Scared/Sad/Feeling alone

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8542 Location: WI, USA

CoffeeMate from Nestle's is GF. Nestle's is GF friendly company - they won't hide gluten in natural flavors or modified food starch. They may list those ingredients - but you can know that they do not contain gluten. You can also read the label and check it against the ingredients found at Celiac.com's Safe & Forbidden Food Ingredient List.
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

NickisDragon · Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Posts: 331 Location: S.E. Michigan

Dear Kim,
CoffeeMate is GF, (read the ingredients label anyway!) I don't know about
International Coffees.
_________________
The Love we withhold is the pain that we carry.
Nicki

B-Day: January 18
DX: October 2005

Professor · Joined: 19 Oct 2005 Posts: 757

kray39 · Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Hickory, NC

I'm going to look up coffee mate and see what I can find. My first test on the road the next couple of days. Going to make better choices this time, atleast, more informed ones. My aunt and uncle gave me a gift card to applebees for christmas. I have found out from experience with my vegan daughter that they are not real cooperative here. But maybe my experience as celiac will be better. I can't wait to get the book in!!! I'll talk to you all soon! Wish me luck on my trip!
Kim Smile

_________________
Recently diagnosed celiac
blood and biopsy 12/8/05
KIM

Jeannine1 · Guest

you will learn to make pie crust.

I like to use GF cookie crumbs - from the bought cookies or cookies you make yourself & make crumbs with it. Freeze them until ready to use. Also almond flour makes a great crust.

Just mix the crumbs with butter or oleo - maybe a little sugar cinnamon - etc or even some chopped pecans & press into pie pan. Yummmyyyy

Noatak · Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 492 Location: Massachusetts

Kim,
You have indeed found the best place for help for the new Celiac! All advice given has been spot on and as time goes by, you will not even think twice when figuring food choices. One of the most important things is to be a cook yourself because if you know how to cook, then you have knowledge of food and what it contains and that will make life as a Celiac 100% easier.

Check out Whole Foods Supermarkets (there are some in N.C.) as they stock many food choices for us and they are very helpful overall. You are not going to believe all the good stuff that is GF....waffles, mac & cheese....all that good comfort food! Very Happy

I have no trouble eating out but am not quite as sensitive as some. Just remember to stick to an Atkins type diet when travelling and you can't go wrong. I travel to Europe and have little trouble finding and enjoying good food I can eat.

Congratulations on quitting smoking and you are 100% correct...if you conquer the ciggies, you can EASILY go GF. I also try to think of a few friends of mine who are suffering from worse medical conditions at the moment (life-threatening) and realize being Celiac is definitely NOT the worst thing that could happen to you....in fact, it can be a positive thing. Celiac's HAVE to eat well and as a result, are healthier than most folks walking around, living off of donuts and McDonald's every day.

Finally...about the third eye thing....it's denial. My mother, who is a lovely person but has flaming symptoms of Celiac's herself and is in total denial, gave me a very nice ceramic baking dish for Christmas. She also baked her famous gingerbread, loaded with wheat flour!, to put in it! Sad

My husband enjoyed the bread but I had to shake my head in wonder as she knows I can't eat that! Rolling Eyes

She just doesn't want to hear it because that means she may have it too and will have to give up that crappy white bread she eats..... Laughing

Good luck to you and hang in there.....a year from now you'll wonder why you were so overwhelmed!

Lisa

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8542 Location: WI, USA

Hi Lisa,

I think most people go thru that with their families. My Mother was like that too. I loaned her my copy of "Wheat Free Worry Free" by Dana Korn. After she read that...she was better about it. I think sometimes your family thinks "it's just a phase" or "ahhh it's all in your head". But when they see you literally shink before their eyes and see how badly you feel...they'd get a clue.

Maybe once your Mom sees the changes in you (or you tell her the changes that have happened), she might realize what's going on.

Good luck!! Keep up the good work!!
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Professor · Joined: 19 Oct 2005 Posts: 757

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8542 Location: WI, USA

Noatak · Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 492 Location: Massachusetts

Hi Al,
Maybe I'll try giving that book to my mother but I doubt she'll respond well to it. She is extremely stubborn and does not want to deal with any of this. She actually hung up on me when I told her I had it and it's genetic so she needed to be tested! It's a good thing I don't hold a grudge! Laughing

She, along with my older sister and her daughter have some first and second degree symptoms but haven't gotten tested as they too, do not eat well at all and don't want to deal with it. So I keep my mouth shut and figure when they get sick enough or develop more auto-immune diseases (my family is loaded with them!) they will come to their senses. It was easier for me to deal with this as I always was a health nut regarding food...I just got bagged eating those big grainy, whole wheat loaves of bread from Whole Foods. So I still eat the same but have switched to GF breads and carbs and am totally better now. It would be nice though if my family didn't treat me like the anti-Christ of diet! Wink

kray39 · Joined: 24 Dec 2005 Posts: 6 Location: Hickory, NC

Thanks Lexi for all of your help. I think my youngest daughter is in denial at this point as well. I will be scheduleing her blood test as soon as my crazy work out of town is done. My mother had her blood test done last week..no word yet. But she found out that her sisters daughter and her grandson are celiac. So atleast we found the line. You are all right..I do have a few whole foods markets here..however, I live about 1 hour from asheville, the healthly living hippy center of the world Laughing

There is an earthfare supermarket and a greenlife supermarket. The greenlife has this wonderful buffet..seperated for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and diabetic!!! Hot bar..salad bar..everything. Even a wonderful bakery with gluten free sweets!! I'm in heaven when I am working there. I have also baked my own french bread and sandwich bread (gluten free pantry) and frozen them. So I am on my way.
BTW...very disappointed in ZAXBY's restaurants. There grilled chicken is marinated in something. So I ordered a plain salad..told them no croutons or bacon bits..or anything..they sent it to me loaded with french fried onions!! oh well..I did have a good dinner though.
Well gonna go relax..
have a wonderful evening..talk to you soon
Kim
_________________
Recently diagnosed celiac
blood and biopsy 12/8/05
KIM

Noatak · Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 492 Location: Massachusetts

Well, Al...I ordered the above mentioned book for my mother today and will send it to her to (hopefully) read! I still can't help thinking this will go over like a lead balloon! Laughing

Thank you, Kim, for posting that information about Asheville. My in-laws live in Pinehurst and we have talked about a road trip to Asheville. Now I can go and not have to worry about the food supply! Then again, anyplace that's as
progressive as Asheville and full of hippy type folks are bound to have healthy eating places, tolerant of everyone's weird food issues!

duchessisa · Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: Hi

[quote="..... asheville, the healthly living hippy center of the world Laughing

There is an earthfare supermarket and a greenlife supermarket. The greenlife has this wonderful buffet..seperated for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and diabetic!!! Hot bar..salad bar..everything. Even a wonderful bakery with gluten free sweets!! I'm in heaven ..........[/quote]

Any one else out there jealous? California is supposed to be on top of the health food wave but we have few places to eat GF speacialty foods. You can buy mixes left and right but if want hot ,ready to eat, good luck. I have heard of a deli in Mountain View a mere 1 1/2- 2 hr from me. Oh well. For those who can find a place to enjoy food without worry---eat something, enjoy it, and report back if it was worth going out of your way for. ~Duchess

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8542 Location: WI, USA

Nonnie02 · Joined: 25 Dec 2005 Posts: 57 Location: Rochester Hills, MI

Kim -

I don't have a whole bunch of advice (yet!), as I was only diagnosed with gluten intolerance back in late October. I cannot have dairy of any kind as well. My blood test came back negative about 15 months ago, but I knew something was terribly wrong and I pushed through it until I was "heard". Through DNA testing, I was shown to have one of the main Celiac genes and a gluten sensitivity gene. More tests showed I did, indeed, have the antibodies in my system, as well as milk casein intolerance. Multiple triggers set everything into motion.

But, anyway...this much I will share from my personal experience....first of all, take a deep breath. Be gentle with yourself. Be thankful that you now have a "name" for this madness. Stick with good people who will hold your hand (this site is wonderful!!). Experiment. Talk to people. Join a support group in your area. There are so many good cookbooks, as mentioned on this post. I promise you, you WILL begin to feel better, Kim. It has taken me 2 months, but I am so in tune with exactly what my body will/will not tolerate and I simply don't go there anymore. It's just not worth it. My symptoms were quite atypical....joint pain, hives, digestion shut down, weight gain, severe abdominal bloating....but just from eliminating gluten/dairy, I have dropped a whopping 7 inches off my waist since the end of October. Ya think I hit the mark on this one????

I know how you feel about the "looks of huh??" that people give you. Triumph Dining Cards are nice. Hand them to the waiter...or visit the restaurant ahead of time and talk to the manager (when they are not busy). I always send a thank-you note to the management...and especially mention a kind wait person. This helps to get the message out!!

Remember that, too.... the word IS getting out. Maybe it's because I'm in education, but I try and share what I know with whoever will listen...and I have had many waiters/waitresses come back to the table and ask me..."Can you tell me more about this??" One young gal around Thanksgiving, was just so wonderful. She was a college age girl who has Type 1 diabetes. She "understood" completely that I had "dietary needs" and was more than happy to accomodate. She was one who circled back around and finally admitted she was having terrible stomach distress. She had never heard of CD. I jotted some information, she was going to go home and get online to sniff it out. Then she adamantly declared, "Something is wrong with me. I am going to go get that blood test."

Just take care of YOU. You have no control over someone else's reaction. This month's Woman's Day has an article where Celiac is mentioned. Gourmet Magazine talks about gluten intolerance in their November issue....many store now have signs advertising Gluten-Free products inside (Whole Foods is one). Health food stores are good sources. Trader Joes. But, you must always read your labels in case ingredients have changed. Don't ever assume "once gluten-free, always gluten-free".

God bless....and remember...."baby steps". You WILL prevail!!!

Carole