Some GF websites

As promised, here are some of the websites we go to regularly.  I will post others often.  They may not always be in list form, but may be named in some of the posts I just write.  Hope it helps!!


http://www.avoidingmilkprotein.com/M-Zceliacshopping.html

http://www.celiac.com

www.bobsredmill.com

www.smartbalance.com

www.landolakes.com

http://www.glutenfreely.com   (This is the General Mills site!)

www.glutenfreeflour.com

www.celiac.org

www.netrition.com

www.glutenfreegoddess.com

www.liveglutenfreely.com

About our diagnosis...

I thought I would address the process we went through to finally get his diagnosis...I am sure it was a process for each of you, and our journey took over 12 years!  He started out just having periods of not feeling well.  He would be fine for several months and then wind up in the hospital overnight because he was so sick.  It would be anything from severe fatigue, severe acid reflux, severe allergic reactions with rashes, itching, coughing, sneezing, and sometimes severe nausea, and other various, often vague symptoms that each alone would not cause major problems, but put several of them all together and they are overwhelming to say the least.  It seemed like any stress would make things worse and the holidays seemed to always bring a trip to the hospital.  There were multitudes of tests done...Ultrasounds, Cat Scans, MRI's, Upper GI w/small bowel follow through, colonoscopy, Barium Swallow, Biopsies, and more that I have forgotten.  All came with awful concoctions to be drank, and then the nastiness of passing the same concoctions later.  Of course massive amounts of blood was drawn and wouldn't you know it that EVERY SINGLE TEST ALWAYS came back NEGATIVE or NORMAL! We even went to UPMC and they couldn't figure out anything, but they didn't really order any testing either, just more or less reviewed everything we brought with us Finally we went to a doctor that listened to us and said he would NOT give up until we knew what was wrong, and what to do about it.  So we had more blood work and a SERUM TISSUE ANTI-TRANSGLUTIMINASE test.  That finally came back POSITIVE or ABNORMAL.  So then the next biopsies were ordered, and they came back positive for celiac sprue.  So we went GF.  Then the doctor we started with had very little experience with celiac, so we changed over to one that had a few patients with it.  We also switched gastroenterologists. He told us from the beginning that we probably had a false positive on the biopsies because the samples had been taken from the wrong part of the stomach/intestines.  He said that if we chose to go with him as our specialist, that he would repeat all of the biopsies.  He took his samples from the right place - the duodenum, or bulb below the stomach.  The results were that the cilia were damaged, but were not completely flattened, but about 50%.  That meant that the celiac diagnosis was inconclusive.  I fully believe that by following the diet so closely that the cilia were in the process of repairing themselves and had made a good comeback.  Picture the cilia as fat little fluid-filled hairs, that are in charge of absorbing the nutrients from our food.  When the are damaged, they deflate and lose all their fluid and lie down flat, then they cannot get to the food to get the nutrients we need out of it.  That is what leads to malabsorption and malnutrition, and sometimes incredible weight loss.  Recovery does not happen overnight, but it does happen.  We are about 18 months out, and are just now experiencing an extended period of time where things are just about as normal as they can be.  There have been several set-backs and a day or two of feeling well followed by a week or two of feeling rather sick.  But we treasure the days when all is better, and we learn something new all the time about the disease, and about how we can live our lives around it and not have it completely consume us.  Try not to let it get you down!  And if you want, please share your story in the comments!!

Getting your feet wet...

In my pie crust recipe post I mentioned that Jello products were all GF UNLESS stated otherwise on the package after the ingredient list.  I am very happy to also say that ALL KRAFT products are very well labeled and do NOT contain gluten UNLESS it is stated as "Contains Wheat, Barley, Rye or Oats" after the ingredient list.  And KRAFT is TOTALLY trustworthy.  They take GF very seriously and are very good at their labeling.

Also, a LOT of Wal-Mart's generic GREAT VALUE brand products are GF and it will state that clearly on the label as "Gluten Free" or "Naturally Gluten Free".  This is found outlined in a blue rectangle somewhere on the back of the label near the ingredient list.

Speaking of reading the labels, gluten is hidden in a LOT of things that you wouldn't expect.  A few watch words to look out for and avoid include:
*Modified Food Starch
*Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
*Malt
*Beer
*Bulgur
*Cereal Extract
*Farro
*Flour - unless specifically labeled GF
*Graham
*Kamut
*Matzoh/matzoh meal
*Semolina
*Spelt
*Cracker meal
*Durhum
*Eikorn
*Emmer
*Farina
*Bread Crumbs
*Dextrin
*Natural flavors
*Artificial flavors
*Hydrolyzed vegetable or plant proteins also labeled as HVP/HPP
*Imitation Bacon or seafood
*Processed food
*Seasonings/Flavorings
*Seitan
*Soy Sauce or soy sauce solids
*Textured Vegetable Protein

Some words that you will see and that are SAFE, include:
*Soy Lecithin
*Food Emulsifiers
*Cornstarch

You will notice that a brand will have one specific item that is labeled GF, while other items will not be labeled GF.  This is okay.  Usually the items labeled GF are processed in separate facilities or the facility practices the Safe Manufacturing Cleanliness Procedures.  Just make sure that the bag of chips or whatever you buy says that it is GF, or in the case of Kraft, doesn't have any gluten listed after the ingredient list.  Some products will not specifically say "Gluten Free" but will still be safe.  Being able to judge which are safe and which are not will come with time and research.  In the meantime, here is a website that has a ton of GF foods listed by brand that you can try while you figure out your new diet...

http://www.avoidingmilkprotein.com/M-Zceliacshopping.htm

After you get to the page you can navigate to the A-L section of the list at the top of the page.  This has been a great help to us!  Next time I will work on getting you a list of websites to look at, and of course some more advice and suggestions!  Just remember to BREATHE!!

In Honor of Jello...A GF Pie Crust Recipe

cutting the butter into the flour

Placing the dough between two pieces of parchment

After the dough is rolled out

Placing the dough in the pan

Poke holes in the crust with a fork before baking

OK, friends!  I just got some great news!  Jello products are all GF UNLESS they say "Contains wheat, barley, rye or oats" after the ingredient list.  Today I bought some instant chocolate and banana cream pudding to make GF pies!  So, in honor of Jello, I am adding a GF Pie Crust Recipe.  Don't forget to grab a can of Great Value (Wal-Mart Generic) Whipped Cream, it's a great GF pie or fruit topper!!

Gluten-Free Pie Crust (Makes 2)

2 Cups of GF flour  -  Tom Sawyer brand (or flour blend of your choice)
1/4 tsp salt  - Great Value Brand (Wal-Mart)
3/4 Cup shortening  -  Great Value or Crisco Brand
1/4 Cup cold water

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Then using a fork, cut the shortening into the flour.  (This means to push the shortening and flour through the tines of the fork).  When the mixture resembles large crumbs it is ready to add the water.  Make sure the water is cold.  Add it a little at a time until the mixture sticks together good.  Don't use more than the 1/4 cup or it may be too sticky.  Should it become too sticky, just add a little more flour until you can handle it.  Just DO NOT overmix it or it will become tough.  Then with your hands you can press half the pie dough into the bottom of a glass or aluminum pie plate until it is about 1/8" thick.  You can also roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper with a GF rolling pin, and place it in the pie plate.  Poke the crust with a fork.  Then bake it at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until it no longer looks wet.  Then cool completely.  You are ready to add your favorite GF filling.

NOTES:  I use half shortening and half butter (Great Value Brand) instead of all shortening in the crust.  It gives a better flavor.  Also, if you roll out the pie crust, you may want to roll it out between two pieces of parchment.  Don't spend the big money on pre-cut parchment paper, just buy a Great Value Brand roll of it at Wal-Mart.  It will come in handy in a lot of recipes!!

First things first...

The very first thing I recommend after getting this diagnosis is:  Take A Deep Breath!  Breathe!  Repeat!  Let it soak in a while, and read everything you get your eyes on.  Don't take it all in all at once because it will overwhelm you and make you want to give up, but knowledge is power.

The second big step is to concentrate on what you CAN have instead of what you can't have.  Try to make this the most positive change you can.  Sometimes all it takes is just changing your perspective.  If you have just been diagnosed, this sounds like a bunch of talk, but we did this exact thing and it has been a blessing to us.

Admittedly, I am not the one having to live gluten free, but I am gluten free by association...and I have found that I actually LIKE a lot of the food and we eat the same things for many meals!  Once in a while I will fix myself something different, so I do not have a strictly gluten-free kitchen.  The secret to that is keeping separate cupboards and counter spaces, and clean, clean, clean.  I also do not have a dishwasher so all of my dishes are washed by hand - mine...  I guess you could say I do have a dishwasher, it's just the two-legged variety.

The third thing I did was go out and buy a separate set of frying pans, invested in some Pyrex Visionware (I found a couple of complete sets at yardsales) and separate cooking utensils and storage bowls (also Pyrex glass ware).  We decided to try and eliminate plastics from our kitchen and storage, then we try to eat as much organic and hormone/steroid/antibiotic free food as possible.  We buy locally every time we can, and I may be able to share some leads on that as well.

Also, get the person going gluten free a new toothbrush and some Crest.  And if one of you is gluten free and the other is not, make sure the one that is not gluten free brushes their teeth before they kiss the one that is!  More than germs are passed in saliva...and on a more touchy subject...The allergist says they cannot say for sure if gluten is passed in other bodily fluids, so if you are gluten free and still having issues, you may need to invest in condoms.  We don't have the kind of gluten reaction that affects the skin, scalp and tissue, just the stomach, but I know that a type of dermatological reaction to gluten does exist and then you have to change you soap, shampoo, dish detergent, laundry detergent and fabric softner...everything that touches the skin.

Last, but not least, accept your new condition, and decide to befriend it and make the best of it.  If you fight it, it will take longer to heal, and you will have stress and all the problems that come with it to deal with on top of your original condition.  The more stress you can eliminate, the better you will feel and the faster your stomach can heal.  Also, accept that nothing and no one is perfect.  You are going to make mistakes, and you are going to ingest some gluten, somewhere, no matter how careful you are.  There are going to be setbacks, just try to learn from them and go on and do the best you can.

We will have to address family attitudes and dinners, reunions, etc later.  This is an issue we are still dealing with.  And sometimes we aren't doing very well with it, but we just do our best, and let God take care of the rest.

I am happy to report that after a year, my husband showed at least a 50% improvement in the cilia on the lining of his intestines!  So that encourages us to keep on going and doing our best!

*NOTE: from now on I am going to try to always abbreviate "gluten-free" with the letters GF.

Welcome to heidihobbie-gluten free!

Hi everyone!  Welcome to my new blog!  I want to get a few things out of the way and then we can get started! I will do my very best to make sure any recipes or instructions I give here are accurate.  I will not be responsible for ANY outcome whether it is positive or negative.  I don't accept credit or blame.  I want to share what has and has not worked for us, and I will use brand names whenever necessary, but feel free to use whatever brands you want.  After all, this has to work for you too as it is just as much your journey as it is mine.  I just want to offer all the information I can to as many people as I can and hopefully help someone and at least make everyone else smile!  So become a follower, comment, and join in this exciting journey of life gluten free!