NoWhammies

I tried the being celiac and being around flour thing for quite a while, because one of my passions is baking. My family loved all my gluten-y treats, and I felt terrible not being able to bake them for them any more. Unfortunately, I learned that I can't work with flour at all - my celiac disease is not under control when I am in the presence of airborne...

The thing with Hashimoto's is it often doesn't show up in the TSH, or it shows up as being high normal or even within normal limits. It really depends on what the thyroid is doing when they test. It took years for me to get my Hashimoto's diagnosed. I had to ask for a T3 test, which is where it ultimately showed up. Can you self refer to an endocrinologist...

I found that my gluten-free kitchen became much easier to maintain once my son went away to college. My stepson still comes down a few weekends a month, but we've segregated a counter, a cupboard, and a drawer (all in the same area) for gluten prep, foods, appliances, and utensils. When the kids are home, I cook gluten-free. It's the way hubby and I eat,...

Hi Megan: I have not had hair loss associated with the celiac and gluten, but I have had it associated with the Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Have you had your thyroid checked? As you probably know, there is an association between gluten/celiac and thyroid disease. When I was losing a lot of hair, I used Nioxin shampoo, which really seemed to help. I know...

Luckily I haven't needed to, but I did write a low-FODMAP cookbook, so I'm quite familiar with the system. If my symptoms hadn't cleared after I made sure there was no cross contamination, then low-FODMAP was next. I do think it's a good plan that works for a lot of people.

I'm sorry you're still struggling. Have you ever tried the low-FODMAP plan for IBS? The four-week elimination diet can help you determine if perhaps certain types of carbohydrates are causing some of your symptoms. It's pretty restrictive, but it's only four weeks. Also, do others in your home eat gluten/prepare foods with gluten? I wonder if you are dealing...

Sadly, I am nearly 50 and still haven't convinced my mom that cross contamination is an issue. However, I've also been allergic to milk since I was a kid (diagnosed), and she gave me dairy products anyway because she thought I needed the calcium. I'm pretty sure she thinks I need the wheat "because it's healthy." Fortunately, I don't live with my mom, so...

I did the same. I got rid of most of what I had (with a few exceptions), vacuumed out all the drawers, cupboards, and shelves, washed them, and then started over. I'm glad I did it that way - it made a huge difference very quickly, where I'd been limping along before in my shared kitchen. I suspect cross contamination was an issue for a long, long time at...

I've written cookbooks for both Paleo and FODMAP. While there are similarities, FODMAP is actually more restrictive than paleo in a lot of ways. However, the good thing about FODMAP is you do it for about four to six weeks as an elimination diet, and then you slowly begin reintroducing food groups again to see what you tolerate. Paleo is, of course, a lifestyle...

There isn't really any "usual" way of preparing them, so it is really hard to know. It depends on if they brine them and what they brine them in, what's in the barbecue or mop sauce, etc. Unless you know every ingredient in them, I'd probably skip it.

I love the Canyon Bakehouse 7-grain gluten-free bread. It is the only bread I've found that makes me feel like I'm eating bread.

I don't have much trouble staying away from gluten because the repercussions are so swift and unpleasant. For me, it's served as a form of conditioning. I'm sort of the opposite of Pavlov's dogs. They salivate when a bell rings. I feel sick when I think about eating gluten. I also have a casein allergy, and that one is a bit tougher for me because the repercussions...

I am not so good at this. I get such pressure and derision from others (particularly my mother and sisters) when I tell them I want to bring my own food. With others who aren't family, it's far easier, but my family dynamic makes this very difficult with all the eye rolling that goes on. Oh well - this year at the holidays I am going to stick to my guns,...