So, you WANT to eat or HAVE to eat gluten free?

 

What is Gluten?  It is the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.  Some people have an allergic reaction to it to others with Celiac Disease...it is toxic.  For Celiac patients it damages the lining of the small intestines and interferes with the absorption of nutrients.  And GLUTEN is so common in the American diet, if you are trying to eat gluten free you have a big challenge ahead of you.  And there is no cure for Celiac Disease, it is in your hands to NOT eat the gluten causing you to be sick. 

Be thankful your diagnosis did not come 20 years ago!  CD is/was very difficult to diagnose but now we have so many tools at our disposal!  I am going to just give you a few: 

1.   www.celiac.org is a wonderful organization promoting awareness 

2.   www.celiac.com is a great website for diet information
3.   www.celiaccentral.org is a website for facts, figures, news, community ect.
4.   www.mayoclinic.com is a great place to start with what's allowed in your new diet
5.   Try not to get caught up in the glutenfree.com sites and so forth as you can shop for GF products from them, we have many wonderful places such as Sprouts, Drug Emporium and health food stores in our own city where all of these products can be purchased.  Although www.glutenfree.com does have some wonderful recipes
6.  www.nearlynormalcooking.com  is a fabulous website from an author who has been diagnosed with CD and has perfected the art of baking and living well.  This site is full of tips, products, recipes, and her book
7.  www.glutenfreemall.com is a place where you can order those little GF items you may not find anywhere else
8.  www.glutenfreedrugs.com is an informative site that will list MOST drugs whether prescription or over the counter (OTC) that may contain gluten as a filler, otherwise always check with your pharmacists
9.  www.glutenfreerestaurants.org has a great list of places which offer gluten free menus but let me just say here in Lubbock we have Johnny Carinos, Pei Wei, Funky Door, West Crust Pizza, Olive Garden, Joe’s Crab Shack, Chili’s, Chick-fil-A,  Logan’s Roadhouse and many more.  So don’t be discouraged
10.  www.glutenfreedrinks.com is obviously a great source for you beer drinkers, there are brands you can consume
11.  www.patientsconnect.com is a place where you can talk to other CD patients on a forum
12.  Sign up for helpful websites such as Living Without and Gluten Free Club with Angie to get daily recipes sent to your email address
13.  Books which are helpful are:  The First Year: Celiac Disease by Jules Shephard, The G-Free Diet by Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Peter Green, and Real Life with Celiac Disease by Melinda Dennis
14.  If you have a smart phone PLEASE download the following applications: ‘gluten free restaurant items’, ‘is that gluten free?’, and ‘find me gluten free’.  Some are free downloads and some not, but SO worth it!
15.  You can always search for  gluten free recipes on google
16.  Right off the bat, head to Sprouts or Drug Emporium and get a bread mix in a box-not bad!
17.  And when you are just too frustrated to look something up, call your trusty physician or dietician
 

Here is the thing about my BLOG, I am new to this.  I have only been diagnosed for 3 months and I am learning.  If I tell you a recipe is gluten free, it is up to YOU to make certain you check your ingredients (i.e. baking soda, baking powder, cooking sprays ect) to make certain it is TRULY GLUTEN FREE.  I am not a physician, a nurse or a dietician.   I am doing the best I can with the information I have obtained. 

Sometimes I make a meal thinking it is GF and end up sick because of cross contamination.  Sometimes I make a meal that is GF and it is too horrible to even eat!  But we can certainly work together, communicate and do our best to be healthy together.... I hope this has been some help to you! 

Best Wishes, 

Lisa 

      IT'S NOT ABOUT LIVING WITHOUT, BUT CHANGING HOW YOU LIVE...