Gluten free????

[vesta111]

Weaving about the WEB looking for people with nerve damage I kept running into people that have nuropathy and Celiacs.

There are so many that I wonder if these 2 diseases go hand and hand.

Tracking down local stores that sell Gluten free foods is not hard but the price for theses foods is unbelievable.

Unlike a diabetic that can test their sugar this allergy cannot be monitored.

I am going to give this a try, not all at once but bit by bit---is there anyone out there that must eat gluten free.?

[RightCoast]

Weaving about the WEB looking for people with nerve damage I kept running into people that have nuropathy and Celiacs.

There are so many that I wonder if these 2 diseases go hand and hand.

Tracking down local stores that sell Gluten free foods is not hard but the price for theses foods is unbelievable.

Unlike a diabetic that can test their sugar this allergy cannot be monitored.

I am going to give this a try, not all at once but bit by bit---is there anyone out there that must eat gluten free.?

My wife is a waitress at a local casual/fine eye-talian place. She's mentioned the number of people coming in asking about gluten free is increasing (though still very few) ~ although in her opinion the number of people that are absolutely rabid about it is still very very small.  For the record, according to her, a good restaurant can make just about anything on the menu gluten free.

[debk]

Gluten is in wheat and grains...flour type stuff.

Some people have problems with the digestion of it, particularly when it hits the intestinal tract.

I don't think it's a "new" thing, it seems to be more of discovering what causes the intestinal tract "issues", some of which can be pretty serious.

[MrsSmith]

I have a brother that must eat Gluten-free foods.  It is incredibly difficult to go completely gluten-free.  Even things like chicken stock and bouillon may have gluten in them.  (MSG)

When we have a family dinner, my sister-in-law goes over everything to make sure it's safe.  It frequently happens that we've picked up things that are not...so we've had big Thanksgiving dinners where my brother can't eat the rice, the gravy, the veggies...he often ends up eating meat and raw vegetable sticks wrapped in lettuce, like a taco.

We have discovered that we can make things like "pudding-type" pies if we are careful about the cornstarch we buy...no ingredient except corn starch...and make both the shell and a top from meringue.

When my brother slips up somehow, he usually knows within a couple days.  He'll get patches on his skin that start like a rash, but get worse and worse until they are open sores...then finally heal.  He also tends to get migraines.

To top it all off, the doctors prescribed a medication for this condition that keeps the symptoms reduced when something gets missed, but also causes damage to his body...so he is trading reduced pain for a shorter life...and knows it.

Believe me, for those that must live completely gluten-free, it's neither easy, or fun.

[thundley4]

That would really suck.  I've been lucky enough that almost nothing causes me intestinal problems other than the usual passing wind.  The only time I even get heartburn is from lack of sleep combined with not eating and drinking too much coffee at the same time.  That happens about every month or so from working overtime.

[vesta111]

I have a brother that must eat Gluten-free foods.  It is incredibly difficult to go completely gluten-free.  Even things like chicken stock and bouillon may have gluten in them.  (MSG)

When we have a family dinner, my sister-in-law goes over everything to make sure it's safe.  It frequently happens that we've picked up things that are not...so we've had big Thanksgiving dinners where my brother can't eat the rice, the gravy, the veggies...he often ends up eating meat and raw vegetable sticks wrapped in lettuce, like a taco.

We have discovered that we can make things like "pudding-type" pies if we are careful about the cornstarch we buy...no ingredient except corn starch...and make both the shell and a top from meringue.

When my brother slips up somehow, he usually knows within a couple days.  He'll get patches on his skin that start like a rash, but get worse and worse until they are open sores...then finally heal.  He also tends to get migraines.

To top it all off, the doctors prescribed a medication for this condition that keeps the symptoms reduced when something gets missed, but also causes damage to his body...so he is trading reduced pain for a shorter life...and knows it.

Believe me, for those that must live completely gluten-free, it's neither easy, or fun.

Much confusion on what is allowed or not.

Some sites say rice ,brown or white has no gluten, others say potatoes, yams and all other veges baring a few that I do not know why are off limites.

Corn starch and corn tocos are ok as are beans and all meat in the beef, hog or chicken group.

Beer is a no-no but vodka is fine.   Add into that some foods that say they are gluten free may in fact by the FDA rules allowes a very small amount in the product.

I find if I eat a sandwitch or big time gluten within 20 minutes give or take 10 minutes I fall asleep for 4-5 hours.

Milk products on some sites are ok, but darn guess I will have to experiment with my body.

[MrsSmith]

Much confusion on what is allowed or not.

Some sites say rice ,brown or white has no gluten, others say potatoes, yams and all other veges baring a few that I do not know why are off limites.

Corn starch and corn tocos are ok as are beans and all meat in the beef, hog or chicken group.

Beer is a no-no but vodka is fine.   Add into that some foods that say they are gluten free may in fact by the FDA rules allowes a very small amount in the product.

I find if I eat a sandwitch or big time gluten within 20 minutes give or take 10 minutes I fall asleep for 4-5 hours.

Milk products on some sites are ok, but darn guess I will have to experiment with my body.

Rice without additives is always gluten free.  Corn starch with no additives, beans with no additives, all PLAIN meats (but maybe not hot dogs, sausage, definitely not anything "breaded"), plain veggies with no additives...all are fine.  Read the labels on everything.  If it has any kind of wheat, or says "flour," it has gluten.  If it has MSG, it has gluten.

The catch is that anything that is PROCESSED in any way may have added gluten.  Plain milk shouldn't, but anything made from milk...ice cream, yogurt, cheeses...may have had some added.

If you do almost all your food shopping around the OUTSIDE of the food section, you'll be pretty safe.  You'll still have to read labels on anything already processed, like cheese and yogurt...but most things around the outside of the food section are basic foods...whole fruits and vegetables, plain meats, milk, eggs...

Simply, if it is NOW in the same form as when it came off the tree, out of the field, off the cow, out of the chicken...it's OK.  If anything besides washing, pasteurizing or packaging has happened....read the label.

If you do start reading labels, you will not believe what all kinds of things they stick wheat into.  Oh, and I found out along the way...gluten is added to almost all baked goods because it makes them rise better, so even breads that are supposedly made from some grain besides wheat will probably have gluten in them.

[vesta111]

Rice without additives is always gluten free.  Corn starch with no additives, beans with no additives, all PLAIN meats (but maybe not hot dogs, sausage, definitely not anything "breaded"), plain veggies with no additives...all are fine.  Read the labels on everything.  If it has any kind of wheat, or says "flour," it has gluten.  If it has MSG, it has gluten.

The catch is that anything that is PROCESSED in any way may have added gluten.  Plain milk shouldn't, but anything made from milk...ice cream, yogurt, cheeses...may have had some added.

If you do almost all your food shopping around the OUTSIDE of the food section, you'll be pretty safe.  You'll still have to read labels on anything already processed, like cheese and yogurt...but most things around the outside of the food section are basic foods...whole fruits and vegetables, plain meats, milk, eggs...

Simply, if it is NOW in the same form as when it came off the tree, out of the field, off the cow, out of the chicken...it's OK.  If anything besides washing, pasteurizing or packaging has happened....read the label.

If you do start reading labels, you will not believe what all kinds of things they stick wheat into.  Oh, and I found out along the way...gluten is added to almost all baked goods because it makes them rise better, so even breads that are supposedly made from some grain besides wheat will probably have gluten in them.

Mrs. Smith, would you believe a found a site that advises Catholics to tell the priest of their health problem, carry their own Gluten free cracker to Mass and at comunion hand the wafer to the priest and then have the priest give it back as the communion wafers have gluten .

[vesta111]

I forgot that I found YIPPIE a dinner that is said to be gluten free.

An 8-12 oz. rib eye, mashed potatoes with gravy made with corn starch and milk, corn on the cob.

[BlueStateSaint]

My brother's daughter needs to have a gluten-free diet.  They just found this out this year.  She's nine or ten now (escapes me), and she had a gluten-free birthday cake in addition to one that was glutened.  The gluten-free cake was at least as good as the one with glutens, and it was definitely denser (being a chocolate cake, this was a good thing!).  The gene apparently is recessive for the condition, and my sister-in-law is a carrier . . . but it got expressed anyway, even though my brother doesn't have it.  So, being the good big brother, I told him that this meant that he was obviously a mutant.    I told everyone that I would gladly do a Punnett Square to illustrate this.  (For some reason, no one took me up on that.)

[MrsSmith]

Mrs. Smith, would you believe a found a site that advises Catholics to tell the priest of their health problem, carry their own Gluten free cracker to Mass and at comunion hand the wafer to the priest and then have the priest give it back as the communion wafers have gluten .

Yes, I would believe that.     After all, I'm sure the wafers are made with regular wheat flour.