mis_chiff's Blog

Honestly, I do not cheat on the diet. I'm not even tempted to cheat and, frankly, it shocks me that anyone with celiac disease would, especially if they have bad reactions. But, I know that some do. I have a dear friend, an older man, who was diagnosed about 15 years ago. We (my family and friends) thought celiac disease was the freakiest think we ever heard of. I mean, who could be "allergic" to wheat? It's a staple of life! That was long before I had any inkling that the disease ran in my family and long before I had any recognizable symptoms. Anyway, this friend was very strict for years about not eating gluten. But now he cheats all the time. He says he doesn't have any reaction to gluten anymore. He says this while he's sitting there scratching his itchy, red skin. This man nearly died and had a nervous breakdown before they finally diagnosed him. And now he's eating gluten? I just don't get it.

I guess I just don't understand it when you say, "I can't cook." Maybe because cooking comes so naturally to me. I don't really [i]like[/i] to cook, but my mother started teaching me as a child and by the time I was married, I could cook just about anything I wanted. I'm not a [i]gourmet[/i] cook, but everything I make is good. To me, it's just following simple instructions step by step. But then, I remember what it's like to teach my daughter. Little things like boiling chicken pieces - you have to know how much water to use and know to put a lid on or the water will evaporate - are things that I guess beginners don't know.

Why don't you take a cooking class? Something very basic? Or ask a friend that knows how to cook to help you?

Cooking classes for glutenfree cooking aren't a ready supply! and least not in my small community - I would have to travel over an hour (driving)oneway to where the classes probably are. Even the celiac meetings are there...far! (car not always available)
I am the only one in my family (in Canada) who has been diagnosed I'm 42...and I have eaten whatever I wanted whenever I wanted my whole life - now I have to read the package ingredients for anything related to gluten - and I really don't even know what I'm looking for - if it says wheat or wheat proteins I don't buy it, anything else...I have no clue. - this is worse than quitting an addiction (in my opinion) Cheating doesn't give me a rash, just severe cramping and nausea, sometimes a pretty wicked headache...dizzyness in some cases and constant fatigue.
After my father passed, I moved out here to care for my mom so I have "no friends who cook" out here -
I have no friends my family does not understand this disease, and I really don't think it matters to them because they don't understand it, whenever a food issue comes up their like - oh come on, 1 won't hurt!...and without help and support - my willpower goes out the window!
I would just eat whatever cause it was just easier... Even my partner doesn't get it...for the last 3 years when I make gluten free he complains - oh - bland crap again.... So what do I do??

I meant just a cooking class in general. It wouldn't have to be a gluten-free class, just a class to learn how to cook.

If you are only looking for things that say "wheat" or "gluten" on food labels, then you are missing a lot. You're probably still getting gluten in your diet. Look at the site below. It's a part of this site (celiac.com) and has lists of foods and ingredients that contain gluten (forbidden) and those that are "safe" for celiacs. It's an invaluable tool. Print it out and take it to the grocery store with you. Check the ingredients labels against your lists. That will get you started. It may look overwhelming, but you will soon be able to recognize what you can and cannot have.

 

Just curious...what did your father die from?

He died of a sudden heart attack - he and my mom were out with my sister and her daughter, they were at a ski resort chalet having lunch, they went for a walk down the hill, when they got to the bottom - he touched my mom's shoulder and just fell over and died instantly. He was 75 never been sick - no heart disease or any serious illnesses....this was the biggest shock of my life (I lived in a different province at the time)

[quote name='Mosaics' date='Mar 19 2007, 06:30 PM']I meant just a cooking class in general. It wouldn't have to be a gluten-free class, just a class to learn how to cook.

If you are only looking for things that say "wheat" or "gluten" on food labels, then you are missing a lot. You're probably still getting gluten in your diet. Look at the site below. It's a part of this site (celiac.com) and has lists of foods and ingredients that contain gluten (forbidden) and those that are "safe" for celiacs. It's an invaluable tool. Print it out and take it to the grocery store with you. Check the ingredients labels against your lists. That will get you started. It may look overwhelming, but you will soon be able to recognize what you can and cannot have.

[url="https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid=12&sid=91hH9H1jtMNh3Zc-26107282310.45"]https://www.celiac.com/st_main.html?p_catid...-26107282310.45[/url][/quote]

Yea, unfortunately I know I'm still getting gluten in the diet, cause I always feel like crap, unless I
go a few days with no food....which makes me feel better

Thanks for the link, I will check it out!

Oh, I'm sorry about your dad. That must have been a shock for all of you. I asked because I was wondering if it was celiac related...obviously it was not.

My father died suddenly, too, when I was 12 and he was 36. He was accidentally electrocuted.

[quote name='Mosaics' date='Mar 20 2007, 06:19 AM']Oh, I'm sorry about your dad. That must have been a shock for all of you. I asked because I was wondering if it was celiac related...obviously it was not.

My father died suddenly, too, when I was 12 and he was 36. He was accidentally electrocuted.[/quote]


I'm sorry to hear about your dad...he was so young!
That must have been really hard at that age!
Just out of curiosity, when did your celiac start? (your diagnosis)

I was diagnosed about three years ago...I think. It's hard to keep track of time.

I didn't really have many symptoms and was just lucky to find out it ran in my family. The people in my family that we know of that have celiac disease for sure are: me, my two children, my mother, my oldest brother, my youngest sister, my mother's youngest brother. I'm certain that more family members have it, but they just haven't cared to get tested. So many people don't take it seriously.

My whole story is on my blog if you're interested in how we came about being diagnosed.

Oh yeah, one other odd coincidence is that my husband's stepmother (she's from England) has it.

[quote name='Mosaics' date='Mar 20 2007, 01:21 PM']I was diagnosed about three years ago...I think. It's hard to keep track of time.

I didn't really have many symptoms and was just lucky to find out it ran in my family. The people in my family that we know of that have celiac disease for sure are: me, my two children, my mother, my oldest brother, my youngest sister, my mother's youngest brother. I'm certain that more family members have it, but they just haven't cared to get tested. So many people don't take it seriously.

My whole story is on my blog if you're interested in how we came about being diagnosed.

Oh yeah, one other odd coincidence is that my husband's stepmother (she's from England) has it.[/quote]


Funny so many in you family have it...wow!
My daughter has been checked, she's a negative - same with my mom, my 2 sisters and 2 brothers
(providing they didn't lie about getting tested)
I have a niece that is getting tested as she is showing symptoms.
1 of my sisters has been sick for years, her fibromyalgia is severe she has
been tested for celiac and was negative but the doc suggested she still go gluten-free as
apparently it would help her also - But I don't think she ever did
She lives in ONT. I'm in BC so I can't check up on her

I read the article on your blog about how you guys all discovered it,
I am going to read the rest of the blog tomorrow as I enjoyed reading up to the diagnosis.