Depressed Over Celiac, Need Help!

[Noni]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this site, but not new to Celiac Disease. I was diagnosed in 2004 with

both Celiac Disease and Dermititis Herpatiformis. Double Whammy!!! It was such a

trauma to me. I felt like all the foods I enjoyed were suddenly taken away.

I've been to a support group, but only became more discouraged. I live on a very

limited budget, this doesn't all me to buy these speciality foods people talk about.

I'm careful with what I eat, but somethings I have no choice because of cost.

People say how easy it is to live "Gluten-free"......its not for me. For one reason

I can't afford the foods I should be eating, nor the book of allowed foods. I'd like

to see the food diary of someone who is gluten-free. I'm really curious what people

eat.

I'm so depressed about this. Everyday I'm in severe pain, in the bathroom, feel bad

all the time. I've nearly quit eating, just live on liquids. In the past 3 months I've lost 47lbs.

All I want to do is sleep. It seems hopeless to me.

I'm sorry for pouring out my heart in this post, but I'm at my wits end. I've never

had anyone to help me with this. I've been to dieticians, etc. It would be so nice

to have some support. Thanks for reading this....have a great day.

[tictax707]

I am sure many will echo this, but you have come to the right place. I've been diagnosed since 2002 and have spent a lot of that time on a very limited budget. It is possible to get better. Since you can make a post at all, you have internet access. On this site is a list of allowed and not allowed foods. It was one of the first things I found. You should be able to search for that from the home page. You can afford to eat quite cheaply if you keep things very basic and you don't even have to bother with any of the fancy substitutes for things.

You sound like you are trapped in a very viscous negative cycle both physically and mentally. Once you quit eating and start living on just liquids your body will start to just feel worse and worse because it is not getting what it needs, even if you are only drinking gluten free things. When your body feels like crap so does your mind.

Start by looking around this site at whatever strikes your fancy. You sound very alone in this and you need to know that you are really not.

For foods - I actually wasn't going to make a list because I feel like it would just be too long. (a good thing, no??) But here goes a really broad overview of some simple cheap ideas:

fruit (fresh & dried)

veggies

nuts

potatoes

corn (corn tortillas)

rice

meats

eggs

Part of your problem may be that you have other food intolerances that are also making you miserable. I can't have dairy. (that's common) others can't have soy. I would stay away from dairy for now even if it is gluten free because of the amount of time you spend in the bathroom already. Dairy is just hard on the system.

You also sound pretty overwhelmed even now. I am so so sorry... It can get like that. But I promise you can get a grip on all this. But it will take a little work on your part too... Keep coming to this site to vent, and do come back with specific questions after your play around on this site more!!

[Noni]

Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate it. I do have internet in my home. So I'm able to get online whenever I wish.

One thing you mentioned in your reply that is very accurate...there are other

factors affecting what I eat. I have dental problems, even though I see my

dentist regularly, so alot of things are difficult to chew.

My biggest "road-block" is one that suprised my dermatologist. My dermatitis

herpatiformis breaks out "inside my mouth"! Every time I have a break out...

my mouth is full of sores. So I don't eat anything that is the least bit

spicy, or crunchy, can't chew meat, the list goes on....

I am overwhelmed right now, that's for sure. Thank you for the open door invitation,

that means so much. I do appreciate your list also. Thanks again.

[RoseTapper]

I'm so very sorry that you feel so ill right now. I know how hard it is to live and eat on a skimpy budget--I usually just eat mashed potatoes or tomatoes from my garden during the last week of the month because I've run out of money to buy food. It can be discouraging, I know.

Although I don't normally tout processed foods, since I've been eating pretty much only natural foods since I went gluten free in 2004 (just like you!), there is a great list of "regular" foods that can be purchased at the supermarket that are gluten free, such as canned chili beans or hash. Many tend to be inexpensive. Have you heard of Dr. Holland's gluten-free list? If not, you can access it here:

Open Original Shared Link

I also have Dermatitis Herpetiformis (face, feet, and hands), and my daughter gets her sores inside her mouth. Have you already eliminated iodine from your diet so that gluten contamination won't trigger the rash? Sneaky places where iodine hides is in dairy products and asparagus. You may already know this, but just in case you don't, both gluten and iodine need to be present in your system to trigger DH (at least, that's the way it is for a lot of us). If you're on thyroid meds, then too bad--you'll always have iodine in your system and the slightest amount of gluten can possibly trigger an outbreak. That's the case with me.

Is there any possibility that you're getting a bit of gluten contamination? Perhaps from a shampoo, conditioner, makeup, vitamins, supplements, or somewhere else? You sound so depressed, it just seems as though you might be getting some gluten somewhere.

As for products, not all of the gluten-free products are out of sight. Have you tried Udi's white sandwich bread? It's relatively inexpensive, tastes just like "normal" bread, and makes my life easier because I can always whip up a PB sandwich, BLT, tuna sandwich, or grilled cheese sandwich. You can also find cheap envelopes of gluten-free gravy at specialty stores (they tend to be cheaper than the regular gravy mixes at the supermarket) to put on mashed potatoes, turkey, or chicken, and that's real comfort food (yum!).

Please stay in touch with us--everyone is here to help.

[lucia]

Hi,

A lot of people on the site go through a period of a restricted diet during which they eat only whole foods. That seems to generally get people over the most difficult period, when they may be reacting to various processed foods. I don't think you need to eat processed foods at all. You can be gluten-free and never touch gluten-free bread or other substitutes. Good substitutes are potatos, corn (if you can tolerate it), polenta (made from corn), rice, and other grains. These are much cheaper than any gluten-free brand of food. They are naturally gluten-free!

So many things that I'm eating now are low cost: lentil soup, chicken & vegetable soup, poached eggs with sauteed greens, etc. However, my diet does take cooking from scratch. This is the most cost-effective way to live, no matter what your situation.

It sounds like you need some nurturing. You can get that through thru food. When you put good, gluten-free foods into your body, it will thank-you.

I hope you will stay with us on the board. We are here to help!

Lucia

[Noni]

Rose T.,

Thank you so much for you response. It was so inspiring to know that someone else is

enduring some of the same symptons as myself.

I think you're right about my gluten coming from somewhere else. I had my pharmacy do

a check on all my medications, supposedly none of them contain gluten. (I don't take thyroid med.)

I do watch my shampoo, hair spray, lotions, etc...but sometimes I wonder if I'm

watching for all the right ingredients I need to.

You mentioned something about white bread. I do love bread, but have only found 1

kind at a health store. I couldn't afford it. It contained 6 extremely thin, slices

of bread for $6.00. So that was out of range, lol. Please tell me more about the

bread you get. I'd love to have gluten-free bread.

I don't really cook anymore. I recently moved into my own place and don't have

the desire or interest to cook for just myself. (As for preparing a full meal.)

I'm anxious to check out the foods list you recommended. Thanks again for your message.

I hope to hear back from you.

[dilettantesteph]

Those processed gluten free foods are very expensive. Why not buy whole grains which are more like $3 per pound or so and eat them? Buy in bulk. Buy big cuts of meat, cut them up yourself and freeze. Buy a bushel of apples from the farmers market. I'm pretty sure a whole foods diet is a lot cheaper than a processed gluten free foods diet, and healthier too. Plus you can avoid possible cc. It takes some getting used too, and it is a lot of work preparing food all the time, but you can do it.

I went through a lot of depression at first, I think because I kept getting glutened. You will come out of it. I feel great all the time now.

[gfForLife]

Hi Noni, I'm new here too. Your post inspired me to register because I am in a very similair situation but I have a family of 4 to feed on a very tight budget. We all eat gluten free because it is less complicated and less expensive that way(and no CC).

One thing I do is watch for sales on meats and stock up and freeze things like ground beef, whole chickens, chicken breast, thighs, legs, Steaks or stew beef, etc... I almost never buy meat over 1.99/lb so it's very cheap. I also buy bags of frozen veggies when they are on sale for about 1.00 a bag and cans of tomatoes, beans, sauce, fruits, etc...

I stick to whole foods. The gluten-free diet is only expensive if you go out and buy all the wheat replacement foods, flours, breads, crackers, pre-made stuff. And ya know? It's such a waste of money because most of these things have very little nutritional value and are just empty (and expensive) calories. They are nice for a treat sometimes but should not be every day foods.

If you can eat eggs they are a great source of nutrition especially if you cook them w/ some veggies like a crustless quiche. Here a few ideas that we eat on a regular basis:

lentil soup/stew. 1/2 Bag of lentils (about .50) makes a huge pot of lentils. You can use Knorr boullion for seasoning and any cheap vegetables you have. Curry powder or cumin is nice in it. If you make it thick it's good served over rice (also cheap)

Chili. 1 lb of ground beef, frozen peppers and onions, a can of tomatoes and beans and some chili seasonings. I can make a big batch of chili for about $5. Enough for about 6 good servings.

Tacos, mission corn tortillas are 2.00 for a 30 pack around here and you can use the shells for more than just tacos. I can't eat corn much but my family can. My kids eat cheese quesadillas with salsa all the time and it's super cheap.

Beef stew in the crock pot.... Do you have a small crock pot?. They are cheap and if you don't like cooking or don't have time crock pots can turn cheap meat into delicous (and easy to chew) meals. Theres also a site with tons of gluten-free crock pot recipes that I've found. Just google gluten free crock pot recipes and you'll find it.

You can make the gluten-free diet cheaper and healthier than a regular diet. It takes time and research but you will get there. You do have to learn to cook just a little though . Good luck, I hope it gets easier for you so you can start feeling better soon.

[Jestgar]

Every weekend I make several crockpots worth of meals and freeze them. Usually it's chicken breasts and whatever veggies were on sale. Occasionally I throw in a handful of rice.

Sometimes I get ground turkey and cook it with some different kinds of canned beans and a lot of veggies.

Today I'm having yams, sweet potatoes, onions, oranges, flavored with curry, ginger, and a dash of pumpkin pie spice.

This weekend I found a pot roast type thing on sale so I crocked that and I'll add a bunch of peppers, tomatoes, and onions and cook it for a little longer.

[lynnelise]

Gluten free specialty products aren't necessary! I mean they are good for an occassional treat but definately not required for the diet! Here are some examples of what I eat regularly:

Breakfast: yogurt and fruit. Homemade muffins. gluten-free oats or cream of rice cereal mixed with fruit, pumpkin, ect. Larabars.

Lunch: Dinner leftovers. gluten-free lunch meat on salad greens. Veggies and hummus. Rice and beans. Tuna and cottage cheese (not as gross as it sounds!). Noodle kits (A Taste of Thai makes some good ones).

Dinner: Chili, meatloaf (use gluten-free breadcrumbs or even crushed corn chips in the mix), whole roasted chicken (great leftovers!!!), Salmon with lemon juice and spices, shepherd's pie, gluten free pasta, tacos, enchiladas, ect...

Any type of treat such as muffins or cookies I've adapted just fine with Pamela's gluten free baking mix. I've also been successful with the new gluten-free Bisquick which is fairly inexpensive!

[lynnelise]

Ok...now I see where you said you don't want to cook a full meal for just yourself. I suggest cooking full meals and eating the leftovers for a couple of nights! Or throwing some quick stuff together:

Corn tortillas with cheese grilled til melted. Serve with cut up veggies or a can of gluten-free soup.

Baked potatoes with brocolli and cheese or chili and cheese.

Fruit and yogurt smoothies! Add protein powder or use greek yogurt for a more balanced meal! Throw spinach in there (you really can't taste it!).

Roll up lunch meat and cheese with some lettuce. Serve with gluten-free soup or cut veggies!

[hazelbrown10]

Hi Noni,

I'm sorry you're still not feeling well. It's great that you have your own place though, that way you can control everything you eat! I don't have too many other suggestions other than what people have already said, but I think that with some support here, you can do it. The thing is you're really going to have to cook - but like people have said, you can cook a bunch of stuff all at once and then be done for a while. You can make a huge pot of soup or chili and that will last a long time! Tacos with corn tortillas are my favorite... but I learned that you have to heat up the tortillas otherwise they break and... not so yummy

Good luck!

[txplowgirl]

Hi Noni,

I've been where you are. Depression and anxiety, feeling like crap since I was a kid. I know you don't feel like it but you need to eat whole foods to start out with. The processed gluten free items don't agree with a lot of us even me a year and a half on this diet.

It wasn't until after I got rid of all the gluten, dairy and soy that I started feeling better. Soy and dairy gives me very bad depression within 24 hours. Skylark will chime in here soon hopefully but skylark had bipolar symptoms. If skylark and I can do it i'm sure you can.

Hang in there and we are all willing to help you. Just keep asking questions and pm or send me an email and i'll help you all I can.

Vicky

[Reba32]

Easiest way to do it is just eat whole natural foods. I don't buy all those pre-made, packaged and manufactured gluten free foods or breads. The only time I do is when someone is coming over for a meal and I get them gluten free stuff rather than have them contaminate my kitchen with gluteny foods! And whole natural foods are so much more healthy than processed and refined foods.

Frozen vegetables and berries are half the price of "fresh", and last a whole lot longer too! If you can't chew meat, you can get ground meats, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, you can get them all at the grocery store. Make large batches of soups and stews, and freeze leftovers.

Nuts and seeds are good for snacks, as well as you can grind them to make flour for baking. You can get a decent coffee grinder for only $10, and that'll save you litterally $100s of dollars over it's lifetime. 1 pound of almond flour can cost over $10 and doesn't go far. But one pound of whole almonds that you can grind at home yourself is probably like $3!

We're all so programmed to eat manufactured foods in crinkly shiny packages we just don't know what real food is anymore. But it really is not the least bit necessary (other than for convenience), and really is just what is making us fat and sick. Mother Nature makes her food in edible packaging.

[rdunbar]

Hi! Sorry to hear you're struggling so much, and i can totally relate and understand. I've got dermatitas herpetiformis too, on my scalp, and have gone through alarming weight loss as well. I went gluten-lite for @ 3years, and if anything the DH got worse as well as other 'symptoms', including horrible anxiety and depression. finding this board, and getting an idea from everyone about what I needed to do to get better was a huge step for me that i'm slowly but surely getting results from. Also, just knowing that i COULD get better gave me the motivation and resolve that i was lacking before; i really had kind of subconciously given up. For the last 8 months now i've been eating nothing but whole ingrediants, nothing processed or packaged, no expensive 'gluten-free' products that are marked up apparantly because it says gluten free on it, a lot of these are actually contaminated with trace amounts of gluten anyways.No eating out (ok, pf changs twice), and no dairy, soy, or nightshades or onions/garlic.

i've been eating sweet potatoes, carrots,pork, chicken, salad with ground beef, kale, mustard greens,acorn and butternut squash, are not terribly expensive.

I've been getting better, definatly my mood is better, and the joint pain/achiness, and tingling are much better! the DH is less itchy, and not as bad, but i still have blisters, but they don't seem really active and 'erupting'.

dropping iodine (it's in seasalt, and is added to most table salt) made a noticable difference within 2 days! kosher salt has no iodine.

I just got to the point where I felt like i was willing to do anything and make whatever changes i needed to in order to get rid of the DH, I don't think i need to tell you how truly horrible and life altering it is!

i'm glad you found the board; also theres a dermaititas herpetiformis forum here too, and you can read back on it and gather a lot of helpful info!

[aderifield]

Wow, your expressions of how you are feeling sound a lot like my own. Like you, I found myself tempted to exist off almond milk and juice for a few days there. I'm bored stiff with my whole foods diet, but have grown scared to death of adding in any thing new - gluten free or, otherwise. Seems every time I do, I have some sort of reaction - even to the latest, greatest antidepressant my doctor had prescribed for me. Now, that was depressing!

However, that said, I strongly recommend you speak to your doctor about how you are feeling. Please, do not languish in depression without reaching for help. Any time your depression reaches the level you describe, it is best to speak to a professional about it.

I don't know what your situation is, if you are already on antidepressants or, not, but either way, please, use your resources in dealing with and getting through this period. Sometimes, we all need someone to point us in the direction of the sun again.

Good luck to you.

[Noni]

Hello everyone!

I would like to thank you all for the many new replies I

received. You've encouraged me so much. I could never express

in words how much this means to me. Just knowing that someone

would take time to send a reply, full of compassion is so

sweet. Thank you!

The food/recipe ideas are awesome! I really hadn't thought of

some of them. I would like to ask a couple questions please...

an add a few things about myself that might be helpful. Just

the thought that you all are willing to help me, gives me hope.

1. Chili-can you please be more specific on the ingredients.

I've used Chili starter. Does that contain gluten? What about

Bush's Chili Beans? please help.

2. Tacos-what seasoning do you put in your taco's? I used to

put Ole El Paso, but quit. need advice. Thank you.

3. Someone mentioned Lentils, is that a bean?

4. What do you season your meat with? I'm sensitive to alot

of spices. Does anyone marinate their meat? what is safe to

use?

About me: As I already meantioned, many spices set my mouth on

fire. Ginger, Paprika. Green Peppers & Onions tear me up.

I love the ideas of cooking once and freezing, but my freezer

is very, very small. I guess I could make small batches.

Whoever mentioned the corn torillas w melted cheese, I love you!

That sounds so yummy! I love cheese!!!

You've all helped me so much with your suggestions. I hope my

questions aren't too much. It's not that I can't research it,

but I have a serious eye problem going on currently. My

opthalmologist doesn't know what the outcome will be.

So it's difficult to do searchs.

I have a magnifier on my computer, but for some reason

it doesn't work when going from site to site.

When I log in here, I'm able to magnify the

screen to read your replies.

Sorry if this reply is all over the place, I typed up one, then

lost it. So I'm trying to remember everything I wanted to share

with you. Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all

your compassion and care. Your an awesome group of people.

I look forward to hearing from you again. Noni

[Dixiebell]

Hi! For my chili, my husband likes it a lot, I use chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, ground oregano, paprika, cilantro flakes, ground(cayenne)red pepper (just little of this), salt and pepper. I don't measure, just add small amounts and taste. I use the same seasonings for tacos except I add a little cornstarch for thickening. Alton Brown made tacos not to long ago, with a gluten free seasoning he made.

Bush's chili beans are not gluten free.

Salt and pepper, maybe garlic powder will do for seasoning meats.

Lentil's are beans. Make sure to rinse well like with any dried beans.

[Marilyn R]

You poor thing! Your depression is "normal" because you're getting gluttened. That's really rough because it makes you not want to do anything, even what's necessary.

The only gluten-free processed foods I buy is corn/rice pasta at Wal-Mart. If you have a BJ's close by, I justify the annual membership price by the number of gluten-free Organic rotesserie chickens I buy. Purchase 2 or 3 at a time, have one for dinner and left overs and homemade chicken soup, and 1 or 2 to shred and freeze in packages.

You can use the leftovers or frozen packages to make chicken salad with chopped chicken, celery, onion and red grapes and mayo (Hellmans is gluten-free or Spectrum has a gluten-free/Soy Free or you can make your own. Throw curry powder in there for a change, if you can tolerate it. Or just tumeric powder and a bit of sea salt.

The same salad is good with a can of tuna. If you don't want to pay for gluten-free bread, you can use it as a dip with corn tortillias or corn chips.

Chicken tacos (defrosted chicken) are great. You can use chopped raw cabbage instead of lettuce, because it is more nutritious and far cheaper. Heat up a can of Bushes black beans (they are gluten-free) and some chopped up onions and serve with Corn tortillias, and sour cream or cheese if you can do dairy. If not, guacamole or avacado slices have that nice fat. You could have that same meal with ground sirloin or ground beef or turkey or chicken.

If you live in an area that has an Indian store or Oriental store, you can buy rice in bulk very cheaply there. Rice and beans or lentils combined result in a protein combo better than each food individually. Sauteed celery and onion and/or carrot and/or chopped cabbage always works as an addition to anything for flavor. You can buy dried mushrooms pretty cheap in an oriental store, soak them, and add them to stews or soups or beans and rice.

I find that purchasing fruit and vegetables at a fruit market saves so much money, and fresh is so much better if you can find the time/energy to deal with it. I spend about $20 a week at the vegetable stand, but use almost everything and compost most of what's left over. Since you have children, you can ask your child if they'll dig a hole and bury the scraps.

My chili mix is pretty simple. It's 2 T. of chili powder. If that doesn't taste right, I add a little cayenne pepper or tabasco sauce and taste again. Cinnamin (sp?) is a nice addition too.

I sure hope you start feeling better! My heart goes out to you. I don't know if this will be any comfort, but a mother wrote an editorial in our local rag about why she can't afford to follow the recommended USDA diet because produce is so expensive. She feeds her kids fast food all of the time. I haven't responded, but I do think that you can feed a family of 4 on rice, cabbaage, carrots, onions, beans, selected on sale proteins, basic spices, fresh fruit, canned goods for less than you can consistently eating at fast food joints. And your kids will be so much healthier and learn better habits, and of course you will feel so, so much better. Your time is coming...

[GFinDC]

Hi Noni,

I am not a big all fired up cook myself. I tend to just make a bunch of food on the weekend and eat that all week. I guess I don't care a whole lot about variety in my diet is all. I look for hamburger on sale, or chicken breast quarters on sale (with the skin and bones, much cheaper). And I buy large family size packages even though it is just me and meow cat Muffin to eat it. I can usually cook enough food in a few hours on the weekend to last me a week easy. Sometimes I freeze some but not always. I make rice or quinoa sometimes with fried mushrooms and onions for flavor. Or sometimes make a pot roast with onions and sweet taters and lentils in the pressure cooker. Takes a lot less time that way.

I get Enjoy Life brown rice wraps in the Whole Foods, they are about $3 a package of 10. Usually keep them in the freezer and thaw when needed. They are stiff but you can run water over them from a faucet and then microwave for a 15 seconds to soften them. Or throw them in a pan with a lid while you are frying some eggs for breakfast. They soften right up and bend easily for a nice wrap. Much cheaper then gluten-free bread and they are 9 inches across so bigger than the Mission corn tortillas. If you fry up a bunch of hamburgers that are shaped like a sausage they fit in a wrap easily. I get Hellman's Canola oil cholesterol free mayo as it is soy free.

When I am done frying some hamburger sausages I throw in a package of sliced mushrooms ($2 bucks) and a cut up onion and fry them a little while. Then I keep them in a small container in the fridge and add them to my wraps.

I also use a lot of parsley in my food, good stuff and lasts longer than lettuce. I can cut it up with scissors or scrape the leaves off with a knife edge. Just takes a few seconds to add some greenery to your meals or wraps that way.

And I buy my wine in boxes so it is cheaper! :-)

It sounds like you may be eating too much processed foods. I react to food colorings and probably some preservatives too. So most processed foods don't like me any more than I like them. Of course that's a total 180 degrees change from my former life eating nothing but convenience foods and such nonsense.

Being glutened is a depressing feeling for me. So I try to avoid it as I lose energy and interest in doing much of anything really. Every day is a new chance to not make a mistake though.

[sandiz]

I find that when I am having a bad time, homemade soups are what my body craves. Lately it is borscht, boil the beets and save the stock. Same with veg and chicken, save the stock cause it has all the vitamins and good things in it.

The soup too is easy on your mouth and easy to chew even with some meat in it.

Good luck.

[Noni]

Hello All!

It's been a while since I made a post on here, but I've been

tuning in, reading and paying attention. I want you to know I

took the good advice, positive changes have taken place.

I wish I knew how to send this to everyone that has written to

me, but I don't. All I can do is hope it gets read.

If you recall, at my last post I was sad, hopeless and very

sick. Well, I've done something about it and have news to share.

First I made a doctors appointment. I couldn't take the pain &

running to the bathroom every 5 min. Dr. checked me out,

ran tests,(he's very good doctor I might add).

I'm not happy with the test results, but its nice to finally know why

I've been hurting so bad and know whats going on. He told me I have

"Crohn's Disease"!

My tests also showed abnormalities with my liver, pancreas, and more.

He wrote some scripts for me, scheduled an appt. with my GI specialist.

Will have more tests done by him.

Next I cleaned out my kitchen cupboards! Made my neighbor happy,

he took everything I didn't want. Then I did some healthy shopping.

Vegetables, tuna, chicken breast, all the good stuff.

Did get a 3 items from the Gluten-free coop. Had to have

something special.

My diet change has been 2 weeks, its only been a week since I

went to the doctor. However, I'm pleased to report that I'm

feeling better already. My mood has improved, . I know I've

got a long way to go...but I'm hopeful. Yes I'm concerned about

my medical situation, but, it will work out.

I want to thank you for reading my post and for all the help

you've given me so far. Your support is what got me to where

I am right now. I sincerely hope to hear from some of you and

that we will continue to communicate in the future.

God Bless You all! Noni

[tarnalberry]

1. Chili-can you please be more specific on the ingredients.

I've used Chili starter. Does that contain gluten? What about

Bush's Chili Beans? please help.

2. Tacos-what seasoning do you put in your taco's? I used to

put Ole El Paso, but quit. need advice. Thank you.

3. Someone mentioned Lentils, is that a bean?

4. What do you season your meat with? I'm sensitive to alot

of spices. Does anyone marinate their meat? what is safe to

use?

1. Chili - stick to the basics. I use a can of black beans and a can of kidney beans (no seasonings!), a chopped onion (optional), ground beef (or turkey or buffalo), and two cans of diced tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt, as much chili powder as you like, and a pinch of cumin, and a dash of cayanne (optional!) and you're done.

2. Use what you like for taco seasoning. When I don't have "mexican seasoning" (Spice Hunter brand) in the pantry, I use italian spices, cumin, and a pinch of chili powder.

3. Lentils are a legume. You can cook them into soups, their own side dish, or use them in other things. Look up recipes online for a variety of things to choose from, but soup is the easiest thing to do.

4. We don't season our meat much. We'll use a little salt and pepper, and throw it on the grill.

IMHO, people do "too much" with their cooking. Use fresh ingredients and let those be the flavor. My spice rack is well stocked, but used sparingly. (And yes, everyone loves my food. )

[Tabz]

you poor thing im so sorry.

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when i get depressed i crochet and knit i also draw, right poems based on my moods.

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i got the celiac spru when i was 18 and they found out through a blood test that i had

it really badly ive been diabetic since i was 3.

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my edvice to you is dont let this get you down you have too eat.

ill give you some of my tips

1: if you have a recipe that calls for flour use a gluten free flour in place of that.

2: if you have a recipe that calls for bread crumbs take gluten-free bread and prosses it in place of crumbs.

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if you need my help with recipes i am more then happy to help you

i hope this message helps you out.