Gluten-free diet: What has worked? Your tips

Very interesting - thanks for the info. Jane Brown. Do you have any problems with fruits or vegetables?

@macjane Jane- I have no problems with fruits or vegetables in my gluten-free diet because they do not have gluten - it only occurs in some grains.
People may have issues with some fruits and vegetables but that is not gluten related - it would be a different food allergy or sensitivity. I think when people choose a gluten-free diet in response to health issues, it is often only part of the equation for their health - there may be other food or environmental allergies or sensitivities as well.
When we enter into discussions about what foods cause us a problem as individuals, we must take care to differentiate between foods we react to due to gluten and those which cause reaction due to other allergies or sensitivities.
For example, I avoid most foods with sauces unless I know the exact ingredients because it is the usual source of "hidden" gluten in the form of thickeners or extenders. Some barbecue sauces and many soup bases contain wheat starch or wheat. Soy sauce, unless labelled gluten-free is usually made from wheat. Some canned soups or dried soup mixes may also contain barley, another gluten source. I avoid all of these to avoid a wheat/gluten reaction.
But I am also very allergic to tree nuts (pecans, hazelnuts...) so I religiously read labels - as a result I must forego many gluten-free foods because they contain nut flours in place of wheat. And I shun flavored coffees, creamers and store coffee grinders because nuts/nut oils are often used a flavoring, sometimes without being named - just called "flavoring."
Sorry to be so wordy, but it is so difficult to convince people that food allergies are real, I think we need to be as clear as possible and try to deal in clear-cut facts.
Do you have issues with foods other than wheat/gluten?

I have been gf for about 10 yrs. Diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2010. The initial learning curve was steep, I'll grant you that. So many labels to read! We found that the easiest way to eat gf is to just eat real food. Meat. Fruit. Veggies. The processed, high fat, high sugar replacements for gluten foods are mostly kept to a minimum. We have been able to eat very similarly to before my diagnosis, except for eating out. THAT is a huge pain in the ass and takes web searches, phone calls to managers and endless questions asked of servers and their managers. Ugh. The higher-end the restaurant, the more gf they can cook as the chefs have the training and education to understand our condition and cross contamination.

@therjes
Hi,I

I was happy to read your post because 3 things stood out for me...Eat real food, Eating basically the same way as before the GF “diet” and Read labels. It takes perseverance and research which you have done. As you said, being aware of the fat and sugar content of GF replacements is important due to the preponderance of GF foods on the market. We have a friend with celiac disease who won’t change her way of eating because, frankly, she’s just lazy and can’t be bothered to learn. Consequently she suffers for it.

You are right about the higher end restaurants...they have more GF options and real food and are more open to substitutions. I don’t trust the GF options at chain restaurants and certainly not at fast food places. I would love to see chain restaurants and fast food eateries disappear off the face of this planet and have more small, independent restaurants open in neighborhoods....just the way it was when I was growing up and before the fast food explosion.

However, it is challenging to dine out when you have certain food allergies or a condition like Celiac Disease. I’m guessing you are a lot healthier after 10 years....kudos. I’m going to a so called Italian chain restaurant with my gym class next week because that’s what was decided. I’ve been looking at the menu for 2 days...the caloric and nutritional facts....and can’t come up with anything except a salad. I don’t have any food allergies but one lunch there has more sodium, sugar and trans fat than I would eat in several days...even their “lower calorie” items. The caloric content of some of the specials is what I eat in a day. It ain’t easy.

FL Mary

@imallears Hi Mary - Restaurants are a challenge with food allergies, but awareness is so much better now than a few years ago, and I hate to forego a social event, so my solution to eating out in many restaurants is the salad or a plateful of fresh steamed veggies. But to make it a meal, I will call in advance and ask THE MANAGER to determine whether they can safely prepare a broiled, grilled or pan-fried chicken breast, shrimp or small steak to serve with it. I have only been disappointed in their response a very few times.
As for gluten-free options in chains/fast food places, we actually have pretty good experiences. We travel a lot, and NOT eating out is not an option, so we selectively find places and speak directly to the front-end manager or the preparer. We also use an app called "Find Me Gluten-free", which not only helps find the safe places, but also the ones to avoid. As a result, we have done some education and given ourselves more options. We also socialize a lot when home, and have found a number of ethnic restaurants and small family-owned ones that are very accommodating, especially if they know it will bring us back with our group of family or friends (repeat business is their lifeblood.)
As for the nutritional content, you are right - it can be abysmal. Again, the small places preparing from scratch are a great help, because you can ask for minimal or no salt in the prep, and sauces and dressings on the side...
You've done a great job preparing, so I hope you enjoy your day out with your gym group.
Sue

Oh man, looking at a menu for days is absolutely right! In fact I am possibly going out for lunch today and I spent last evening doing that. Need to find a place my friend would like that has ANYTHING safe for me. And it ain't easy.
I am healthier but 2 yrs ago my hubbie and I got Fitbits and began tracking what we eat, calorie-wise. That has resulted in a healthier, more fit couple. The gf diet, I think of as my medical treatment for an incurable disease. My dad had colon cancer about 5 yrs ago and has had digestive issues for my whole life. And he's 100 % Irish. So I'm guessing he is an undiagnosed Celiac and it's come from his side. At 81 it seems it won't be what kills him but I have heard many stories from ppl who think a relative did die from it. I consider myself lucky to have finally been diagnosed (took a few yrs for them to ID why my ferratin was always so very low - it was being Celiac).
Anyway, good luck at the chain restaurant!
Theresa

@sueinmn @therjes I have had a lactose intolerance for a while now, probably triggered by the immunosuppressants I have to take. Recently I have wondered if I may now also have a gluten intolerance. The other day I had a breakfast with nothing dairy in it, but I had a low cal English muffin with it and had a problem afterward.
Are the terms gluten intolerance and celiac disease synonymous?
We went out to dinner last night to one of my favorite restaurants. It is an upscale restaurant and they are great about accommodating dietary restrictions. I told them I am lactose intolerant but I did not mention gluten since I am not yet sure. I doubt there was anything in my dinner that had gluten in it, and thankfully I have not had any reaction. Just trying to stay lactose-free is a challenge. I also have to keep my sodium low!
JK

Hi! No, gluten intolerance and Celiac are NOT the same at all actually. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease, like Type 1 Diabetes. It is when your body creates an immune response to gluten, which is the protein in wheat, barley and rye. Your body attacks the villi in your intestines, which allow you to absorb nutrients from food. Gluten intolerance can produce very similar symptoms but the key is no damage is done to the gut. It just feels awful. The only way yo know which you might have is to be tested for Celiac. First s blood test to see if you have elevated tTg antibody levels. If yes, then referral to a GI specialist for a gastroscopy and biopsy of the intestine. This will rule it in or out, based on looking for those damaged villi. A gluten free diet for life is the only treatment. Once you get a diagnosis you will st least know what is happening!
Good luck!
Theresa

Thank you Theresa

Thanks, @therjes I went to a gastroenterologist in the fall, I actually saw his NP. At that time I definitely did not have a problem with gluten, just lactose, but she insisted on doing a test for celiac. I allowed it because she was so insistent and I knew it would prove her wrong, which it did. So, unless celiac has popped up since then, it is if anything simple gluten intolerance. I will be tracking what I eat over the next week to try to determine if I do have a gluten problem.
JK