My quest to go gluten-free
I’m a newbie, so bear with me. This is the beginning of a month-long journey into gluten-free living. Throughout June 2007, I’ll be writing about what it takes to go gluten-free.
Testing has shown that I DO NOT have celiac disease, but as a health writer who’s been covering the condition, I got curious: what would it take to try it? Really, how hard is it? After interviewing almost a dozen people, I came away with a wide variety of opinions on how easy/hard it is to live gluten-free.
As a young woman living with fibromyalgia, I’m also aware that there’s lots of anecdotal evidence showing that going gluten-free can reduce symptoms. And you know I’m all about reducing symptoms!
So…my quest is born. Starting in two days, I will become gluten-free. The nice people at Pamela’s Products have already sent me a few goodies to sample, so I’m glad to have cookies and baking mixes on hand so I don’t go completely insane.
And I’m headed to Wild Oats in Evanston tomorrow to go shopping and re-stock the kitchen with stuff I can eat. Luckily, I won’t have to be vigilant about cross-contamination, so I know I have it a little easier than your typical celiacbabe.
Wish me luck! And if you’ve got advice, I would LOVE to hear it.
Elwoodcity said,
May 30, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
Good Luck! I hope it helps. If you decide that you need to do much baking and need some help, let me know. There a a lot of blogs full of gluten free recipes that are helpful for finding something to eat for dinner. I’m a baker, though, and have learned a lot in the past year about tweaking baked goods to get them to turn out more like you are used to.
Gluten-Free By The Bay said,
May 30, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
Good luck to you - I also have fibromyalgia, and I keep a blog about gluten-free cooking. Stop by and say hi some time - Maybe it will give you some ideas of what you can eat.
Shannon said,
May 30, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
Het there,
Wow, after our article you should be pretty well versed on this.
I went back to Da Luciano’s a couple of times since then. SO GOOD! I think I have to add IBS to my list now. I’ve had continued syptoms and have heard the two can go hand in hand.
Go check out my blog. I have been a bit neglectful for the past month or two (work and life took over), but summer vacation is about to start so I will have more time to cook and blog again. I have links to a bunch of other good blogs and to some other useful sites (check out the link to the GF foods list!) Let me know if you ever want to check out some restaurants for GF fare. Hopefully I will see you at eep’s bday gathering next weekend! Good luck!
Joanna said,
May 30, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
Good luck! I have New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH) - have had it for 3+ years now. Of COURSE, everything else has been ruled out, but I did try a gluten-free diet for about 3 months last summer. I have to say, it was very difficult for me to adjust to because I am a huge bread fan.
I did try some of the Pamela’s Products cookies and whatnot, and they were really good. I also shopped at Wild Oats - I recommend looking in their frozen food section for desserts
The main reason why I stopped the gluten-free diet was because I was being admitted into the hospital by my headache docs for a 10-day inpatient stay - they would have been able to accommodate the diet of course, but it was basically the same food over and over, and they didn’t feel that the diet was necessary anymore anyways. I didn’t complain too much about stopping it, either 
I wish you luck with it, because with your conditions, it could end up being a huge help. I also just joined ChronicBabe, and am so excited to be a part of it. Thanks for all you are doing.
Happy Gluten-ing! haha
Joanna
Jean Layton said,
May 30, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
Hi Jenni,
Going gluten free is becoming a detective. It means reading every label, thinking about cross contamination and preventing even the smallest exposure.
As a naturopathic physician, gluten free person and mom of gluten free kids, I know just how hard it can be.
But oh so worth it! When I put a patient on a gluten free diet, I explain about how just a bit can cancel out the progress made by removing an allergen.
Can I ask what testing you had run? Was it a panel of 4 blood tests (IgA, IgG, antiendomysial antibodies and antigliadin antibodies)? If it wasn’t, then you really don’t know if you are celiac or not. Lots of doctors only run the antigliadin antibody test and that won’t show up in the blood till there is a lot of damage to the intestinal tract.
Or did you run the stool test from Enterolab? I find for more of my patients that test reflects thier symptomology better than the blood work.
I hope you give yourself a good month to clear the gluten from your body and see for yourself just how helpful a gluten free diet can be.
If you love to cook, check out my blog. I have lots of wonderful recipes.
Sheltie Girl said,
May 30, 2007 @ 9:42 pm
Good luck with your going gluten free. There are quite a few ready made products for us — mostly based on white rice, potato flour and tapioca. Some manufacturer’s are exploring alternative flours, but there aren’t too many. I cook and bake much more since my diagnosis. Due to my family’s allergies and intolerances there are some ingredients that I/we need to avoid. One note of advice, be careful how much of the basic gf food items that you eat…first because there isn’t much nutrition in them and second too much of this type of stuff will raise your triglyceride levels. Don’t forget to get your daily dose of fiber, since it is missing in many ready made gf products.
Sheltie Girl @ Gluten A Go Go
Stephanie said,
May 30, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
Good luck,
I have been gluten-free for three years and there is no way I am going back. You will probably feel much better in a month. My lupus symptoms have dramatically improved. My IBS - so much better. My headaches are rare. Hopefully, my osteopenia is improving. We eat too much wheat! I am looking forward to your postings.
Stephanie
ChupieandJsmama said,
May 30, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
Good luck on your Gluten Free quest. I hope it helps and that you feel better. Honestly, if you really are serious about it, it isn’t that hard. Because Celiac Disease is becoming more and more prevalant, there are more and better products on the market and companies are more gluten aware than before. I wish you luck and I’ll be checking on you.
Laurie Edwards said,
May 31, 2007 @ 1:48 am
Good luck!! I know we’ve talked at length about the benefits of going GF, but let me say again that I really hope it makes a difference! Yes, it’s hard and yes it is a committment, but it’s totally worth it.
When I first started out, what took awhile was getting used to all the “hidden” gluten in foods I wouldn’t have thought about…soy sauce is teriyaki glaze and things like that. But you learn what to ask about and what to look for, and in the end, it’s a much healthier lifestyle. I never eat processed food anymore and everything is fresh and whole.
I don’t blog recipes much, but I do talk a lot about the learning curve, the benefits of going GF, and current media discussions of celiac disease and gluten–it seems the topic is everywhere these days, which is great for us.
Sheri said,
May 31, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
Good luck! I have recipes too, that you may be interested in trying, along with taste testings of various GF products on the market.
shauna said,
May 31, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Good luck! And thank you. Taking the time to try to eat gluten-free, inspired in some part by what the rest of us go through? That’s wonderful compassion.
I hope that it yields wonderful results for you.
May I offer a suggestion? Focus first on what you can eat. Say yes to those foods. Don’t always look for substitutes for the ones you crave. That’s the key.
tovorinok said,
July 5, 2007 @ 1:47 am
Hi all!
Great book. I just want to say what a fantastic thing you are doing! Good luck!
Bye