BlessedMommy

I don't eat Jif or Nutella. 

Anyway, I went to the health food store in Kalamazoo and they ended up having a nice selection of Justin's nut butter packets. And the per packet price (for the 6 packs) was 58 cents a packet. Not bad at all! I ended up getting 3 boxes with 6 packets per box. That should last awhile. I now have a very nice survival kit for the car and I was able to have a nice little supper while the kids were eating Subway.

Take it from me, just start out with an across the board rule that people can't bake for you and can't cook for you (except for in unusual circumstances like if you have a friend who really goes out of their way to understand celiac).

It's easier than being lax at first and then trying to switch later to being more strict.

Great idea! I didn't even think of cereal.

^Yep!

And that's why the further I get into the gluten-free diet, the less I want anybody to cook for me. 

Ah, small town challenges. I didn't find Justin's nut butters, but Target did have GoPicnic's so I picked up some, picked up some Planter's nut packets, some applesauce, etc. and made up a car snack kit. I also made some vegan gluten free jerky in the health food store and tossed it in.

I need to go up to Kalamazoo area for a FedEx package though, so I will probably stop in and see if their health food store has it.

The only nut butters in packets that our health food store had, was some really fancy expensive ones with no peanut butter option.

I'm gluten challenging my older two kids and I'm finding that it's presenting some CC issues for me. Lots of crumbs around and even a piece of bread tossed on the bottom of my fridge. (I carefully scooped it up with a plastic baggie and washed the area)

I now have to go buy a new stick of Earth Balance butter because my 5 year old touched my stick of butter with CC'ed hands. 

I'm thinking that I need to make some modifications for my own sanity. Maybe I need to stop using bread and use something for the challenge that doesn't shed crumbs everywhere. What about glutenous vegetarian meat substitutes? Would a couple of pieces of that a day be equivalent to 2 pieces of bread a day?

Or maybe I just need to take them out for a sub at Subway every night. LOL!

California reporting in....

 

Here is my rule...anyone that does not have to live with either a true allergy, severe intolerance or celiac disease is not allowed to suggest what foods are good or bad...I find they are usually the first to break their own rules because their bodies do not punish them for eating "just a little".

 

and I never act on the advice of folks even with those three conditions without a bit of research and listening to my own body.

Around my circle of friends, being "vegan" is really popular. (not really true vegan for most of them, but more like a plant based meal plan with the addition of honey and occasional cheats on milk or eggs when it's inconvenient to avoid them.)

I end up getting subtle peer pressure at times for being a self professed egg lover. LOL! If I want to make a vegan baked good recipe and it calls for flaxseed, I'll normally take the flaxseed out and substitute with eggs.

So, he has to make all the stuff except the gluten free pizza and the bakery goods in the Guido's kitchen?

I've read that lettuce can be kinda harsh LMAO

ROFL!!!! 

Your mom is such an inspiration! I like how she jumped on board with being gluten-free, not worrying about what anybody thought of it.

Re: food additives, I agree. I don't think that anybody was supposed to consume Red #40, for example.

With the family history that you have, it would probably be a good idea to exhaust whatever testing options you have. Genetic, biopsy, etc.

I'm in Michigan.

Part of my frustration is that I have friends who seem to think that eggs, chocolate, vinegar, and canola oil are bad for us. I'm not going to give those up at this point. Plus, there's so much conflicting information on it. Some friends claim that eggs raise your cancer risk and I've heard of a study that claims that they do the opposite.

Above all, I think that starvation and a limited non-varied diet is very bad for a person's health. You gotta pick your poison nowadays!

Actually Irish, I don't even think that you would be allowed to drink water if you believed everybody. Remember the folks who claimed that water had gluten in it?        

I'm at the stage where I will run screaming in the opposite direction if anybody tells me anything more to eliminate from my diet. 

Yes, gluten-free crackers work great for meatloaf and such. When I can find the Schar saltine type ones for cheap at the Amish store, I like to pick those up for that very reason.

If you decide to forgo celiac testing and follow a gluten-free diet permanently, it's recommended to follow your gluten free diet very strictly. The same precautions that a celiac takes should be taken, such as avoiding cross contamination, and being careful of eating at restaurants and food prepared by others.

Best wishes!

If she is deficient in both IgA and IgG, can they do a biopsy? 

I wouldn't mind buying a few for 80 cents each. We live in a lower cost of living area so I wouldn't be surprised if I could find them at the lower price. I'll stop at Target today and check.

I mainly want them for those unplanned times where I end up out and about and want something to spread on my apple or rice cake.

"Gluten free: I do not think that means what you think it means."  

If you want real gluten free pizza at a restaurant, go to California Pizza Kitchen. It's a little pricey, but the pizza is safe and delicious. They've certified with the GIG and take all kinds of precautions to ensure that the food is safe, including dedicated containers of toppings, no wheat flour in the kitchen, etc.

Good job!

I think that restaurants should only have a gluten free menu if they take the proper precautions to do it right. If they don't, what's the point? Who are they catering to, the fad dieters?

Honestly, if they are that clueless, I would be a little worried about eating there. 

The macaroni and cheese would be a disaster! That would be a full dose of gluten if they used the regular noodles. (which they probably do, I'd be shocked if they used rice noodles)

I realize that this is an old thread, but has anybody successfully fed brine shrimp to their goldfish? 

I'm not really concerned about variety. The main thing is I want to find ones that aren't too expensive.

My hope is that eventually NCGS will be a medically recognized condition with a real diagnostic protocol and that it will be taken as seriously as celiac. Right now, I feel like NCGS is some sort of vague label given to people who have tested negative on celiac tests (or haven't tested at all). I feel like it's kind of like IBS--very vague. Nobody really knows all the specifics of it. Hopefully one day that will change.

Yes, I agree with the above. I'm one who had a very severe reaction to gluten during my gluten challenge and thus, couldn't finish it. I guess that kind of sealed the fact that I need to be gluten-free, but I still to this day, wished that I had tested before making any dietary changes in the first place. It's sure easier than trying to go back on!