Well, it's official... I'm joining the gluten free ranks.

[miss_thenorth]

Joint and muscle pain associated with gluten is a sign of a neurological Celiacs.
That is the version I have.

See, and I have joint and muscle pain, but always chalked it up to my RA and low thyroid. I have not had the test done at the Dr.s office, mine was just elimination. If this is true, then I def need to get my ds off of gluten as he has joint pain.

I'm pretty sure that in some of my recent reading (it could even have been in a post here) I read that RA and gluten issues could be related. I know I found that a lot of my other health issues can be explained by gluten sensitivity.

I have alot of autoimmune/connective tissue issues. I don't believe I have read anywhere the celiac/ RA connection but who knows.

but now I can look up all this and see how it correlates to me. Very interesting,a nd amazing really what you learn on an internet forum.

 

[Farmfresh]

Gluten free for about 2 1/2 years now. I too have autoimmune issues, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. There IS a link between autoimmune diseases and Celiac. Can't give the reference just now but I was reading about studies to that effect in one of the medical journals on line.

My celiac manifested itself primarily as acid reflux issues. I have a friend that has asthma attacks associated with it and my D2 in totally gluten intolerant. She has to carry an epipen and suffers anaphlatic shock if she eats ANY gluten. As a child she was fairly healthy but as a teen she seemed to be just plain old puny. Usually suffering from allergy symptoms and the like. We discovered our Celiac when she had to have her gall bladder removed. It was just destroyed at 23. It hacks me off in retrospect because she even went through allergy testing as a child and they NEVER even suspected gluten.

AS far as diet is concerned. I do carbs - I feel crappy without them. I eat a lot of potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and love me some rice, but I also include oats which I seem to tolerate pretty well.

Bob's Red Mill makes Gluten Free oats and several multigrain GF mixes including a good cornbread and a nice chocolate cake. Their "Gluten Free Wonderful" bread mix is my all time favorite. I do jazz it up a bit by adding an extra egg and a 1/4 cup of sugar both of which seem to make it raise much better.

I buy the Tinkyada (sp) pasta which was mentioned above. It is whole grain brown rice and I cannot tell the difference from standard pasta.

Chex makes several GF cereals now. They are great.

Finally there is a company from Israel called Glutino. There stuff is GOOD! I love the chocolate coated wafer cookies they taste like a TWIX candy bar.

All of that said I eat a LOT of veggies, taters and dairy, some meat and about a slice of bread (Bob's Wonderful mix) a day. The grains take a definite back seat these days. For one thing GF stuff is just plain EXPENSIVE!

Still a bag of Glutino pretzels can make you mighty happy for those need a treat days.

Sorry to hear you are one of us now, but also GLAD you found out so you can start feeling better from now on.

 

[me&thegals]

I have alot of autoimmune/connective tissue issues. I don't believe I have read anywhere the celiac/ RA connection but who knows.

but now I can look up all this and see how it correlates to me. Very interesting,a nd amazing really what you learn on an internet forum.

My understanding is that celiac sprue IS an autoimmune disease. I'm assuming that an one untreated autoimmune disease could create/worsen other autoimmune diseases or less-than-stellar health.

Here's an excellent GF yeast bread my mom has made for many, many years. The grandkids beg for it when we're all home for a visit:

Garbanzo Bean Bread
1 cup garbanzo bean flour (also called chickpea flour)
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup tapioca flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (Knox)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon egg replacer (optional- I use it, available in health food stores)

2 eggs, plus 1 egg white (room temperature), beaten
4 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cup hot water
1 packet, or 2 teaspoons quick rise yeast

Add the wet or dry ingredients to your bread machine, whichever your brand calls for first. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl, and add to machine. Set your cycle on quick rise, and start. This recipe will require that you scrape the sides of the pan a bit as the cycle starts, until all the flour gets mixed in. When done baking, cool on a wire rack.

 

[abifae]

I was actually told by a doctor that I probably had IBS. I don't believe that was true now that I've been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity. My symptoms included joint pains, fatigue, and just a generally unhappy gut. All have cleared since I stopped eating gluten.

I always thought IBS was a symptom, not a disease itself. So it makes sense that if you quit irritating your bowel with grains it'll quit being irritable LOL.

I think everyone who has any stomach issues should drop grains. They keep proving more and more "upset tummies" are diet issues, neh?

edited to add: tofu noodles! They make asian noodles out of tofu. They are a great replacement for rice and wheat noodles in asian food. They taste horrid as western noodles But if you are making stir fry... they're perfect lol.

 

[MsPony]

*stuffs cheese bagel in mouth* I'm going gf here soon!! I don't know that I have any intolerance, but its healthier right?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

*stuffs cheese bagel in mouth* I'm going gf here soon!! I don't know that I have any intolerance, but its healthier right?

Depends. Everyone can benefit from proper preperation of all grains, especially gluten containing ones.
Our grain ratios preps today, are very messed up.
Wheat contains 7 times the gluten it used to, and, it is in eveything!
Add to the breads that are made in a matter of hours, versus traiditional sourdough, and you end up with rampant allergies.

So, if you are looking at being healthier, may I suggest this.
Grain free for a number of weeks.
During that time, study up on proper preps.
Then add back in whole rice.
After a few weeks, add in another grain.
Add gluten contain grains last.
If anywhere along the way, you react to any of them, stop eating it right away.

Gluten free Grains that are ideal for those with sensativities to gluten, no matter how slight, are Teff, Rice and Quinoa.

While you experiment, use the black bean choc, cake recipe for deserts

 

[miss_thenorth]

Well, i went to town today, and stocked up at the Bulk Barn. I spent $65 worth of gf foods. I got a bunch of the gf all purpose flour, guar gum, a premade mix for bread, brownie mix ( for a treat) and brown rice elbow macaroni, and spaghetti noodles.

The people at the bullk barn were extremely helpful, and even a man who just happened to be shopping there, stopped to help me out quite a bit.

Then I stopped at the grocery store and bought some gf rice crackers (for treats) and rice vermicelli.

I think we are set for a while

After doing more reading online, I now see where celiac is an autoimmune disease.

And it all seems to tie all my medical problems together. If I had only known all this years ago. :/ I had, among other things, GERD, but lately have not been taking my meds and not really needing them. (yay!)

Anyways, I am not a big carby person, so I really got most of this for my son.

Just think, if I hadn't decided to lose weight and swore off breads, pastas, among the other carby foods, i would never have discovered this about myself. Now I can help me and my son.

 

[Farmfresh]

After doing more reading online, I now see where celiac is an autoimmune disease.

And it all seems to tie all my medical problems together. If I had only known all this years ago. :/ I had, among other things, GERD, but lately have not been taking my meds and not really needing them. (yay!)

Yes, it is amazing how having all of the cilia in your intestines pasted down so that you can not properly absorb nutrients can cause SO many other problems. It is typical of a doctor to diagnose a problem and try to find a treatment, but they never seem to wonder if there is a root cause.