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Entry bubble I’m Going Gluten Free

By: Joanne | September 02, 2008 | Category: Health

Close up detail of dried wheat.Last week I visited a dietitian for nutrition counseling to help me with some health problems. I was shocked when she told me that she thinks that I’m experiencing an allergic reaction to gluten and set me on a path to a gluten-free diet. I was encouraged when she told me that I’ll experience a dramatic increase in energy after the first week, and that we’ll really know if it’s working after just 3 months. I figure I have a lot to gain and very little to lose so I’m going to give it a try.

I’m lucky because my symptoms are mild—there are people who suffer terribly from gluten intolerance like celiac disease. Luckily, there are things that we can do to change our eating habits and restore our health.

My first trip to the grocery store took forever! I had to read labels carefully to be sure that gluten isn’t an ingredient in the food I was buying. I tried to keep the gluten-free guidelines in mind and looked for gluten-free foods. This will be quite a change for me because I always have loved all sorts of healthy grains and I never expected to hear that some of my favorite things like bread and beer are causing me problems. Sigh.

I know that I’m in the company of millions of Americans who have some form of gluten intolerance, so any tips you can offer will be appreciated. I’m especially looking for a great gluten-free pancake recipe.

| View Comments [7] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: allergy   diet   gluten   intolerance   joanne  

Comments (7):

blue comment bubble Posted by Matt on September 02, 2008 at 09:14 AM EDT

additionally, have your gastro doctor check you for

CELIAC SPRUE, which might be the underlying cause.
good luck.

look up celiac sprue through your internet search engine for further info.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Ali on September 02, 2008 at 12:59 PM EDT

Good luck! I had a similar conversation with my doctor, and going gluten free was a boon to my health - it's been a very long time since I felt this good. The first several months are the hardest, because you're focused on all the things you can't have. But then you start realizing all the things you *can* have, and you also start to feel the results and feel better, so it gets a lot easier.

There are tons of wonderful gluten-free bloggers out there - here's one of my favorites to get you started:

http://glutenfree.wordpress.com/

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blue comment bubble Posted by Jeremy B on September 03, 2008 at 12:52 PM EDT

The best pancake mix we have found is Pamela's baking and Pancake mix. Not only does it create great pancakes but fabulous chocolate chip cookies, you can barely tell the difference!

http://www.pamelasproducts.com/

The best cake mix by far is offered by Namaste foods, you can get chocolate or spice cake and they are great:
http://www.amazon.com/Namaste-Foods-Cake-Chocolate-29-Ounce/dp/B000LKVHYC/ref=pd_bxgy_gro_img_b/104-1331713-3370325

For pasta, you can't go wrong with the recently developed Tinkyada line. All of their pasta's are fantastic and the texture holds up really well after cooking:
http://www.amazon.com/Tinkyada-Brown-Elbows-16-Ounce-Packages/dp/B000FK7PQW/ref=pd_sim_gro_10

Amazon has a great selection of these products if you can't find them at your local store.

Good luck.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on September 03, 2008 at 01:38 PM EDT

Thanks Jeremy!
A gluten free friend recommended the same pasta - I'll have to give it a try.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Rafael on September 04, 2008 at 09:59 AM EDT

Chocolate.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Joanne on September 04, 2008 at 10:06 AM EDT

Chocolate? YUM!

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blue comment bubble Posted by Fahren on September 15, 2008 at 02:47 AM EDT

I think that's a good idea. More and more people are developing food <a title="Food Allergies" href="http://mind-mart.com/holistic-health/symptoms-of-food-allergies">allergies</a>
.

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