Witchyknits4ewe

Follow my life of knitting, karate, living gluten free and family!







Monday, June 20, 2011

G is for... Gluten Free!



This week, I thought I'd share my trials and tribulations of being Gluten Free. I've had stomach issues most of my life - it's my weak spot. I was diagnosed with IBS in college and then later on with Gastritis. I was on six different medications including blood pressure meds!! I felt horrible - tired, run down and just miserable. I didn't want to live my life like this and hated what being admitted into the hospital did to my family. I sought the help of a Holistic Nutritionist who diagnosed my gluten intolerance and set my diet straight. Within 3 months I was off of EVERY MEDICATION!!! Yes, even the blood pressure one!!! I went to my GP with all of this and had a blood test done for Celiac. It came out inconclusive which means I may or may not have it. However, my dad's first cousin has it and since I've been 100% gluten free and have no more symptoms, we think I do too. To be sure, I could go back on gluten and have a biopsy done, but I refuse to submit my body to that. So, whether I truly have Celiac or just a severe gluten intolerance, I don't care - the solution is the same - a gluten free life style. Now, some of you know that my younger son has Asperger's Syndrome. I began reading more about gluten free diets and kids on the Autism Spectrum and decided to give it a try. Guess what, not only is HE now off his meds, but bonus - his psoriasis has cleared up too!!! His teacher said his behavior is much better and so is his focus! The pediatrician is amazed too!

So, some people still want to know what do we eat?? I took a bunch of pictures of food I have that you can buy in a regular grocery store or a health food store. I don't go out of my way to shop - the local Acme and Giant have tons of gluten free foods. So, aside from the naturally gluten free foods such as fruits and veggies, here is what we eat:

Lazagna, anyone? Most cheeses are gluten free (except blue cheese which is molded on bread).



Lazagna noodles

What sauce do we use? Here it is:

Spaghetti sauce

The back label says it's gluten free:

Spaghetti ingredients

I love soup and Progresso has helped my out - here's my favorite:

Clam chowder

I even will put some chips on the side or make a salsa to eat them with:


Chips


Sometimes, I need a quick snack and yogurt fits the bill. I not a fan of peach but Jarett likes it. My fave is strawberry!


Yogurt

If I need some "filler," I add in some granola:

Granola

This also makes a good quick breakfast! We also enjoy ready made waffles:

Waffles

Or, we make our own or turn them into pancakes:

Waffles/pancakes

Sometimes, you just gotta have a bagel:

Bagels

Sandwiches are now easy too. I had the hardest time finding a bread I liked and almost bought a bread-maker. Then, my cousin turned me on to this:


Bread

We like our pizza too. The best thing about the ready made crusts is we can customize our pies. Sometimes we do "white" with olive oil, garlic and mozzarella. Other times we'll do a tomato pie with just sauce and lots of veggies. Here is what we buy and love:


Pizza

I wasn't sure if you could see the brand, so I took a closer pic:

Pizza brand


The other thing that Jarett loves is his Mac & Cheese. No problems there either!!!

Mac & cheese

Or the ever famous dinner - chicken nuggets and french fries!!

Chicken nuggets

Fries

As far as snacks, there are plenty to choose from and I didn't take pics of all of them. Here are the ones Jarett likes the most. The name on the pics say it all:

Marshmellow treats

Donuts

Muffins

Brownies


We also like to make Smores. Now, I'm gonna be honest, these don't taste all that great, but with the marshmallow and chocolate, it isn't bad.


Smores crackers

I found out this year that Passover is not so horrible anymore either!!! See my post here for Gluten Free Matzah and a fried Matzah recipe!

So, as you see, living Gluten Free has become very easy to do. I feel great, my son feels great and we are no longer slaves to medication and Doctor visits!! If you are looking to go Gluten Free as well, please feel free to email me any questions you may have. It will take some adjusting and getting used to, but I've been doing it now for almost three years with success. For more of ABC week, visit Charlotte!

10 comments:

  1. I have to admit, I'm surprised at how much Gluten Free stuff you can get (though not sure if it's the same where I am - I've never seen any of those brands!)

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  2. I think going gluten free has gotten easier in the last few years. I've noticed a lot more products on the market.

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  3. Going gluten free has certainly gotten better over the past few years. I too suspect I have issues with gluten and I really think I need to make the commitment to going gluten free. My sister is gluten intolerant and her daughter is Celiac so I suspect I may also have issues (I do have digestive "troubles"...) My sister makes a mean Black Forest Tort and a fabulous lasagne!

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  4. I had never thought of gluten until working shoulder to shoulder with a gal who was gluten intolerant. I have knocked around the idea of reducing gluten in our diet, but I'm not so sure reducing is workable. I think with gluten it is all or nothing (which isn't a bad thing). I have also seen a lot of research lately about diet and its affects on autism. Good for you guys!

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  5. OMGosh, "his psoriasis has cleared up too!!!" I have two BIL's who have psoriasis problems, one really bad. I'm going to suggest this to them!

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  6. My bff is a coeliac & had the hardest time getting a diagnosis...it took years. I don't know about where you live but here in Australia gluten free products are so much more expensive.

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  7. OMGosh, "his psoriasis has cleared up too!!!" I have two BIL's who have psoriasis problems, one really bad. I'm going to suggest this to them!

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  8. Going gluten free has certainly gotten better over the past few years. I too suspect I have issues with gluten and I really think I need to make the commitment to going gluten free. My sister is gluten intolerant and her daughter is Celiac so I suspect I may also have issues (I do have digestive "troubles"...) My sister makes a mean Black Forest Tort and a fabulous lasagne!

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  9. I have a lot of digestive problems, and am cutting gluten out of my life, but I'm finding it really hard to find gluten free items in the UK that can fit into my budget. My diet is a bit boring at the moment, but i feel so much better for it!

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  10. Have you checked about ordering online? I order a lot from Amazon.com (I don't know if you have that or an equivalent there?) and they're prices are really good.

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