LuvMoosic4life

I agree. Eat nothing but pure whole plain foods, lots of water and stay away from anything artificial. Its nornally the diet I follow and feel amazing. As soon as i put junk in my mouth I feel crappy, big time.

I cant decide which kinda of pie crust to make. If I had the money I would do both

I was originally planning on usung pamela's ginger snap cookies to make a cookie crust for pumkin pie, but now am curious to try using rice flour and butter to make a more "regular" pie crust. Has anyone tried either of these before? which one is better? (of course its all preference)

thanks. I'll be there for wednesday night into late thursday morning. I was planning on toasting gluten free bread for stuffing and making some other things.. dont know wat yet. It's just a bumber that I can't cook with my mom there. plus there is no internet/cable or phones out there since my brother had it all shut off. which isnt such a bad thing, I''ll just play music or something.

Holidays for me are about family, not food. But unfortunatley with my italian family, everything is about FOOD. Every social even t is around food and people take food to heart.

So I'm not worried at all about thanksgiving and what I can or cannot eat as I wil be happy to just eat something! It is just going to be me, my mom and brother. We are having it at my brothers house which is about 30 mins from where my mom lives. I am still in the town where I go to school, which is about an hour from my mom.

We planned out what foods to make and i gave my mom a couple gluten recipes that I always made, like the rolls that my brother pretty much dies for lol...

but my mom still doesnt understand that I do not want and cannot be around when she is baking with flour. She agreed to prepare anything with gluten at her place before going to my brothers, that way it will already be done and in pans/trays to help prevent CC. I was planning on going to my brothers house tomarrow (day before thanksgiving) but am stopping at my moms since it is on the way.

Normally I would pick my mom up and we would go together, but since she is baking with flour I don't want to be there when she starts, so I am going to my brothers alone, which is also an empty house b/c it is for sale and he is currently living with his girlfriend. My mom can't make the gluten stuff any other day b/c of her work schedule. I am making a few gluten-free alternatives like stuffing for the turkey and a pumpkin pie, but my family just cannot live without the gluten stuff, and I dont expect them to give it up for me....I just feel so alone because it would be nice to spend more time with my mom who I rarely see....

I suppose I could hide myself in a separate room while she mixes flour, but thats just rediculous. I just feel like the whole situation is rediculous I'm not stressing out over it, but its just one of those little things that bug me.

I remembered some of my own tips that I swear by, figured I'd give them to you:

-Look very closely in the meat sections at the grocery stores. Things that are close to expiring (within 3 days or less) often have a "managers special" sticker on them and are dirt cheap. I once found these huge veggie and steak kabobs for $3.00 because they expired in two days. I made them for dinner that night for my boyfriend and I. You can also find regular steaks, pork, and chicken on special usually for less than half the price of the regular stuff. If you freeze it right away, it will still keep for a while.

-Also, you can buy big packs of ground meat that are cheaper because they are in bulk. What I do is I separate it into smaller ziplock bags and freeze. I big roll of this stuff can last me a month, and can add a lot of protein, fat, and flavor. Similarly, bigger packs of chicken or pork often cost less, and you can freeze what you can't use right away.

-Buy produce when it's on sale. I always look really closely at all the prices, and only buy what's on sale. Like others have pointed out, potatoes and apples are usually very cheap. However, carrots, onions, Roma tomatoes, oranges, bell peppers, and other nutrient rich veggies regularly go on sale. Sometimes avocados go on sale for $1 each.... and they are fabulously rich veggie with good proteins, fats, and nutrients. So if peppers and carrots are on sale one week, that's what I get. I always keep potatoes on hand, because they can make such cheap, easy, filling meals. Put some butter and sprinkle a bit of cheese or ground meat on a baked potato. Voila! Bananas are almost always cheap, so those are another good option. They're nutrient packed and are a good source of energy.

-Eggs are your friend. You can buy big 18 packs for less than $2. Each egg is less than 10 cents. They are a very cheap way to get some protein. Eggs are a good staple: you can fry a couple up in the morning for breakfast, and I like to boil a few at a time and take one with me to work for a snack.

-Corn tortillas keep things interesting for me. They're pretty cheap, and you can warm them up with cheese in between for a quick easy snack or put eggs on them with a bit of hot sauce for a change of pace with eggs.

-Instead of juice (it's harsh on my stomach, I prefer fresh fruit) get a box of tea. You can buy chamommile or black tea for a buck or so. Heat up some water, put a teabag in the cup, and you've got yourself a drink other than water that's cheaper than soda or juice. I hate drinking plain water, so this is a good solution for that. Peppermint tea can help you focus, chamommile or sleepy time is relaxing, and black tea can give you a cheap caffeine fix.

-Get the grocery store's savings card. All you have to do is go up to their customer service desk, they give you a quick form, and you get a card. Where I shop, a lot of stuff is *only* on sale with the card, and there can actually be some really good deals. A lot of stuff is 10 for $10, but you can buy as little as you want and still get the deal. For example, ten pounds of a given veggie for $10, but if you just get one pound for $1, it's still a pretty good deal. I've seen spices go on sale pretty regularly for similar prices.

-Casseroles are a good thing to learn how to make. They can be made cheaply and in large quantity, so you have instant meals for a few days. Rice, a bit of cubed meat, some spices, salt, veggies, and broth baked together can last me a few days.

Pick up the store's flyer as you come in. There are coupons and it lists all the things that are on sale. It's easier to find some good deals this way!

If you can tolerate it, tofu is another good cheap source of protein.

Also, get yourself a jar of peanut butter. Dip apples or celery into it and you've got yourself an instant, filling snack.

Yogurt can also be cheap, depending on the brand. Generic can be 3/$1, and generally has around 6 or 7 grams of protein. It'll give you a nice sugar rush, as well

I sometimes buy a tub of sour cream to put on all of my Mexican inspired dishes, or on the tortillas with eggs. Adds a bit of flavor and fat. I know for me anyway, I loose weight easily and tend to need the extra fat, especially in leaner times when I can't afford to eat as well as I'd like to. It's a good cheap solution. Alternatively, I buy real butter (generic can be very cheap) and use it to cook eggs or put on potatoes or rice.

Rice can be very cheap if bought in bulk. It'll last you a long time, too. When I want something sweet and don't want to splurge on the more expensive gluten-free treats, I'll make myself some rice and put butter and sugar and maybe a bit of vanilla extract if I've got any on hand. It's yummy!

Also, try to think of different combinations you can do with what you've got. For example, I can make tacos with ground beef, tortillas, cheese, and hot sauce. Or I can put eggs on tortillas, or make a quesadilla in the microwave. I can make sweet butter rice or I can cook it with seasoning, veggies and a bit of meat for a meal. Or I can stir fry the meats and veggies and have a side of rice with it. I could bake a potato, or slice it up and put cheese, milk or butter, and meat in a pan a bake it, or I could slice it up and fry it in a pan to make some homemade fries or hashed browns. Mixing it up with a few basic staples keeps me sane.

I hoped that helped you even a bit. These are the kinds of tricks that really help me scrape by.

thank you! I am going to print all of these ideas off!

Hi

I wanted to let you know I have your boxes packed & ready for shipment ! I hope you accept the offers some kind people on here have offered. It is the people who have less that will help! I never figured out why that is ...

Here is another thought . Have you applied for food stamps? Food stamps generally does not go against you nor do you need to pay the state back ....-This way you would at least not be hungry.

At one of our local churches thay have a program that each month for $20.00 you get a month's worth of food. It has meat, veggies, potatoes, & fruits. They are canned things as well , it is called Angel's caring here. I know it is a program that is in every state available through churches....

Your pkg will arrive snail mail so be on the look out for them in about five days or so.

take care

blessings

mamaw

I hope more will step up & send you a buck......Kudos to those who have already offered, you will be rewarded someday.......

I cannot say "thank you" enough!!!! This has made me so happy!!! I wish I could give you a hug! and everyone else here who has pffered to help. I still can't believe it! even if it is just a little bit, I am lost of words. This just confirms to me that there ARE other good people out there. And you are right: it always seems to be those who have less are the ones that help.

I know someone who is a millionare and rides around on a tour bus. One night after a gig my friend who I play with didnt have anywhere to sleep and had to use all of the gig money he made that night to buy a hotel room. The guy who has the tour bus just happened to be there and couldve easily offered him to sleep on the bus, but he didnt. He ended up having to get a room, while the millionare and his wife also got a room and A SEPARATE ROOM FOR THERE TWO DOGS!!!! while the empty tour bus sat outside the hotel!! it just sickened me.

I thought about food stamps. I just might do it. Trying to sleep at night with a growling stomach is not fun!! For some reason I get nightmares when my stomach is empty (does this happen to anyone else??)

When I was in college, diagnosed with Crohn's (but not Celiac at the time) I used to HATE the dining hall food and how horribly my system did with it. Besides getting access to a kitchen in my building and cooking a lot of inexpensive basics, my friends and I made it a point to volunteer at a local ministry that hosted a midnight pancake and egg breakfast as well as other free meals. We worked and then we ate. I can still remember my friend Colin, who was a dx'd Celiac, looking so pleased at a huge plate of scrambled eggs, made in a clean pan, after the event.

So if you're not keen on the idea of taking charity, there are many ways to "earn" some help. I always found this to be more palatable when I was in those moods when I wanted to not think of myself as NEEDING help. Many of the food pantries around here work to "pull" certain foods from donations specifically for folks with dietary restrictions, and they are always looking for volunteers! Think of it as a win-win situation.

Good luck!

PS. Maybe we should start a "sponsor a student" program? It's a difficult time for anyone, healthy or not.

thats a lgood idea. I think I will look into that as something to do over winter break. I wont have time for a job b/c I am looking at 20 credits plus an internship next semester! but I'm sure i could squeeze in a a few hours to help people out! I did some volunteer work for the church where my grandma goes to a few years back and always left with goodies!

I live on a government benefit because I am disabled (though, since discovering my gluten intolerance that's improved somewhat). So I am perminantly on a very low budget. It may not be as low as yours, I remember I was far worse off when I was studing, but I have some tips:

1. Find a safe, cheap carbohydrate. Here in New Zealand, the safe cheap carbs are rice and potatos. Rice leaves me feeling hungry, so I ate a lot of potatoes. 5kgs is 15 meals for me. And here in NZ you can get 5kgs for about $7.

2. Find a safe cheap protein. I can't eat most meats, so I basically lived on egg and potatoes, and occationally a treat of gluten-free bacon/ham (Unfortunately, just recently, I had to take out potatos from my diet because I was gaining too much weight, but unless you're obese like me, potatoes should be fine for you, and good if they're cheap where you are).

Sometimes you can get your hands on cheap meat packs, if you live somewhere near a traditional butchery, where they make their own sausages and cut their own meats, and find one who is gluten-free friendly, they will sometimes discuss how sensitive you are, and make them up for you specially. Some even use new gear so there's no cross contamination. Many of those old traditional butcheries (at least here) appreciate returning clients, and so will make the effort to keep you, espeically now days as there are so many people who are gluten free.

3. Find cheap fruit or fruit juice. If you can vary them, like here in NZ we usually have two kinds of very cheap apples, so one week I'll buy one kind of apple, and the next a different kind of apple for a change in flavours. If you add 1/3 of water to 2/3 of fruit juice you can make juice go further, this adds more nutrients to your diet and stops water being so boring all the time. If you can find one cheap fruit, and one cheap vegetable, and budget it in meal portions, you can have healthy nutrients in your diet and still be on a shoe-string budget.

4. Eating the same thing day in and day out gets boring and your body will eventually throw a tantrum for the need to have variety (I get severe sensations of hunger, depression, achiness, etc). So, what I do is throw in a little variety (it doesn't need to be a lot to make a difference). If you can't deviate much, due to finances, deviate the flavours. For example. I would do eggs, potatoes and a little cheese, then once and a while add a touch of chilli powder or curry powder (I'm sure you know to make sure both powders are gluten-free). So that it's basically the same food, but it tastes different.

And save up any spare pennies and once a month plan for a meal on a known bad week that's nice and totally different to what you're used to. For example, I have one week a month when all the bank fee's come out, and it leaves me up the crapper for bill money and food money. So I save a few dollars every other week, and buy something nice for me as a reward, like a nice pack of gluten-free bacon (which is terribly expensive here), or buy one of those lovely packs of gluten-free cookies... or whatever. If you reward yourself for tolerating the harsh conditions on occation, you'll feel a little bit better about it, and you'll have something nice to hold out for.

When I was at university, thankfully, I wasn't aware of the gluten thing at the time otherwise I might have starved, I lived on 2 minute noodles.. you know fried noodles you add hot water and flavouring to? And I ate one pack 3 days a week for two years, (the third year I got more hours at work and less classes, so I got more money). It was so boring I wanted so desperately to eat anything else, I would save up, and every few weeks I could afford to buy a little chocolate bar, or some orange juice, or a pack of eggs or whatever. And that gave me something to hold on for on the non-treat weeks. It helped me continue on without going insane and stealing from someones vegegarden in the middle of the night.

It's hard, but if you keep at it, do all you can to look after yourself, accept help when you can, and go looking for help when you can, you can make it. Just keep at it, and keep positive.

Recently, since going off gluten, I've discovered neat little shops to get some cheap gluten free things. I don't know if there are equivalent shops where you are, but take a day on the weekend and look around at the shops nearby. I found a shop that sells cheap gluten-free flours, and online, you can find good mix recipes for making certain gluten-free flours, and other foods cheaply. I make gluten-free bread by hand (you can buy all the needed flours for that fairly cheaply), my mum (who's also gluten-free), even learnt to make her own pastry flour and made gluten-free pies out of some cheap mince she'd gotten on special from the butchery!

If you're smart and do lots of research, there are many corners you can cut and money you can save. Just stay vigilant and stay positive. You'll find a way through.

Kia kaha (stand strong)!

great advice!!!

I cant eat potatoes but I can eat sweet potatoes, which I discovered are now 38 cents a pound at wal mart where I am! I almost cried when I saw that!

OMG I was not expecting such a response!! thank you so much! I literally starting crying (in a good way) over the offer of some of you sending me samples! It is REALLY hard for me to accept offers from anyone, but I might just take it up this time. I've never been in this bad of a situation before....although I know it could always be worse... I'll send out a message.

One of my friends offered to buy me food on thier account at school , but I just couldnt do it..plus its a risk of getting CC'd. The school does offer Gluten free foods, but I have to have a doctors note stating that I have celiac in order to get those "special" foods. I was never officially doagnosed and my records just say "IBS, may have celiac" I just dont want to go through getting myself sick just for a diagnosis on paper.

The schools fruit and salads are gluten-free, according to the food director..... but I used to work for the food service there and know that fruit and salads are prepared in the same area as bread being cut for sandwiches, the boards are just wiped down.

I live off campus in an apt. so I cook all my own foods. I did have a debit accountschool from my financial aid, but it ran out thanks to tuition going up and the cost of books. and they want to raise the tuition again in my state!

I'll look into the food banks. I thought about it before, but was kinda thinking there might not be much to choose from besides canned veggies....or if I'm lucky maybe rice chex-ha I try to stay away from canned veggies and get frozen, but sometimes there is no choice. I'll look into those companies for samples..I've actually done that for deodorant and personal care samples from wal mart.

thnks again so much!!!!!!!!

Well, this is the coping thread, so I just need to rant a bit about my poorness right now!!! (I 'm not asking for anyone to feel sorry for me! lol)

I'm in college and have absolutley no money. My mom can barely help me out but sent $20 last week......wow, $20 doesnt go far when you are starting off with absolutley no food!! I bought a box of turkey burgers, rice, frozen veggies, apples, oj and smart balance margerine. It pretty much got me through 6 days, hungrily... but I've never felt so edgy in my whole life!!

Is ths normal when you are eating the exact same thing EVERYDAY? to want to scream, or just bite into a tree? haha

And it always makes me mad when people at school sit in class or in the computer lab, rip open a bag of pretzels or chips and start chomping away....but when I am poor and hungry, I am just about ready to turn around and slap them! I never understood why people have to eat in public like that!! If I eat at schhool I do it before entering the class room or lab or whatever....If I am that hungry and in class I make sure I am super quiet about it....but if only I could afford the luxury of portable foods! Being poor makes you realize how much people take food for granted! especially when they can eat whatever they want and not have to worry about getting sick!

I am a runner also. I find that having variety in my diet greatly takes away fatigue. If I eat nothing but veggies rice, fruit and chicken I start feeling drained...I found adding stuff like peanut butter and sweet potatoes (2-3 times a week) helps.....they are satifying and leave you fuller longer. I also have low potassium and can feel it when I'm am not eating variety- no fun!

I used to be anemic before knowing I was gluten intolerant...after 5 months gluten free my hemooglobin went up to 13.8....it never got above 11 before....but now I'm just dealing with potassium....dont understand it too much myself...

that would be awesome! I'm sure with some work it could be done! Gluten is in dog food too, so maybe you could start with getting the dog to recognize the differance between gluten dog food and gluten free dog food (if they make gluten-free dog food?) maybe train him so that he thinks its wrong to eat the gluten dog food,and alert you you when it is present... then move him onto human food...

I also feel crappy when the weather changes. I think a lot of people do.

as far as the pea green pee. is it a bright green? if your pee is yellowy green it just means you have an excess of B vitamines (and probably other vitamines). Is it consistantly this color? I notice sometimes when I take my vitamines my pee is almost a bright green color, but it goes back to clear-yellow as the day goes on....unless you are taking vitamines more than once a day, then it probably would consistantly be that color.- it is normal

I was recently just thinking about this- so glad someone else wrote what I was thinking! I often hold myself back from looking into or learning about certain things. If we know too much it can sometimes take away the excitement of "not knowing" and then our brains no longer make full use of the creative energy that goes into thinking and thought processes that lead us to possible explanations. Like researching about our brains and how we think. I don't think there is a true definition to pschology and differant aspects of it and understanding it ( just for example) and I dont believe there is true knowledge to understanding what goes on behind depression or other mental states. Everyone is differant, and although we can have much in common, I don't think there is one solid answer (or answers) to anything and the reasoning for things within ourselves. There is so much false information out there (not that its all false). I believe often times the best answer to all things is within ourselves. People need to learn to LEARN and understand themselves. We learn through the outside world, but nobody can give a true answer for what goes on withn our individual minds and how that shapes our actions and who we are.

I went gluten free in may and then lost my period for the whole summer...but I had lots of spotting and pms symptoms. My period came back in sept. but very irregular and my cycle has been 45 days, 20 days of pms. I had an internal ultrasound done and it showed an ovarian cyst that supposily is breaking up, but I think diet has a lot to do with it. I just cant wait to go back to shorter cycles. I rather get my period every 28 days rather than go through all this pms!!! its horrible! I never had this problem... its wierd though b/c my pms seemed non-existant when I first went gluten-free. So I REALLY hope it is just the cyst causing this!

You can bake the pumpkin pie filling in a baking dish of any size(several small or one larger) without the crust and call it pumpkin custard. If you don't have access to pumpkin, you can cook, strain and puree other squashes. I often make pies with butternut squash instead of pumpkin. If you need more info about this let me know.

Someone posted a nice fall quinoa dish recently.

Open Original Shared Link

You could also crush pamela's ginger cookies (or flavor of your choice) and spread it in the pie dish with melted butter to form it, bake it, and the add the filling when it cools...I believe there is a recipe right on the back of the pamela's ginger cookie bag ( if they sell them by you)

If I were you I would go to the doc and get tested if you are still on gluten. even if they are negative the gluten-free diet wouldnt hurt (after the testing of course!) Its just good to know if you have celiac or not!

I wish I had the opportunity to have a doctor when I found out gluten may be the cause to my probs....now Im gluten-free and cant get tested, and kinda in a bad situation with my doc....no fun

Sometimes the diet and challenge yield the only answer. You have yours.

There are also varying reasons to intolerance. In your vegetarian friend example, it could be that the reason he got so violently ill is that with being vegetarian for so long his stomach does not produce enough HCL (acid) to digest meat. He would have to start out eating only a bit or two and build up slowly over time so his body could start producing HCL again. I know the pain of low HCL and eating meat. Awful!! I was like him.....vegetarian and could not tolerate meat. I eat a meat diet now with no problems. I took HCL tabs for a few months and weened off of them so that my body could re-learn how to digest proteins properly.

Some people become vegetarian because they say meat no longer agrees with them. They feel better vegetarian and erroneously assume that vegetarian is a BETTER diet. Not true. They had a defective stomach before vegetarian. Instead of fixing the problem, they found a crutch. Later when they try meat again, they still react badly because the problem was never addressed.

I think this is the point my doctor was trying to make with gluten. He doesnt think that gluten is the problem but an underlying problem....but he couldnt give me any examples of that could be. All I know is gluten is definitly not good for me and the results are clear on the the gluten-free diet...

My personal opinion about someone without a gluten intolerance stopping gluten and then re-introducing it is that they woulnt have the same reaction as someone who is celiac or gluten intolerant. They may have a bit of an upset stomach or other GI discomforts, but overall, I don't think it would effect thier complete physical/even emotional well-being the way it would for someone who is truly intolerant. The reaction probably wouldnt last as long either....

I know if I eat gluten it could take anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks for me to get back on track....it also depends on how much... I would think someone who is tolerant wouldn't have a reaction that long. i thnk that would be the differance....

So I definitly want to stay gluten-free even though I was never diagnosed...but then there is the other side of me constantly debating this....knawing at me.....

I already have been through the pros and cons of doing a gluten challenge. (To me there seems to be more cons!!!)

I am just curious if there is anyone here who was on a gluten-free diet and then went back on gluten to get tested....

if so could you just tell me:

1. how long you were gluten-free

2. how long you stayed on gluten for the challange

3. and what your results were???

Thanks so much!

hmmm gluten-free bannana bread sounds good....I think I may try that.

On the specific carbohydrate diet, bananas are one of the more easily digested foods. However, any of us can be intolerant of anything. I don't tolerate bananas well. I don't notice digestive symptoms but I don't test well for it. Years ago I tested it on an elimination diet and it made my resting pulse go up to 120!!!!

thats odd. I was actually thinking about the specific carb diet and that bannanas may be one of the "bad" things. I always thought of bannanas as being high in carbs and slow digesting.....but then thats b/c I never could digest them well

I was never a huge fan of bannana's but I bought some b/c my doctor told me to start eating them since my potassium is low. Well, I ate one after I went running today and was burping it up for the whole day, up to 8 hours after I ate it!!! I ended up getting hungry (even though I was still burping bannana) and ate chicken noodle soup. After having a couple bowls of soup I'm still burping up the bannana!!!

I sware everything this doctor recommends bothers me. He told me cantalope for "C" but it sometimes made me naucious or made a yucky feeling in my stomach.

bannana's bother anyone else?

Nice post Nora,

It just makes so much sense to me that autoimmune diseases like Celiac are so much more prevalant now. Not only is grain fairly new to us in our evolution (relatively speaking), but in the last 100 years cereal grains have exploded globally. We use them as filler in everything. Perhaps we've simply reached critical mass and these genes have been turned 'on'. Add to that the fact that we've polluted all of our resources, pump our food full of antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals, and it's easy to see that our immune systems are already in overdrive. I really think we're just seeing the effects of our own actions.

Interesting stuff to ponder anyway.

LIS

I couldnt agree more with this!! it makes me think of other things ( a bit off topic) but look at how fast dogs have evolved into differant breeds. (this was on The pbs nature show last week) There is no other animal on this planet that has evolved faster, and it's all b/c of human experimentation. Some dogs are bred so much that thier health is in risk. Certain traits are chosen for the breading process b/c they look good or are more favorable for dog shows, but in the end it really puts the dogs health in jeapordy b/c they arent naturally suppose to be that way (for ex. wrinkly skin, small stature). It's like humans eating so much gluten, we werent naturally suppose to just be able to walk up to a wheat plant and eat it.....we weren't designed to digest the grain...I strongly believe that we are only designed to eat foods that are able to be eaten in thier natural state....

cool. I thnk I would stay away from the extra butter topping though...