Just Diagnosed with Celiacs Disease last week......................

Hi.....I was just diagnosed with Celiacs Disease last week, and I am still trying to deal with the new life style changes that await me.....I am 49 years old, married, with two grown daughters. My husband and I are Grandparents of one Grandson, Brendan, who will be a year old next month.....Any suggestions or advise that I can get from anyone? I am reading all that I can, looking for places to shop, receipes, etc. I love to cook, and my husband, Dan, loves to eat, so I guess I really need to learn to rethink everything I do in the kitchen. What about going out to dinner? Is it hopeless? I live in Illinois, am very active, I work full time, in a medical office, so if I have medical questions, they are easily answered. I am just really confused right now, and feel really lost, but I also realize that this is something that cannot be ignored, as it will not go away, can anyone offer any advise at all?.....Thank you for letting me vent.....Sharon   

 

Good Evening Sharon,

 

Life is still good.  As a matter of fact, it's great!  There is hope and an end to the rainbow.  It sounds like you are doing everything right.  Everything will fall into place. 

 

As for eating out, get yourself some restaurant cards...these can be purchased from Celiac organizations or you can search online for them.  There are lots of print off.  Chefs and waitresses love them.

 

It's good to vent.   That's why we're here.  Tina

Hi Sharon,

 My sister-in-law said that it was like getting kicked in the teeth when she was diagnosed as no one around here knew what she could really eat. Here is a great link to the Celiac.Org to help you get started http://www.celiac.org/. It is a lot to absorb though and I understand that as well. There are many things now that you can eat such as Johnsonville products, Old Wisconsin and some Hillshire products for meats. Many of the McCormick spices are gluten free except for the dried mustard. Hellman's Mayonnaise is gluten free and someone told us that Miracle Whip is too however sis hasn't tried it yet. Kraft lists all of their ingredients in () if there might be a food problem. I know that she likes Aunt Bette's Gourmet 4 Bean Flour from www.authenticfoods. com. We use it for cooking and gravies all of the time. She also buys a lot of the Kinnickinnic Foods and they're pretty good especially their cinnamon rolls . In Wisconsin we also have something called Grandma Ferndon's out of Hayward, WI that sells a lot of yummy stuff. Finally there is a place called the Gluten Free Trading Post and you can get a lot of stuff through them online if you do not have a store that carries many of the products. I know our Festival Foods here carries quite a few things. I know how frustrating it was for her. If you like to go out I do know that Outback, Olive Garden and Texas Roadhouse all have gluten free menus. She goes to Olive Garden and brings her own dressing with her, then orders the salads. Now they have entrees as well. Hang in there as it does get easier. Any questions please email me and I'm happy to help out.

 Deb

(principalcat@msn.com)

Focus on What you CAN have that is just naturally gluten Free!!  Make a list of all your favorite fruits, veggies, and meats.  I found that the very best meals are ones where I don't have to change anything at all.  Make some menu's like Roast Turkey and mashed potatoes.  Marinated Grilled Chicken with a salad and a vinagrette dressing, Beef Stew with chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.  For mothers Day I had a Surf 'n Turf (grilled steak and shrimp and a butter & mushroom sauce) The possibilites are endless.  For breakfast try Scrambled eggs, omlets, grits, Rice Chex Cereal (Now Gluten free!) It is hard at first to not eat gluten because you are addicted to it.  Hang in there!! Also Outback Steak house has a Gluten Free Menu that is to die for.  My favorite meal is the Alice Springs Chicken (marinated chicken with bacon, cheese, mushrooms.  Yum!) and the Thunder from Down under dessert.  It is a flourless brownie with pecans (they even dust their pans with just sugar) topped with icecream, whipped cream and chocolate fudge sauce. Soooo Yummy! you will never even know it is all safe for you!

Hi Sharon, I was about your age when I was diagnosed as a Celiac. It can be overwhelming at first but if you were tested you were not feeling well and the good thing is you can come back to good health with no pills; just the correct diet.  I am from Michigan and there is so much more available now in flours and mixes.  It is a learning experience with some good things and some real goofs (just like life).  If you would like to write, I also like to bake and make a pie crust that tastes better than pie crusts made of wheat flour.  Hang in there, you will get the hang of it.  Pearl (pdpbostons@aol.com)

Sharon-

My teenage daughter was diagnosed Jan. 2007.  You're right.  At first it can be a bit overwhelming, but it does get easier.  I purchased a great product that helps with grocery shopping called the Clan Thompson Celiac Food Smart List.  It helps with figuring out what foods at the regular grocery store have gluten in them and which are gluten free.  They also have a drug list that is good for both over the counter drugs and perscription drugs.  You just dowload it to your computer, and you can even put it on a handheld computer and take it to the store with you.  It really has been a life (and time) saver.  You can get it from Celiac.com. It costs $100 or less. I can't remember exactly.  It also gives you updates every 3 months.  I have found it to be well worth every penny we spent on it.  I also bought a book from Triumphdining.com called The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide.  It has lists for restaurants that cater to celiacs or have gluten-free menus.  You can also get their dining cards that help out when you are at a restaurant.  I know my daughter can eat at Chili's and Pei Wei.  They both have gluten free menus.  You just have to ask for them.  Also she can have the chili at Wendy's.  I have found over the last 1 1/2 years, that it is becoming easier to find gluten-free food.  People are becoming more aware of the need.  The Kroger grocery store line, including Smith's, King Sooper's, Highland and more, carry some GF foods in their natural foods section of their stores.  and beleive it or not, Walmart is the best about marking their Great Value brand.  If it's gluten free it says so on the label.  Hope you can get some useful info from this.  If you have any more questions or need to vent more, please feel free to email me at tpsantana2@msn.com .

Teresa

The good news is that you can still eat a lot of your favorites - with a few tweeks here and there. For some recipes to start with, check out my website at: mysite.verizon.net/vzeogur1/myglutenfreerecipes

In passing - things will get easier with time.

I was 44 when I developed an intolerance to all things gluten. That was just 3 years ago. There is good news and I found it at stores such as Wild Oats (now Whole Foods Market) and Paradise Health. They sell many gluten free products that are clearly marked.

Label reading is a must. Who could have guessed that barbecue potatos chips contain wheat or that soy sauce is not made of soy? On the other hand my diet has improved considerably and I don't have to feel guilty about the foods that I'm eating now. I even bake my own cakes out of rice and buckwheat flour. I never baked before, but I do it all the time now. Eating my own cake is the best part.

 I eat at Chinese buffets all the time. I stay away from the fried foods and anything with heavy sauces. There is usually enough rice noodles and steamed vegetables to fill me up. Good sushi is a plus too. Pad Thai is my favorite but the peanut sauce is a little heavy.