Comments on: My First Post! http://switch2glutenfree.com/mikes-journey/my-first-post/ Life when switching to Gluten Free Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:48:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jeff http://switch2glutenfree.com/mikes-journey/my-first-post/comment-page-1/#comment-823 Jeff Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:21:10 +0000 http://switch2glutenfree.com/?p=17#comment-823 Jen- My wife has been gluten free for roughly 3 years. Chicken Fingers was something my wife loved as well. We have a great gluten free chicken finger recipe if you are interested. I think that living the gluten free lifestyle is an ever evolving adventure. I don't believe that you ever "truly" become an expert, just more content with the objectives in front of you. By the way, DeLand Bakeries makes a millet bread that is sold in local Hy-Vee stores. Hy-Vee labels it gluten free because DeLand states their bakery is gluten free most of the time. After eating it for some time, because it is a great alternative, we have come to find out that there is more than likely cross contamination. We have been on the phone with DeLand Bakeries many, many times. Since their story is never consistent and at one time we had someone from DeLand state that they never fully clean their line, there is bound to be some cross contamination. Not good news if you don't display the classic symptoms of a celiac. I know this is a new journey for many of you that is both overwhelming and confusing. Hang in there and know that you are doing this for the betterment of your health and life. Jen-

My wife has been gluten free for roughly 3 years. Chicken Fingers was something my wife loved as well. We have a great gluten free chicken finger recipe if you are interested.

I think that living the gluten free lifestyle is an ever evolving adventure. I don’t believe that you ever “truly” become an expert, just more content with the objectives in front of you.

By the way, DeLand Bakeries makes a millet bread that is sold in local Hy-Vee stores. Hy-Vee labels it gluten free because DeLand states their bakery is gluten free most of the time. After eating it for some time, because it is a great alternative, we have come to find out that there is more than likely cross contamination. We have been on the phone with DeLand Bakeries many, many times. Since their story is never consistent and at one time we had someone from DeLand state that they never fully clean their line, there is bound to be some cross contamination. Not good news if you don’t display the classic symptoms of a celiac.

I know this is a new journey for many of you that is both overwhelming and confusing. Hang in there and know that you are doing this for the betterment of your health and life.

]]> By: Jenna http://switch2glutenfree.com/mikes-journey/my-first-post/comment-page-1/#comment-679 Jenna Sun, 23 Aug 2009 05:17:33 +0000 http://switch2glutenfree.com/?p=17#comment-679 Hi Cheryl - I have been GF since January, so I guess it has been almost 8 mos. I am 32y.o. and have had horrible depression and anxiety since I was 15. I have been on disability for it for the last 5 years - they have called it medication resistant depression. I now call it gluten resistant depression! At the beginning when anyone would see me reading a Celiac book or I would tell them about the diagnosis I would hear the same response of 'oh, my friend has that and as soon as he/she went GF they immediately felt better - it was like a miracle!' I have been waiting and waiting for this so called miracle to occur and finally last month it occured to me that (1) I hadn't had a migraine in 2 weeks (since elementary school they have been a every other day thing at least). But I am so used to them that it didn't really occur to me that they actually weren't there; and (2) I realized that although I still can't always get a deep breath from my anxiety - I have been able to get out of bed and do things and what is this new feeling? Could I be feeling uhhh... normal - if there is a normal!! :) But I also have found that the longer I have been GF the few times I have accidentally had gluten the reactions are getting worse each time and lasting longer. The last one was horrible and lasted almost 2 weeks. I am wondering if any deep breathing exercises or visualization exercises have help with the anxiety and heart palpitations? Although maybe they are purely biological for you. I have found that a book by Shakti Gwain called Creative Visualizations has helped me tons. It is short and super easy to read and just gives little exercises to go through to help relax and they are great. Also, Jon Kabat-Zin has a bunch of books and audio exercise cd's for guided meditation and body scans for deep body relaxation. Also, I noted in your email that you stated you don't eat out. I really don't go out that much either but on occasion it is hard to avoid without being left out of celebrations or big events. One of the largest gluten intolerance groups has a Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program and they go in and teach the restaurants about the importance of being GF and how to cook, avoid cross contamination and clean. They will not support a restaurant that does not meet it's guidelines. You can put in any zip code across the US and get a list of these restaurants. Great for traveling! Here is the link http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/ Here are some other links that I have found really helpful: Gluten Free Philly - Always has up to date info. on new GF products... http://glutenfreephilly.blogspot.com/2009/08/news-notes_21.html Gluten Free Girl - blog by a GF chef and her chef husband - great recipes, photos and stories... Highly recommend the book too. Also, down the righthand side when you scroll down a bit is a list of recommended GF websites to check out. http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/ You have probably been here already but... www.celiac.com deals with pretty much anything you could think of dealing with a gluten free diet - not just celiacs disease. I find there safe and unsafe food and ingredients list to be super helpful and thorough Hope some of this helps. Any suggestions are always welcomed! If anyone else knows of any good sites or blogs I would love to have a heads up... Wishing you (and everyone else here)and wonderful end of summer. Hi Cheryl – I have been GF since January, so I guess it has been almost 8 mos. I am 32y.o. and have had horrible depression and anxiety since I was 15. I have been on disability for it for the last 5 years – they have called it medication resistant depression. I now call it gluten resistant depression! At the beginning when anyone would see me reading a Celiac book or I would tell them about the diagnosis I would hear the same response of ‘oh, my friend has that and as soon as he/she went GF they immediately felt better – it was like a miracle!’ I have been waiting and waiting for this so called miracle to occur and finally last month it occured to me that (1) I hadn’t had a migraine in 2 weeks (since elementary school they have been a every other day thing at least). But I am so used to them that it didn’t really occur to me that they actually weren’t there; and (2) I realized that although I still can’t always get a deep breath from my anxiety – I have been able to get out of bed and do things and what is this new feeling? Could I be feeling uhhh… normal – if there is a normal!! :)

But I also have found that the longer I have been GF the few times I have accidentally had gluten the reactions are getting worse each time and lasting longer. The last one was horrible and lasted almost 2 weeks. I am wondering if any deep breathing exercises or visualization exercises have help with the anxiety and heart palpitations? Although maybe they are purely biological for you. I have found that a book by Shakti Gwain called Creative Visualizations has helped me tons. It is short and super easy to read and just gives little exercises to go through to help relax and they are great. Also, Jon Kabat-Zin has a bunch of books and audio exercise cd’s for guided meditation and body scans for deep body relaxation.

Also, I noted in your email that you stated you don’t eat out. I really don’t go out that much either but on occasion it is hard to avoid without being left out of celebrations or big events. One of the largest gluten intolerance groups has a Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program and they go in and teach the restaurants about the importance of being GF and how to cook, avoid cross contamination and clean. They will not support a restaurant that does not meet it’s guidelines. You can put in any zip code across the US and get a list of these restaurants. Great for traveling! Here is the link
http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/

Here are some other links that I have found really helpful:

Gluten Free Philly – Always has up to date info. on new GF products…
http://glutenfreephilly.blogspot.com/2009/08/news-notes_21.html

Gluten Free Girl – blog by a GF chef and her chef husband – great recipes, photos and stories… Highly recommend the book too. Also, down the righthand side when you scroll down a bit is a list of recommended GF websites to check out.
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/

You have probably been here already but…
http://www.celiac.com
deals with pretty much anything you could think of dealing with a gluten free diet – not just celiacs disease. I find there safe and unsafe food and ingredients list to be super helpful and thorough

Hope some of this helps. Any suggestions are always welcomed! If anyone else knows of any good sites or blogs I would love to have a heads up…

Wishing you (and everyone else here)and wonderful end of summer.

]]> By: Cheryl http://switch2glutenfree.com/mikes-journey/my-first-post/comment-page-1/#comment-678 Cheryl Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:17:45 +0000 http://switch2glutenfree.com/?p=17#comment-678 Mike, I just found your blog. I have been gluten free for 2 1/2 months now. I know I am gluten intolerant (saliva test). I don't know if I am celiac. The intolerance caused a whole slew of inflammatory chronic problems (for about 15 years)before we figured out what it was. It also caused anxiety and depression and heart palpitations. The anxiety and depression came along after the ringing in my ears started a year and a half ago. Couldn't understand why the anxiety was SO bad. It all had to do with the intolerance...even possibly the tinnitus since your nerves can become inflamed also and there are nerves in your inner ear. I don't eat out. I take food with me wherever I go. It is very difficult to travel. I have been experimenting with foods/recipes....some good, some not so good. The heart palpitations are what are so frustrating. I have been cross-contaminated 3 times in 2.5 months. It is NOT a pretty sight either. It causes anxiety/depressions/worse palpitations everytime. Also my ferritin levels AND iron saturation levels are borderline anemic and I have shallow breathing. The doc thinks this could be the cause of the palpitations. Not getting enough oxygen in my blood and the heart is working harder. I have found LaraBars and PranaBars. They are raw food bars. I like them quite a bit. You can find them in a health food store. I have found the LaraBars in Kroger in their health food section. Also, you can sautee' yellow squash and yellow onions with a little salt and butter (put a lid on the skillet - medium to medium hi heat). Let it brown a little bit, it just adds flavor. You can add browned ground beef to it too. If you cannot use butter, use extra light olive oil. I have also found some other gluten free products: shampoo, conditioner, soap, facial cleanser/scrub, lotion, chapstick, etc. Let me know if anyone needs to know anything about this. God bless. Mike, I just found your blog. I have been gluten free for 2 1/2 months now. I know I am gluten intolerant (saliva test). I don’t know if I am celiac. The intolerance caused a whole slew of inflammatory chronic problems (for about 15 years)before we figured out what it was. It also caused anxiety and depression and heart palpitations. The anxiety and depression came along after the ringing in my ears started a year and a half ago. Couldn’t understand why the anxiety was SO bad. It all had to do with the intolerance…even possibly the tinnitus since your nerves can become inflamed also and there are nerves in your inner ear.

I don’t eat out. I take food with me wherever I go. It is very difficult to travel. I have been experimenting with foods/recipes….some good, some not so good. The heart palpitations are what are so frustrating. I have been cross-contaminated 3 times in 2.5 months. It is NOT a pretty sight either. It causes anxiety/depressions/worse palpitations everytime. Also my ferritin levels AND iron saturation levels are borderline anemic and I have shallow breathing. The doc thinks this could be the cause of the palpitations. Not getting enough oxygen in my blood and the heart is working harder.

I have found LaraBars and PranaBars. They are raw food bars. I like them quite a bit. You can find them in a health food store. I have found the LaraBars in Kroger in their health food section.

Also, you can sautee’ yellow squash and yellow onions with a little salt and butter (put a lid on the skillet – medium to medium hi heat). Let it brown a little bit, it just adds flavor. You can add browned ground beef to it too. If you cannot use butter, use extra light olive oil. I have also found some other gluten free products: shampoo, conditioner, soap, facial cleanser/scrub, lotion, chapstick, etc. Let me know if anyone needs to know anything about this.
God bless.

]]> By: Karen Robertson http://switch2glutenfree.com/mikes-journey/my-first-post/comment-page-1/#comment-662 Karen Robertson Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:55:31 +0000 http://switch2glutenfree.com/?p=17#comment-662 Hi! Its great to meet you all. I am self diagnosed, very allergic to gluten. I was very ill and did an elimiation diet, to check for allergys. Scare stuff, I eat gluten after three weeks. very bad reaction, so be carefull if you try this, a good helpful doctor to keep an eye on you is better. I am gluten free for life, and I am meat free, alcohol free, mostly vegan and eating raw foods, such us nuts, fruit, veg. I gave up reading lables, and found out the hard way their not to be trusted. I love making my own almond milk shake, and my body loves drinking this. one cup of almond ground(powder) 3 cups water, 5 pitted dates chopped. This is almond milk, Keep adding and you have a milk shake. one chopped apple, one banana, chopped stawberry, blend and enjoy. chocolate shake leave out the berries and add carob power a table spoon or two. Hi! Its great to meet you all. I am self diagnosed, very allergic to gluten. I was very ill and did an elimiation diet, to check for allergys. Scare stuff, I eat gluten after three weeks. very bad reaction, so be carefull if you try this, a good helpful doctor to keep an eye on you is better. I am gluten free for life, and I am meat free, alcohol free, mostly vegan and eating raw foods, such us nuts, fruit, veg. I gave up reading lables, and found out the hard way their not to be trusted. I love making my own almond milk shake, and my body loves drinking this.
one cup of almond ground(powder)
3 cups water, 5 pitted dates chopped. This is almond milk, Keep adding and you have a milk shake. one chopped apple, one banana, chopped stawberry, blend and enjoy. chocolate shake leave out the berries and add carob power a table spoon or two.

]]> By: Jen http://switch2glutenfree.com/mikes-journey/my-first-post/comment-page-1/#comment-547 Jen Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:51:24 +0000 http://switch2glutenfree.com/?p=17#comment-547 I went gluten-free about a month ago. I have an occasional weakness for chicken tenders :( I originally gave up gluten at the suggestion of my chiropractor, because of my back pain. But now I've been reading that it also may have something to do with why my depression has been better! Schwing! I went gluten-free about a month ago. I have an occasional weakness for chicken tenders :(

I originally gave up gluten at the suggestion of my chiropractor, because of my back pain. But now I’ve been reading that it also may have something to do with why my depression has been better! Schwing!

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