Diagnosed with celiac (can't eat wheat)

[mimitabby]

can you say RICE?
there's potatoes too.
I stayed on a diet for a year which had no wheat. (In the end i added sprouted wheat)
THIS is tough for Italians (where everything is pasta and bread!)
the first thing i let go of was cereal breakfast.

It is hard, it's a major cultural shock, but i know of two women with celiac disease, one is Hungarian, the other WASP.

Mimi

[mimitabby]

out of curiosity, would you mind telling me if you have type O blood?

[velogirl]

I don't have Celiac, but I found out in Feb that I'm allergic to wheat (I had suspected it for a long time). It causes serious breathing difficulties and triggers asthma attacks, so as a racer I have eliminated it from my diet. And almost immediately I lost weight (which has more to do with the fact that I over-consumed pasta than than wheat is evil -- it's not).

Like you (and most Americans) I lived on pasta and bread. Somehow, I've been able to get enough carbs to continue to ride and race at a high level. The best substitute for me has been corn -- tortillas are great! Rice also works. Oats are good too. But I sure do miss beer and pizza and hamburgers (not the same without the bun).

If you have a Trader Joes or similar health food grocery in your area, you'll find a ton of substitutes for wheat pasta and wheat bread. I stay away from them but I know lots of folks who love them.

Good luck to you! Celiac isn't a death sentence. Once you've learned how to eliminate and replace wheat in your diet, I'm sure you'll start feeling much better.

And isn't it great to finally know what was wrong with you?

[Offthegrid]

Velogirl, if it's not too much trouble, could you give me an idea of your sample menu for a day?

Ugh I hate corn by itself, but can tolerate it on the cob. But I do like tortillas.

I may not be able to eat oatmeal, either. My problems were a LOT worse when I was eating oatmeal every morning. I have read that the oats are "contaminated" because they are handled on the same equipment as wheat. Although it's possible I may be able to find some that are certified gluten-free.

One Web site suggested cream of rice. Looks absolutely awful but I guess I'll have to give it a try.

Don't know of a Trader Joes, but there are a lot of health food stores around here. And I bet Wegmans has a pretty good selection of gluten-free stuff. Better get out the wallet. I hear it's much more expensive.

Mimi, I am type O, but my aunt also has celiac and she's not type O.

[mimitabby]

thanks for the blood type info.
There was a movement a few years ago that got very popular. it was the blood type diet. And for us O's, wheat was verbotin. But there are a lot of people
still on that diet and there are LOTS of recipes on line for you to look for.
But I wouldn't try cream of wheat if I were you. It's made out of the same
stuff as white bread! WHEAT!

I forget why oats are bad too, I think they are too close to wheat genetically!

[DebW]

I know someone with Celiacs who makes her own bread out of non-wheat grains. It can be done.

[HappyAnika]

I'm sorry! I have a friend of a friend who has been diagnosed with Celiac, along with her two children. When she first found out she was angry and frustrated, but over time she's accepted it and even turned it into a business. She started a company making gluten free desserts (and they are fabulous, mostly chocolate stuff). She even figured out how to make cookies using a blend of different flours. She also dropped about 30 pounds from her petite frame after discovering this, even while taking pastry chef classes. If you have a Whole Foods nearby, they have nutrition specialists (I don't know how certified they are) who will consult with you on things you can and can't eat within the store, highlighting gluten free alternatives.

Good luck!

[Offthegrid]

But I wouldn't try cream of wheat if I were you.

Oops, I meant to type cream of RICE.

[bouncybouncy]

*one handed typing...so i keep it brief

celiac is not so bad at all...once you get used to the brands and all! my cousins 4 year old has it along with diabetes...he is one ACTIVE soccer player and can run circles around most kids! my boss has it too...i used to do her shopping and after a few trips to the store i was a wheat-free pro!

many restaurants have wheat-free menus...just ask! yes, some things are more expensive but once you get the hang of what you like you can balance the budget to adjust i guess. now take a deep breath and start here...

http://www.livingwithout.com/welcome.htm

http://www.google.com/search?q=glute...en-US:official


you will get thru this and feel soooo much better soon!!! ride on!!!

[uk elephant]

Initial disclaimer: I do not have celiac's and have not had to eliminate wheat....

But I do cook a lot and like you, love bread and other starchy foods. So I tried to think of a few alternatives.

Tortillas made with corn flower should be ok. And you can use them to make wraps instead of sandwiches. In Norway we have lefse made with potato which can be made using potato flower instead of real flower. Works like a tortilla basically but a bit thicker. Also a good way to use up leftover mashed potato if you ever have any.

Being from Northern Europe, I'm big on potatoes. We use potatoes with every meal (my dad insists it's not dinner if it doesn't have potatoes and will even have potatoes with his spagetti bolognese). And they can be used in a very wide variety of ways! If you want potato recipies, just let me know.....

[aicabsolut]

I may not be able to eat oatmeal, either. My problems were a LOT worse when I was eating oatmeal every morning. I have read that the oats are "contaminated" because they are handled on the same equipment as wheat. Although it's possible I may be able to find some that are certified gluten-free.

Don't oats have gluten?

Rice crackers are awesome. You can probably find spelt things that are gluten free too, like spelt english muffins (so good), spelt pretzles.

It's a big lifestyle change, but you can still get in your carbs. At least now you know what the problem is.

[solveig]

I don't have celiac, but I do enjoy cream of rice cereal often. I cook it with 1/2 soy milk, 1/2 water, and a touch of salt, then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top and eat it with additional soymilk. A nice source of protein, and I love the taste!

Best of luck with the gluten-free foods. You've gotten some good suggestions here - hope you start feeling great soon!

[KnottedYet]

Don't oats have gluten?

Rice crackers are awesome. You can probably find spelt things that are gluten free too, like spelt english muffins (so good), spelt pretzles.

It's a big lifestyle change, but you can still get in your carbs. At least now you know what the problem is.

Spelt is a variant of wheat, so be careful.

If you crave something made with cracked wheat (like bulgar) try using quinoa instead.

I just had a great quinoa salad (using just plain quinoa grains) at a restaurant Trek took me to in Pt. Reyes Station. It was essentially a pasta salad with cooked quinoa grains instead of pasta. You could get salmon or chicken with it, but I had it plain. It was "tasty" as Trek says.

Quinoa can be made into a great warm morning breakfast cereal, too. Treat it like oatmeal with honey brown sugar, nuts, raisins, etc.

I think quinoa is a complete protien, too. And it's very cute when it's cooked! (like little ufos with rings around them or like little Saturns. very cute )

There are quinoa pastas out there, but they are very expensive and I like just using cheap rice pasta from the asian foods section. It takes a little more olive oil to keep the rice pasta from sticking to itself, but it turns out great! SKnot eats it, too.

[Duck on Wheels]

I think the basic message in many posts above is to shift your focus from what you can't eat to what you can eat. You need to keep a corner of one eye on the can't eat list too, especially when eating out, but mostly you just need to build up a repertoir of foods you like and that work well for you. There are lots of options out there, and learning new recipes can be fun.

At least, that's what I keep telling myself, living on a low fiber diet in a high fiber world. Not exactly the same problem as yours, but shifting my focus away from "Darn! But I love raw fruit and veg!" to "Hmmm... what can I do with this?" has helped enormously in terms of my spirits. And my guts are doing better too.

[eclectic]

I don't have Celiac, but I found out in Feb that I'm allergic to wheat (I had suspected it for a long time). It causes serious breathing difficulties and triggers asthma attacks, so as a racer I have eliminated it from my diet. And almost immediately I lost weight (which has more to do with the fact that I over-consumed pasta than than wheat is evil -- it's not).

Wow - what we don't learn on this great forum! I have been fighting chronic asthma for the last 2 years. It is never very bad but is always there. After a multitude of tests, catscans, xrays, medicine - it is still the same.

I read this post and a light came on. for the last few days I haven't been eating anything that is made from wheat and guess what? my breathing is better.

I ate part of a flour tortilla yesterday and the old feeling came back.
I ate some cake and 2 cookies and there was no problem - DARN! ! !
After the New Year I am going to go off all wheat for 2 weeks then introduce some back in and see what happens.

After reading this and calling her I discovered my mom quit eating whole wheat hot cereal years ago because it triggered her asthma - now why didn't she tell me that sooner before I spent $$$$ on all the tests ????

for the past 2 summers I told everyone - "Just you wait - if I can ever breathe I will kick butt going up hills" This summer I just may be able to do it!

What kind of sucks is my dad's a wheat farmer