Gluten free

So I have to ask, Jen, how it is that you know you don't have celiac, as that would be a good opportunity for others to learn....  

I can say that I thought I DID have for many years because my symptoms were so much better without wheat and because I had so many symptoms of celiac.... thin as a kid, low blood sugar as a teen, etc.  But one test after the other, once they came out or I finally needed to have something else intrusive done (checking for bacteria that causes ulcer) showed I wasn't.  It's 'just' allergy to wheat.  So I like to open the door for others to read and write about this, as it's a really important and kind of new topic for most!  Thanks~ Mardy

So I have to ask, Jen, how it is that you know you don't have celiac, as that would be a good opportunity for others to learn....  

I can say that I thought I DID have for many years because my symptoms were so much better without wheat and because I had so many symptoms of celiac.... thin as a kid, low blood sugar as a teen, etc.  But one test after the other, once they came out or I finally needed to have something else intrusive done (checking for bacteria that causes ulcer) showed I wasn't.  It's 'just' allergy to wheat.  So I like to open the door for others to read and write about this, as it's a really important and kind of new topic for most!  Thanks~ Mardy

Going wheat and gluten free is a hard thing to do..I stopped eating wheat/gluten and lactose a year ago. I have learned to read every label. I order tapioca bread and rolls on line and buy alot of foods at the health food store or grocery store with organic and health foods. If I accidentally eat any of the above I bloat up like a balloon! Also sugar has been eliminated.

On the Products Tab of Lumigrate.com is a link to Vitamin Cottage, which is now Natural Grocers.  They sell breads made by Udis, also in Colorado.  Excellent and I presume they ship breads...

On the Products Tab of Lumigrate.com is a link to Vitamin Cottage, which is now Natural Grocers.  They sell breads made by Udis, also in Colorado.  Excellent and I presume they ship breads...

Well to be honest I don't know, but I don't have that gut feeling about it either (the way I do when I think I might have lupus or chronic fatigue syndrome).  But the common signs of celiac are:

• Bloating
• diarrhea
• abdominal pain
• weight loss

I have the bloating and the abdominal pain. I have the complete opposite of diarrhea and the complete opposite of weight loss. But now that I have taking most gluten out, basically everything that has yeast in in it I haven't been bloated, and I have been able to loose a bit of weight. I'm also not quite as constipated which is nice!

 There are some wonderful quotes about people being their best doctors that come to mind, and I'll just skip over that to 'gut instinct' coming to my mind.  I also really love Dr. Chris Young's 'law of the lamp post and law of the hammer' that is part of the always free and whole hour-long video (downloadable if you go to the Videos tab).  

Thanks for continuing to check in and keep us updated, Jen!  

Just FYI...

Celiac disease typically involves weight loss, but weight gain can also be a symptom.  Same thing with diarrhea... diarrhea is the typical symptom, but constipation can also be a symptom. 

Tortillas/wraps suggestions: try Food For Life brown rice tortillas.  Keep them frozen until you are ready to use them, and then warm them up as you need them. Gravies can be made with a variety of starches (corn, arrowroot, potato) or flours (rice, potato).  So Delicious has some gluten free ice creams -- our personal favorite is the glutlen free cookie dough made with coconut milk... to die for.  WholeSoy & Co also has some gluten free ice creams. Thai Garden has some noodle soup packets similar to Ramon noodle soups, but they use rice noodles.  They have yeast in the seasoning packets, though. 

With the exception of the Thai Garden noodle soups, everything I mentioned is gluten-free, casein-free, and yeast-free.