Gluten Free Ladies

glostagirl

dlb823...regarding houseguest etiquette....I have a friend who's allergic to seafood and another lactose and another bananas, another to cats, they've never hesitated to let me know in advance.  Yet, I've had the same feelings of being reluctant to let people know I have a gluten intolerence.  Why is that?  Why should it be different from any other allergy, why do we feel we'd be putting people out....?  It's takes me back to the days when we had to stand up to people who smoked, well maybe not quite as bad. LOL

My husband and I went to a dinner party last week, I didn't speak-up, I didn't want inconvenience the host, lucky for me most of the meal was gluten free, I only had to pass on the bread.   

My first clue something was wrong was after a family dinner party last August.  They served bread & olive oil for an appetizer, pasta, meatballs and more bread for dinner and then birthday cake for dessert, oh and beer too.  I was too sick to drive home.  My family thought I was drunk!  ~sigh~

I've been finding that most people don't take it seriously because they don't know much about it, so I've had to do a lot of educating. Even my own husband, he agrees it's a healthy lifestyle choice to not eat the carbs; but because he can't see what physically happens to me when I eat gluten, he doesn't take it seriously as a health risk.  

I do wonder if this is yet another side-effect of chemo: 

chemo brain ~ check, hearing loss ~ check, osteoporosis ~ check, loss of libido ~ check, gluten intolerence ~ check..... 

dlb823

glostagirl, I think one difference is that most people don't eat shrimp, for example, multiple times a day, so it's easier to avoid it or leave it out of menu planning.  Wheat just seems harder to ask someone to work around if you're not use to thinking that way.   But you're right -- we really need to get more comfortable speaking up!  

Oh, and add teeth problems to chemo's lovely list of lingering SEs!  Unfortunately, wheat sensitivity has always been an issue for me. I'm just taking it a lot more seriously now that I understand that inflammation plays a role in cancer development.  I feel it's not just my comfort at stake, but my future health.     Deanna  

Kaara

While I'm not totally gluten free, we are about 85% of the time.  I am feeling better each day with more energy than I had before my bc dx.  I am no longer taking my BHRT, which gives me some hot flashes, but I still continue to feel well in spite of those issues.  This new diet has become a way of life for us.

MariannaLaFrance

glostagirl- After having been GF for a few years, doesn't that meal sound like a nightmare of grains / carbohydrates?  Way too much wheat there for anyone, let alone someone with Celiac/GI.

 I am just embarassed to tell people, for fear of seeming "high maintenance", so I usually very quietly order and ask for things on the menu that are GF.  When it comes to other peoples' homes, I have actually been to a dinner party where all I consumed was a small salad and some wine.  It was not a very substantive meal, but I guess I was lucky they had a salad!!  I did not say much, just kept chatting with everyone. I have started keeping a GF bar and nuts in my purse for occasions such as these. 

glostagirl

Isn't it wonderful there's no gluten in wine!  

Kaara

glostagirl:  True, but it has sugar which is equally bad for bc!  I try to drink very little wine.

glostagirl

I don't consume much sugar, so my 2 indulgences, in moderation of course, are the darkest chocolate I can find and very dry red wine.  A girls gotta have some fun!

Kaara

Yes...that's the best way to go.

DianaNM

I remember from my carb counting days that champagne/sparkling wine was the lowest in carbs. So it must be lowest in sugar, right? Pretty sure that's the dry stuff, but that's what I like. Red wine actually has some good stuff in it though. Drinking a glass of chardonnay right now since I have surgery next week and I'm a bleeder.

Kaara

Yes, champagne does have the lowest sugar count.  I drink it whenever I get the choice; otherwise, red wine.  Usually I don't have more than a glass every two weeks if that.

dlb823

I just wanted to recommend a gluten free product I just tried that's delicious.  It's Amy's Rice Mac & Cheese, and it's excellent.  Al dente pasta, and lots of creamy cheese sauce -- enough to add some steamed broccoli, carrots, or other veggies to if you want to make it a bit healthier.      Deanna

gardengumby

I've been off wheat for quite some time, as it gives me asthma.  I've found that rice noodles (called rice sticks in most asian food markets) are a perfectly good replacement for wheat noodles.  I missed spaghetti for a long time, but once I found rice sticks I have it again.  (Though sometimes I start thinking about spaghetti and end up making pad thai instead.... 

gfbaker

I get quinoa/corn/rice pasta and my whole family eats it happily, hardly tastes different at all. What I am trying to do now, though, is walk away from all these gluten substitutes. They tend to have more sugar in them to make them taste better. Can we live without bread and pasta? I think so.

ATeamNana

I recently tried spaghetti squash. It is a great substitute for pasta.

glostagirl

Thanks for all the recommendations.  

I also like the quinoa blend pasta better than the rice types.  They seem to hold their shape and texture better.  The bright yellow coloring took a bit of getting used to though!

Bob's Red Mill has an excellent gluten free cornbread mix, tastes as good as homemade, not too sweet and excellent texture.  I would think some of their other gluten free products would be just as good, although I haven't tried any as I tend to not eat much of this kind of stuff anyway.

gfbaker....I agree that the majority of gf products are a poor substitute.  Sadly I think there's going to be a big trend in gf foods as more manufacturers get on the gf bandwagon, going gluten free seems be becoming somewhat of a fad.   

Any thoughts of substituting polenta for pasta.  I've made it from scratch and although it can be added, it doesn't require fat or dairy to be a good foil for sauces that traditionally go with pasta.     

I do miss making my favorite spicy vegetarian lasagna, has anyone found a good gluten free lasagna noodle? 

LAstar

I love this thread!  My husband and I were preparing to challenge possible food allergies at the time I was diagnosed and went ahead with the dietary change to get my immune system in good shape for surgeries.  We eliminated gluten, dairy, eggs, sugar, and alcohol 2 months ago.  We've both lost about 15 lbs and are still losing.  It has been so wonderful to feel in some ways that I am getting healthier while lying around recovering from surgery for breast cancer!

We eat a lot of beans, rice, veggies, dried fruits, nuts, & soups.  My favorite thing to cook these days are garbanzo flour tortillas/crepes and tubs of hummus!  When I want a sweet treat, I mash a banana with crunchy peanut butter and a dash of maple syrup then grate some cacao over it.  Or we go get Cocnut Bliss ice cream!    

dlb823

I also like the quinoa blend pastas, and Trader Joe's brown rice pastas are surprisingly good.  And we sometimes have polenta in place of pasta.  I prefer brands from Italy because so much USA corn is GMO.  Another really yummy way to fix polenta is with lots of chopped green chili and green chili powder.

As far as lasagna noodles, I recently tried making lasagna with ribbons of zucchini (forgot where I got that idea -- either here or one of the cooking shows), and it came out great.  There are several recipes on-line for it.  I recently read that zucchini is also heavily GMO'd, so will probably only buy organic zucchini now.

I recently experimented with coconut flour in pancakes, and they were pretty good, but I can eat oat flour, and I prefer that for most recipes.  My new favorite way to satisfy a craving for something sweet is a glass of chocolate soy milk.  I know some of you don't eat soy, but if you do, it's sinfully delicious for something so healthy.      Deanna 

Blessings2011

I've been on Optifast (liquid diet) for two months. I have four shakes, one soup, and one nutritional bar a day, for a total of 960 calories.

Early on, people started telling me how great my skin looked. I usually told them it was makeup, but they still said it even when I wasn't wearing makeup.

Then I started losing weight, and got more comments about that. (I'm down 22 pounds on the diet, for a total of 35 pounds down from my highest weight.)

Then I noticed I had energy for the first time in years. It couldn't have been solely due to the weight loss....it kicked in about the third week on program. I found myself at the gym and out riding my bike.

Then I realized - my fibromyalgia symptoms are almost gone. I don't wake up in pain every morning, and limp out of bed, all hunched over for the next three hours as I try to deal with the pain in my joints.

I think it has more to do with the fact that I've given up all the whites - white sugar, white flour, and - gluten?

All I know is that when we get to Transition, where regular food is slowly added back in, I am going to be VERY careful which foods they are!!!

luv_gardening

Wow. Blessings, 35lbs is excellent, and better health too!  My sister's been on several high protein, low carb diets but never lost her fibromyalgia. I'm sure that by introducing new foods gradually you can find out what caused your different problems.

Having lost my excess weight twice since the diagnosis, I no longer eat to drown feelings.  I know I'll never put it on again.  I tend to wait till I'm really hungry to eat and then the food tastes soooo much better.  I have no idea how I made the change of attitude but I'm relieved it happened.

Kaara

Blessings:  Congrats on your weight loss...that is awesome!  Also the realization that the white stuff in our diets is sapping our energy and giving us disease!  I give my low simple carb diet credit for getting me through the worst of my dx with minimal issues.  Keep it up!

Blessings2011

Thanks, JoyLiesWithin! And congrats to you on "getting it" with regard to weight loss. At Kaiser, they call this a "vacation from food"...I prefer to call it my "food detox"...

I cut my nutritional bars into 8 pieces, and eat them throughout the day as snacks. Two days ago I went to reach for one, and realized I'd finished the bag - unconsciously!

SO - just another reminder to me to be in the moment when I eat. No more stuffing things in my mouth on the run. (We'll see if I remember this in two months, when I start Transition!  )

Thanks, Kaara!  I've tried to eliminate the "whites" and gluten from my diet before, but it was too hard.....call the waaaaaaambulance! Now I have no choice, and I am amazed at the results. THAT (pain-free) is a huge motivator for me.

MariannaLaFrance

Does anyone else have problems with quinoa? I have made it several times, but I think I must be allergic to it as well. My stomach cramps up immediately after I consume it-- as if I had a stomach flu. I tried it 2-3 times, with the same reaction each time so I gave it up. I'll have to try some of the other types of noodles mentioned here.

I make a lot of brown rice, and then I just add meats, veggies, beans, etc to make a meal with it. Tonight we had picadillo (Mexican ground beef, mixed with onions garlic, pureed tomatoes, potatoes, salt and pepper. I mix it with the brown rice for a meal.  It's a traditional Mexican meal, and since I eat red meat once a week, it gives me the protein/iron mix that I need. 

Yes, hear hear on the wine!! I do miss beer in the summer time on a Friday night, but I don't really drink that much, so it's not a show stopper for me.  I probably have wine once every two weeks.... that seems to be my schedule, too.

Blessings2011

MariannaHB - I hate quinoa! I keep trying, because I know it's supposed to be good for you, but I can't stand the taste - even after I rinse and rinse and rinse to get the bitter coating off.

Here are some possibilities for the stomach cramps:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/487176-stomach-pain-from-too-much-quinoa/

As for protein, my DH has kidney disease, and is on a very low protein (<25 grams a day), no-red-meat diet. When I got home from my BMX I was feeling so weak, then I realized I was eating the same things he was. So I got some whey protein and made shakes, and also got some organic Turkey Jerky from Trader Joe's, and upped my protein intake that way. Sure felt better.

DianaNM

If quinoa upsets your stomach, don't eat it! Doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. I have the same problem if I eat more than one piece of gluten free bread, I think it's the rice flour. I can't eat much rice either. I seem to have become sensitive to starchy carbs. Which is ok, don't really need them anyway.

But it's so nice to eat a farm raised beef green chile cheeseburger on a bun. We have a local place that has GF buns. Last time I ate it without a bun, wasn't nearly as much fun.

Veggies have all the fiber you need, and way more nutrients. And adding some good fats to your diet will keep you from getting hungry. Coconut oil, grass fed butter, olive oil for cooking. I sometimes cook with uncured bacon grease for the flavor. And of course, some good protein.  

Dinner last night was local farm raised center cut pork chops, marinated in olive oil, chipotle and lime juice, then grilled. With a big stir fry of chard and kale with a bit of wine vinegar. It was delicious.

I've also made a couple of big batches of meat only chile, Texas style, and chicken tikka masala for the freezer. Meat is grass fed, and the chicken is free range. The masala will be served with riced cauliflower, my family actually loves it. Surgery is Monday, so I'm also planning to make some marrow bone broth soup this weekend with whatever veggies I have left. 

DianaNM

Blessings, I'm guessing Optifast is gluten and sugar free? So many of those shake type diets have added sugar! I'd like to lose 20 pounds to get rid of my belly, but haven't found a way yet. My diet is good, I don't eat much, but no more weight loss for me.

gardengumby

DianaNM - I have a terrible time losing weight.  I eat very little sugar other than natural sugar in fruit, watch my starchy carb intake, don't eat a lot of meat, but the weight just doesn't come off.  I have found, though, that when I have time off from work that my weight starts to drop.  My husband is convinced that the stress of my job is what keeps it on - and I've come to think he's probably right.  I've been off work for the last 2 weeks and have lost 3 lbs.    Guess I'll just have to retire!

julianna51

Hello!  I haven't had a chance yet to read through this whole thread but I love it!   I've been toying with the idea of going wheat free for some time (it's the zucchinni muffins from Paradise Bakery that get me!) but have not yet made that change.   Listening to all of you (the little bit I've read so far) encourages me to move forward on this.   I did read that someone had horrible hives with antibiotics....I had a HORRIBLE reaction when I had my BMX that my BS attributes to the antibiotics, I wonder if gluten/wheat has anythiing to do with that?  Hmmm. 

I'll go back to my lurking and reading all your posts :-)

DianaNM

Gardengrumby, I AM retired! Well, semi, but at least from my government job. I still have to make money, so I sell jewelry and vintage clothing on the internet.

My take is that my glucose is still a problem in spite of losing 30 pounds, or that my thyroid is out of whack. Don't know for sure, but that's my story. It could also be a slight over consumption of wine in the past. 

Julianna, I think almost everyone benefits from cutting out gluten. My husband, who has an iron stomach, has noted that his joints don't hurt as much. My daughter's boyfriend has noted that his stomach is better, and he doesn't suffer from an after lunch slump any more. He started cutting gluten as a sympathetic gesture, DH doesn't eat much of it because we don't have any in the house! 

gardengumby

ah yes - wine.  I do like it, but now limit myself to a glass (or sometimes two ) on a weekend.

I'm still about 1.5 years from retirement, though, if my husband has his way (and he usually does...  I'll probably retire a little sooner than that.  Though I do still enjoy my job, it gets harder and harder to make the commute (about an hour all told each way).  Also, the stress is something that I know I don't need.

glostagirl

DianaMN....I don't believe Optifast is sugar free.  If it is it has artificial sweetener.  

You can make delicious meal replacement shakes with unsweetened whey protein.  Add your own liquid whether it's cow's milk or a nut milk, yogurt, fruit ~ bananas work especially well as a natural sweetener, especially with the addition of a good organic vanilla. Stevia, honey or maple syrup are good sweetners and actually have some nutritional value.  I did this when I was on chemo and trying to recover from a staph infection.  Because of the chemo I wasn't eating well and wanted to ensure I was getting enough protein and other nutrients to heal.  Make this in a bender and throw in several ice cubes, blend on high until frothy for a nice light, protein packed frappe.

I have found that as you do go more and more gluten and also soy free you have to stay away from processed and ready made foods because they have so much hidden gluten, soy, artificial flavorings, and sugars, etc....   

I used to have terrible carb cravings and mid-morning carb crashes.  I went cold turkey off carbs and no longer crave them, salt or sugar.  I'm sleeping better too.  Not sure about the joint issues because I broke my femur skiing in March and am still recovering from that.  My knee on the effected leg is frozen and my hips hurt from sitting around too much, spending so much time on BC.org!!!  Oh well, could be worse I suppose. I could be on-line gambling or worse....