:::June 27, 2010:::
I just wanted to say THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for every comment you left on this posting for the links you have offered me, for the emails you have sent, for your encouragement! I knew if I blogged about my new diet, I would have an ocean of resources at my fingertips — because you’re such a lovely lot and you like to share your knowledge and you have SO DARN much knowledge…I was a bit nervous to share these life details with you all…just because…but there are so many of you out there who relate with what my body is going through I really believed you would be a tremendous help to me. And you have been. And you are.
Thank you so much, everyone! I will keep you posted on how gluten free living is treating my body. I will say that I started feeling better yesterday evening, and am feeling quite a lot more well this morning not just because I was at the Wildflower Festival last night, but because my system is getting cleaner and cleaner. Today, once I’m back from riding and fishing I might even try baking something!
I’m feeling so hopeful and so positive about the entire situation, thank you for helping to make the transition easier for me and please know that I value your advice and input so HUGELY!!! Don’t ever stop writing. Please.
LOVE LOVE,
Jillian
I’m doing a science experiment.
Today I changed my diet.
I no longer consume gluten anything.
I went to the doctor last week and chit chatted about my crazy body and skin and intestines and I endured the removal of blood from my arm after being pricked by a needle four times (something something rolling veins grumble grumble) and then I waited, on the edge of my seat, for an entire week to find out that my thyroid is functioning like a champ.
Alright.
So then why am I so tired, why does it feel like there’s a circus in my stomach and intestines, why do I have this rash on my neck and why do I have to lay down in the afternoon every day for a couple of hours because my digestive process is such a literal pain and even if I wanted to stand around looking cool I can’t because I feel sort of dizzy and laying down seems like a safe thing to do?
Huh?
I have discussed, long distance, celiac disease with a dear friend of mine in Saskatoon AND I had the queen of gluten free living (and coyotes) in my home this week (You didn’t know that, did you? She’s a complete delight. But I’ll tell you all about it another day.)and she told me the story of her experience with celiac disease and at this point, I’m not willing to go through the doctoring process again this week so I have taken my diet into my own hands. I figure if gluten is the culprit, my strange bodily symptoms should evaporate over the next few weeks of gluten-freeness. It is annoying though. You poor anti-glutenites out there, gluten is like God — it’s in everything! I stocked the fridge with a few grocery bags worth of strange things today and feel dreadfully saddened by all of the jingly and jangly condiments that rattle about in my fridge when I open the door…you know the sort, the gels and goops and sauces we North Americans like to pair with everything; almost ALL of it contains wheat in one way or another so it’s all officially off limits. Oh. I forgot to check the mustard label. Oh please God let mustard be gluten free.
I’m mostly heart broken about the fact that I can no longer consume my favorite Thai peanut satay sauce. I have a habit of putting it on everything.
Tonight I made Thai-ish style summer rolls for dinner. Rice wraps, rice noodles, carrots, mint, arugula lettuce, bean sprouts and a gluten free plum dipping sauce that looked pretty in a pink side dish. My insides feel great so far. I know this meal is slim on the protein side of things but I’ve been having eggs for breakfast and I snaggled a lovely set of organic chicken sausages (gluten free)for lunches over the next few days.
My new diet is a gamble but I reckon that since I’m the only one who really knows what my body feels like when it’s unwell, I’m the only person who can take how I’m feeling really seriously, so I am. Half of me hopes this is all a gluten intolerance issue, the other half, the half that is the granddaughter and great granddaughter of Saskatchewan wheat farmers, wants to kick a rock and cry.
This is all to say, if you’d like to share a gluten free meal or two with me, over the next couple of weeks, please feel free! I have a handful of lovely individuals at the ready to help me out but if you’re an in the closet non-glutenizer, your suggestions are welcome here!
Alright. I’m off to research a good bread recipe.
Wish me luck!
xx
PLUME
sigh. all i have to say is, i love you.
sorry, no ideas but i hope your new diet makes you feel better
Hope this change in diet will make you feel better!
Gah. Gluten is so delicious, and makes so many people feel like shit.
My brother- and mother-in-law are both gluten free. Rice flour makes great brownies, and great shortbread.
They also eat a lot of corn tortillas and oatmeal (which technically has gluten in it, but very, very little).
Good luck. I hope you feel a million times better to make up for the peanut sauce.
a friend and her daughter embrace gluten-free..there is a social network and on that site is a recipe exchange
http://www.glutenfreefaces.com/group/gfrecipeexchange
of course other things besides wheat have gluten ..tricky things
i have food allergies,bummer..wheat, corn etc..i sneak a bit and then remember why i avoid it..
you are smart to try a little experiment..why not..if you feel better..all's good.
have courage.
Definitely investigate quinoa. It is a grain (gluten free) and a complete protein. It can be used so many ways.
It is available as a flour, flakes and just as a grain. There are so many possibilities, it just requires a little experimenting.
It is hard to believe you find yourself tired, you create so many beautiful things.
Good Luck
I know how your feeling all to well. Last year after seeing my naturopath, I was told I had a number of food allergies…eggs, milk, gluten and wheat! my life was over! (I shed a few tears.) Anyways, it takes some time getting used to but the results will surprise you if this is the problem. You will feel SOO much better. Check out this site http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
It is my fav.
Good luck and i hope you feel better.
From one Canadian birdy to another,
Cheers!
I am not celiac but feel much better with almost no gluten. I went gluten-free, dairy free, alcohol free and caffeine free for a bit and added back a little of all and that works for me.
Anyway, my fav gluten-free "flour" is Pamela's. There is a flour mix and a baking mix (has baking soda in it). Lots of recipes on the back and for a lot of things I've been able to substitute the flour mix for regular flour. I originally bought all kinds of stuff to make my own mix and it was spendy and one recipe called for this mix and one for that – Pamela's made my life simpler and tastier!
I make all my own salad dressing, worcestershire, etc. – not that hard and so much better. Anything like worcestershire that I want to duplicate, I can usually find ingredients on the internet somewhere and make a reasonable facsimile.
AND – dailycoyote's grandmother's cardamon Christmas bread!!! – it makes up just fab with Pamela's substitute :)!
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/ has some great recipes. I concur with the quinoa recommendation.
Corn tortillas (make my own!), corn muffins (http://fromthefrontporch.com/WPBlog/2010/02/12/maybe-he-should-have-been-carl/) are my bread staple. I use giant zucchini "skin" for pizza crust.
It is hard at first when you think of all the things you can't have, but when you can finally turn it around to all the things you CAN have, it gets better – well, did for me anyway.
Another thing…I hesitated writing this in comments but here goes…sometime in my late 30's (I'm now 54), I started putting metamucil in my protein smoothies. It seems to help a lot of "through the system" problems, i.e. not just constipation. It is psyllium husk – gluten free and in just now researching if it WAS GF, found this recipe for GF flatbread made with quinoa and psyllium husk – I'm going to try it: http://glutenfreeday.com/?p=85
Anyway, my theory is the added fiber and liquid makes things run a bit faster and smoother through the system and trouble makers don't have time to make trouble!
My smoothie:
herbal iced tea
1 whole lemon
some kale
some blueberries
plain yogurt
protein powder (whey/cassein mix)
metamucil
I have a Vita-Mix which liquefies ANYTHING and although spendy I've had mine for 4 years – make my dressings, almond butter, cashew butter, soup bases.
I make a large smoothie and split it in thirds to sip through the day.
Crustless quiche is another quick, high protein, low carb – easy to make gluten-free thing.
Ok, now I'm done :)!
i am gluten-free (and dairy-free) myself and have found a few cookbooks that ease the pain, so to speak. one, is by the aforementioned coyote-loving lady, so you are probably all set with that :). the other is for the baker in you, called babycakes. it's the recipe book from a vegan and mostly gluten-free bakery in new york city that is absolutely delicious! best of luck and i will post again if i think of something else that would be fabulous for your palette.
Gosh!
Thank you so much for these comments and for the emails that have rolled in this morning. After spending a few hours twisting and turning last night I've got a little more hope that whatever is bothering my system WILL be discovered. If it's gluten, I'm getting it gone.
And, for the record, if things don't improve, I will ask a doctor for a new set of tests, when I can fathom going to a clinic again.
Thank you, all of you, so darn much!
xx
I have some sort of strange and blerghy (it really is the only way to describe it) digestive issues that I am working out as well. My doctor wasn't very helpful, and, the cost of health care being what it is, I refused to venture out again in fear of being told the same thing ('You don't need any tests. Just take fiber and that should do it.') and being out another bill's payment worth of cash.
So.
Currently I'm on a diet that eliminates most anything 'processed' beyond it's normal state. No canned beans, no bleached sugars. Very little flour. No food from a box or found in the freezer case (unless it's frozen veggies). No dairy (eggs are okay). I have not entirely eliminated gluten, but I rarely eat anything made with wheat (bread, pasta).
I eat a lot of salads, and a lot of hummus. I have a bean recipe that I can send to you, provided you like cilantro. I grill veggies and I makes towering stacks of eggplant and mushroom. I have a smoothie every day (rice milk and banana are key). Quinoa is delightful, and adds a crunch to salad where cracker's might've before.
It IS hard. I went entirely gluten free for two months (DURING THANKSGIVING, no less.). One day, after realizing I'd not been able to find anything but some grapes to eat ALL day, because I was just too busy and too tired, I spilled the bowl of instant mac and cheese (gluten free) I'd finally whipped up at 10pm, and I just stood there and cried. But it's doable. And it's not so bad, really. I felt much better. And now, having eliminated most anything but 'whole' foods, I feel good, physically, mentally. I know that I'm putting good things in my body, 'real' foods.
Hang in there.
Here are some great sites. http://www.livingwithout.com – I get there magazine and it is really great.
Gluten Free Girl blog – http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/
Bob's Red Mills products are great and the Pamela's Products are too.
Living Without website and magazine has very good bread recipes.
Give yourself at least 3 weeks off of gluten and a month would be better. When I changed, I never went back-I feel so much better.
Copy that, Ma.
I'm going to try to find a moment to ring you up this evening. Ok?
xx
I am currently going through the very same thing you are. I had similar symptoms and was convinced I had a wacky thyroid. I was almost disappointed when my thyroid test came back normal because I hoped that was the answer to my problems. Then, about a month ago, I had a severe reaction to one of my most favorite things, beer. It opened my eyes to the possibility I might be wheat and gluten intolerant. After a bit of research and answering "yes" to almost all of the symptoms on the checklist, I've removed wheat from my diet. (Yay for the many alternative grains like quinoa!)I still need to be tested to have an officially official diagnosis, but some of my symptoms have abated, which is fabulous. Good luck on your gluten free journey, I'll be thinking of you!
Sweetie – you are an artist and are used to creating. If anyone can handle gluten free, it's you.
It'll just involve more label reading and food prep on your part, but will have an added benefit of getting a whole buncha other crap that's in processed food out of your life.
Yeehaw!
Udi's bread is the only storebought gluten-free bread I've tasted that is nearly as good as gluten bread. THough you know my frame of reference. A memory faded over six years…
I found some in Boz & I bet you can find it in Poc.
Jillian, go to http://www.101cookbooks.com/, scroll down on the left-hand side and you will see that she has scads of gluten-free recipes. Any recipe that I have tried from 101 cookbooks has been scrumptious! Have a fun weekend experimenting with some new recipes and enjoying the garden.
ooh ooh ooh!! glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
she's got a recipe on there this week for gluten free baguette. i've not tried it yet, but it looks scrumptious. and i always use eggs rather than egg replacer (which most of her recipes call for since she can't have eggs either…amongst other things). try it and let me know!!! there are many many other great recipes on her website too…i can mention some faves if you want.
also, namaste is a brand that makes really good GF flour mixes – we've been substituting their flour mix for reg flour in a lot of things and it's been working amazingly well!! you could try to make another batch of your cookies with it…i'm sure it would turn out!
i'm excited for you (sad a bit too, but i'll send an email about all of that) to find out if this is the answer – keep me posted. love you.
i'll be on the lookout for some good recipes!
looks like lots of great ideas here already 🙂
good luck!
tea's still good, yeah?
xo
I saw DC's ref to Udi's…they have an online store :)!!!
Having nothing to do with gluten, I just wanted to say the those sexy spectacles look simply stupendous on you! Oh, and I heart quiona…leftover make awesome patties, add some sauteed greens and onions, or whatever else you've got, add a bit of egg to make it stick and pan fry! DELISH!
I had an almost identical experience 2 weeks ago. It has been difficult, but it is getting easier. The Udi's bread that someone mentioned is fantastic. The Fish Off the Old Block at Kinport sells it, as well as their gluten-free muffins and bagels. RaNae's Rolls in old town has a gluten free menu and takes requests before Tuesday! Good luck!
Hi here is a great gluten free recipe site. I hope it helps! http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
I am waiting with bated breath for Taddyporter to write on this thread and share her incredible chocolate chip canberry cookies that are blissfully IMPOSSIBLY gluten free.
Or better yet, go to her lovely home and eat them there..
I love you and I am very excited for you to get to the bottom of this yuck-ness.
xoxoxox,
Allison
Poor you…
I have a good friend who has a whet allergy and it's taken her years to get it all sorted out. But she has and she feels 1000% better for it. Her energy is limitless…She brings her own bread to be toasted when we go out for breakfast! 🙂
Good luck Plume, you will notice a difference almost right away if this is the problem.
xo
Andrea
yup, you sure sound celiac. I am and so is my daughter, and we eat like kings and queens still!
go for it JILLIAN!
i made an awesome gluten free cake with almond flour and it is freakin amazing! best chocolate cake i have ever had.
you can make a lot of stuff with the almond flour. its a little expensive but worth it if you can't have gluten.
I'm super surrounded by some fabulous gluten free folks, including this lass http://www.sheletthemeatcake.com/ who has some great recipes on her blog!
Wishing you all the best!
Oh hurrah, good on you for taking your diet into your own hands. I hope you discover the source of your discomfort . . . a friend was gluten free for a while, and while it was a little tricky, I ended up theifing his glutten-free pasta, because he made it sooo tasty! Happy thoughts, hey
Amazes me how many people feel so noticeably much better without gluten!
I´ve been wheat-free for over a year – which in my view isn´t so bad because spelt and rye are such great options – and gluten-free for a few months. I struggle having to do without glutenous breads, cake, pastry. I just love them SO much.
Sigh… gluten just can´t be replaced in bread. It´s the one thing that does all the magic.
And pasta – rice pasta is a bit annoying because it needs to be rinsed cold after cooking and cools off.
This one here is a mix of soy/rice/potato flours and doesn´t need to be rinsed – and the texture is perfect, this is really my happiest gluten-free find:
http://www.bionaturae.com/gluten.html
Don´t worry about the sauces and condiments – there are many awesome gluten-free versions out there.
xx
almond flour is an amazing gluten-free flour! http://www.elanaspantry.com has gluten-free recipes, as well as many that use almond flour.
I'm starting to think that I need to try a gluten free diet. I spoke to my doctor a few months ago, and she said it was likely IBS, and gave me an anti-spasmodic. That helps, but I still have trouble. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better!