GF people

NurseyK

I gave up gluten and did really well until this past week. All this food tasting and appointments means I've eaten out a lot..... not expecting a good WW meeting next Monday.

Anyways. What are your syptoms when you reintroduce it?

I'm so itchy and my bowels are all FU!

peekaboo2011

That's the kicker, love.  I don't reintroduce it.  I do get itchy if I get some on accident, and my bowels go crazy and I'm ridic sick for like three days.

Those three days are enough to make you NEVER want it EVER AGAIN.

NurseyK

Blah. I hate being sensitive to wheat and allergic to all the good stuff. Yargh.

peekaboo2011

Are you guys doing a GF wedding?

NurseyK

No, but the main course is chicken, mashed potatoes, and roasted veggies.

peekaboo2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:24a3b004-e679-4011-8be9-ce3ca91c9906">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]No, but the main course is chicken, mashed potatoes, and roasted veggies.
Posted by NurseyK[/QUOTE]

<div>I'm sure you already did, just double check with them to make sure they aren't doing anything weird with the chicken.  You don't want to feel like shiit on your honeymoon!</div>

lunarsongbird

I'm just used to feeling sick all the time. :-/ I figure(d) that it was because both my parents have ulcertative colitis, but I reeeaalllly need to give this a go.

I'm going to the grocery store tonight to shop for the week. Any staples I should pick up?

NurseyK

Potatoes are a great gluten free alternative and can be used at any meal for starch. I eat a lot of eggs, yogurt, fruit, and deli counter lunch meat.  Hope that helps lunar!

thejucheidea

Gah, I would never reintroduce gluten. Ever. I get so sick when I'm glutened :<.

And yeah, make sure you ask the caterer if the food is gluten free. A lot of the time, the marinades used are NOT gluten free. Same thing goes for any sauce that could be on the veggies.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:b26b39bb-4b8b-41f2-8dfb-a6fd2303ec65">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]Any staples I should pick up?
Posted by lunarsongbird[/QUOTE]

Brown rice, quinoa, polenta.
Corn tortillas.
Fresh veggies and fruit.
Plain meat.

Read every. single. label. Watch out for modified food starch and caramel color -- in the US, they're supposed to be gluten free, but that's not always the case.

peekaboo2011

Artificial color may get you too.  If you have a smartphone, that will make your shopping a hundred thousand times easier.  If you pick something up and you aren't sure about the ingredients, google that shiit +gluten free, and it will give you what everyone else has found.  I've discovered that most people have already written the companies to figure out what they can/can't have.

If you want pasta, I strongly recommend quinoa or corn pasta.  You don't have to rinse it like rice pasta.  And, if you'd like, I can give you the recipe for the flour mix that we use at home.  It subs in 1:1 for regular recipes for the most part.

NurseyK

@peek: yes please!

desertsun

Nursey, my love, how did I not know you were allergic to wheat??? This MUST be new since our last Beyond Bread lunch date???

And yes, i know, it's my turn to get in touch so we can set up another, at a more GF friendly place. Work's been hella busy since the start of the semester. I may have to drive my lazy ass into town on a day off so I can see your pretty face and get all caught up.

NurseyK

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:90f29ccf-182d-4849-afd0-0528792b1b8d">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]Nursey, my love, how did I not know you were allergic to wheat??? This MUST be new since our last Beyond Bread lunch date??? And yes, i know, it's my turn to get in touch so we can set up another, at a more GF friendly place. Work's been hella busy since the start of the semester. I may have to drive my lazy ass into town on a day off so I can see your pretty face and get all caught up. :)
Posted by desertsun[/QUOTE]

It's the only time I ever eat sandwiches and I have a hard time saying no.... :) Maybe we can continue to eat there and you make me order a salad? I miss your face. And I'm not doing anything tonight. Just saying.

NurseyK

Let me clarify, the GI doc couldn't prove that I am allergic to wheat with a blood test, but it doesn't mean I'm not sensitive to it. So no damage is done when I eat bread (supposedly), but I do feel a lot better overall when I cut it out for days on end.

MidniteRae

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:b26b39bb-4b8b-41f2-8dfb-a6fd2303ec65">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm just used to feeling sick all the time. :-/ I figure(d) that it was because both my parents have ulcertative colitis, but I reeeaalllly need to give this a go. I'm going to the grocery store tonight to shop for the week. Any staples I should pick up?
Posted by lunarsongbird[/QUOTE]
Quinoa Pasta is really good. 

MidniteRae

I'm sensitive to gluten as well and avoid it when I can. I have so many allergies and intolerances and sensititvies that to be able to eat something I'll eat gluten. I'll feel like sh*t though. If you want more specific details, you are welcome to PM me. I feel a lot better when I eat gluten free, but it is hard when you already can't eat so much stuff.

desertsun

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:594db20a-d7cb-4595-bfe2-24dab41eb9e6">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: GF people : It's the only time I ever eat sandwiches and I have a hard time saying no.... :) Maybe we can continue to eat there and you make me order a salad? I miss your face. And I'm not doing anything tonight. Just saying.
Posted by NurseyK[/QUOTE]


I miss YOUR face! I'll text or email you and we'll get something set up soon! :)

LilTexasGal

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:ede5ba2c-9adc-4fc2-a356-a23ca65de840">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]Let me clarify, the GI doc couldn't prove that I am allergic to wheat with a blood test, but it doesn't mean I'm not sensitive to it. So no damage is done when I eat bread (supposedly), but I do feel a lot better overall when I cut it out for days on end.
Posted by NurseyK[/QUOTE]

Were you already on a GF diet? I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease (the 'lets kill your insides' gluten auto-immune disorder), but my blood test had come back negative. The reason why? I had read that a GF diet could relieve my symptoms, and decided to give it a try before I knew anything about being Celiac. I was only diagnosed after a colonoscopy (my GI was certain I had something wrong) and then informed that a GF diet can give a false negative in blood tests. Sadly, I can never WILLINGLY add gluten back to my diet, but since going 100% gluten free I've had a few time where I've been glutened, and I certainly can tell it. I get bloated and start to shake, however, since Celiac isn't an allergy, I don't get itchy. Also, a wheat allergy is different from gluten intolerance, since gluten is found in more than just wheat.

As for the suggestion to eat Quinoa or Corn noodles I second (or third) this suggestion, and if you have a Whole Foods around you, I would certainly suggest trying out their GF baked goods! They have a GF version of the Red Lobster biscuits! And for anyone who has tried GF cake and not liked it, I suggest trying a flourless cake. Outback Steakhouses' Brownie is actually a flourless brownie and is delicious! You can find various recipes all over the internet (but just watch out, sometimes they call for ingredients that AREN'T GF! I've noticed that some cheaper chocolate chips have wheat added as a filler.)

Another suggestion, a friend of mine who is Gluten Intolerant (not Celiac, but still has issues with gluten) has had great success taking Sustinex (or something like that) which is a pro-biotic 10x stronger than what is in yogurt. She can actually eat a whole roll without having negative side effects.

All right, I chipped in my 2-cents. I've had a lot of help learning to deal with this new lifestyle and just wanted to share the information I've gathered with other GF folks! Back to my lurking! *Slinks back into the lurker box*

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:8a64b5fb-8cac-4772-bc3d-5e6dd24ec2b6">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: GF people : All right, I chipped in my 2-cents. I've had a lot of help learning to deal with this new lifestyle and just wanted to share the information I've gathered with other GF folks! Back to my lurking! *Slinks back into the lurker box*
Posted by LilTexasGal[/QUOTE]
Yeah, Peek and I are long-time celiacs, so we're old hands at this point.

And I wouldn't bother buying a ton of GF bread. There are some great things like the Food for Life multigrain English muffins and the Food for Life brown rice tortillas, but I think the best bread in the world is Pamela's Bakery, which I buy by the box of six from Amazon. Bread replacements are just too expensive to buy when you have so many other great food options.

LilTexasGal

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:c59bcd29-877d-4132-8f62-f37fae78f5bd">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: GF people : Yeah, Peek and I are long-time celiacs, so we're old hands at this point. And I wouldn't bother buying a ton of GF bread. There are some great things like the Food for Life multigrain English muffins and the Food for Life brown rice tortillas, but I think the best bread in the world is Pamela's Bakery, which I buy by the box of six from Amazon. Bread replacements are just too expensive to buy when you have so many other great food options.
Posted by ahstillwell[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I've had issues with loaf bread and many other "frozen" baked products. As far as I can tell the stuff I've bought at Whole Foods (cupcakes, biscuits and muffins) aren't shipped frozen, only refrigerated, so you have to eat them quickly. I do however keep a loaf of frozen GF bread in the fridge for those nights I am craving toast (never thought I would *crave* toast). But you're right, spending $7-$10+ on a single loaf of bread is crazy. I've found when I am craving a sandwich I'll just go to Jason's Deli, since they have a pretty decent GF sandwich. It is about $7 for one sandwich but I think that is okay once and a while. I've yet to try Pamela's Bakery but since you're suggesting it, I'll probably give it a try. I'm still in that "ooh, I'll try this" phase. Hoping I'll discover some really great foods.

My issue, that you might be able to help with, is that I am having a hard time finding foods I can take to work. I pretty much just take a salad or tuna and GF crackers - and that gets boring. I could cook but I actually want something edible for lunch... Do you know of any "tv dinner" type foods that I could take to work? My local store sells Amy's, but I think I read on the box that you had to use an oven and I don't have an oven at work.  I technically live right outside of Austin (about 45 minutes) and the local GF options are slim to none, but Austin has a ton of selection - so if there is something you think would be good I could probably find it. I try to go into Austin at least once a month to "stock up".

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:791cdeff-91d5-4f1b-9feb-46c2d3a3e195">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: GF people : Yeah, I've had issues with loaf bread and many other "frozen" baked products. As far as I can tell the stuff I've bought at Whole Foods (cupcakes, biscuits and muffins) aren't shipped frozen, only refrigerated, so you have to eat them quickly. [/QUOTE]

Gluten free food doesn't have as many preservatives as regular processed food, so it doesn't keep as long.

[QUOTE]I've yet to try Pamela's Bakery but since you're suggesting it, I'll probably give it a try. I'm still in that "ooh, I'll try this" phase. Hoping I'll discover some really great foods.[/QUOTE]

Pamela's bread is the closest I've found to regular bread. My mom is known for her (very gluten-filled) homemade bread and Pamela's tastes just like her bread.

[QUOTE]My issue, that you might be able to help with, is that I am having a hard time finding foods I can take to work. I pretty much just take a salad or tuna and GF crackers - and that gets boring. I could cook but I actually want something edible for lunch... [/QUOTE]

I cook large amounts of things over the weekend and take them throughout the week. Southwestern spaghetti squash, chana masala, crockpot barbeque chicken, crockpot picante chicken, kale/chicken/chickpea/hominy stew, et cetera. I make some rice or quinoa in my rice cooker and keep it in there over the week. Grab a tupperware and put down some rice then pour one of the other foods on top and voila, lunch. I also take a Think Thin bar and a piece of fruit with me to snack on before lunch time. Sometimes I'll take some almond thins and hummus.

[QUOTE]Do you know of any "tv dinner" type foods that I could take to work? My local store sells Amy's, but I think I read on the box that you had to use an oven and I don't have an oven at work.[/QUOTE]

Amy's can be made in a microwave. I've never used an oven for an Amy's dish. Trader Joe's also has a nice selection of quick-to-make gluten free meals.

[QUOTE]I technically live right outside of Austin (about 45 minutes) and the local GF options are slim to none, but Austin has a ton of selection - so if there is something you think would be good I could probably find it. I try to go into Austin at least once a month to "stock up".[/QUOTE]

You really don't need to go to a specialty store for GF stuff. I do the vast majority of my shopping at Kroger, Aldi and HG Hills. Don't go into the store expecting to buy the exact same stuff you ate before but in a gluten free format. Try new things instead of direct substitutes -- you'll have a more varied palate and spend a lot less money in the process.

LilTexasGal

" You really don't need to go to a specialty store for GF stuff. I do the vast majority of my shopping at Kroger, Aldi and HG Hills. Don't go into the store expecting to buy the exact same stuff you ate before but in a gluten free format. Try new things instead of direct substitutes -- you'll have a more varied palate and spend a lot less money in the process. "

Oh no, I don't shop at a specialty store (except for Whole Foods, but I shopped here before being GF). My local HEB and Walmart don't carry many gluten free options, but the ones in Austin have a larger selection. I've  been trying to expand my options outside of the marketed "Certified GF" selections, and going for foods that I know are naturally gluten free. But it can be difficult to change your way of thinking, at least for me. I'm not much of a cook, and any type of meal that doesn't come in a box with instructions I'm pretty helpless at making. In college my staples were full of gluten and when, on the rare occassion, I decided to try my hand at cooking something "real" I ended up with dried out chicken or very well done steak. I am trying to expand my cooking abilities, but it is a slow process. Haha.

"Amy's can be made in a microwave. I've never used an oven for an Amy's dish. Trader Joe's also has a nice selection of quick-to-make gluten free meals."

That is a relief to hear. I wonder how I got it in my head that you had to make them in the oven. Actually just as I was typing this, a commercial came on for Gordon's Fisherman grilled salmon and tilapia. It says those are GF too. I will also check out Trader Joe's. Thanks.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:fd69b333-5441-4934-99f4-c283b3c7b64b">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm not much of a cook, and any type of meal that doesn't come in a box with instructions I'm pretty helpless at making. In college my staples were full of gluten and when, on the rare occassion, I decided to try my hand at cooking something "real" I ended up with dried out chicken or very well done steak. I am trying to expand my cooking abilities, but it is a slow process.
Posted by LilTexasGal[/QUOTE]
If you have a smartphone, I'd recommend the Whole Foods app. They have wonderful GF recipes on there that are really easy to make. Also invest in a crockpot if you haven't already. Barbeque chicken is as easy is throwing a bag of frozen chicken and a jar of barbeque in the crockpot and cooking it overnight... just make sure the barbeque sauce is GF, because a lot of them aren't :|.

LilTexasGal

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_gf-people?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:9e91cd8f-3bcc-4fd4-8d64-9a143d92915cPost:ab839a45-9770-4c2b-8a30-1a81836c7e8b">Re: GF people</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: GF people : If you have a smartphone, I'd recommend the Whole Foods app. They have wonderful GF recipes on there that are really easy to make. Also invest in a crockpot if you haven't already. Barbeque chicken is as easy is throwing a bag of frozen chicken and a jar of barbeque in the crockpot and cooking it overnight... just make sure the barbeque sauce is GF, because a lot of them aren't :|.
Posted by ahstillwell[/QUOTE]

I will get the Whole Foods app asap! I think I'll also invest in a crockpot. I've been told to get one in the past but have never really considered how easy it could make my life, and I don't think even I could mess up throwing frozen chicken and a jar of BBQ sauce (GF of course!) into a crockpot. Thanks for the suggestions (once again! lol)