New To Forum; Finding It Hard; Just Looking For Support

[Ivanna44]

Hi All,

I am a Canadian in Western Canada. Female, Married, 2 kids, and 44 years old.

I have been on the gluten free diet now 3 weeks. A month ago, due to some concerns that some ulcer medications were not working for me. My doctor ordered a bunch of blood work tests. She wondered at the time if I was gluten sensitivite. Although, the tests came back as negative for celiac disease, there was some other results on the blood tests, that made my doctor wonder if I should try going gluten free, and see if that helps out the stomach.

Last weekend, getting kinda feed up with "starving" and sick of rice cakes. I had some italian bread (wheat kind) with my rice pasta spaghetti dinner. 2 hours later, the whole stomach acid production started up again. I had not had those same feelings since I "kicked" the gluten habit. So, I know there is a strong chance that I am gluten sensitive as my doctor suspected.

I have found a few resources online. I also bought the book "The Gluten Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide" by Shelley Case (dietician). This book is a God Send for anyone wanting a simple book that just give some guidelines on where to look for things. Such as knowing the manufactuers and brand name labels that have gluten free products. I did find a number of websites with Canadian stores that carried products. Such as Kinnikinnick (Edmonton, Canada).. By the way... I found out last week that Safeway carries the Kinnikinnick Products. Which by the way, is "fab" their logo is correct. "Never knew gluten free could taste so good" It tasted like real food. I've tried some other gluten free mixes, that still had that grainy taste, which makes you kinda not want to eat them.

I am struggling to find recipes and more importantly right now, places that carry all these speciality flours like buckwheat flour so on. The Kinnikinnick Product is really good. But, it is expensive, as I am sure everyone in this forum is aware of, gluten free is an expensive lifestyle. I would like to be able to make my own things that don't taste like sand , to help out with the costs associated with being gluten free. I am also, looking for support. My family is not very supportative with my new diet. I get comments like "I am going to have some real food," which although they are said in a joking manner, still bother me. I am finding it really hard to cope with this new discovery that I am gluten sensitive, and must change my food habits for life.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Lisa]

Welcome to the Forum!

It would be interesting to know what type of blood tests you had that flagged interest in your doctors pursuing other tests. If you have them, can you post it.

This site is a great source of information and the recipe section is wonderful. The site as a whole is the best Celiac/Gluten Intolerance information around. Take a walk around.

Here is a listing of companies who will clearly list all forms of gluten. It makes shopping so much easier.

Open Original Shared Link

[Ivanna44]

Welcome to the Forum!

It would be interesting to know what type of blood tests you had that flagged interest in your doctors pursuing other tests. If you have them, can you post it.

This site is a great source of information and the recipe section is wonderful. The site as a whole is the best Celiac/Gluten Intolerance information around. Take a walk around.

Here is a listing of companies who will clearly list all forms of gluten. It makes shopping so much easier.

Open Original Shared Link

Thank you, Momma Goose,

For the welcome.

At the time; I was worried about the possiblity of diabetics type 2, my dad has it. Also, my doctor was concerned due to the ulcer not healing well after 2 medications, that when I asked about blood works to check for diabetics, she ordered tests for the gluten sensitivity. She was going by gut feelings I guess.

Anyhow there was 3 tests and their results that made her suggest I try to go gluten free. To see if my stomach improved. She said it would not hurt me to do the gluten free diet, and if it helped the stomach all the better.

Immunoglobulin A My Value: 4.98 g/L Reference Ranges: 0.60-4.20 Abnormality H

Hemoglobin low ends of normal range

Sedimentation rate My Value: 34 mm/h Reference Ranges 0-20 Abnormality H

My Iron count was on low ends of normal

(I had at one time when I saw the doctor, a week prior to the tests; an over extended stomach from a bad stomach flu that lasted over a week, to point I felt I needed to wear maternity pants again. lol. She wrote on the Sedimentation paper she gave me, (an assortment of inflammations in the body, bowels and joints, I have consistant aches in my elbows and once in a while over extended stomach, which I thought was just bloating)

There was about 20 odd tests they did with the blood. But, the good news was I definitately did not have diabetics, my kidney count was 52 (like a teenager she said ), my Pancerus- normal, Tyriod- normal, Liver- normal. I definately did not have diabetics. It was mainly the immunoglobin A and the Sedimentation tests that she gave me, as she printed off for me, the ones that she was concerned about. She wrote on the Immunoglobin A one, possible sensitivity to gluten, and then listed all type of flours, wheat, oats, spelt. so on. that contained it.

I haven't seen her again but plan on making another appointment soon. The gluten free diet was an experiment at the time, to see if it helped my stomach. As mentioned in the earlier post. I've been 3 weeks now gluten free (as far as I know I mean, I know there's tons of hidden gluten out there). My stomach acid had definately settled down and hardly bothered me at all. Until last weekend when I had some Italian bread (I love bread!!) lol. 2 hours later, the whole stomach acid production began again, it had not bothered me in 3 weeks, and suddenly after I ate the italian bread, it started up again.

I hope that helps.

[MELINE]

Hello!!!

Welcome to the forum

Please keep your head up!! It is not such a tragedy!! Ok I know you will not be able to eat whatever you want but think of all the benefits from your gluten-free diet . you are going to feel so much better that you will never gonna taste pizza again (sounds too hard but if you eat pizza and feel like dying I am sure you will not do it again....)

Any way, just keep in mind that it is something you can deal with. I believe that many of us unfortunately do not have the support we wish to have.There is a young girl in the forum who has to explain to her mother that she is not cursed by the devil.....Imagine the support this young girl needs. My mom thinks it is all in my head and sometimes glutens me on purpose just to be sure it is real and not psychological.....Crazy....Don't bother.

We all get sick sometime. If someone laughs at you please do not feel sad for you but feel sad for his ignorence. It is his problem not yours. And be sure that someday it is going to be his turn.

Your dietary is going to be much healthier than the ones who laugh at you. Love yourself more than anything else and just do what is best for you.

Think of all the people you are going to meet and you are going to support in the forum. You wouldn't even know they exist if you were not a celiac.......

Meline

[dbmamaz]

Just remember there are lots of foods which are naturally gluten free - any meat roast with baked potatos, mashed potatos or sweet potatos - just skip the rolls and eat more veggies. I started making fried rice (ok, with organic wheat-free soy sauce) and my family loved it. I also have a quick and easy jambalaya recipe, i just bought an all-natural sausage with no questionable ingredients. You can still eat corn chips! I also had to quit dairy, but you can make fake pizzas on corn tortillas. You can still have enchiladas and tacos. There are so many great meals that you can make for you AND your family without having to resort to 'fake' food. You can still eat chocolate! I do recomend getting a few cookbooks - i made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free sugar cookies which I liked better than my old recipes. I made banana bread and pancakes which my family liked (at least when fresh, they dont age as well).

It can be done . . you dont have to suffer. Just think of some of your favorite foods that have no gluten in them, or can be easily adjusted, and treat yourself!

[Ivanna44]

Just remember there are lots of foods which are naturally gluten free - any meat roast with baked potatos, mashed potatos or sweet potatos - just skip the rolls and eat more veggies. I started making fried rice (ok, with organic wheat-free soy sauce) and my family loved it. I also have a quick and easy jambalaya recipe, i just bought an all-natural sausage with no questionable ingredients. You can still eat corn chips! I also had to quit dairy, but you can make fake pizzas on corn tortillas. You can still have enchiladas and tacos. There are so many great meals that you can make for you AND your family without having to resort to 'fake' food. You can still eat chocolate! I do recomend getting a few cookbooks - i made gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free sugar cookies which I liked better than my old recipes. I made banana bread and pancakes which my family liked (at least when fresh, they dont age as well).

It can be done . . you dont have to suffer. Just think of some of your favorite foods that have no gluten in them, or can be easily adjusted, and treat yourself!

Thank you, dbmamaz and Meline

For the welcome. I appreciate the support. I do feel for that young lady who's mom is trying to sabatoge her attempt at living a more healthy diet, its her body, so she knows if gluten makes her sick.

Thank you for the suggestions, dbmamaz, I'll take the sweet potatos, I get kinda fed up with potato in general. If you have it too much, you can get sick of it real quick. Plus, I was wanting to lose 15 pounds, prior to finding out my doctor wanted me to try out the gluten free diet. I heard through a grapevine, that gluten free makes most people gain weight. I'm presuming cause you stuff yourself (emotional fullfillment) with eating potato chips and that. Hearing that you gain weight upset me

Unfortunately, my stomach has never been that tolerate of spicy foods like mexican food, I avoid green peppers all together (they do a # on me) but, I appreciate the ideas.

As for getting the family to eat gluten free with me. That will NOt be happening. My daughter has the odd time been willing try something I made (which again have been disasters). When I told her that this gluten sensitivity was heriditary, she may get it, she replied with "Well, I'll starve to death, first, than eat that stuff."

Can you pm me the names of those books? I tried to convert a couple of recipes I had; a banana bread one and a coconut squares one (covered in chocolate drizzle) >> Big time chocoholic here (Homer Drools) Anyhow, they both turned out to be disasters. I have them still in my "separate" freezer box for my gluten free snacks, breads and meals. The premade gluten free pastry dough I made for the coconut treats, never cooked right so it spoiled the coconut squares. The banana bread turned out really on the doughy side. It was a recipe I had used all the time with wheat flour, and always turned out great. I'm still trying to figure out the "knack" for baking with gluten free flours, premade mixes and homemade ones.

Odd question. How do you get those blurrs about: gluten free since Mar/04/2008 to show up after your postings? Is that something that you set up in your profile somehow. If so, how is it done....

Thanks again,

hugs

[MELINE]

Odd question. How do you get those blurrs about: gluten free since Mar/04/2008 to show up after your postings? Is that something that you set up in your profile somehow. If so, how is it done....

Thanks again,

hugs

well...in your profile find the "My controls" button and then go to "edit signature" (left side) and write whatever you want!!

[itchygirl]

Actually, a large number of people find that they lose weight on the gluten free diet. Many people who are celiac and are malnourished due to small intestine damage have gained weight because their body was in "starvation mode" and hanging on to every calorie-as they heal up, they just naturally lose fat and gain muscle mass. Other people still on gluten over ate just to try to relieve of that feeling of constant low grade nausea (or sometimes not so low grade nausea ) by eating a lot of starchy dry foods like crackers and toast. Once the nausea and constant stomach distress passes they can start eating a more healthy diet.

[ChicoYaYa]

Like you, I am new to the forum, new to Gluten-Free eating, but am enjoying the challenge! I think it helped that I was introduced straightaway to glutenfreegirl's blogsite, and she has the best attitude!

I am not, nor do I aspire to be, a gourmet cook, but I love her positive outlook and enthusiasm for wholesome foods, and that can only help, I say!

I do not miss the bread at all, and this after years of grinding my own wheat, baking my own bread a couple of times a week (when I was a SAHM and homeschooling, I had a little more time in the kitchen than I do now, working 3 jobs! LOL!!) For some time now, just eating bread has made me feel like I couldn't breathe. Needless to say, that is a feeling I don't wish to repeat, no matter how good something tastes.

But when my chiropractor told me last Fall that I might consider going off wheat for a few weeks to see if it made a difference in the level of inflammation in my body, I discovered that I sure did miss my muffins and cookies! That led to cheating which led to giving up. But I found "The Gluten Connection" at Barnes and Noble one evening, devoured it (twice!) and was convinced.

Now I am experimenting with grinding my own alternative flours (in a NEW grain mill) and have had a lot of success with adapting muffin and cookie recipes. Taking them with me to church, parties, work has opened a lot of opportunities to explain gluten sensitivity to people. They are mostly interested and fascinated, and always willing to be helpful!

I have always liked rice, not so much a pasta fan, but I am getting a little frustrated with the hidden gluten in rice and corn crackers and chips. I can and do cook a lot from scratch, but now that our girls are grown, I have become lazy about doing a lot of cooking and came to rely on things from Costco, etc. to pop in the Machine of Death (aka microwave). My husband is hooked on the Marie Callander's chicken pot pies.

My next self-appointed mission is to figure out something to adapt one of my favorite comfort foods: gluten-free graham crackers! Two weeks ago I missed a day of work after eating some. ("Just this once, what could it hurt?") And I just found some recipes on this forum for gluten-free Passover "matzoh-style" crackers, so I am looking forward to taking communion again, soon. Little things like that you don't think about, or don't think eating them once in awhile will hurt... but it does make a difference!

Also, I just splurged some of my Christmas bonus and ordered a Gluten Sensitivity Stool and Gene Panel test from EnteroLab. I will have some answers soon, and can fine-tune my lifestyle to help me feel better. I sure do appreciate that my husband is willing to eat (most of) my experiments!

I am really enjoying the wealth of information and encouragement that I have found shared on this forum. Thank you to all who contribute!

[gfgypsyqueen]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I for one believe and expect your home to be a supportive environment. They do not have to eat everything gluten-free just because of your dietary needs, but they should not be saying things to make you feel terrible. That is not acceptable. And yes, my spouse had those comments for me at first too. Nice huh. Enforce the rule of a simple "no thank you" works just fine! Or, "If you can't say something nice, don't bother opening your mouth!" Almost all dinners are gluten-free in my house. pasta night and pizza night is mixed.

First off, it is going to take you some time to find the recipes that work for you and taste good. Don't offer the snakcs that don't turn out amazing. Start with simple staples. I make Bette Hagman Italian bread recipe and use that for pizza crust. It is my favorite!!! Look for naturally gluten-free meals. (grilled meat, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, plantains, are some of our staples!) All my marinades are gluten-free. I make a gluten-free bbq sauce that everyone loves.

Look for a true flourless chocolate cake recipe. That is deadly good. Plus, it is a great dessert to bring to a party. "If you can eat that, gluten-free must not be so bad!" Is the goal. I am starting to make more Latin and Mexican meals. They tend to be flavorful and easy to make gluten-free. You can just add chunks of onion and tomato if too much spice bothers you.

As for supplies, talk to your local grocery to see of they can stock certain staples for you. Or, order food online. Check out Gluten Free Pantry online. I have heard that people use the amazon grocer too.

I hope things get easier for you. PM if you need some recipes or specific products.

[MDRB]

I'm really sorry to hear that you are not getting support at home. It's really important to have support. Nobody likes to inconvenience others, but it is really important to your health as even the tiniest amount of gluten can inhibit your recovery. Hopefully you'll get the support you need from this community.

I'm guessing your kids are teenagers from the way you describe them. There are a lot of gluten free foods that taste exactly the same as 'real food'.

When I was first diagnosed I cleared the entire kitchen of anything with gluten and stocked up on gluten free staples like rice and corn pasta, fruit, meat, potatoes, and made all our usual meals with just a few gluten free alterations.

Do your kids have a favorite meal? Try making it gluten free and not telling the

If you only keep gluten free options in the house, they'll soon get used to it.

Take charge! It will be well worth it

[aspendeb]

I'm really sorry to hear that you are not getting support at home. It's really important to have support. Nobody likes to inconvenience others, but it is really important to your health as even the tiniest amount of gluten can inhibit your recovery. Hopefully you'll get the support you need from this community.

I'm guessing your kids are teenagers from the way you describe them. There are a lot of gluten free foods that taste exactly the same as 'real food'.

When I was first diagnosed I cleared the entire kitchen of anything with gluten and stocked up on gluten free staples like rice and corn pasta, fruit, meat, potatoes, and made all our usual meals with just a few gluten free alterations.

Do your kids have a favorite meal? Try making it gluten free and not telling the

If you only keep gluten free options in the house, they'll soon get used to it.

Take charge! It will be well worth it

Hi, I was totally surprised yesterday by my son, who just turned 24. I have been gluten-free now since 2001 and have made everything gluten-free. Everybody in the family eats gluten-free or they have to go somewhere else to eat. I asked my son if he wanted me to make him a cake for his birthday like I always do. He said yes, I want cheesecake but make sure you make it gluten-free. I was shocked, he has always asked for German chocolate or white, never gluten-free. I guess after 7 years, he finally gets it. He says that when he eats here he feels good but when he eats anywhere else, he get a stomache ache and indigestion. I've been telling him for awhile now, I happy to see that he finally fets it! Sometimes it takes awhile!

[Corfuwriter]

Look on the bright side, if you aren't getting support at home because of your problem, you can find lots of it here. I felt terrible when I learned I could not tolerate gluten and wheat, but this site is a great help to me. It took me two years of tests and guesswork by well meaning doctors before I discovered the truth by accident!

I kept a food diary and started from scratch, with fish and meat, veg and fruit and water to drink. Then I added things one by one to see what I could eat. There is so much hidden gluten in processed foods!

I have just returned to female bodybuilding after a gap of over 23 years. I go to kickboxing every week and love it, and I will be 53 this year.

Since I cut out the gluten, which was giving me horrendous stomach pains, nausea and the runs on most days, I feel great and have much more energy. I struggle sometimes to have enough calories in the day to build muscle, but gluten free protein shakes have helped me out. They are also a good choice if you have some gluten by accident and can't face real food for a couple of hours.

Cheer up, most of us are in the same boat, and here to help you out if you are feeling low.

[Ivanna44]

Look on the bright side, if you aren't getting support at home because of your problem, you can find lots of it here. I felt terrible when I learned I could not tolerate gluten and wheat, but this site is a great help to me. It took me two years of tests and guesswork by well meaning doctors before I discovered the truth by accident!

I kept a food diary and started from scratch, with fish and meat, veg and fruit and water to drink. Then I added things one by one to see what I could eat. There is so much hidden gluten in processed foods!

I have just returned to female bodybuilding after a gap of over 23 years. I go to kickboxing every week and love it, and I will be 53 this year.

Since I cut out the gluten, which was giving me horrendous stomach pains, nausea and the runs on most days, I feel great and have much more energy. I struggle sometimes to have enough calories in the day to build muscle, but gluten free protein shakes have helped me out. They are also a good choice if you have some gluten by accident and can't face real food for a couple of hours.

Cheer up, most of us are in the same boat, and here to help you out if you are feeling low.

First off congrats, Corfuwriter,

Amazing 53, and returning to the Kickboxing and bodybuilding. Its' nice to know that someone esle feels like those protein drinks has helped them out. I did them for 2 years while I worked out an hour a day. They not only helped me with energy levels, I found I just was full enough on the one drink at lunch time. However like all dietary aids (which protein bars/shakes were designed for) they are meant to be added to a workout routine, they work their best, if one is trying to eat healthy, when you add in extra water, the protein bars can have a laxative type effect to help the digestive tract more better and elimate better. Then, add in the excercise, kick boxing or whatever it is you enjoy, to get the body to work more healthier too.

Its a combo efforts; eat well; eat extra proteins and add in some exercise

Good for you, I wish you much luck with your new hobby of kick boxing.

Thank you also, for recognizing that forums are designed by people who simply wanted a place to share and come to terms with this celiac disease/ or gltuen intolarane., to be a support for them.

However, after reading some posts today, I won't say which (different topics) it left me wondering if this was truly a "support" group.

[jparsick84]

I totally know what you mean by not getting support from your family. I'm a 23 year old grad student, and was diagnosed 2 months before I left for grad school 1,000 miles away from home. My parents didn't really have time to adjust to my new diet, but they weren't really interested in learning about it while I was home. (My dad thought I was making it up until he met a guy at work with it). My grandparents live about 3 hours away, so I go to visit them fairly often, seeing as how I'm a student (and thus still poor) and I get stuck eating corn macaroni b/c I'm out of meat for the week. The last time I went to visit, my grandfather was listening to me explain my disease (yet again!) and finally broke in with "It's a rich girl's disease, cause she only eats fresh stuff" He was smiling as he said it, but it still hurt.

As far as meals go, it's lucky that I like Mexican. I also have trouble eating super-spicy stuff, so I usually make my own at home. I grew up making tacos with just the ground beef, so you can do the same - if you put as many toppings on as I do, you don't even notice the difference! Corn pasta has been helpful too - I gave some to my dad and he couldn't tell the difference, so this might be a good meal to make for EVERYONE. I agree with other people on here, that if your family can't actively support you, the least they can do is not bring you down.

Homemade fried rice is also a good everyone-meal choice. I made some for my parents at Christmas, and they declared it was better than the restaurant. If you give me your email address I can send you the recipe. I can also send you the recipe for "Everyone's Favorite Casserole", which has beef, onions, pasta, cheese, beans, and spices to taste. My family isn't big on casseroles, but this was Mom's last-minute fall back when we were kids.

Salads are also good - I know I've gotten tired of them, but try adding different things, experimenting with different lettuces. I put raisins and apple slices on my salad the other day, and it was just delightful.

I also eat a lot of breakfast for dinner - Van's WF/gluten-free waffles are FANTASTIC, so I use them as my bread for breakfast sandwiches. I have also learned how to make my own hashbrowns (peel potato. Grate potato. Fry in a little olive/canola oil till light brown. Enjoy), which I sometimes pair with burgers instead of french fries for some variety.

McDonald's french fries are gluten free, as well as the roast beef from Arby's (via an email with the company). I just ask them to put the meat into one of their plastic clamshells for me, and they're usually fine with it. (Just reiterate that if it touches the bread, you'll have an allergic reaction, and that's usually enough to make them take you seriously). Sometimes I'll get some of their roast beef and pair it with my own mashed potatoes and green beans for a meal. And remember that Outback (and all the affiliates) have a gluten-free menu now, so if you decide to have a serious talk with your family, taking them out to a place as mainstream as Outback and showing them you can (almost) eat like they do may help things.

Try being honest with them, too. My family wanted to make the good old-fashioned green bean casserole (with cream of mushroom soup and the crunchy-but-wheat-filled onion things on top) at Thanksgiving this year, and I tried doing the whole "well, you know, we're going to have sweet potatoes and cranberries, I don't think we'll miss it..." They didn't get it, so I finally had to say "Look, if you make this, I'm going to feel hurt that you're not taking my diet into consideration, and I'm going to feel left out of the celebration." And once I offered an alternative, they were more than happy to try the substitute. And honestly, I think that's the key - telling others what you need, or what they can substitute instead, gives them something to work with so they don't feel like they're being put on the spot to come up with something for you.

As far as snacks go, I'm a huge fan of popcorn, and so far, have not come across an Orville Radenbacher brand that I can't eat. Try the Naturals product line first, see if you can tolerate it. Cheese curls are also gluten-free. This might help when trying to make your kids understand - every time they reach for the Cheetos, point out that it's a gluten-free snack.

Ok, I hope I didn't overwhelm you. I know I felt overwhelmed at first, especially with all the hidden gluten in processed foods, so try keeping it simple - stick to nothing but single foods for a while (meat, potato, veggie, fruit). I can't imagine having to worry about feeding others while learning about this too. GOOD LUCK!

[babysteps]

Unfortunately, my stomach has never been that tolerate of spicy foods like mexican food, I avoid green peppers all together (they do a # on me) but, I appreciate the ideas.

Hi!

couple thoughts-

do you know if you are sensitive to nightshades? Or it may be my favorite theory, green peppers are really just *unripe* bell peppers, and what other foods do we eat on purpose that are unripe? Anyway, nightshades=potato, tomato, bell pepper, eggplant - I think those are the major ones. You might do a self-test on those.

Family can be tricky. My husband has been amazingly supportive, even though my blood tests were normal. But every once in a while, I get cc'd and then he'll say "hope you don't turn into a bubble person" (like the boy in the plastic bubble). But he says that partly because he knows how careful I am, so realizes how insidious that gluten can be (last week I ate out 5 times and didn't get glutened once - well, mild once, but that's because I dropped my guard and ate some of my dessert after another diner had taken a bite out of it with a non-gluten-free utensil).

Anyway, if your kids are old enough to cook -- depending on maturity, that could be 12yo or 30yo -- let them cook themselves if they don't like your gluten-free cooking. Do try new recipes, I find things that are "intrinsically" gluten-free work better than trying to make a gluten-free version of a gluten-heavy food (I just skip bread, but my husband does have toast - his bread is in a ziploc in the freezer, toaster oven is in its own corner of the kitchen, before we cook anything I wipe that area down & wash my hands thoroughly).

We love polenta/grits/cornmeal, rice, rice pasta, quinoa, corn pasta, corn & quinoa pasta etc. - easy gluten-free "starch" sidedishes, and good in casseroles too.

McDonalds fries, make sure you ask the store you're at how they work their fryers. Some dedicate a fryer for potatoes, some do not - if they don't, beware.

Good luck! Follow your body, and may plenty of kind support come your way

[Ivanna44]

Hi!

couple thoughts-

do you know if you are sensitive to nightshades? Or it may be my favorite theory, green peppers are really just *unripe* bell peppers, and what other foods do we eat on purpose that are unripe? Anyway, nightshades=potato, tomato, bell pepper, eggplant - I think those are the major ones. You might do a self-test on those.

Family can be tricky. My husband has been amazingly supportive, even though my blood tests were normal. But every once in a while, I get cc'd and then he'll say "hope you don't turn into a bubble person" (like the boy in the plastic bubble). But he says that partly because he knows how careful I am, so realizes how insidious that gluten can be (last week I ate out 5 times and didn't get glutened once - well, mild once, but that's because I dropped my guard and ate some of my dessert after another diner had taken a bite out of it with a non-gluten-free utensil).

Anyway, if your kids are old enough to cook -- depending on maturity, that could be 12yo or 30yo -- let them cook themselves if they don't like your gluten-free cooking. Do try new recipes, I find things that are "intrinsically" gluten-free work better than trying to make a gluten-free version of a gluten-heavy food (I just skip bread, but my husband does have toast - his bread is in a ziploc in the freezer, toaster oven is in its own corner of the kitchen, before we cook anything I wipe that area down & wash my hands thoroughly).

We love polenta/grits/cornmeal, rice, rice pasta, quinoa, corn pasta, corn & quinoa pasta etc. - easy gluten-free "starch" sidedishes, and good in casseroles too.

McDonalds fries, make sure you ask the store you're at how they work their fryers. Some dedicate a fryer for potatoes, some do not - if they don't, beware.

Good luck! Follow your body, and may plenty of kind support come your way

Hi babysteps;

Thank you for the support & reply. My husband is getting better as time goes on. He might say the odd thing in a joking manner, but I think he is starting to get it now

The odd time now, he will even say, forgive me, if I forget "you are gluten free" don't get upset. Odd time he'll offer to get me something from the store, and I'll say I can't have that anymore! It also get easier with time too. Now, I know there are some "reg" brands that are gluten free that are at the grocery store. When I first started on this diet, I thought I had to get most things at heatlh food stores.

This week he even got me a toaster oven, prior I was using the big oven on the broiler feature, to do my toast. Unfortunately, my daughter whom is 15, doesn't cook. She has special needs and just starting to "boil water" so to speak :) ... Part of the reason I wanted the toaster oven, was to help teach her how to do some basics, she's very nervous around the big oven. My son is just 4 yrs old. Yes, big gap in babies

Support wise, it is better My daughter recently "pigged out" on some farmland flax cookies I made, that I modified to be gluten-free . I made up half the batch which worked out to be 4 dozen cookies and they were gone in 3 days

As for the night shades theory. I am ok with tomatoes and potatoes. I tend not to eat them often, maybe once a week. Usually sticking to the salad/rice or gluten-free mac n cheese. I even tried looking at the potential for the lactose problem that most seem to have. Not having any for a couple of days; and looking for a reaction. So I guess I'm kinda lucky that way. We count the little blessings. With just having the tomatoes once a week, I would most likely notice if they "upset" my stomach, and they don't >thank goodness another blessing to count.

I'm not that big on eating out, we maybe went out once a month, to McD due to the kids. But, I do find it hard when I'm out at the shopping malls, and want to stop for a coffee. Right now, I always "pack" a snack in my purse, whether that's a homemade mock rice krispie square, or few cookies. This way, I always have something with me, and I figure if they say anything to me about not eating other foods, other than what they sell at their counters. I'll just say, "if you carried gluten-free baked goods I'd buy one!!"

One day; who knows when, people will outside the gluten-free world I mean. Understand it better, and treat it at the same level at least, as a peanut allergy. Yes, maybe we won't die on the spot. But, in a way it does slowly "kill" us, if we keep getting gluttened by a society that simply can't understand why it "needs" to be gluten-free prepared/delivered etc.

But, I won't hold my breath on that. haha.

thank you again, Have a great week.