Gluten Intolerance

[snu]

Hello again everyone!

So yesterday I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance, and told to switch to a gluten free diet. I went to the store last night and picked out a few things, but I am feeling pretty nervous about all of this!

Does anyone else have a similar diagnosis, or any experience eating gluten free?

[amisteratwisterandme]

My niece is gluten intolerant. It sucks, but there are ways around it.

Stay away from things with wheat: Breads, chips, things like that. I know with her, she can still eat tortillas, I think keeping a journal of what you eat and what bothers you is the way to go.

There are also gluten free cake, bread and brownie mixes out there.

Good luck!

[FFC]

My dad was gluten intolerant when I was growing up - he didn't have any breads or processed foods with gluten in them for years, AND he was vegan/vegetarian. He managed pretty well though. He made a lot of soups and casseroles that made good leftovers. Tofu was a big favorite, as was split pea soup, and haystacks (similar to a taco salad w/o meat).

[starsthrumysoul]

My brother in law's girlfriend of 5 mos has celiac's disease (i'm not sure if it's the same as intolerance), but she eats a gluten-free diet. The stores are carrying a lot more items these days, as it's a pretty common disorder. A lot of restaurants also have gluten-free menus (Outback is one).

It's been 3 years for her, and she said she had a really hard time with it at first. You have to give up a lot. She also has to be extremely careful about contamination (e.g., wooden spoons that have been used for something with gluten can NEVER again be used to make her food, even after they've been washed... And my brother in law has to brush his teeth after every meal, otherwise she could get it when she kisses him).

She's in a good place with it now, though. She just has to be careful.

[snu]

It's nice to hear the success stories! I know I can do this, but it seems pretty daunting right now!

It's definitely going to be an adjustment (I love bread and pasta!). I did find some good recipes, and I know I can get gluten-free noodles. I will also check tortillas!

So far the doctor hasn't mentioned separate pots and pans. I'll have to ask about that at my next appointment.

[gwenshack]

My grandfather has celiacs and has been living gluten-free for probably 15 years now. I think it was hard for him at first - but now it's really no big deal. They've made SO MANY new and improved gluten-free products over the past few years that there seems to be a replacement for nearly everything - pasta, bread, crackers - there's even gluten-free beer now!

Good luck - I know it's a tough adjustment. But there is a lot of good info out there now. :)

[WBandMe]

My friend is a celiac and has been eating gluten free for almost two years now. It was difficult for her at first because there are just SO many things that contain gluten that you'd never expect.. like, soy sauce, or the stuff they inject into the meat at the store to keep it fresh. You'll need to do some research to find out what things contain gluten.

A lot of packages will list if they're GF, and at least where I live, the big box grocery stores have pretty large organic/GF sections. We have a GF bakery near us too... you could see if you have anything like that. Oh, and Starbucks' valencia orange cake is GF and delicious.

For my friend, it was pretty difficult learning what has gluten, finding ways around it, and she struggled a few times with finding restaurants where she could eat and stuff like that... but now, it's second nature to her. She doesn't need to think real hard about what she eats--she just knows what she can and can't have. You'll get there :)