Today’s “Dear Gluten Dude” comes from a newly diagnosed celiac who is paralyzed by the fear of her new life.
And because of this fear, she continues to eat gluten.
She needs some guidance in making the transition to a gluten-free life, physically and emotionally.
We’ve all been there. Let’s help her realize that gluten-free is nothing to be afraid of.
Here’s her email…
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Dear Gluten Dude:
After reading through your wonderful blog, I knew you were the guy to come to for advice.
I’m a twenty-three year old girl and I was diagnosed with pretty advanced Celiac about a week ago.
First, I decided to wait a couple days to go gluten-free, as it was my boyfriend’s birthday and I wanted to have a “last hurrah” with gluten, so to speak. Now, I’ve pushed the transition back a few more days because “I can’t waste all these gluteny leftovers.”
Excuses, excuses — what I’m dealing with here is fear.
All my favorite foods contain gluten, and I have so many memories tied to those foods (i.e. foods my deceased mother used to make me, the microbrew my boyfriend and I shared on our first date), that when I think about NEVER EVER having them again, for the entire rest of my life, I feel like crying.
The people in my family have a long-standing tradition of neglecting our health in favor of epicurean delights, so I’m battling my own upbringing here.
I am afraid of change.
What if cutting out gluten doesn’t make me feel better, and I’m depriving myself for nothing? How will I cope with never being able to go out for beers with friends, or eat birthday cake, or treat myself to doughnuts for breakfast? How can I live my life in fear of being accidentally glutened all the time?
There’s part of me that wants to say, f*** it, I’m just going to eat gluten anyway, but I know that’s a horrible idea.
I’ve read a lot about the biology and logistics of celiac and living gluten-free, but what about the emotional/psychological side?
How can I stay motivated to go (and remain) gluten-free? How can I make the transition to a gluten-free lifestyle less depressing and traumatic?
I know it’s just food, and I’m probably being silly, but this really sucks. I’ve always been a huge foodie (and beer-lover), and I’m afraid of losing part of myself along with the gluten.
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What you’re feeling is totally normal. Don’t beat yourself up over it.
Celiac disease can be an overwhelming diagnosis. You don’t just take some medicine and you’re all better. Your entire lifestyle must change, so you are not going to come to terms with this right away.
Give yourself time to mourn the loss of your old life.
It’s ok to be sad. It’s ok to be pissed. It’s ok to be afraid.
You WILL adapt to your new lifestyle. Honestly, you will.
The fact that you’re reaching out for help says a lot about you.
But I will say this: You need to stop eating gluten immediately.
You’re done…the sooner you can accept that, the better.
You don’t have to love the idea. None of us do.
But you will slowly kill yourself if you continue to eat gluten.
And I swear to you…it’s not so bad on the other side.
You will adapt. You will adjust. You will succeed.
And if you are having issues, reach out to the awesome celiac community for a little hand-holding.
That’s what we’re here for.
(Note: I wrote a five-part series called “How to Go Gluten Free” last year for those newly diagnosed. It should definitely help you. Here’s the link: http://glutendude.com/gluten/how-to-go-gluten-free-mental/)
I cried over bread. twice. i yelled at my whole family on the weekend because they brought home my favourite freshly baked rolls from the little vietnamese bakery down the road. then, to exact my revenge, i made gluten free donuts and instead of sharing, i froze the ones i didnt eat to enjoy at another time.
Make new memories. go out for cider instead of beer. make it your life’s work to come up with your mothers recipes in gf form.
You will be ok!!
Stop glutening yourself!!!
It is okay to be sad – but don’t get hung up on it and don’t ruin your health. Laura already had some suggestions. I would like to add:
– If you have been properly diagnosed, going gluten-free is almost certainly going to change your life and you will feel so much better, you won’t want to look back.
– Your mom’s recipes? Whatever they are, they can be transformed into a gluten-free version. It won’t be exactly the same, but every chef/cook adds a bit of his/her own to the making, anyway, and over time, all recipes change.
– Treat yourself to some really nice gluten-free cookbooks, and if money is tight, go to gluten-free blogs that focus on the joy of gluten-free food, not on deprivation. A good starting place may be:
http://glutenfreegirl.com/about/
– Yes, going out is going to be a challenge. Be an advocate for the gluten-free cause. Educate yourself, and educate others.
In our house, it is my daughter (now 10) who has celiac disease. I cried, too, because I thought I would be overwhelmed with the change (I was, at the time, not only working for myself more than full-time, but also working towards a Master’s degree part-time, running this crazy household, raising two kids, and trying to be an acceptable wife ;-). I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy. However, from the first minute I was determined to make this as untraumatic for my daughter as possible. We made our house a gluten-free haven, amassed cooking and baking books, are cooking and baking even more than before the diagnosis – and it is fine. Really. Go ahead, free yourself, make yourself healthy – and happy again! All the best for your gluten-free travels!
Hi all.
I cried, as a lot of what you read about celiac, the diet and going gluten free is so isolating…. the initial thought is never ever will I be able to enjoy a meal with others again….. and so much of our social lives revolve around food and drink.
What helped me the most in the beginning was a book by Elizabeth Hasselbeck called the GFree Diet. She is celiac, and she explains in simple terms how to live a life free of gluten. Including the social, etc. Also the places where you find hidden gluten, and what to look for, right down to how to deal in a restaurant. For me it was a great start, as it put everything in straightforward, simple livable terms. The very next day I was able to go out, eat and be safe because I knew what to do – it was immediately freeing.
IMHO right now you need simple and straightforward help and guidance to function within the diet today – lots of great commentary for the future here, and that is important, but today is the day you need to get through, and tomorrow.
Once you feel better ( for me it took about six weeks until the real feel good kicked in, can be slow at first, but once you hit the real healing stage you will be amazed) then you can deal with cookbooks, rejigging recipes and the like. And you will want to!
Remember baby steps, one day at a time, and to start off look at it as being 6-8 weeks, that will make it easier to do. Forever is a long time, and looking at it that way can just intimidate you so much that you never start.
Throw the leftovers in the freezer, get the rest of the gluteny stuff out of your way (out of sight out of mind) and go 100% gf right now, today. Give it a few weeks and see how you feel…. you will be amazed.
Good luck! You can do it, and change is never easy for anyone, but the benefits far outweigh the alternative 🙂
Eat to live, stop living to eat. Start to think of food as the fuel that gets your body to do the things you want to do. It’s not entertainment, it’s not your identity. It’s just food.
You say you are a foodie. View this as a challenge to learn to be a gluten free chef at home.
This was our approach. We didn’t think it worth crying over. We were just so relieved to know what the problem was. As far as medicine goes, I would far rather use dietary changes to improve health than be stuck with chemotherapy or insulin.
I’m in a similar situation. I’m 23 years old and I got diagnosed with marsh grade 3 celiac disease almost a month go. I’ve been pretty strict with my diet but I still had a relapse this last week. I ate something a family member made without checking the ingredients carefully AND I regret eating it!! 🙁
Your motivation to go gluten free is so that you don’t feel sick all the time. So that you can go out and have a good time and not worry about how sick you gonna feel in the evening or the next day. Trust me, I’ve only been gluten free for a month now and and i feel SO much better :). Im healthier and happier and I don’t miss things that I know will make me sick. I’m not willing to get sick and deal with those horrid symptoms!! 🙁 The first month is hard but you’ll learn that its for your own benefit.
It is a bit hard to go out with friends and enjoy yourself but then again it depends on your friends and family. I recently realised that restuarants don’t mind accomodating you and neither do friends and family. As soon as I mentioned my gluten issues to my friends, I constantly get updates about where to find foods, which restuarants to go to and where they’ve seen gluten free products.
It is infuriating and depressing at first but you realise that its a life choice that will only enable you to have a long, healthy life. There’s always alternatives to foods that you’ve loved, they may not taste the same but let’s just say its an acquired taste :).
You can do it!! You should do it!! Good luck with going against the grain :).
I was diagnosed in March of this year (2012). Up until then I was dealing with another Auto-Immune disorder that affected my muscles and skin. Before diagnosis I was miserable in many ways. Here I was, 33 year old, and couldn’t even make it up the stairs from our garage with only my purse in hand. I thought “is this it? Is this what I have to deal with for the REST OF MY LIFE?”
Then I saw a tweet from Jennifer Esposito that was retweeted by Donnie Wahlberg (they are co-stars on the show Blue Bloods). That got me looking into what Celiac actually was. I was intrigued…..it sounded a lot like me. So I challenged myself. I went gluten free for a while. Within 3-4 days I was feeling SOOOOO much better that I made an appointment with a GI doctor to make it official. That was this March and since then I have had so much more energy than I have in the last 2-3 years.
I was on 3 prescription medications plus 5 supplements because of taking those prescriptions. Since March, I have cut the dosage of one of the prescription medications IN HALF and cut another one OUT COMPLETELY.
I have gone G-free and will never look back. Is it hard? Abso-freakin-lutely. I have a husband and two sons and we would always go out to eat on Sundays after church. That is a little more difficult now and we are limited on where we can go. But I feel better. I work at the Extended School Care at my sons’ school and we have lots of good stuff all the time that I can’t have. BUT I feel better. It’s difficult to find food that will travel to work well when I get called in early. BUT I FEEL better. There is a lot of difficulty when dealing with cross contamination……(wait for it ;D) BUT I FEEL BETTER!!!!!!!!
I would not eat gluten purposefully now for any amount of money in the world. It IS hard but you will feel so much better in the long run.
Keep your chin up…..barrel through….and turn to the Celiac community for help when you need it. We’ve all been there and would love to help pull someone forward to wellness.
In the words of Jennifer Esposito….Ever Onward.
I was preliminarily diagnosed with Celiac at 19 and had the scope when I was 20 so I know how you feel. Your whole life you’ve been able to eat whatever you want and suddenly you can’t anymore. When I had the blood test done, I just didn’t understand how to do it all and I was away at school so that made it harder. No one around me seemed to understand and it’s so easy to just give in to what everyone else is eating. It’s also just so much to learn! I was in denial for about 6 months and felt terrible that whole time still. When I was officially diagnosed, I didn’t cheat but I was definitely going through a grieving stage – and that’s perfectly normal! Your life has just changed. There’s a lot to learn.
I’ve been strictly gluten free for almost a year now and things have gotten so much better. I’ve really educated myself and I explain it to everyone who wants to know more about it so I don’t feel so alone. I’ve worked hard to find alternative foods for everything I love and there’s not a lot that I miss that much. It just becomes your way of life.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t frustration. I’ve struggled a lot with feeling sick and not knowing why because my symptoms aren’t very severe. It’s one of the most annoying things for me and makes me think why bother?! But I just focus on feeling better. I’m also still pretty shy when it comes to imposing on other people.. like if I go out to a party or even to a restaurant.. it’s something I’m working on improving. Some people just don’t understand and that can also be very frustrating.
After a while, you come to terms with your diagnosis and you stop missing things you used to. When I first went off, I would literally crave things.. and now when I look at bread, sometimes I feel a pang of sadness but mostly I’ve kind of trained myself to see those things as “the enemy” (haha). I’m also always very proud because I live a very healthy lifestyle now, especially compared to other people at my university. I know I am eating healthy and that feels good! I am always really proud when I make something gluten free that tastes really good too.. and I share it with everyone so they know that gluten free isn’t bad!
I PROMISE it gets better. Don’t beat yourself up when it gets hard! It is hard. Give yourself time to adjust to it all. It’s life changing but going gluten free WILL make you feel better. And you WILL get used to everything and come to not look at it as such a burden. Hang in there!
As an alternative to missing beer, make a tasting survey of all the hard ciders you can find (if you’re not in Pennsylvania..the PLCB makes single bottle purchases extremely difficult). They go from disgustingly sweet to crisp and dry. You might find you really like them. So local restaurants/bars even have them on tap.
I don’t know if diarrhea is one of your symptoms but, if so, it is no fun either. I felt so bad that I was relieved to find something to return me to a kind of normal. Social situations are hard and you have my sympathy. I am older and can control going out or not. A note – there is GF beer and wine is GF! I was developing osteoporosis prior to going GF and now my bones are improving. You can’t always feel the damage that gluten is doing to your body. My lab tests showed I was malnourished and had liver damage. There is a good blog – Gluten Hates Me – that is a young woman who comes up with jiffy food recipes using prepared and fresh ingredients. You don’t have to become a chef but you will learn to cook after missing some of your favorite foods. Once your pantry is GF you can prepare anything. Good luck.
I’m with Donna T on this one. I was 47 when diagnosed 3 years ago. But, with sudden diarrhea being my main symptom, I was overjoyed to find a way to not be sick. I would get so sick after going out to eat, or for a beer, that it was no fun to go out. Frequently I would require a pit stop before I could even get home. Forget dinner and then a movie, why pay for a movie if you’re gonna be in the restroom for most of it?
After more than 3 years, I have found/developed/ reworked many old favorite recipes into safe versions that my family likes as well. And I know that I can drink all kinds of good stuff when we go out – just not beer. There’s still wine, and of course my favorite, tequila!
If you google GF restaurants and blogs and organizations you will find the celiac and gluten intolerant community is very open and helpful. They’ve given me more help than the dietician my doctor sent me to.
So, stop putting it off – go GF! It just makes you feel better. And it’s the only thing that will stop you from slowly poisoning yourself.
I know how you feel although I am not officially diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I have all the symptoms of it, (it’s a long story), but I want you to know that you are not alone. It took me a year and a month and a half to finally get on track. I have been gluten free since February and I couldn’t be happier.
Give yourself time to grieve and take time to research. I still have some of favorites mostly baked goods. There are variations of things. It’s up to us to take that initiative and yes, risk. You have to try it and push all those fears away.
We are all here for you. If you want someone to talk to about it please feel free to contact me. I know how frustrating it can be and I don’t want you to have to struggle for a year like I did.
You are getting all the good advice you can possibly get already, but I will add this: ((HUG)) … sorry, babes, you’re one of us now.
and this:
Grieve. Get mad. Cry. Kick something around the back yard.
Then, it’s time to face the fact that this one food protein is killing you.
And YOU CANNOT EAT IT anymore.
You have to focus on what YOU CAN EAT!!! 🙂
EVERYTHING you have eaten before can still be eaten!! It’s just going to be made differently now. Make it fun. Learn. Create!
My hubs and I brewed beer before my DX and we still do!! GF beer is good. You will need to replace some brewing equipment, that’s all .
And I am a MAJOR FOODIE, too.
Good, healthy and delicious food is not really gluteny anyway.
ALL your family recipes can be converted. I did it and you can, too!
There are great bloggers out there who will show you the ropes. Start with Gluten Free Goddess, Gluten Free Girl, No Gluten No Problem. and keep going.
Oh, Here’s a fantastic resource! CHECK THIS OUT!!!
http://punchfork.com/glutenfree
and for NEWBIE advice, may I offer this to you? (I wrote it for newbies and It will spare me writing it all out once more) G Dude has graciously allowed me to post this link many times.
http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/topic/91878-newbie-info-101/
You are not alone. We can help.
But you have to come to terms with this diagnosis, honey— and start living your new life.
You’re going to be okay, I promise!
I agree with IrishHeart – a big <> is what you need!
We’ve all been there. Part of this is that the doctor shoves you out the door, tells you to do what feels like the end of your life, and you know no one else in the world who has this same problem.
And after the crying, kicking, screaming, and everything – then you start to explore. You have become celiac in what I would call a golden age of gluten-free food. There are restaurant meals you can have. There are alternative beers, ciders, and lots of other alcohol you can have. There’s chocolate. There’s even bakeries for cookies, cake (one cannot live without cake LOL), bread, muffins…and I’m not even mentioning all the stuff you can get at the grocery store, Amazon, and online!
It seems silly to cry over the bread, for example, but we’ve all done it! 🙂 Sometimes things happen. Give this world a try before you really hurt yourself – you can’t dismiss it without even trying it!
That being said – what really helped me was finding other people that had the same problem I do. That one area where you know you’re not crazy, right? Look around. See if you can find a group that meets in your area. Or hit one up when you go traveling. I’ve met a ton of good people just by random drop ins to support groups, tastings, and other events for gf people.
<> to you! Make the switch – you won’t regret it.
is a virtual hug, in case you don’t recognize it! 😉
it is ? that’s a hug?
well, for pete’s sake, I was doing ((this)) all this time!
I am such a dinosaur.
thanks for the tip! and here’s one for you Connie. 😉
smoochies, IH
hey, I tried to make the new hug sign, but it did not work 🙁
I said here’s one for you, Connie –(meaning a hug) and I put the in….and no symbols showed up…hmm..I may need tech help from the hubs.
🙂
I was diagnosed in May and my 12-year-old son about 4 days later. We have absolutely been through our mourning period. I cried when he was diagnosed – I thought he’d be so burdened. In reality, he’s done so much better than I have. We went immediately cold-turkey and never looked back. Like the others have said, feeling better was so much better. I feel better than I have felt at anytime during my adult life. Have we screwed up – absolutely! On our very first meal as a matter of fact. We still forget, even being 100% careful.
You’re going to go through the mourning period. I highly recommend doing two things –
1) check out “What Nurses Know – Gluten-Free Lifestyle” or “Living Gluten-Free for Dummies”, both excellent books. There are lots of others.
2) Go to Celiac.org and print off the gluten-free and gluten ingredients list and make about five copies. I kept them in my car, purse, hubby’s truck, son’s backpack for the first several months so there was never any doubt.
3) Go to the websites for all your favorite restaurants and see which have a GF menu and treat yourself and your boyfriend to dinner. It makes it so much better and you’ll be surprised how many restaurants have menus. But please still ask questions and make sure you are comfortable that they know what they are talking about. Call them around 2 in the afternoon and talk with the manager or the chef. It’s a lot less pressure than when you’re ordering and the waiter is busy. Then you know what you can order, what you have to ask to be substituted and you can drop the manager’s name so they pay attention to you.
My son (who’s reading over my shoulder as I write this) wants me to tell you that “a lot of the stuff that is gluten-free is actually better than the gluten version, especially the brownies.” He says you just replace the gluten with the gluten-free and you’ll do good. Gotta love 12-year-old boys!
It might help you get your mind around things if you research and learn more about the disease. For me, at least, understanding how the gluten was hurting me (a very long list, indeed) and how it was affecting my son (his bone density is already 20% below normal and he’s a huge milk-drinker, his iron was low too) was all the incentive I needed.
Hang in there, dear… we’re all rooting for you!!
ok I know that was three (or four or five) suggestions… still, I hope they help!
As hard as it seems, just be thankful that you weren’t diagnosed earlier and that you could enjoy these gluten-filled treats for as long as you could. 🙂
IM,
This comment is not helpful or supportive at all.
We are encouraging her to embrace her diagnosis and her new life and telling her that there are more options available than she realizes.
Your comment is designed to create negativity and sadness.
You are trying to reinforce that being a celiac is a burden. This is not healthy thinking at all.
You were not diagnosed with celiac at a young age (not according to what you have said in other places on the internet) So, why do you persist in perpetuating this lie?
And I see that despite the fact we ALL told you already how we feel about it, you are STILL using your link to the bogus “cure” for celiac–the one that you take and then, ingest gluten purposefully to see what will happen..
A celiac would never take such risks and then, brag about it and expect to be taken seriously.
I’m sorry – that was not my intent in any way. I take Celiac very seriously and absolutely want to encourage her as she deals with this diagnosis.
Oh sweetie,
no….I was talking to
IM
the comment below yours!!
I’m sorry. I intended to add more to my previous comment but it was getting late for me and I was rather miserable.
I had an ax to grind, so please forgive me. 🙁
What’s important to emphasise is that there’s no point in trying avoid gluten half-heartedly. It’s an all or nothing thing.
Here are some questions you need to ask yourself:
1. Have you cleared your house of wheat flour?
2. Do you know exactly what grains contain the gluten that you need to avoid?
Answer: All Derivatives of Wheat, Barley, Rye and Oats and foods cross-contaminated with these ingredients. This includes the so called “gluten free oats” as even these have been shown numerous times to induce exactly the same inflamation as wheat, barley and rye.
3. Do you know the hidden names for gluten in ingredient lists?
4. How will you respond when a restaurant tells you they can’t guarantee your food to be 100% free from gluten contamination? Will you take the risk or not?
There’s a product available at [scam website] but please talk to a gastrenterologist or a gluten sensitivity specialist about it before you try it.
Seriously buddy? You want to push your scam product that I’ve railed against on my blog? I don’t think so.
I would also suggest you get a copy of:
The First Year: Celiac Disease
by Jules D. Shepherd
I mentioned her cooking website earlier in this thread, but this book is a
wonderful resource for the newly diagnosed.
http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Year-Gluten-Free-Essential/dp/073821227X
I hear ya love. A club you never thought you would join. I grew up in a predominately Italian househould where “gravy” was routinely made to serve with “noodles” and accompanied with big loaves of crusty italian bread. Cannolis-check. Italian cookies-check. more bread-check check check.
And then at 40 y.o. about six months ago, something happened to me. I lost control of my body. My mornings I awoke to an ache in my stomach that was killing me. Proceeded with at least three emergency stops along the way to work that was a combination of anxiety and near madness (sorry for yelling at the poor lady in the rest room at the quick check seven months ago…i know you thought me insane).
What the bleep? that was my breaking point. That was it. No more, no mas. Over.
Forward seven months. it took me a few weeks (thankfully) on my own elimination diet. Thankfully for some reason i decided to cut gluten out first. Why? No idea. Being a newbie (ya i know i am still a newbie)i lived on vegetarian baked beans and fritos. Hours and hours at the grocery store, every week I added new products to my cart. I can do this!!!
You can 2. Don’t give up, this is your life, take it back.
“I’m changed for the better. More smiles, less bitter. Thank God I changed.”
Rascal Flatts-“Changed”
XO, Jersey Girl
Like other people have already mentioned, once you actually do go GF, you will start to feel so much better that you won’t *want* to go back to eating gluten. I had all these weird, nagging physical/mental problems that never occurred to me as being from ingesting gluten, but as they started going away one by one, i was overjoyed.
For me, to get started, this is what I did. I hit the grocery store. I went out and bought simple stuff to give me some food for a few days until i could sort everything out. Chex cereal for breakfast, veggies, fruits…things I knew were GF without having to read labels. I didn’t know any of the GF brands for anything, so I didn’t want to buy the wrong things. And as I was at the store, I started realising that a lot of what I was used to eating was naturally gluten-free. That helped. I went home, and removed everything in my fridge and cupboards that wasn’t safe. If there was a lot, I brought it to work and gave it away, if there was only a little, I just pitched it. Kind of wasteful, I know, but I didn’t want temptations at home, or to accidentally make something without really thinking about what was in it.
Then I went online. I started looking up all the processed foods, like condiments, that I used, and kept a list of what was “safe”. Cosmetics and body products too. If I couldn’t get a definitive answer online, I started calling company’s 800 numbers to add or remove a product from my safe list. I carried it with me everywhere I went. I researched restaurants to see if there were places I could eat in case I was invited out. I started looking through cookbooks to get ideas, and realised I was finally going to be forced to cook, and maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.
Explain what you need to your friends and family, and don’t let them push you around. My dad is (still) always saying stuff like, “oh, one bite won’t hurt you!” but you need to stand your ground. I felt like once I was really in control of my health and body, I felt like I had a better handle on the situation. Read everything you can. Bookmark all the blogs you find that make you feel good, and give you helpful info.
As you start to feel changes physically and mentally, your attitude about the whole thing will change. You’ll want to stick with this, because going back is just not an option. 🙂
I don’t know how it’s been for other people, but after 5 years of this, I have a big need to simplify my GF life. I use homemade or natural products (if I can’t make them, or live without them) because then I know what I’m putting in/on my body. I’ve discovered -for me- that I don’t need make-up or hair dye. It’s kind of weird…this lifestyle has turned me into kind of a hippy-girl! Ha ha…anyway, be flexible as things change. I have found some recipes that I like *better* than the old, gluten-filled ones, and that is always a motivator for me, and a “win”.
Hang in there, reach out, and definitely dump gluten for good. I am living proof that finding out later in life causes more damage, so just always keep that in the back of your mind…”is this piece of cake really worth stomach problems/pain/headaches/brain fog/whatever your symptoms are?” and each day that you don’t eat gluten makes it easier the next day.
I don’t know if that helped. It was sure long, though! 🙂
One thing that helped me the most was attending a celiac support group. There are some amazing ones in Boston. I also found finding a good all-purpose gluten free flour can make a huge difference. I really like the Mr. Ritz flour. Almost anything can be made gluten free… it just might take a little more time. Other suggestions I have found helpful are to keep something easy to make such as an Amy’s gluten free mac and cheese in the freeze for those nights you try to make something new you dislike or doesn’t turn out the way you planned. I have also found attending a gluten free expo or conference can really help since you can try many different products and get coupons for the things you enjoy. Lastly my friend convinced me to start emailing companies to see if there are any coupons, many of them will send you coupons or free samples. The coupons help especially when trying new foods. I hope this helps. 🙂
There isn’t anything more I can add that everyone else hasn’t already said. Just know that you aren’t on your own. THAT was the biggest thing for me, knowing other people go through the same feelings as me and that I wasn’t the only one to sit and literally cry after making toast or crumpets for my kids!! I went GF almost a year ago now and it HAS been difficult. I have slipped up, both by accident and on purpose, and I have learned.. but I am NOW getting the hang of it. I have stopped being embarrassed about asking for the ingredient lists in restaurants, I can now turn down the offer of biscuits at friends houses and my immediate family are slowly converting with me (pasta has been accepted, not sure if I’ll ever convince them to go GF with bread though!!!). Life is finally feeling “normal”. ALSO… I have managed to transform most of my fave recipes so they are GF. It CAN be done!!
That first step is the VERY hardest but once you have taken it, you will NEVER look back. Good luck xxxx
Nothing (and I mean NOTHING) tastes as good as being Gluten Free feels. Nothing.
Amen to that (and dairy free and soy free and grain free…well, you get the picture) 🙂
So, one wonders……did she email you and tell us if she began her healing journey yet? 🙂
Good point Irish…I have not heard from her.
I hope she’s taking good care of herself.
I’m 17 and I am allergic to Wheat and Gluten. I found out when I was 15 and my life has been a living hell. I still eat all kinds of food because I have no choice. I”m sick everyday and its just cause more Depression. I’m scared and alone on this I need help but no one will help me. If anyone wants to email me please do. kayla1noel@yahoo.com
Kayla…please read this post. Hopefully, it will help you:
http://glutendude.com/celiac/a-fifteen-year-old-celiac/