Looking for Help in Starting a New Way of Eating - Gluten Free!

My husband found out about 6 months ago that he has a wheat sensitivity so no Gluten for him either. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have many good gluten free pastas and breads that he has tried. Also, Francesca's in Arlington Heights has a gluten free menu and Gianni's across from Deer Park let him bring pasta in which they prepared.

A gluten free diet is easier now than it used to be. You can even find gluten free products at the Jewel.

The Yahoo Group Foodlab is a large group for families with food allergies and insensitivities, and lots of recipes are shared and stored.

We are so lucky here in Chicago! A new store just opened up that is ALL gluten free! www.gfgrocery.com The store is located Mannheim in Westchester and is called Gluten Free Grocery! They have a great selection, and Cindy, the owner is a wonderful resource and open to carrying things you need/like. Check out their website- there's lots of info on it. :)

T.

www.ReadandGrow.com

What kind of blood test did you do? I'm curious. Are you saying you have celiac's disease? Just wondering what kind of testing you did? If insurance will cover it? My mother-in-law swears that dairy products make her nose stuffy, but when she was tested for food allergies nothing came back positive. Was this a different kind of test?

I have found the Pamela's products tasty. There is a pancake mix, cookies and many other products in the line. Of course they have a website with recipes, hints and tips. Van's is a good brand of pre-made toaster waffles if you're in a hurry. the kids are likely to eat these. Your diet will need to be very strict if you have been diagnosed with Celiac disease. If not, the separate pots and pans, for example, are probably not necessary.

Hi,We are a gluten free family. It takes a while maybe a year to get comfortable with the diet. If you can clear a counter in your kitchen that will only be for preparing your own food. Cross-contamination is a key player with this challenge. Use only salt and pepper and make a trip to a health food store for gluten free spices. We live in the Gurnee, IL area so there is a store called Earthly Goods, but if your near WI in Kenosha there is a big store called Woodman's and in WI you don't pay taxes on food, so you save quite a bit of money. Keep your foods separate from regular and depending on how sensitive you are you may need a couple new cooking pans, a new toaster etc...We were able to still have foods that we likes I just had to changed out a few ingredients. For example the family loves meat loaf. Hamburger is ok, but I used special gluten free bread crumbs and I found a line of soups Health Valley cream soups at Woodman's. For spices just ask for gluten free at a health store, but make sure they know what they are talking about.
As far as testing your children, I have six and around 3 years of age is when they will show symptoms of Celiac disease, before you will not get an accurate result. I'm here if you want ot throw any more questions my way.
Contact University of Chicago Hospital Celiac. You can find them on line and they send a welcome basket to everyone who has a new diagnosis. It will have all samples of gluten free items. It was a nice surprise.
Take a deep breath you'll be a pro in no time.
J.

I bet you are a bit overwhelmed by the responses. If it's too much info now, just set some of this aside to look into later. There are two things I wanted to share with you.

One is this website http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/ This is the blog of someone who used her crock pot everyday for a year. Her daughter is gluten free, so her recipes are.

Also, you may want to talk with an allergist about your daughters. My friend just went to the allergist last week with her son (who has major peanut allergies). The allergist told her that new research is showing that early introduction of foods can actually make the kids less likely to develop an allergy. They were instructed to start his little brother (who's one year old) on nuts, slowly (skin first, etc). They were told that it had to be regular exposure (we're not sure if that's weekly or monthly, she was going to call to ask). Now the brother is adopted, so they have different genetics - I'm not sure the advise would be the same for biologically related siblings.

Just wanted to pass this on, because I've never heard it before. Please don't use this information without consulting a professional - but I thought you may want to consider it when you decide if your kids should go gluten free.

Jenniffer-
I completely understand! I'm on a GF diet and my mother-in-law gave me the most awesome cookbook for X-mas. It is called "1,000 Gluten Free Recipes" by Carol Fenster, PhD. It is so great! My husband and my mom help me out as well so that helps a lot. See what your husband and others can do for you and the family.
-G.

J. - I have customers who are gluten-free diets. You can check the ingredients of everything in the Wildtree catalog online. I can also email you an allergy chart, which lists the products and categories (wheat, eggs, dairy, etc.). Email me and I'll be glad to forward it to you.

Re testing: Unless they are showing any sensitivities, don't put them thru the testing. I've had food allergies all my life and I hated the testing!

V. Noe Chikow
Wildtree
www.vikinc.mywildtree.com

J.-

I follow a GF diet and have nutrition handouts that will help you how to read lables to finding GF restaurants and GF websites. www.deerfieldsbakery.com now offers GF baked goods and my own mother is starting her baking business and makes fabulous GF brownies and cheesecakes! Email me and I will send you the docs. www.glutenfreeonthego.com is a website on where to find restaurants in the USA.

You should have your children tested once a year, that is according to the University of Chicago Celiac Program, they have one of the best Celiac research programs in the nation. Kids in Italy get tested every year that are under the age of 6 that is how prevalent it is out in Italy (who would have thought, right?)

You did get some nice recommendations on here, it is not easy, but easier today than 5yrs ago!

J. W. MPH
Wellness Educator/Lifestyle and Wellness Coach

Hi J.!
My son is on a gluten free diet and also follows the Feingold.org food list. They compile yearly food lists that tell parents which brands and types under this brand have no harmful chemicals, colors, additives. Plus we found our son was sensitive to foods high in salicylites such as apples, grapes, berries.
I now shop at 4 places...Trader Joe's for organic veggies and some good frozen fruits. They also carry bread, waffles, and a few other gluten free items. Another place I shop is Fruitful Yield they have an entire aisle and frozen section for gluten free. Kinnick Kinnick offers frozen pizza shells, english muffins, tapioca italian bread, bagels that are gluten free. Amy's has a gluten free mac and cheese. Meijers also carries many items that are gluten free. And lastly Whole Foods. Since they are most expensive I do minimally required there. But things like rice cheese and their 365 brand of rice milk and organic corn chips I get there. Some Jewel's also now have gluten free aisles.
Check Amazon.com for gluten free cooking books. Lots based on potato, rice and tapioca flour. Challenges may be in getting enough fiber.
I hope that helps! Good luck.
Slange in Lisle

You might want to check-out Whole Foods near you for their Gluten-free groups that meet during the week . . . there is one tonight in Naperville . . . there are also some in Wheaton on Thursdays . . . I'd just check their website or contact me if you can't find it

Deb E.

Whole Foods has gluten-free recipes on their website. They also have a support group at the stores. Vegetarian Times also has gluten-free recipes.
Good luck!

there are two stores we shop at one is ALl Ways Healthy in Lake Zurich on Rand Road and near route 22and the other is called The Gluten Free store in Northbrook and that is on Waukegan rd and Shermer. There is no gluten free store in Buffalo grove anymore I saw that one response they moved to northbrook. Hope this helps and there is a book called special diets for special kids you can get from the library that is all gluten free recipies. So many books out there just call the library!
good luck and heres to a healthy new year!
J.

Hi J.,
Check out glutenfree.com . They have a wonderful newsletter, TONS of products available and recipes galore. Also, if you can afford to shop at the health food store there are many choices, if you're at the regular store like the rest of us, they have some options, but not many. I eat a lot of potato dishes, rice, vegitables and gluten free pastas (rice is the best, but watch the time as it can over cook and then suck). I'm complicated by also not being able to do dairy, but if you can eat dairy it won't seem that boring. Best of luck.
J.

Looking to eat out? Deluciano's in Elmwood Park has a separate kitchen to cook Gluten free. Just ask for the Gluten free menu.

Remember, just because a product says it is Gluten free, the plant it was processed in may not be. My girlfriends mother keeps her cell phone handy to call the number on the side of a package or when in doubt, don't do it. Spices are coated in gluten (anti caking agent) so be careful. All prepackaged products need to be well checked.

You have many options and I have found that sometimes they taste better.

You can always eat pasta (brown rice and rice pasta) and whole foods has some baked goods that are a little pricey but yummy.

It is scary, I have watched my friends mom go through it but with her help, I have cooked for her in my house and didn't contaminate her. It isn't as hard as it looks.

I would put your children on a low gluten or gluten free diet. It is healthier for them and easy for you. It can't hurt but in the end, it is your choice. Good Luck!

I myself must found out I am allergic to wheat, gluten, yeast, sugars, vitamin C, soy, milk, dairy, caffeine to name few. I am doing for myself what we did for my son with lots of allergies - going to NAET (naet.com) allergy elmination treatments. It actually eliminates the allergy after isolating what organs it affects, and what antibodies that particular allergen/sensitivity prone item produces. It is quick and can be done in 5 minutes. And you can eliminate a couple per week. We go to Dr. Tam in Lombard. He is fabulous, and our insurance covers it. Hope it helps you like it has us!

Hi J.,
I know this is going to be a bit of a transition, changing your diet. You might do better on a vegetarian-type diet. I can help you heal up your gut too. Avoidance of your sensitivities is a big part of it, but healing up the gut lining is the main part. I implore you to come in to see me. Plus I can muscle-test your kids to see if they might be sensitive to the same foods. THe blood tests don't always give the correct results when they're young. Clinical Nutrition is a big part of what I do & I see pediatrics too. ###-###-####. Call to set up an appointment. Once your gut is healed up, you could possibly start re-introducing those foods slowly & use the rotation diet. Also, get friendly with Whole Foods Market, their foods cater to food allergies/ sensitivites!
Dr. A., ND

Just a quick reply -- since your kids are so young - start them EARLY before they are old "enough" to be set in their ways and complain about the food change/tastes. I am in need of testing an already TERRIBLY picky 9 yr old. Wish this had happened at your kids' ages. Good luck to you!!
(My Mom has celiac disease (gluten intollerance). Don't think I do, but was advised my son has all the markings of those allergies)

My friend eats gluten-free. If you can, you should shop at Woodman's in North Aurora. They have a big gluten free section. Also you can shop at Fruitful Yield or Whole Foods. Make sure the products you buy are actually certified gluten-free. Also, 90% of oats in the US are contanimated with gluten, so you should buy gluten free granola bars or oats, too. Good luck!

Sorry to hear about your situation. I understand completely. My husband and I recently found out we are gluten sensitive and have changed our diets. I would recommend Gluten for Dummies as a starting point. It really is an easy way to learn the basics.

The most difficult thing is all of the hidden gluten. Most packaged soups have gluten as do most ice creams. Soy milk and rice milk as well unless it states gluten free on package. For some reason gluten is not listed on ingredients and is often used as a thickener. Eating out is mine field. Even when we ask there are still times that the cook doesn't understand.

If you live near north there is a wonderful bakery and restaurant called Rose's (on Central) and another called Balanced Kitchen (on Lincoln not in Evanston), both gluten free. Whole Foods is a good place for education. Many have gluten free clubs and education sessions.

Great pasta is Tinkyada. Best that we have tried. Whole Foods has a decent sandwich bread in the frozen section and their brownie mix is pretty good.

Our daughter eats what we eat but I don't give her our bread and a few other items on a regular basis (expensive!)

Hope this helps. Let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

I have been gluten-free since findig out mt gluten intolerance about 5 years ago.
What I found to work for me is Carol Fenster's book Wheat-free living (can get on amazon).
She has a flour list on pg 11 that I have used w/ about 1 cup gf flour to 1 teasp xanthan gum to make things from reg cookbooks.
Not everything will work for subbing, and it is a pricey diet!

DeBoles noodles work the best by the way :)

good luck!

Timber Creek Organics delivers organic produce to your door--cheaper than the store. They also have a pantry club, which includes gluten free items. Their site is http://www.tcforganics.net/

There's a link to the pantry club on the left. The woman who organizes it is so response and easy to work with. Just contact her to sign up and with questions. The pantry items are delivered with your produce.

I had to go gluten-free for about a year. Like you, I was sensitive to gluten but not a celiac. At the time (this was maybe 3 years ago), there was an all gluten-free grocery store in Buffalo Grove. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of it, but it was just north of Lake Cook Road in a little plaza. I can picture the intersection but can't remember the cross road's name. Also, I found the GF french bread rolls at Trader Joe's to be a fairly decent bread substitute when I felt I really had to have a sandwich. They're quite heavy, but when toasted taste pretty good.

Good luck, and don't despair - it's an adjustable (and healthy!) diet.
J.

Hi.
My aunt found out she was sensitive to gluten about a year ago, and she found that Trader Joes (Orland Park and other places) has a bunch of yummy gluten-free things.. And they are reasonably priced too (unlike a lot of grocery stores around here).Good luck!!

I don't have a gluten issue but I shop bobsredmill.com and they have lot of gluten free items.. pancake mix, etc.

Good Luck. Gluten is in a lot of things. I've read it really isn't good for you regardless of allergies.

J.

If you have been diagnosed by a doctor,then he should be able to tell you places to go for help. At the very least,he should set you up with an appointment with a dietitian at a local hospital. The dietitians are a vast worth of knowledge when it comes to allergies,etc. They will tell you where to go to get info. Good luck and continue reading labels as it's the best resource you have at this point. J.

Good for you taking control of your health! I have a great friend who does food sensitivity testing, nutritional coaching, and has a sensitivity-free cookbook on its way. I highly suggest talking to her as she is very knowledgable. Her email address is ____@____.com and her phone number is ###-###-####. Her name is Keri. She would love to help! And anyone reading this can call too!

Personally, I would test them if there's any chance of celiac. My niece has it (diagnosed at 3 because a family member had it so they tested) and the diet is MUCH more careful than just plain "gluten allergy" - we have a friend who has that. You have to be so much more careful because then you have to watch for flavorings and preservatives, and what the citric acid is made out of . . . and every time she accidentally gets gluten, it does damage to her intestines.

We eat with them a few times a year, and we've shared a kitchen on vacation. It's definitely doable - you can have rice, potatoes, corn and corn tortillas. Meat and vegetables and fruit are all fine.

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods both have printouts you can pick up of their gluten-free products. They're very helpful. There's also a store called Gluten-Free Grocery, I think it's in westchester.

A couple of links from my bookmarks:
killthegluten.blogspot.com
http://gluten-free-blog.blogspot.com/
http://www.cookingcute.com/recipes.htm (bento box lunch recipes, look for GF label)
http://justbento.com/category/filed-under/gluten-free (more bento - not that I have a bento box, but I keep bookmarking the recipes!)

My daughter had some markers, but we found out she did not have Celiac's, so we are not completely gluten-free here, but do try to cut down (and eliminated it while we weren't sure)

Good substitutes for typical gluten things-

corn tortillas instead of flour ones or bread (look online if you can't find GF ones in your grocery store)

spaghetti squash instead of pasta, with typical sauce or veggies, etc

there are lots of GF snacks at Meijer and Trader Joe's. I also use a great organic grocery delivery service that is local (Oswego- delivers all over IL) www.naturaldirect.com (If you let them know I referred you, we both get discount)

Make sure you get separate pots and pans to cook GF in. You can get cross-contamination if you don't. You can't use your toaster or toaster oven because of cross-contamination of crumbs, and some people say not to even use your dishwasher. I have a friend who bought herself a set of red pots and pans to make sure everyone knew those were the GF ones.

If you want further, specific testing, HomeFirst does a test called Meridian Stress Test (MSA) that is a pressure test and you get the results in about an hour and it isn't painful at all. They do specific food by specific food and it's really helpful. It cost us $100 out of pocket, but SO worth it!

Hope this helps. I have a great book called, "Breaking the vicious cycle"

:)
M.