LauraTX

I just want to throw out there that I shop at Kroger occasionally, and went there today to get a few things, and noticed one or two products of theirs that used to be labeled gluten-free not labeled as such anymore.  So remember it is extra important to read ingredient lists.  Now I am very sad I don't have a source of that chicken meat seasoned for fajitas, it is great for parties.  Kroger does have some gluten-free shelf tags (a little brown box on the white tag) but half the gluten-free items don't have them.  Also, since Kroger stores can differ a lot from one to another, many things on the list aren't going to be in the store, unless you have one of those super krogers.

If you really want a comprehensive grocery list to start from (as a guide, then read ingredients to be doubly sure), I use the cecelias marketplace grocery shopping guide.  It is nice when you are at a different store and not sure which brands to start looking at, or are buying something that you don't normally buy.  You can find it at Open Original Shared Link    They will publish alerts on their website if something changes, but they don't always get everything as soon as it happens.  But that is the book I used when I first went gluten-free and it gave me a great starting place.

It is likely the steroids that would affect the test are going to be ones you take orally, such as prednisone or other oral corticosteroids.  Inhaled/sprayed corticosteroids like nasal sprays and breathing medicines are not going to have nearly as much effect on the body systemically.  Those can be used continually without the classic long term side effects of the orally taken drugs which are much higher dosage. I would not worry about discontinuing use of a nasal spray.

If someone has a condition where they have been on oral steroids such as prednisone, for a long time, then they would need to look into the possibility of a false negative on the blood tests.  Even in that case, because oral corticosteroids are not something you can abruptly discontinue, it is likely the test would still be done.  Then if it is borderline negative/negative, the possibility of a false negative can be looked in to.

Didn't have to write them, they have info on the website:

Open Original Shared Link

Click gluten information, weird web site format.

Anything with gluten will be listed.  They do clarify any malt is barley.

Interestingly, I saw a commercial for Klondike bars the other day and have been thinking about them since.  Also saw a commercial for a local ice cream and burger place that has chocolate lava cake sundaes.  Yay summer food advertising!  I will write klondike and ask them, now for my own curiosity.  But as Karen said, unilever is really good with their labeling and if there isn't an obvious gluten containing ingredient on it, I will eat it.

If you are new to shopping gluten-free, some of the grocery guides can be helpful for a starting point, but they are only a guide and you definitely need to read the label.  Also, I find that stores that put out a gluten-free product list tend to not keep it up very well, and it only has the most obvious of gluten-free items on it, or items that are sold at some stores but not all.

When I was diagnosed with lupus, an orthopedic surgeon had run a rheumatoid factor test before doing yet another surgery on a joint.  I brought the result to my family doctor and she said the rheumatoid factor test is out dated... but it can still be used as a tool.  I don't know what test is newer and better, but you may want to have more tests run.

Also, you are misreading your test result.  Unless you have made a typo, <10 means less than ten.  If it were greater than ten, it would appear as >10.  There is likely a minimum amount detectable by the test, which is ten, and you are less than that, but the test is unable to give the exact number.

If your family doctor is still unable to pinpoint anything, ask to be referred to a rheumatologist.  With celiac disease you already have a history of autoimmune problems and that should be able to get you in.

Hi Jeemb and welcome to the forum!  The people you quoted and replied to haven't been visited the forum for a few years, and their posts are from 2006.  Doesn't hurt to put out good info, though

Bobs red mill is pretty good with their gluten free stuff, but they do sell some gluten-free and non gluten-free versions of the same items, so it is possible to pick up the wrong one by accident.

Hi Aidan,

I understand that there is going to be a level of suck involved, but there are tactful ways around awkward interactions you can deploy.  First, get your solid diagnosis and with a little time you will become more comfortable with what to do dining on your own... then you can extend those skills to the dating world when it comes up.  Most girls are not going to object if you pull the romantic thing and offer to take care of dinner plans and surprise them... it can be at a gluten-free friendly restaurant, a home cooked meal and a movie at your place, or a nicely packed romantic picnic by you that happens to be gluten-free.

There is another recent discussion on this, check out this thread:

https://www.celiac.com/forums/topic/107966-how-to-approach-dating/#entry918695

Not all people with celiac disease get the breakthrough diarrhea and glutening symptoms.  Some people don't develop them until long after they heal, and others like me have no conclusive reaction, or mixed reactions.  

Because the entire diagnostic process wasn't completed, it may be something that can be re visited in the future to verify the diagnosis of Celiac disease is correct.  Of course, if you didn't want to put him through an endoscopy then, you may not want to do it with a gluten challenge now.  Maybe by the time he is in his twenties, there will be some more advances in medical science that will make diagnosis easier.

I think the headline doesn't properly encompass the scope of the findings.  But over generalized headlines are not uncommon.   From the last section of the article..... "ALV003 did provide significant protection against gluten-induced gut damage for people with celiac disease on an otherwise gluten-free diet"

I have tried those latortilla ones.  Big size and more pliable than the other gluten-free tortillas.  I like to buy them for big quesadillas. They would make great wraps, too.

Yay for warm weather being easy on my old lady joints!

Step 1: Become more comfortable with the whole celiac thing in general over a little bit of time

Step 2: Become an awesome home cook and develop a repetiore of stunning meals

Step 3: Ask a girl out and either prepare an awesome dinner at your place or bring a lovely picnic for the first few dates, doling out the romantic cheesy stuff like a blanket, wine glasses, and real silverware; she will be impressed.

Step 4: Once you know a girl is worth your time you can slowly ease her into the reality of your dining out options.  If she is a good catch, it won't be a big deal to her once she has gotten to know you.

Step 5:    #winning

I would definitely start with a good food processor.  If you want something that really does it all for batch prep of stuff, check out the kitchenaid stand mixer and all the attachments.  The downside is the base price plus a hefty price for each attachment.  With the right attachment you can make great applesauce and purees with the seeds and skin strained off.

A food mill is going to be big and bulky to use, but if you are doing big batches of stuff it works great and is less hassle, just takes a lot of storage space.  If you want to go for a more compact ricer, get one that has either adjustable hole sizes (Oxo has one) or one with multiple plates.  That way you don't have to buy another gadget, haha.  But basically, the food mill and a ricer will do the same thing, except a ricer can squeeze liquid out of things and a mill wouldn't be so good at it.  Since you are looking at tomato sauce and applesauce, I would say go for a food mill.

Earlier this year I bought this mandoline slicer that does fry shapes and julienne too, and it works great.  Easy to clean, stores compactly.

Open Original Shared Link

It is a nice balance of price and functionality.  It is sharp as heck so use the food guard to prevent sliced fingers

I also have lupus and celiac.  The tiredness and it being really easy to overdo it is a classic symptom of lupus.  Any time I need to get a lot of stuff done, I have to be extremely careful to not overdo myself.  I have been attempting to get into better physical shape and lose some weight, but I have to be very very careful about not overdoing physical activity.  Basically, I can't do a hard workout, and whatever light activity I do, as soon as I start feeling a little bit of burn, I have to stop.  If I don't, I am in bed ill for days.

The fight against lupus is all about increasing your good days and decreasing your bad days, but there will definitely be bad days.  Make sure you tell your rheumatologist about any seemingly minor changes in symptoms.  Also, the lupus meds take a long time to work, so you just gotta hang in there.  But the best thing you can do for yourself is know your limits, not just immediate limits, but how much you can do one day without being ill the next.  Remember that lupus is a disease that runs itself with inflammation, so it takes a bit for any lupus body freakouts (as I like to call them) to set in, and takes longer for them to fizzle out.

And of course, taking care of all your autoimmune problems at once helps a lot.  So controlling the celiac will help the lupus, and vice versa.

Can you give a little more detail about what happened?  Your first step should probably be to make an appointment with your primary care doctor to get their opinion first.

Reading through this with the guacamole and now you mentioning bananas makes it sound very much like you may have some kind of allergy to that family.  Are you allergic to latex?  A lot of people with latex allergies can't have bananas, avocado, kiwis, and vice versa.  These fruits and some others contain similar compounds to each other, and also that of latex.  Latex allergies can be very delayed, in the health care field where I work, they really make a big deal of it, even disallowing latex balloons in the hospital where I worked.

Here is a good place to start reading on it:  Open Original Shared Link

There should be a scene where the mobster with Celiac gets kidnapped by his rivals and force fed bread for torture.  LOL

Good to hear there are finally some definitive answers.  You can now add "Official member of the Silly Yak Club 5-28-14" to your signature... lol

Welcome, Jayson.  Are you Celiac?  Anyways, if you find caffeine to be too short acting, another thing that can help with energy is a B vitamin complex.  Look for one that says "flush free" because when you first absorb niacin (one of the B vitamins) you can get jitters and skin flushes from it.

Oh, you can also get flax oil in loose form, I think I usually see it refrigerated.  But I find it easier to remember to take the capsules

I wouldn't take advice from that person any more.  You can get omega 3's from flaxseed oil, it is also readily available in capsules.

I don't think it would be appropriate to give a form letter to a dentist to give out to his patients.  If you'd like, you can provide him with printouts of info from reputable sources for him/her to read.  However, as a patient, it is fully your responsibility to listen to what your doctor tells you and take it in.  He mentioned the autoimmune disease link to you long ago, and you didn't go get it checked out.  The dentist mentioning it to you is a sign they know their stuff and care about their patients.  Maybe you can let him know it would help patients to continually mention it to them and press the issue, but your proposed letter is far too specific and overreaches some boundaries.  If someone isn't going to go get something potentially serious checked out with mild prodding, there isn't much that can be done about them not taking responsibility for their own health.

Snyder's gluten-free pretzels, popcorn, rice cakes, or pecan nut thins with peanut butter are some of my favorite late night snacks.