http://www.elanaspantry.com/forums/ Gluten Free Forums for elanaspantry.com en Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:53:45 +0000 http://www.elanaspantry.com/forums/topic/family-diagnosed-with-multiple-allergies-need-gf-and-more#post-857 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:04:28 +0000 lisastafford 857@http://www.elanaspantry.com/forums/ <p>Color me pink,</p> <p>Thanks so much for your note. It is an encouragement to me.</p> <p>Lisa </p> http://www.elanaspantry.com/forums/topic/family-diagnosed-with-multiple-allergies-need-gf-and-more#post-856 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:36:06 +0000 colormepink 856@http://www.elanaspantry.com/forums/ <p>Hi Lisa, my friend has a young son with years of health and behavior issues. He's been tested for celiac that came back negative but all her research and experience told her that his symptoms were gluten related. Since switching his diet, he has made some remarkable improvements. If she has tested positive to gluten intolerance, I would say to go gluten-free especially if her father has been diagnosed with Crohn's. </p> <p>I have also never been tested for celiac or gluten intolerance, I came by this way of eating from a holistic nutritionist who told me to try an anti-candida diet. After a few weeks of the diet, it became very clear to me how I needed to eat the rest of my life. It was extremely frustrating and challenging. I thought of myself as a person who liked to cook and eat at home often but I didn't realize how dependent on fast or prepared or wheat-filled foods I was until I couldn't eat them anymore. I got angry at the thought of eating out for quite a while and it seemed the whole food industry was setting me up for failure. And I understand what you mean about the social aspect as well, I mourned the loss of those "carefree" days when I could go to a party and eat birthday cake, or go to a post-soccer game celebration at the pizza buffet.</p> <p>But then, I realized how important this lifestyle change was to me and my health, that there was no going back, there was only going forward. Going forward meant letting go of that anger and mourning and embracing what I could do, what I could have. (A lot of this occurred simultaneously.) It was easy to eat roasted chicken and steamed broccoli some of the time, but what to do for pizza night or spaghetti night? Well, you arm yourself with new knowledge about cooking, alternative recipes and ingredients. I didn't find this blog until I was more than a year into my program, finding it earlier would have been a great help to me in the beginning. There are many others here and in other forums, blogs and websites going through the same or similar circumstances you are and have come up with some inspired recipes for comfort foods. It will take work to seek them out, it will take work to shift your eating and cooking habits. I read once that most people have about 10 foods/ meals that they eat like 80% of the time. Example, you always eat toast or cereal for breakfast, for dinner you make lasagna or spaghetti with pesto as your go-to meals that you make at least once a week. Figure out what your go-to meals are and learn how to adapt them. I found that this was the difficult part of maintaining a new lifestyle, this switch over from my old standard 10 to a new standard 10 but once established, it became much easier. And the best way to win in the social setting is to always come prepared. I can handle going to a birthday party and not eating the birthday cake if I have a treat of my own to eat (and very often there are others there who wants to try what I brought.) I offer to bring dishes or finger-foods I know I can eat to parties so I don't make a bad decision because I'm hungry. My friend with the gluten-intolerant son is working on the same thing. She has to tell his school and parents at parties about his food needs and send him prepared with treats of his own. It's hard for him to fully understand why he is different but she talks to him regularly about how his food choices affect him and tries to make his treats seem special. Sometimes he seems to like that he shares these issues with me and thus special foods and sometimes not but he is learning and accepting as best he can. It's hard to accept going without cake but much easier to accept "I can't have THAT cake, but I CAN have THIS cake!" I don't know if my experience helps you or not, but here it is. It does seem overwhelming at first but with time, knowledge, and preparation, it all becomes as natural as the way you have been eating up to now. </p> http://www.elanaspantry.com/forums/topic/family-diagnosed-with-multiple-allergies-need-gf-and-more#post-850 Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:17:36 +0000 lisastafford 850@http://www.elanaspantry.com/forums/ <p>Hubby has Crohn's disease and has started an anti-inflammatory food combining program. 9 year old intolerant to Gluten. 15 year old can't have baking powder or egg whites. and much more. I am overwhelmed. Do I need to have the 9 year old tested for Celiac disease or just put her on a GF plan and watch how her health and behavior changes? We can all eat certain meats/fish and a few vegetables and fruits. I am overwhelmed and need support from others who have gone before me.</p> <p>The good news is that we can all tolerate almonds, and they are an anti-inflammatory food. I have ordered some good almond flour and a loaf pan to make bread.</p> <p>I feel sad about my family giving up certain foods we have enjoyed as treats, and the impact this could have on our social life. </p>