBS 6 years ago, which, to this day, I think was undiagnosed Celiac. But, Levbid is supposed to slow down your GI tract and help with abdominal cramping and spasms. It worked quite well for me for awhile, and then it quit working, which again I just figured was the Celiac finally coming out with a vengence. Just check that it's gluten-free--I think it is, but I took it pre-diagnosis, so I'm not sure.

I saw the post on Namaste's good pizza crust, so I went to their site and checked out their stuff. I'm also dairy and soy free, so I think I'm going to order some stuff.

They have a "say cheez pasta blend" that is dairy free. Has anyone tried it, and if so, is it any good? Oh, boy, do I miss mac and cheese, and I'm willing to try anything!

As others have said, even though I don't eat out, I will go out to eat with my boyfriend and friends. I either eat beforehand or bring food with me. I don't think anything of it anymore.

When I travel (which I've done without ever eating out--Las Vegas, Boston, the beach, etc.), I get a room with a fridge and a microwave, and I eat about the same things I eat at home. I just prebake stuff and pack it in a suitcase, and off I go! This is coming from a girl who ate out 4-5 times a week, so I've had to retrain myself a lot, but it's doable, and to me, eating out isn't worth the risk at this point in my life. But, I understand it's completely a personal decision.

I'm a spice wimp, but I love Thai food. Before diagnosis, I used to eat Pad Thai all the time. It's not spicy at all. However, some of the milder curries that people have recommended to me over the years have me with tears running down my face--my body just doesn't like spices! (Drunken noodles is one dish that had me doing this--I would stay away from this one!) But, Pad Thai is a good place to start--tame, yet very yummy!

I have not eaten out in a year and a half. I got very sick from a place that had a gluten-free menu, spoke with the staff, was very clear, and I still got sick (and I'm down for about 2 weeks when I'm glutened; I'm a teacher, so I just can't afford to be that ill). I decided that day that it's just not worth it. It's just food; I can cook myself just fine, and in fact, I've learned how to be a pretty good cook through having this illness. It just takes a lot more planning than it used to. I've even gone on vacation across the country, on airplanes, etc., all without eating out. It can be done, and until I find an exclusively gluten-free restaurant, I'm not going to eat out. You're not alone!

I'm the only one gluten-free in my house, so here's what I do:

I keep my food in a separate cabinet in the kitchen.

I keep my pots/pans/utensils in a separate cabinet.

I keep separate condiments--mayo, mustard, jelly, etc.--anything that touches bread, basically.

My boyfriend has to keep his "scary" foods (i.e. foods with crumbs--cookies, breads, etc.) on a separate table that I never go near.

I cover all my foods in the microwave with a plastic plate or paper towel.

That's all I can think of for now. I've been doing this for 2 years, and so far, not a problem. My boyfriend was a bit clueless for awhile (he never used my food or pots), but he was known to leave crumbs on the counter for a bit, but it's been awhile since that has happened. I also wash my hands a lot when cooking, since I know gluten is in my kitchen. I feel that as long as you are viligant, it can be done.

Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!

I use Annie's Caesar and Ranch dressings all the time, and I've never had a problem. I also use their mustards without a problem.

Enjoy!

Yep, they will clearly use the words "wheat," "oats," "barley," or "rye." I use Dove all the time, and it's made by them and not too girl-y--you may like it.

Oh, gosh, I can't remember the exact name, but I think it's the Big Tease Mascara. It clearly had wheat listed in the ingredients (twice, I believe). That's the only make-up product of theirs I've seen with wheat, but now I check their labels much more carefully, and frankly, I recently ordered make-up from NARS since they have no products whatsoever with gluten. I'm just a wee bit mistrustful of Bare Escentuals now.

The two I know of are Bare Escentuals (but beware: only the regular mascara is gluten-free) and Nars Cosmetics. Actually, all Nars products are gluten-free, including their facial care line. I just ordered some stuff from them. You can find both these lines at Sephora stores (or Sephora.com) or Nars has a direct site you can shop from (beware, though, that it is pricey, but I think it's worth it to guarentee gluten-free)--their site is narscosmetics.com.

Good luck!

I eat bananas, rice, and applesauce when I'm glutened (or just having tummy problems in general). It takes me several days for my symptoms to get better and about 2 weeks to be back to "normal." But, this differs from person to person.

Some people also suggest taking Immodium to help with the big D and other problems. I also eat peppermint to help with the nausea; other people recommend peppermint tea (I'm not a fan, personally, of the tea).

I hope you feel better soon!

I've recently seen the commercials for the Sunsilk line of shampoos/conditioners, and since I have very frizzy hair in the summer, I wanted to try that particular one. So I emailed them, and here was part of their response:

In labeling our products, our company follows the guidelines

established by the International Nomenclature for Cosmetics Ingredients

(INCI)process. Therefore, if we use an ingredient derived from a grain

such as wheat, oat, rye and / or barley, those names will appear on the

label.

I really prefer companies who clearly label to those with a list--lists make me nervous since they can expire. So, it looks like if it reads safe, it is safe, so here's another shampoo option--they have some for curly, straight, frizzy, etc. hair, so I'm going to try it. Hopefully it's good stuff!

I've been having a horrible time with my eyes and allergies lately, so I'm wondering if anyone knows if Visine AC (the one for allergies) is gluten free. Thanks if anyone knows!

I'm afraid I only have negative things to say about the shot. I was on my period for six months after getting the shot once; therefore, I became anemic and had problems related to that. The same thing happened to my friend. I also became depressed, which the pill never did to me. Some women love the shot, but I was one of the ones with side effects, so I just make sure to caution people now that some people have their period continuously while on this (in theory, you're supposed to stop having a period, but my doctor told me it could take a year)--my doctor never told me about the continual menstruation until *after* the fact. Just wanted to warn you, just in case--good luck with whatever you decide!

Well, I'm ultra-paranoid, so if I plan on eating something with my hands for lunch (chips, sandwich, etc.), I wash my hands with soap I leave in my office. Otherwise, I just wash up with the office soap if I'm not eating with my hands, and I've never had a problem.

Great! Thanks--I've been craving some!

I've recently gone off dairy to see if it helps clear up some of the problems I've still been having. I have a recipe for banana bread that calls for 4 tablespoons of butter. Since that's not a huge amount, could I just substitute olive or canola oil for that? I'm also soy free, so shortening wouldn't work, which is also what I thought of.

Any thoughts on if this would work okay? Thanks!

Hi, Bernadette--I eat Green Mountain Gringo tortilla chips all the time with no problem. They say "gluten free" on the bag, even. I've also heard that Mission chips are fine, but I haven't tried them. However, I do eat their corn tortillas all the time without any problem. Mission is a good company regarding cross contamination, and they supposedly have a separate facility or room for their corn products.