Allergized

If you are diagnosed with celiac disease (or a gluten allergy or intolerance) how on earth can you supplement your diet with “whole grain products” the way you should to support a healthy heart and lifestyle? I do not understand this. I have celiac disease and am struggling with it because I cannot afford to shop at the health food stores and pay five or six times as much for a gluten free loaf of bread or box of pasta so often times I just skip it and do without.What is an average person like me supposed to do?How can I supplement my diet to get the nutrients I need when I cannot eat the things I am supposed to or afford the alternative? I am a single mother with two children and that in itself is extremely expensive! I am beside myself with knowing what to do. I would just love to eat an entire loaf of whole wheat bread with a package of lunch meat but know the consequences would not be worth it! I need to lose a few pounds and the diets say “whole wheat” this and that … Argh!

–

First, let me say congrats toy ou for taking control of your health and acknowledging that Celiac (CD) is a serious disease that needs to be taken care of.
Here is what I do. I too am a mother, albeit a stay at home one but we live in one income of a mechanic with one toddler and one baby on the way, so I can appreciate the budget!
You are right, GF foods do cost more. So if you are a baker, that can help you out. (I personally am not).
First, Great Value (walmart) “Fiber Supplements”, they’re verision of Citrucel, is GF and fairly cheap. I take those every day to assure my fiber intake.
Secondly, shop online if you can. Most GF foods are WAAYYY cheaper online. Here are my fave sites:
http://www.glutenfree.com (wide selection)
http://www.glutensolutions.com They give u something free every so many orders.
http://www.amazon.com grocery section is great if you have the room and can buy in bulk for flours, mixes, etc.
For a sample list of alternative grains, go to http://www.csaceliacs.org
Here is what I often do: For meals requiring a GF alternative, such as pasta, I make myself a GF version (i.e. I boil my GF spaghetti an dmake the family regular spaghetti). This cuts down on costs significantly but u do have to be careful of cross contamination.
If u like to abke and have time, u can buy the flours online for cheaper and use cookbooks like “Bette Hagman’s Gluten Free Gourmet” or “Wheat Free and Gluten Free cooking for kids and busy adults”
Try alternative grains like quinoa, corn grits, brown rice (even instant is fine).
Fiber and lots of nutrients are in many fruits and veggies. Make yourself smoothies with frozen fruits (walmart ones are just as good as fresh!) and slip in some flaxseed. Its GF and a good grain and good for health. Or add yogurts (most yoplaits are GF and now state so). to your breakfast.
If you income is tight, do you qualify for the WIC program for your children? That can help with teh food for them and free up a few bucks here and there for you to spend on GF foods.
I wouldnt worry so much about meetign the whole grains requirement. Celiacs will probably NEVER meet their RDA of whole grains bc most of the grains we ’should’ eat are toxic to us! Do not feel bad if u cannot fit it all in. Just try different GF grains when u can and sub with good fruits and veggies. (apples and pears have tons of fiber.)
Beans and lentils are a good source of fiber and super cheap. Mix up a pot of red beans and brown rice and there u go!
Ihope this helps, I definitely feel your situation!!
Maybe one day a Celiac will write a weight loss book for us! It is a myth that Celiacs cant be overweigh or struggle with weight issues.
ALso on Yahoo health Groups there is a group called “overweightCeliacs” try searching them (under Yahoo Groups) and they may be able to help you. Another good Yahoo Health Group is “SillyYaks.”
Hope all this helps some!
Best of luck!

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

I’ve been wondering if I could be allergic.I’ve been eating ALOT of special k bars lately. I’ve been extremely bloated for about 3 days now, it’s so uncomfortable, I’m swollen in my hands. Can’t breath right.
I do this a lot sometimes, but I’m just now making a connection.
Is there anything else that could be causing this?

It sounds like you have angioedema from wheat or brewers yeast or gluten or whatever else is in special K and similar food. Angioedema can cause swelling of the hands and stomach, etc. You may have a mild case and the reactions could get more severe over time. I would always carry benadryl and an epipen in my purse. It wouldn’t hurt to get tested for Celiac Disease if you find out its gluten you are reacting to.

To be on the safe side, consult your doctor and get tested for allergy.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

My friend is vegan and she has a wheat allergy.
I don’t want a recipe that’s too complicated, is there anything out there that I can bake for her?

Try this delicious cookie recipe:

Ingredients:
◦1 & 3/4 cups oat flour (you can make your own from oats in the blender or food processor) or substitute brown rice or quinoa flour for a gluten-free version.
◦1/4 teaspoon salt
◦1/2 teaspoon baking soda
◦1/2 cup sugar (sucanat or turbinado)
◦1/4 cup brown sugar (or substitute honey or agave nectar for all of the sugar)
◦1/3 cup oil (olive or canola)
◦1 Tablespoon ground flaxseeds (ground in coffee grinder)
◦1/4 cup milk (or soymilk)
◦1 teaspoon vanilla extract
◦1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or almonds)
◦3/4 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Mix the salt, baking soda, and flour together.
Whisk the milk and ground flax seeds together in a small bowl. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla and whisk until well mixed.
Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, adding the chocolate chips and nuts last.
Drop by the teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
The recipe makes about 18 cookies. Double the recipe for a family.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

My 10 year old has skin issues and has been diagnosed with cold induced asthma. I’ve been doing some research on wheat allergies and I’m thinking it is possible he may have wheat allergy. I’m going to contact my allergist specialist, but in the mean time, does anyone know if zyrtek blocks an allergic reaction of hives throughout the day if taken in am??? If he doesn’t take his zyrtek, his body becomes inflamed with hives and itch him severly. He has been tested for indoor/outdoor allergies and it comes back as allergic to all which is a skin condition. So we don’t know if he allergic to anything like that, but it seems as though wheat may be a culprit. Any answers??

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

My son 23 months old has been diagnosed wheat allergy. Wanna know:
1. Is it curable?
2. What is the corrective action?
We are of course getting in touch with specialist help but wanted to know from hardcore experience of any parent who have had similar problem with their babies.

There is no cure, you have to take wheat out of his diet completely. It is difficult and you have to always be checking labels but a lot of people do it successfully. Check for websites and support groups. I have known kids that act out with ADD and ADHD symptoms because of wheat or gluten allergies and when it was taken out of their diet they were fine.

Are you sure it is a wheat “allergy” and not a wheat or gluten “intolerance” If it is a wheat allergy, then he might outgrow it or possibly take allergy shots for it. If it is a gluten intolerance, then gluten containing products will always have to be avoided.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

I was diagnosed with coeliac disease 7 years ago, and the diet is very nutritious and easy to follow. Basically, you are not really depriving yourself of anything, because, there are so many healthier alternatives for coeliacs. You can eat all fruits and vegies, fresh meats, glutenfree cereals, youghurts, icecream, dairy products, ohh, the list goes on. The only thing that you must avoid, obviusls, is anything that is wheat based, and anything that contains gluten. See, it is the protein in the wheat, called gluten, which damages the lining of a coeliacs stomach. If you have just been diagnosed, then, you have to become an expert at readind labels. Anything and everything you buy, be sure to read labels, as youd be surprised that wheat is in so many things. I didnt know till 2 years after my diagnosis that soy sauce had wheat in it, but you can buy the wheatfree soy sauce. Also, cornflour is wheat based. Be sure to buy (maize) cornflour. There are also alot of foods, including chocolate and junk food that contain glucose syrup (from wheat), but these foods are very safe for coeliacs, because what alot of them dont know is that, yes, glucose syrup is derived from wheat, but once it is processed, there is no detectable gluten found in the syrup whatsoever. I could go on and on, but if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

I have been eating gluten free for over 5 years now. I started out eating vegetables, fruits, and non processed meats. The first thing I added was salad dressings and how to read the ingredients in them really got me started reading labels and how to find gluten. My favorite salad dressing is Annies Roasted Red Pepper Vinegarette.
The key for us is shopping and only bringing home gluten free things and then everything is ready to go and if you keep shopping for things that really taste good rather than just being passable, then your friends will even eat your foods without any problems. This weekend we are having two other couples spend the weekend and they will eat all my snack food without any problem.
About the only thing that we haven’t been able to replicate to an acceptable level is biscuits. And that is mainly because I made really good ones and haven’t spent much time trying to replicate them.
I eat a relatively low carb diet most of the time and find that George Stella’s two cookbooks are almost naturally gluten free.
Whole Foods carries a pretty good selection of gluten free things. As a matter of fact, our local whole foods store is having a gluten free tour of the store this Thursday(1/17).
I also regularly eat out and more and more restaurants will take care of gluten free diets. Carrabbas has a gluten free menu as well as many chains.
Wine is acceptable and Anheuser Busch has had a gluten free beer out for a year now called Redbridge.
If you have anymore questions feel free to contact me.
The important thing is to look at all the things you can have and not concentrate on what is off limits.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post

A gluten allergy is just like any allergy and releases histamines and causes issues like hives, sniffles, and anything else that your body can do reacting to it.

Celiac disease is a gluten intolerance caused by the gluten changing the lining of the small intestine, flattening the villi in the intestinal wall and eventually leaking through into the body where it causes problems. Plus the changes in the intestinal wall and flattening of the villi cause malabsorption of nutrients and disruption in the digestion and elimination cycles of the body.

The malabsorption of different nutrients can cause different symptoms that makes celiac disease hard to diagnose. Also the disruption in the digestive cycle also makes celiac disease mimic other symptoms and masks the diagnosis.
Now to complicate things, people can have either a gluten allergy or gluten intolerance or both. They could also have just a wheat allergy and gluten intolerance. All sorts of combinations.

People with celiac disease have to watch for cross contamination just like someone with an allergy. One reference I have read estimated that the tip of a knife of a piece of cake was enough gluten to cause troubles for a celiac. So not much gluten to cause problems.

Celiac disease is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged by an allergic reaction to the food protein gluten which is present in a number of grains. It is said to be an auto-immune disease since antibodies produced by the immune system against specific gluten components, namely gliadin, cross react with intestinal tissue which contains similar proteins.

Gluten consists of many long elastic chains of proteins lined along each other, giving it the characteristics of a dough. Not all of them cause Coeliac disease, but some can cause irritation to the small intestine, enough to hinder the cells of the lining from enzymes production to break down foods. To confirm if a person is Non Coeliac Gluten Intolerant – NCGI – they should do an elimination diet.

Avoid all gluten food for at least two weeks and then introduce it. If symptoms return, and previous tests were negative or inconclusive then it shows that the person is NCGI. People with NCGI suffer from similar symptoms of food intolerance and Glutenzyme that is capable of breaking down gluten proteins can be the solution for a normal diet reducing or eliminating symptoms associated with NCGI.

Tweet This Post Plurk This Post Buzz This Post Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post