eleep

Ohhhh -- now that I think about it, I've got this great walnut-kidney bean salad recipe (it's called Lobio) from the Moosewood Daily Special Cookbook -- I could eat that stuff over and over again for days.

I'm going to post that recipe at some point, but I really should be grading student papers if I'm ever going to get out of town in time.

Great ideas folks, keep 'em coming!

Okay -- next weekend I drive 18 hours up to Albany to see my folks and I'd rather not take any cross-contamination risks at restaurants because they're squeamish enough already about glutening me while I'm home. I'd like to do this as cautiously as possible because the prize will be my first opportunity to go on a solo backpacking trip at the end of my visit and I cannot do that if I've been sick -- too risky in the woods.

So -- what do I eat on the road? I generally stop over in a motel somewhere on the way, so the trip usually involves 4-5 meals depending on how bad traffic is around the DC area. I've got a cooler.

I also really had to let all my cooking aspirations go to hell for a while when I was just trying to recover, heal and reduce the stress of the whole situation. I didn't much like eating or food for several months (a total reversal of my usual attitude) and so I basically just treated it as functionally as possible. So, while I was upset about lack of variety as well, I had to get to a less-stressed and wiped-out place before I could do anything about it.

At that point, I was eating a lot of gluten-free bars -- Bumble Bars, Larabars and Clif Nectar bars -- between meals just to get me through. They do come in many flavors, so I can't say that I ever got sick of them.

Also -- on top of my mulitivitamin, I added sublingual B complex -- which really helps me with the stress.

eleep

Take it slow, maybe add one new thing at a time -- this may seem like a lot to learn, but it gets easier.

I suggest getting a copy of The Joy of Cooking if you don't have one already. If you're going to be eating meats for protein, it has a lot of really good suggestions for cooking meat fish and poultry in very basic ways that can be jazzed up with various suggestions in the book -- I've had to learn to cook meat in totally new ways recently myself.

Boneless pork chops are an excellent idea -- I use the sauteed pork chop recipe in the Joy of Cooking -- takes very little time and I generally throw some wine in the pan after the chop is done and cook it down a little with a pat of butter to make a really excellent sauce that goes well over the chop and some potatoes.

Also, don't know where you live, but it might be a good idea to get a small gas grill if you don't already have one -- that's a really easy way to cook meat (almost anything, frankly) that's always tasty and good. I've been doing a lot of salmon on the grill.

My ex-boyfriend was an excellent cook and also very organized about his kitchen. He taught me to buy meat/fish/etc.... in larger portions, take it out of the package and saran-wrap in individual portions (I've got a restaurant-supply-store roll of the stuff -- it's of better quality) and freeze those in freezer bags. This makes it very easy to pull something out in the morning to defrost and have it there to cook when you come home -- or, if your microwave has a defrost function, you could use that as well.

eleep

I have a question -- besides what to eat, how much/how often would you need to eat for such a thing? I get awfully peckish after just an hour of mountain biking.

eleep

Sure! I might as well type it all in right now since I think I just got glutened a few hours ago after my roommate accidentally used my jar of mayonnaise (right -- should have put my initials on it). I'm sitting here feeling like a bit of a wreck, so please excuse my parenthetical wiseass comments.....

This is from Martha Rose Schulman's "Fast Vegetarian Feasts"

(gosh, I remember when I was a vegetarian -- what a luxury!)

Warm Potato Salad with Caraway (I don't always use the caraway):

Dressing:

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 Tbl wine vinegar

1-2 tsp Dijon-style mustard or more to taste (I use more -- cannot say exactly how much)

2 cloves of garlic minced (I use about 5)

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

Salad:

2 lb potatoes (I use red)

1/4 cup dry white wine (I just glug a bunch in there -- it all seems to get absorbed anyway )

1/2 to 1 tsp caraway seeds, to taste

4-6 green onions, minced (both white and green part -- this is what the recipe says)

2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley

Steam the potatoes for 10-20 minutes until crisp-tender.

Mix together the dressing ingredients except the oil. Whisk in the oil and blend well.

When the potatoes are done, rinse with cold water, hold with a towel or mitt and slice 1/2 inch (or so) thick. If the potatoes are large, cut them in half lengthwise and then slice. Toss the potatoes with the wine, caraway seeds and green onions then with the dressing. Sprinkle the parsley over the top and serve -- or chill and serve.

Now that I actually look at the recipe, I realize it's legitimately a hot or cold recipe -- however, it is really something that gets stupendously good after a day or two -- if it lasts that long.

eleep

It's taken me a great deal of effort and patience to get my family and loved ones to understand how sick I get -- I've been struggling with the disbelief factor as well. One thing that has helped (I think) is for me to invite them to this forum and sometimes to send them clippings from the board.

What has been to my advantage (although it's also been the biggest relationship-destroyer of my life) is that there was clearly something going wrong with me -- I was anxious, I was stressed beyond belief, I had trouble being a nice person, I was fatigued a lot, I was very dependant. Those who were closest to me saw this at least a little bit -- a lot of other friends hadn't because they only saw me when I was feeling well. Since I've broken up with my partner (which happened just as I started to go gluten-free), they've assumed that the occasional panic attacks I seem to be having (and general stressiness for a few months) have been related to him, which is simply not the case -- I have been stressed about the breakup, but it's nothing compared to a reaction.

I'm finding that it takes time for people to believe -- and sometimes persistant, gentle re-direction. After about five months of this, many people are seeing how much better I feel these days and I'm getting a lot of comments about how much better I even sound on the phone.

eleep

I definitely went through this and I know how horrible you must be feeling -- I was going through a breakup and the initial "detox effect" at the same time and for a few weeks I could barely drag myself to the kitchen and make the same breakfast I've had no problem making for seven years -- the hunger and the stress and the emotional yuckiness really all kind of piled up and I felt awful -- it did get a whole lot better, but it took some rough moments.

Aside from learning new recipes and such, I found that it helped me to stock up on some things that I could just have with almost no effort -- I've got cans of tuna, jerky and different kinds of nuts in the house to provide fast protein because that's what will help you keep your blood sugar stable. I ate a lot of peanut butter and a lot of hummus once I'd broken down and bought some gluten-free bread (couldn't go without bread as easily as I thought I could at first, however, corn tortillas are good as well). I also resorted to Boost+ for a while when my weight got really low.

I don't know how much cooking you do, but here are some easy things I fall back on for more protein:

Tuna salad can be made with tuna, mayonnaise and lemon juice -- throw some walnuts, avocado and salt and pepper in there and you've got something pretty tasty to eat over rice or bread or anything else.

Plain, canned black beans can be heated up with a little oil in a skillet and mashed with garlic and perhaps cumin (use McCormick or another brand that's sure to be gluten-free) to make refried beans.

I've rediscovered hamburgers -- bought 20% ground chuck at the market and I basically just form the burger around a pat of butter (this is from an old NYTimes recipe) with salt and pepper and cook it on medium high heat each side for 4-5 minutes or so. This is exciting and new for me as I'd virtually given up red meat until I went gluten-free. I slather the burger with horseradish, mustard and anything else I can think of and have it on the side with some rice or quinoa or potatoes or something.

I ate an avocado-cashew salad a day for about a week until I got scared about developing another intolerance (I haven't). I basically cut up a whole avocado, throw in some cashews, salt, pepper good olive oil and good red wine vinegar.

This stuff is just off the top of my head -- hope something in here is useful. After several months, I've actually gotten myself back into courageous cooking mode and I'm making a lot more soups and stews and things, but it was important to get over the hump!

eleep

My favorite potato salad recipe calls for steaming the potatoes and then slicing them, skins on, while still hot -- I use a potholder or towel to hold them while I cut (it does get a bit messy, but the outcome is worth it). Then I toss them in a little bit of white wine and pour on a garlicky dijon mustard vinaigrette (homemade) and some fresh herbs. By this time, the hotness of the potatoes has made all that winy, garlicky, mustardy, olive-oily goodness smell reallly amazing and I generally have a little bowl of the hot salad and try not to touch the rest until it's cooled down in the fridge overnight. It really is even better the longer it sits, but I have trouble cooking food and not wanting to taste it, smell it and luxuriate in it as I'm doing so.

Um -- I like german potato salad a whole lot as well.

Well -- I must be healing if I'm back to feeling so passionate about food!

eleep

The other possibility might be that the steak was cooked on a grill that hadn't been cleaned. Most of the issues I've had eating out seem to have come from that kind of cross-contamination problem -- I was skeptical about being that sensitive at first and wasn't careful about mentioning the cross-contamination issues to the server, but two rather traumatic glutenings finally got me to wake up and smell the coffee.

eleep

Champagne makes me dizzy, but I tend to overdo it when it's decent stuff. Decent reds don't give me a headache.

eleep

I really like the Breads by Anna (or Manna from Anna) breadmix.

I'm right with you on that one -- I love nothing more than cheese, but, for me, the symptoms aren't worth it right now.

Enterolab tests for casein intolerance -- I imagine there are a number of other labs that do as well. Casein intolerance would indicate that you should eliminate dairy for good. I tested negative, but have found that, since about a month into the diet, I'm incredibly sensitive to dairy as well -- which seems to be the same lactose intolerance that may or may not go away as I heal. I was using Lactaid for a while while I ate dairy, but it began to feel like spinning a roulette wheel because I couldn't seem to control whether I was taking enough or not to digest the lactose, so I've cut dairy out completely for the time being.

eleep

I've got a big ugly bruise on my wrist from accidentally banging it into the doorknob -- something I think I do just about everyday, but I've never bruised before. I know that this could indicate a Vitamin K deficiency, but, if I'm supposed to be healing, I should be absorbing my vitamins better, no? My multi does contain vitamin K -- what's the deal?

eleep

I'm still figuring this one out, but I have been assembling a kit to help me deal with glutenings. There are a bunch of other postings on this -- and at least one current one on what to eat.

I find that Immodium helps me quite a bit as does eating comfort food and drinking lots of water. If I'm feeling remotely able to do so, it also helps me to take a walk -- I have to be careful about not continuing my normal workout schedule (I'm training for a solo hike and get really frustrated when I can't keep up with my plans) because it's too strenuous, but I do find that some kind of exercise does seem to help clear things out of my system faster.

I've recently added activated charcoal and an emergency bottle of Ativan to my kit -- haven't tried them yet. The charcoal is supposed to absorb toxins, so it's something good for dealing with glutening immediately -- it also absorbs just about everything else, including nutrients that your body really needs (especially when sick), so I'm expecting that the timing of the charcoal will have to be kind of careful. The Ativan is for the insomnia and anxiety -- I don't know whether it'll do what I need it to yet or not. I also take a daily sublingual B complex which I amp up when I've been glutened -- it helps with the overall stressiness.

eleep

Ah-hah -- It never occured to me that I could register for a disability -- I've got Enterolab results, perhaps I could use those.

In September, I'm going to be applying for a university-based dissertation fellowship and I'm a little concerned my application may be disregarded before they even read about my project because I've been working on this degree for so dang long with a bunch of health-related interruptions. I was planning to write a letter of explanation with my lab results, but actually being registered might also be a good idea.

eleep

I can only offer up my sympathy and experience here -- know that you are not alone!

Sublingual vitamin B complex and really good gluten-free multivitamins help me quite a bit as does regular exercise and sunshine -- even if I just go for a short walk in the dang Florida heat, I feel quite a bit better, I sleep better and my moods are significantly better. Yoga and meditation are especially good.

I don't know what kind of meds you're on, but I am finding that St. John's Wort helps me quite a bit and I actually just added a bottle of Ativan (temporary anti-anxiety med) to my glutening kit because it's the insomnia, stress and run-downness of getting glutened that sometimes threatens to throw me into a downward spiral.

Above all else, in my darker moments it has helped me to know that this is a temporary thing -- that it's bodily and that I'm not going nuts -- that I don't have to feel this way forever.

I've also noticed an improvement, but not a total fix. I definitely don't get the same absolutely insane, about-to-pass-out feeling, but I still can get kind of cranky at times. I've grown so attuned in a few short months to thinking of things in terms of food first, however, that I'm much more prepared most of the time with snacks and such at hand.

Did end up at a BBQ earlier this summer where potato salad was the only thing I could eat -- somehow I managed to be quite social and happy through the whole event, but when I got home I absolutely had to put together another dinner, essentially -- even though it was quite late at night. I know I wouldn't have made it through that kind of situation beforehand in any state of reasonableness.

eleep

ech.

Not that cheating is an issue for me....

Now, a few months ago I called Olay and asked about their SPF 15 and 30 moisturizing lotions (sensitive skin) and was told they were gluten free. Is this not the case?

So sorry to hear that you're still feeling bad!

The charcoal capsules will absorb nutrients as well as toxins, so be aware that you may need extra supplementation after you've used them.

I also thought I had mostly "silent" symptoms and expected to get better after a few weeks, but I've found that the damage to my body was far greater than I'd realized -- the "relapse" experience is very common (I think). I've needed to pull back on my weight-gain goals a bit and watch what my body is doing.

Since I've gone gluten-free, I've also had about three accidental glutenings and several more reactions to dairy (was being stubborn about that for a while) which resulted in more weight loss, so I've really had to cultivate a lot more patience with the whole situation. The reactions to dairy, in particular, involved a great deal of nausea -- I never thought I was lactose intolerant before, but I am clearly so right now -- I didn't test positive for casein intolerance.

For the time being, I've given up on dairy -- except for butter and occasional yogurt, buttermilk and lactose-free milk in my coffee. I'm looking forward to trying it out again in 4 months or so because I really do appreciate a good cheese, but this has inspired me to cultivate an appreciation for many more kinds of food as well.

Avocados are another good thing to add to a weight-gain-oriented diet -- especially if you need something to rotate out with the nuts. I've also been eating quite a bit more tuna and salmon and have re-introduced myself to the occasional really good piece of red meat or homemade hamburger, although I don't want to rely too much on that for weight gain.

eleep.

It may be the reason my cousin has been having some significant heart valve issues when she's only in her thirties and in really good shape, otherwise. That's really about all I know as well.

I clench my jaw when I'm glutened -- TMJ and nighttime teeth grinding seem to be celiac glutening symptoms.