Living with Celiac Disease

Arbor Mist....is it safe???

2010-06-30T09:30:00.004-04:00

I've been drinking Arbor Mist for a while and feeling okay most of the time. Sometimes something is getting to me and I can't figure it out. Sometimes it's hard to tell if this is a gluten reaction or some other kind of flu bug.
I usually have Arbor Mist on weekends and I've been blaming my Monday morning bloat on whatever else I ingested on the weekend. But then I was at a picnic and someone told me that Arbor Mist wasn't GF and she had a letter at home to prove it.
In a panic I race home to check with the company. The response I get was that they didn't add gluten ingredients.
Hmmmmm....
So I emailed the head of my Celiac Support group and asked. She thought it was, but now she's going to recheck to make sure.
I'm waiting...
Anyone else drink Arbor Mist?

Great Gluten Free Website

2010-02-06T09:13:00.003-05:00

Check out this great GF website: Be Free For Me.
They are running a contest to win a great GF book and stuff so go check it out.
We need all the help we can get.
They also have an email thing that can send you a great happy thought for the day. I signed up!

Wheat! Gluten! Alert!

2009-12-12T19:25:00.000-05:00

WHEAT ALLERGY ALERT
December 7, 2009

College Inn is recalling “College Inn® No MSG Chicken Broth” due to undeclared wheat.

The product was distributed nationwide.

The 14 ½-oz. cans are mislabeled “No MSG” and bear any “best by date” with UPC 2400032230.

Consumers may return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may call (800) 552-7684 or visit www.CollegeInn.com.

New Gluten Free Website! Check it out New Jersey!

2009-09-25T21:28:00.002-04:00

I've been wandering aimlessly around the web and happened upon a GREAT website for all us New Jersey Celiacs.
Check out www.myglutenfreenj.com

This site lists all the places in New Jersey to get gluten free food! Restaurants! Health food stores!

It also has a gluten free alcohol page! Whoo hooo!

Apologies...

2009-08-26T09:58:00.004-04:00

I don't post here as much as I should. Good intentions often go out the window as life comes in.
I recently came back from Florida. Food issues always drive me a bit batty when I travel. I fear food. I don't want to eat out for eight days and nights due to cross contamination issues. How do I know what goes on in that kitchen behind the swinging door? I've worked as a waitress and seen what's back there. Dinner hour in a restaurant kitchen is like a hurricane blowing over a tiny island of chaos. Food moves through at the speed of light. Order up, cook, slap it on the plate and move it out. Mistakes are easy to make.
I got sick the third day of my trip and felt like crap for three days. Blah.
Which put me off food for the rest of the trip. I ate very little, saving my appetite for home when I could eat without risk. (Can we ever really eat without risk?)
Florida was nice. Hot, humid and relaxing but its good to be home.

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE!

2009-06-28T11:46:00.003-04:00

Betty Crocker is doing GLUTEN FREE!
Just picked up the Browie mix and Yellow Cake mix in Pathmark in Hazlet, NJ. (They also have Chocolate Cake mix and Chocolate Chip Cookie mix).
The Brownies are in the oven now....I'll let you know how they come out.
Doing the happy dance here!

Everybody's Nuts AND Gluten Free (Almost)

2009-06-21T20:57:00.003-04:00

Thank you for contacting Everybody’s Nuts concerning pistachios processed and packaged by Paramount Farms. With the exception of the European Roast Flavor, all the other flavors are gluten free as the European Roast does contain some barley in the malt vinegar. I hope the information I provided you with was useful.
Regards,
Paramount Farms
13646 Highway 33
Lost Hills, CA 93249
kgettenpowell@paramountfarms.com

Celiacs and other issues

2009-06-20T07:28:00.003-04:00

I've been diagnosed with hypothyroid for about ten years. Celiac's since 2003. Going gluten free definitely made me feel better but underneath I still felt there was something else.
One lovely Saturday afternoon I was cleaning and my dd was watching a show called Medical Mysteries. The woman in the show had IBS, dizziness, and a few other issues. As each ailment was brought up I said, "I have that." After the third or fourth time my dd turned to me and said, "Hey, maybe you should get checked for whatever she has."
The woman in the show had Pernicious Anemia which is a B-12 deficiency.
Hmmm, so to the doctor I went for a test.
My B-12 was low. Now I get shots once a month and take a perscription B-12 vitamin every day. And I'm feeling much better!
The Internet doesn't have a lot of in depth information on Pernicious anemia but I found one wonderfully interactive site:

STOP!

2009-06-19T15:27:00.004-04:00

Sometimes a really nice doctor will tell you..."Just go off gluten for a while and see how you feel."
VERY BAD ADVICE
Sheesh! You might feel better, headaches clear, tummy and bowels improve, joint pain gone...but you will never know if you have Celiac Disease. When you stop ingesting gluten the antibody level in your blood will also change. Thereby altering a positive test result.
Going off gluten forever is life-altering. You have to change not only the way you eat but also the way you cook, shop and party.
Yes, I said party. Gone are the days where you can grab a quick slice of pizza from the corner store, a buttered roll with that morning coffee or share a random treat from the vending machine at work. The neighborhood BBQ? You'll now have to bring your own food...and yes, maybe their burgers are gluten free but I'm betting they put the rolls on the grill to toast them. Hence, anything else on their grill is GLUTENATED.
Do you really want to make this big a change without knowing for sure?
I didn't think so. So continue eating gluten every day until all tests are completed. It's the best way to know for sure.

More Gluten Free bars.

2009-04-12T15:11:00.004-04:00

I was shopping the other day and the words GLUTEN FREE just jumped out at me.
I love it when they put it right in the middle of the lable so I don't have to spend 20 minutes searching the fine print.
Lately I've been seeing more and more gluten free products in the local grocery stores. Watch out! Celiacs are all around us.
This bar I found in Shop Rite.
The best part is-it's really good! Definitely on my buy list from now on. Cost of about $1.59 or so, it was sold in singles.
170 calories
5g fat
27 total carbohydrates
9g protein
On Weight Watchers it's 3 points.
:)

Celiac snack attack!

2009-03-30T17:30:00.004-04:00

All these bars are GF (Gluten free) and great for the days when you're eating on the go. I keep these in my drawer at work, in the back pack for the gym or anytime you need a quickie.
At home we eat a lot of fruit, cheeze and crackers or fresh cut up veggies.
What do you do for the snack attacks???

Celiac? Gluten Free? Go here:

2009-03-01T19:38:00.003-05:00

If you're Celiac or just going Gluten Free to try and feel better you have to check out this site: http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/start
It's THE BEST site on the web. They have GF food lists that you can print out and take to the store with you. I put the pages in a little notebook so as I prowl the grocery store I can find out which spagetti sauce, cereal, yogurts, etc, are gluten free.
They also have a great message board where you can post questions about food, diagnosis and how to handle social situations and still stay Gluten Free. You can even vent when the lifestyle gets you stressed. Great people hang out there.
Check it out. In the beginning they saved me.

Gluten free pit falls

2009-02-23T21:23:00.005-05:00

When I first went gluten free I had been sick for a long time. Every piece of food I put in my mouth made me sick. Teetering on the brink of insanity, wondering how much longer I could stand never feeling good. Doctors didn't seem to help. They had no answers. I was getting desperate.
Finally, I would drive home from work each night and talk to God. I said I needed answers, that I didn't care what was bothering me, but I had to know. I prayed for answers.
So, after another show down with my doctor (You know the kind where you insist there's something wrong and the doctor offers you Valium-or whatever the latest anti anxiety drug is-and you tell the doc its not nerves, there's really something wrong...etc) Okay, then I kinda yelled at him because I really felt he wasn't listening. When I said that even bread made me sick he stopped and said that magic word; Celiac.
Two weeks later I'm mastering the diet and feeling better. (Not great, but definitely better.) And then I discovered ...FOOD!
Something I haven't really enjoyed in years. And I found out a most dangerous thing; Breyer's Ice Cream. (Check the label but most flavors are GF.) And those Whole Foods GF cookies. The more I explored the gluten free land the more I found I could eat safely. However, safe did not always equal healthy. Lots of the GF foods were high in sugar and fat and calories.
Through out the whole time I was sick I still had a problem with weight. I often wondered how I could be so sick all the time and still not lose weight. My new doc had a theory on this one; Starvation mode. Since food made me sick, Whenever my tummy was upset (like any day that ended with a Y)I would go all day without eating and basically starve myself until I was safely home. So, the human body, wondrous creation that it is, held onto the calories because it thinks it's starving.
Hmmm, could be possible? I've read that bodybuilders eat six or eight times a day to maintain their energy. Could this be a key? And if so, how long does it take the body's metabolic clock to recalibrate into a fat burning machine?
Are you a Celiac who needs to shed a few pounds? Tell me your weightloss secrets!

NEW Gluten Free Magazine!

2009-02-15T17:33:00.002-05:00

There's a New Gluten Free Magazine! I'm so excited. I believe this is the FIRST magazine completely dedicated to the Gluten Free lifestyle.

Check out this amazing new magazine! Delight gluten free is a fun food & lifestyle magazine for people with Celiac Disease, gluten intolerance and food allergies. It hosts delicious gourmet recipes and easy semihomemade as well. Don't miss the Gluten-Free Meals on a Budget either. Whatever your food allergy you should be able to find something that fits your household, in their February issue they offer gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, soy-free and even some rice-free recipes. Not only that, this magazine has a travel section coming in May that will host lots of fun ideas and good advice for when you venture out on the road. Personal stories, inspiring articles on Autism, Q & A with the Doc are among the other features of this magazine.

B-12 deficiency?

2009-01-28T19:22:00.003-05:00

Still having tummy problems after five years of being totally gluten free. Not finding any help anywhere. Then I watched Mystery Diagnosis on TLC. The woman there had horrible D, balance problems and migraines with visual disturbances. As I'm watching this I kept saying, "Yes, I have that."
A doctor finally diagnosed her with Pernicious Anemia; a B-12 deficiency.
According the websurfing I've been doing a B-12 deficiency can cause a whole host of random problems from diarrea to balance problems to shortness of breath. I have these and a few more from the list (see here) . One interesting note is that this is often associated with absorbtion problems like....Celiac Disease!
So I asked for the test and today it came back with low B12 levels.
Never in my wildest dreams would I have linked the symptoms of the big D, breathing issues, and the fact that I often trip over my own two feet almost everyday. Who knew?
I started B12 shots today and perscription supplements. I'll let you know how it goes.

Blogging to Stamp out Hunger

2008-12-14T23:11:00.003-05:00

Celiac's know how hard it is to manage a diet. Whether you've been Celiac for a month or a year there is always a time when you hit a bit of a brick wall and the realities of this lifestyle slam into you full force. Imagine having no food on your table, no money and kids to feed. And what if that kid is Celiac.

Not a lot of options.

The food banks are reaching new lows, shelves are depleted and there are lots of hungry families out there.

December 15th Bloggers are uniting to get the word out about our Food Banks. Spread the word and ignite the fire and lets bring out food banks up to an acceptable level.

Check out Bruce.

Start a food drive.

Drop off some non-perishable food.

Spread the word!

Oh those Christmas Parties

2008-12-12T11:42:00.003-05:00

Dealing with Christmas parties can be especially trying for a Celiac. The best strategy for dealing with these parties is to bring a fabulous dish or desert with you so everyone will be drooling over your food. Also be the first to dish up your portion so there's no cross contamination!
My daughter attended a Christmas party with a group she belongs to and brought a tray of her Delicious chocolate chip cookies. (I steal these cookies every time she makes them-they are soooo good!) When she was questioning one party goer about the chicken and rice dish they made-any flour, breadcrumbs, etc in there?-another person stepped up to her and asked if she was Celiac. This woman had been diagnosed about a year before. My dd pointed to the cookies-those are GF too! The woman was so excited to have something from the desert table she could eat she practically danced.

Moral of the story? Where ever you go...there we are!
Oh yeah, and be prepared. . .
Celiacs of the World Unite!

Autism and diet

2008-10-02T15:04:00.003-04:00

I don't have an autistic child. A friend has a son with it and I've watched what she's gone through for the past ...12 years. I do have Celiac's disease and so do my two daughters. I think the fact that a gluten free diet helps autism is amazing.
I can launch into the politics of that fact that wheat is the cheapest filler used in too many foods in our diet but I'll save that for another post...
Let's talk about Jenny:
I saw Jenny McCarthy on one of the morning shows and was very impressed. Truthfully, I used to think she was a real ditz, all glam, no brains, (sorry Jenny) but after hearing her speak and seeing the lengths she went to, to help her child I now think she is an amazing woman.
Louder than Words is on my to be read list now and I think it's something everyone should read. Autism is on the rise in this country so get informed! The next person diagnosed could be someone close to you. Read this book!

Scary part of Celiac Disease

2008-07-13T13:19:00.004-04:00

Doctor's refuse to diagnose it.

I was recently at a Celiac picnic and one of the most profound things these people had in common was all the doctors they had met -- over 100 people-- never tested them for Celiac and they waited years for a diagnosis. My own doctor refused to test me. Amost wouldn't test my daughter until I sat down and refused to leave. (both positive-thank you!)

In parts of Europe a Celiac test is quite common. So...excusseee me! Aren't most of us European? I'm 100% Irish. So, if I lived there would I have been diagnosed years ago?

Modern medicine in the USA should be ashamed. Everyone would with cronic digestive problems should be given a Celiac blood test. If doctors would wake up..the could save people years of suffering.

150 PIZZAS

2008-05-02T21:45:00.002-04:00

Monday night I tried to order a Gluten Free pizza from this place but I was SOL.

They sold 150 Gluten free Pizza's over the weekend!

Whooohoooo! Now thats a PIZZA!!!

Gluten Free Pizza! Morgano's

2008-04-14T21:19:00.002-04:00

The menu from Morgano's in Middltown. The owner says he can convert most of the stuff on his menu to Gluten Free.

Yum!

If you click on the picture it should get big enough to read.

Happy dining!

Crock pot bread~~~ Who knew???

2008-04-14T07:40:00.004-04:00

I read on Delphi forums that you can make bread in your crockpot. This Amazing Woman has a whole website to crockpotting. (Okay, her bread looks better then mine but she's like a professional or something)

First, please know, I'm no cook. I don't like cooking-hey! after years of food making me so sick, why would I care for cooking? I have too many issues! But this one I had to try.

It was like using a cake mix. I threw the stuff in the bowl, electric mixer (and I don't have one of those fancy-schmancy mixers, I used the little hand held one) flopped it all into a greased bread pan and placed it in the crock. I vented the top with a chopstick and poof! Three hours later we were munching on some really good bread!

So, give it a try!

And check out the Crockpot Lady, she's got some great ideas.

Eating out with Celiacs

2008-03-25T20:11:00.004-04:00

Eating out is always risky. Mantra of many Celiacs when venturing out in the real world. Who knows who lurks in the kitchen, armed with stupidity and ready to contaminate our meals?

I shiver in my pleather diner booth.

So I make it my mission in life to hunt down the best GF restaurants in my area!

This place is called Morgano's in Middletown, NJ. I heard they were serving Gluten Free Pizza so I went in to get the scoop.

I found a very nice restaurant with plenty of seating. Its casual Italian atomsphere was nice and the whole place looked clean as a whistle. The owner was a nice man who took the time to answer all my questions. I'd definately bring the family there for dinner. (okay, I'd do lunch too)

They have more then just PIZZA! Chicken nuggets! Meatballs! Pasta! Yummmy!

We ordered a pizza to start and it tasted like heaven.

The owner is creating quite a Gluten Free menu with the help of his sister-in-law who happens to be a Celiac. He says he experiments on her ;) She has helped him understand the cross contamination issues and how to safely feed a Celiac. (Thank you sis in law!)

Either way, he makes a great pizza and I'm going back this week to sample some other stuff.

If you're near Middletown, NJ come and check out this great place to dine.

Happy Pizza Day!

GLUTEN FREE OATMEAL!!!

2007-12-26T21:51:00.000-05:00

Yes, its true. Oatmeal is in the meal plan for Celiacs once again. I found Bob's Red Mill, Gluten Free Oatmeal in the store last week.

I stared at it for three days...there haven't been any oats in my life since 2003 when I first heard the words "Celiac Disease". Could this be true? Since I'm a fairly sensitive Celiac I'm very careful with my diet. Gluten free oats? Could I be so lucky???

Gluten free Oats; That translates into warm bowls of Oatmeal on cold winter mornings, Oatmeal cookies and bars and anything else I could bake those healthy oats into... has Bob's Red Mill answered my prayers?

After the days of staring and hoping it was true we made cookies....and I ate one. Just one. It melted in my mouth and I almost fainted at the bliss. Oh, Yum! I waited a day and ate two more. So far, so good. No stomach pain, nausea, or other less mentionable reactions --NOTHING!

So, of course, I checked out the Bob's Red Mill website and found lots of recipes, too. More things to make from my new found oatmeal. I have to send them a thank you. You can, too. Just check out Bob's wonderful website: https://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/index.php?action=showdetails&product_ID=681

Bob's Red Mill---I love you! You gave me back one of my favorite foods.

(I'll post my Oatmeal Raisin recipe tomorrow.)

HOLIDAY EATING STRESS

2007-12-23T12:08:00.000-05:00

One of the most difficult things to deal with when first diagnosed with Celiac Disease is eating anywhere else but home. At home you're safe, you know what you're eating and how it was prepared. But out there-- in the real world-- there is no telling what might be creeping onto your plate! So, what are your choices?
Here's my way of coping:
1. Eat before I go.
2. Bring something safe and gluten free to share with everyone. I usually try to make this extra special so everyone will love it. (Proving safe, gluten free food tastes great is my mission in life!)
3. Make my own individual meal that I can eat when everyone else eats.
4. If its in a restaurant; call ahead to insure they can cook a gluten free meal. (Lots of places have gluten free menus now so you might be pleasently surprized!)

Depending on the type of place you are invited to, one of these might work for you. The most important thing to know is that its not about the food--its about the people! Enjoy the season, your friends and family and remember food doesn't make the party--people do!
If you have other ideas please post them!
Happy Holidays!
Jeannie

CELIACS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

2007-11-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

Right about now most of you are wondering who are the Celiacs? Some strange political group? A fancy new club? Or maybe you heard the word in your Doctor's office with the advice to just avoid gluten. (What the heck is gluten?)
Well, there are an estimated three million Celiacs in the United States alone and half of them don’t even know it! They go about their lives, dealing with Celiac issues, all the while they are oblivious to what is going on in their own bodies. Celiac Disease is an auto immune disease that causes a person to react to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. (Okay sometimes oats too-especially in the USA, but that’s controversial so I won’t go there.) If you have Celiac Disease and eat wheat, rye or barley your immune system goes haywire and the villi in your intestines is destroyed. Flattened! Squashed! (FYI- Villi are the little hair-like fibers in your intestine that move the food along and grab up all your vitamins and good things to feed you and make you healthy.) Now, without these little villi just try to absorb those nutrients! Symptoms are mostly digestive include bloating, the big D, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and some not so subtle symptoms like anemia, bone pain, headaches, and a wonderful little rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. From “failure to thrive” in infants to any problem associated with vitamin deficiencies Celiac Disease can present it self in many ways. So, how do you diagnose something that hides under so many hats? Celiac disease was once thought to be extremely rare but the times they are a changin’. It starts with a blood test and is confirmed with a biopsy (so they can see those squashed and flattened villi).When diagnosed Celiac Disease is like this giant monster living in your house. It sits on your shoulder where ever you go and hangs around your neck like a ball and chain. Gone from your life are the cookies, cakes, breads, cereals and pasta you love. No more beer! You go to parties and have to refuse just about everything on the menu because wheat is the cheapest filler known to man. It’s in most of the gravies, soups and sauces (thickened with flour-and yes, four is made from wheat too).
Clean out your cupboards and get ready for a change of lifestyle. Then we learn of cross contamination. Yeesh! Enough already! So, the chef is in the kitchen making your lunch. Cheese burger, no roll please and you think you’re doing good. But the chef is busy and he takes the spatula—YOUR SPATUAL—and leans over and flips a piece of French toast, then he flips your burger. POOF! You’ve been contaminated! Tiny flecks of gluten from the toast have found their way onto your burger and your plate and will work their way into your gut, throw your immune system into chaos and hammer down your villi. All from one careless flip of the spatula. So, beware when you belly up to the buffet because you have to wonder if the people before you moved the spoon from the croutons (wheat) into the olives.
Oh, the joy of Celiac!
Now relax. Push the panic aside and know there is hope. It takes time to tame this Celiac beast, but it is possible. You do your research, check out the Celiac organizations for more information and you learn it’s not so bad. Most health food stores now carry every kind of gluten free food you could imagine. Even your mainstream grocers are starting to stock the stuff. So you’ll buy one of the gluten free pastas turn the first few pots in to glue (cooking was never one of my better talents!) and learn to manage this life. Experiment, find the brands you like and maybe even learn to bake a few of your favorites. You either eat before you go to the party or bring a little gluten free dish with you. If you do find food you can eat just serve yourself first so those cross contaminators don’t get you!
Day by day it gets easier, you know at a glance what you can and can’t eat and you stock your home with good food again. The beast shrinks in size and now fits in your pocket. He’s still there, but can’t scare you anymore.Then comes the payoff: you FEEL GOOD! The nausea that’s followed you from sun up to sun down is gone, bloated tummy, aching joints and headaches GONE! The beast has given you back your health. And I found the best tasting bread up at Whole Foods so I’m going to take some Thuman cold cuts, cheese, mayo and chopped up olives and make the best Dagwood you ever saw!
Life goes on, it gets better. (There are about four or five kinds of gluten free beer on the market, too.)
-Jeanne -Gluten free since 2003
http://www.celiac.com/
http://www.celiac.org/
N.J. Local Celiac support group: http://www.geocities.com/seashoreceliacs/