Need Gluten-quitting Tips !

[anodyne]

I was diagnosed with gluten-intolerance a few years ago. I have tried on various occasions, never longer than 3 days at a time, to stop eating gluten. When I stop, I am amazed & pleased that my digestive symptoms (diarrhea, bloating, gas, floating stools, etc) improve.

You would think that that would be motivation alone to go on a gluten-free diet. BUT .... I just cannot stop eating the stuff ! Logically I'm willing and want to be gluten free. How though do I get past the sensation of biting into a warm chewy bagel, or putting saltines in my soup? We all grew up with gluten-filled comfort foods. No matter how good a gluten-free product is, it doesnt have the same texture and chewyness and taste as its gluten-filled counterpart.

PLEASE, I beg of you. I cant find the answers anywhere .... PLEASE tell me how you broke the gluten habit. PARTICULARLY if you have others in your household who do NOT have to be gluten-free. It's so tempting to take a slice of their bread or a piece of their pizza. Otherwise, yeah, I think it'd be far easier if I lived alone so I could toss out all gluten containing products. But I cant.

I look forward to any and all answers ! I really need help with kicking the gluten habit ! Thanks in advance )

[Lisa16]

Too bad they don't make gutenerette patches like they do for cigarettes!

If I were you, I would go out and buy the things you crave in a gluten-free version. Get yourself some glutino or schar's crackers or even almond thins from blue diamond. Try the Mary's gon crackers too.

and get yourself some gluten-free bagels (they do exist). You might have to order from the internet. In the beginning you try to eat they way you did before, just using gluten-free bread and crackers, etc. You will drive to places far away to see what different products they have. This phase may last awhile, but the expense will get you in the end. It is kind of like denial. Some people never get beyond this phase of it.

Nevertheless, these foods will not be like the ones you must give up and you will be disappointed (or maybe not, depending.) gluten-free bread will never be as good as the real thing. True fact. That said, however, you will consequently find it easier to give up those kinds of foods. Retrain the way your think about food. Look at it as an adventure, rather than a hardship. This is kind of like the acceptance phase of grieving.

Go see cooking blogs like Glutenfreegirl or gluten free gobsmacked. Get some gluten-free cookbooks.

Soon you will find you can make "sandwiches" out of wraps or corn tortillas or even waffles. Soon you will find some products and recipes that you like. Maybe you will stop thinking in terms of sandwiches and do warm lunches instead with rice or potaotes as your starch.

Good luck to you.

As for me, well, I was so sick I had no trouble embracing th diet and have never once intentionally eaten anything with gluten in it. The price for me is too high. I can not even imagine where you are. But I can tell you, you must do this to get better.

[tarnalberry]

I think it helps to remember that you have a choice - and at the moment, you are choosing to be sick, and choosing a route that, on average, will take 10 years off your life. EVERY TIME you pick up a piece of gluten containing food, think to yourself "is this worth 10 years of my life?" Of course, if you're not thinking and just mindlessly eating (something almost all of us can do, and seems to be encouraged in this culture), well... that's a whole thing of its own to work on.

I'll be totally honest - I don't understand the "oh, I know I shouldn't, but I just couldn't stop myself". I'm not trying to belittle you - it's a total lack of understanding on my part. Maybe it's that I'm *too* controlled? Maybe it's my very strong belief in willpower/self-control. But those things are like muscles - you've got to use them if you want them to work. The more you practice, the easier it will become, but every time you step backwards, well... you've undone some "muscle". (This doesn't discount my own struggles with the willpower thing - when I get ravenous... watch out! But I know it's my own fault - I could have stopped myself, but didn't.)

It's doable. Not easy. But you can do it. And it can help strengthen self-control in other areas in your life too.

[Ahorsesoul]

The only thing I haven't found to eat that isn't gluten-free is a phyllo dough. I'm not interested in making myself so I'll just wait until someone makes it frozen. Other wise I have found replacements for everything I enjoy.

I'm gluten-free and the cook so my kitchen is gluten free. If you eat at my house you eat gluten free. I have yet to have anyone say anything tastes funny. People who know it's gluten-free always comment on how good everything tastes. I'm really picking about my food. Was before going gluten free. I want food that tastes good, not just food.

My biggest complaint was not finding a good pizza crust. I've finally settled on the frozen crust made by Grandma Ferdons (sorry they do not ship everywhere). It take some taste testing but most everything can be found gluten free.

You just have to decide to go gluten free because of your health and that you are important enough to do so. Your family will not miss out on having the kitchen gluten free.

I was at a local gas station yesterday and saw they had hot dogs with cheese wrapped inside a corn tortilla. Now I would never have tought to wrap a hot dog in a corn tortilla. I'm going to try this soon at home. I might just try cooking it on the grill. Last night's dinner was pizza cooked on the grill.

Against the Grains's Baguettes are to die for if you want some french bread. Kinnikinnick's frozen donuts are excellent. I've found most bread items taste better if warmed. Gluten free breads also tend to be a little dry so they invite lots of toppings or butter to be spread on them.

I never did enjoy eating bread before going gluten free. Now I eat more bread than before. You'll be fine going totally gluten free. I'm off to eat fresh baked apple pie, yes it's gluten free. Let us know how you do.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[mamaw]

You have got some good answers.... Truly there isn't anything really that can't be done gluten-free! Joan's gluten-free great bakes are wonderful eng muffins/ bagels, scilian pizza....

Bristol buns has terrific soft/ swishy rolls for buregers & deli sandwiches.

Celiac Specialitites has to die for donuts ......

Conte's has gluten-free ravioli, poerogi,s, pizza, gnocchi..

Pamela's has fine cakes mixes, cookies, pancake mix

Better batter has a wonderful flour blend other flour blends that are very good are: Meister's, domata living flour,Annalise Roberts flour blend & her cookbook is one of the best.

The grainless baker has so many yummy things!

I too, like Tarnalberry am very controlled. There is a time for mourning the loss of food but then as in a death time heals the pain somewhat. I think dwelling on what you can't have is torturing so try to move on quickly. It will be easier in the long run. Mind over matter. Small children adapt very well ....

good luck

mamaw

[kbtoyssni]

You know all the consequences of eating gluten so maybe it's time to talk to a therapist. Many celiacs crave gluten and become addicted to it so approaching this like any other addiction may help.

[SGWhiskers]

I do like the idea of a therapist. Cognitive Behavioral would be perfect for this situation.

I was so sick that I didn't want the gluten much. I bought lots of things that were non gluten that I liked like strawberries, chocolate, smoothie ingredients, tortilla chips. I kept my mouth full of something the first 3 months. That way I didn't get much in the way of cravings. I avoided watching hubby eat the good stuff. We didn't get the fattening gluten items in the house at all. A hot dog bun does not have the same appeal as a cookie or doughnut. I made lots of brownies with nuts. I found nuts had that crunch and richness that wheat has. Flax seeds were a chewy friend too.

Best wishes with quitting again. Remember that it gets easier the longer you are away from the gluten.

[anodyne]

Oh My Golly Goodness Folks...... YOU ARE TERRIFIC !!

I'm appreciative and open and willing to listen to any thoughts you've got for me and you've given me lots of good thoughts to ponder awhile.

For Tarnalberry (hope I spelled that right!) ... I was not offended by your post at all, in fact your statement:

It's doable. Not easy. But you can do it. And it can help strengthen self-control in other areas in your life too.

really really struck me, because there are other areas in my life I'm also not happy with .. self-control-wise.. so that is a powerful statement for me and I'm so glad you shared it with me !

I've also read in another area of this forum, on behaviors, about the addictive quality of gluten, sometimes it being likened to a morphine or opiate addiction. And I can really see that. If I'm anxious about something, I crave gluten-filled carbs .. once I get physically filled ... then its like my brain quiets down and I feel calmer and more serene. I wish food in general was like nicotine or alcohaul, where you didn't need it to survive, thus... perhaps being able to curb those cravings. One of the posts alluded to a book I think it was called Killer Cravings... so I'll be googling that. Also, your ideas of cognitive therapy are good and I am considering that. Because I sure dont want to continue the rest of my life eating gluten but feeling miserable !

Also I've been thinking of this topic for so long that tonight I got the copy of Shauna Ahern's Gluten Free Girl from my local library. And although I've seen her website before ... the book I'm finding to be far more powerful (for me) .. as the written word really resonates with me,r ather than say photographs... but the way Shauna DESCRIBES the foods she recommends you splurge on .. just oh how to I say it ? well, here's an example from her book regarding her first taste of real Gouda cheese from Holland:

First I tasted milkiness, like a bucket of warm milk condensed into one bite. It was chewy, with a true texture, which forced my teeth to bite down. After a moment, there was a hint of something almost smoky at the back of my mouth. My tongue noticed the nubbly texture where the cheese met the waxy red rind. And in the end, it all smelled clean, like pastures in spring.

And what I like in her book is she does not discount the 'famous' foods we ate growing up, like parmesan cheese describing it as sawdust-dry and shaken from a can and no matter how hot the spaghetti sauce was, that parmesan cheese never melted but just sat there.

And hey, I have a green can of that in my fridge right now ! So she makes her book very relateable. I'm hoping I can really get inspiration and motivation from reading her book

and... I really need the support of people here who have been down this Celiac/gluten road for awhile .. and nice to have the companionship of those who understand.

You're generous with your responses and they've really warmed my heart. I'm feel encouraged at the moment, as if I can maybe DO this gluten-free thing. Your suggestions for products really helps too. I welcome any more comments and advice. My husband wrinkles his nose at the thought of gluten-free pasta... but maybe with good quality ingredients I can produce a really pleasurable eating experience for him and myself. After all, I dont want to limit my world, but open it up with food possibilities.

Gentle hugs to you all

[miles2go]

Gentle hugs to you all

You'll be fine. We'll share a phyllo recipe or two.

Margaret

[The Fluffy Assassin]

and... I really need the support of people here who have been down this Celiac/gluten road for awhile .. and nice to have the companionship of those who understand.

You're generous with your responses and they've really warmed my heart. I'm feel encouraged at the moment, as if I can maybe DO this gluten-free thing. Your suggestions for products really helps too. I welcome any more comments and advice. My husband wrinkles his nose at the thought of gluten-free pasta... but maybe with good quality ingredients I can produce a really pleasurable eating experience for him and myself. After all, I dont want to limit my world, but open it up with food possibilities.

Gentle hugs to you all

It's actually really easy, but you just have to take a positive attitude. If you think, "Oh my god, the things I have to give up!" well yeah, you're going to have problems. If you think, "Oh boy, this is fun! This is going to be a culinary adventure!" you'll have a good time, fun every day.

Really really really, the best approach is giving up gluten and not trying to make substitutions. That is, don't knock yourself out trying to make gluten-free pasta and gluten-free pizza. Better is to eat a lot more potatoes and rice, and try other grains like quinoa and millet. However, if you must, Tinkyada pasta is good. It might be best to start with the lasagna, as the texture is different and lasagna is a good way to ease in.

I enjoyed using Chebe bread Open Original Shared Link for pizza. They have a pizza mix, but I used their plain bread mix, as the pizza mix had basil and oregano premixed in; I preferred just putting in minced garlic instead. Chebe bread is hard to find, but you can order it through Amazon.

What you mainly need to do is make sure you have gluten-free foods for every meal. As pointed out, soft corn tortillas can be used to make sandwiches. However, be sure you get enough fiber (the tortillas have practically none); I found this out the hard way.

As pointed out above (and as you've seen elsewhere on the site), eating gluten often creates more cravings for gluten. So use it. Whenever you crave gluten, think to yourself, "If I can hold out for one day, these cravings are going to stop." Pretty soon, they will. Promise.

Good luck to you and welcome to the board.

[lovegrov]

Don't know that this will help, but...

For many years I had DH but had no idea it was celiac. I took dapsone and was fine for more than 20 years.

Suddenly, I was EXTREMELY ill -- to the point I was probably dying. In the hospital for 11 days and missed work for 10 weeks. Didn't feel normal for 10 months.

Is this what you want to come to before you get serious about it? I hope not.

richard

[anodyne]

Don't know that this will help, but...

For many years I had DH but had no idea it was celiac. I took dapsone and was fine for more than 20 years.

Suddenly, I was EXTREMELY ill -- to the point I was probably dying. In the hospital for 11 days and missed work for 10 weeks. Didn't feel normal for 10 months.

Is this what you want to come to before you get serious about it? I hope not.

richard

Richard, thank you for replying.

I am not sure what "DH" is tho

I hope you'll write back and let me know. Thanks

[runningcrazy]

Richard, thank you for replying.

I am not sure what "DH" is tho

I hope you'll write back and let me know. Thanks

DH means dermatitis herpetiformus(sp?) it is the skin rash associated with celiacs

[Palila]

I'd had a fairly mild reaction to gluten until recently, so my biggest gluten-eating de-motivator has been my tummy happiness. Simply: I like to eat! I like to eat tasty, yummy food! When I eat gluten-free stuffs, my tummy feels happy, so I feel happy eating and I like to feel happy when I eat. When I don't feel my best after eating something, I don't want to eat it as much again.

Of course, this unconscious diet worked best pre-diagnosis and when I lived alone. Once the recently-now-hubby and I moved in together, our respective food preferences went out the window as we tried each other's favorite at-home foods.

This very basic reaction to food made a lot more sense after diagnosis: foods that I'd avoided when I lived alone were the pastas and breads and sandwich meats that he loved (all gluten-filled), and all my favorite tummy-happy foods happened to be gluten-free: rice puddings, home-cooked meats, tofu noodles, and veggies. (DH didn't believe me when I said my favorite childhood food was a can of lima beans, until Mom confirmed it. Apparently, I've been weird for many years.)

So, I'd say for motivation: follow what makes your belly happy. Clearly, bagels make your mouth happy, but no the whole system, and food should make everything happy! The previous posters have some great resources and suggestions for food sources that will make everything do the happy dance.

[Evie4]

I have been mostly gluten free for about a year and the last 5 weeks it's been 100%. I have been sick over 15 years and going gluten free seems to be my only hope of feeling well/better and stopping the progressive downward spiral. I am literally in fear of eating gluten now. My fear outweighs my desire for no-no foods.

I have controlled my eating for many years now. I figured out many years ago that overeating/eating too much made me miserable. I cook every night and take my lunches/leftovers to work and so I don't hit the snack machines. I find that once I eat what I should eat, I'm satisfied and I don't need to snack. I do want to snack sometimes, so when I decided I had to go 100% gluten free, I stocked up on some items for when I feel strong cravings. This happened the other day and I had my bag of gluten free pretzels handy! They hit the spot!

My husband is totally supportive, he's so happy to see some of my issues resolving. He let me know right away that he will eat whatever I make and that is no problem for him. Bless his heart, he's so sweet when he has a gluten free item and swears it's just as good as 'regular' stuff. I chuckle, all the gluten free mixes I bought I bought for him. I didn't want to take away his ability to bake when he wants a treat or to be able to surprise me with a goodie. I knew it would be harder for him to not be able to buy me that slice of keylime pie than for me not to eat it.

When I was younger I smoked. I knew I shouldn't but I did. I felt very guilty about it--it weighed on my mind quite heavily and I quit. It was hard and I did it cold turkey. Your description of your cravings for those foods reminds me of how hard it was for me to go without a cigarette when I was quiting. It was tough.

When it comes to food now, foods that I can't eat--I just don't allow myself to think about it. I think about what I can eat and not what I can't. There have been successes and failures where baking is concerned. The stuff that comes out good are the keeper recipes! This board is great for that. Lots of great advice!! The product reviews in the Gluten Mall and Amazon take a lot of the guess work out.

I have friends that bring specialty foods from other countries, I will miss that. But the fresh Baklava from Turkey, though delicious made me sick as a dog

[mamaw]

A great pasta product is BiAglut. It tastes like raeal wheat pasta. My husband is not gluten-free but eats gluten-free because he can't tell the difference! YOu will most likely have to do mailorder on most of the items I've mentioned. FOr us it is the only way to get the best of the best in gluten-free.

Are you aware that there are many gluten-free foods on the mainstream grocery shelves? Progresso soups, contadina tomato products, general mills has several cereals & a bunch more....

[Ahorsesoul]

A great pasta product is BiAglut.

I too love BiAglut. For awhile it was not being sold online. I'll have to look again. I order it by the case. When I can't get it I use Schar pastas. Schar has excellent crackers.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[mamaw]

BiAglut is back in the US.... I'm so glad I had a stash for when it was unavailable!!! It is the best......

[heathen]

i realize everyone can't do this, but i quit gluten cold turkey. Ripped off the bandaid and haven't looked back. of course, i felt like i was dying from the inside out, so i would have given up just about anything at that point. i know this isn't especially inspiring, but i think it's good for people to know that it's possible.

[Northern Celiac]

I was diagnosed with gluten-intolerance a few years ago. I have tried on various occasions, never longer than 3 days at a time, to stop eating gluten. When I stop, I am amazed & pleased that my digestive symptoms (diarrhea, bloating, gas, floating stools, etc) improve.

You would think that that would be motivation alone to go on a gluten-free diet. BUT .... I just cannot stop eating the stuff ! Logically I'm willing and want to be gluten free. How though do I get past the sensation of biting into a warm chewy bagel, or putting saltines in my soup? We all grew up with gluten-filled comfort foods. No matter how good a gluten-free product is, it doesnt have the same texture and chewyness and taste as its gluten-filled counterpart.

PLEASE, I beg of you. I cant find the answers anywhere .... PLEASE tell me how you broke the gluten habit. PARTICULARLY if you have others in your household who do NOT have to be gluten-free. It's so tempting to take a slice of their bread or a piece of their pizza. Otherwise, yeah, I think it'd be far easier if I lived alone so I could toss out all gluten containing products. But I cant.

I look forward to any and all answers ! I really need help with kicking the gluten habit ! Thanks in advance )

Well I really don't know how to answer you except to say that you really need to develop willpower. Do I miss beer, pizza, bagels,a good french baguette........etc?The answer is not only yes but HELL YAH! You must not be very sensitive to gluten so you can get away with slipping back and forth. If I did what you do it would put me in the hospital, because my celiac disease is very severe.

I can look at the foods I can't eat and I remember how sick I got eating them and I walk away. You need to learn to do the same

[Mrs.Doyle]

What is the downside to getting well... or what is the benefit to staying sick? Sometimes we sabotage ourselves without knowing it because we have a benefit in staying stuck. Does being ill give you an excuse to avoid certain tasks, people or situations? If there might be something to this thought, you can talk it out with a therapist. maybe? There is also something called EFT which I have personally found very helpful for getting through some emotional issues that don't benefit me in a good way. Try googling Gary Craig EFT if you want to find out more about it. I had a therapist introduce me to it about a year ago and it is very helpful for me.

Another thing to keep in mind is that detoxing can be an very unpleasant experience, whether it be from a drug or food. I had a harder time coming off of gluten than I did stopping smoking. I felt like I had a horrid flu for about a week, and then I started feeling better. It was days 2-4 that had the worst cravings. By the second week I didn't even give it another thought about not having gluten products... I just read labels and search out what I can, instead of focusing on what I can't eat and feeling deprived.

Find the guilty pleasure foods that you enjoy that don't have gluten in them and stock up. Feeling deprived can be a huge reason to sabotage yourself. If you love chocolate, go for that instead of the bagel. Go stock up on gluten free junk food, or whatever it is that you normal crave that has the gluten.

Be gentle with yourself. It's not like you chose this for your life, the way that someone chooses to diet. You have been blessed with the knowledge of what makes you ill, healing will take a while and have many steps, most of the difficult ones come from the emotions tied to the change. You do have to mourn. You do need to acknowledge the frustration. It's okay to be angry and sad and happy all in the same moment. And it will be uncomfortable, but you will get through it. Be gentle with yourself.