@alfalfa52 It was at the suggestion of a rheumy I visited 10 years ago, that I visit a nutritionist in town.

She put me on a gluten-free diet - no wheat or wheat products. Back then, gluten free pastas were in rice form, and they were so mushy, it was just better to eat rice.

Rice & quinoa are GF, Cheerios (not all varieties, check the box) & Chex are too. Today, GF varieties of pastas, cereals, breads and oatmeals are actually wonderful, and they’re not as expensive as they once were. They’ve come a long way. Trader Joe’s has a wonderful GF oatmeal, ET bagel, and English muffin, as well as cupcakes and other desserts. Whole Foods has tons of GF products too, of course, but they’re pricey.

I finally found a fantastic recipe for gluten free bread. I made 3 loaves last month alone and froze them.

Definitely go online and search for “gluten free foods.” Best way is to eliminate for a week or two, then go back, and see what happens. If you find your symptoms resolve or lessen with the elimination of gluten, well, there you go.

There’s a wonderful enzyme called GlutenEase, available on Amazon, that you take with a meal containing gluten, or that you think may contain gluten. My gastroenterologist recommended it to me years ago. I did 11 days in Barcelona back in 2019, ate EVERYTHING in sight, and didn’t have a single flare or issue.

As for lactose, Lactaid has milk and ice creams, as well as an enzyme you take with the first bite of dairy. You can take Lactaid and GlutenEase together. (Drugstores have their generic version; it’s usually cheaper too.)

I don’t need an enzyme with yogurts, cottage cheese, or feta cheese. Some other cheeses I do; it’s kind of a hit or miss, but taking the Lactaid regardless ensures I don’t suffer. I’ve had a problem with dairy since I was a little girl. I keep the enzymes in a small pill bottle in my purse, so I’m always good to go.

Hope that helps!