Hi all,
Its probably obvious how bad I Hate living without gluten.. sorta getting used to it... sorta..
I really need some pointers.. I've read celiac.com and many other helpfull links and posts..
However, there's nothing like straight answers from more experienced people who have been dealing with this on a daily basis.

I get the impression that my kitchen should be 'hospital' clean.. I have no problem with a clean kitchen..
but then I'm also getting that with normal flour eaters in the house.. I should just have a complete separate GF area?
Do I need to buy all new everything? Is it okay to just run the dishwasher a lot? Is it okay to just keep things covered and to wipe stuff down before and after food prep? How obsessive do I need to be with this?

Any helpfull advice would be greatly appreciated.. I get to the point where I think I'm doing great.. then sick slaps me down again..
then I find out I've left something important out (or in as it may be)...
For example: I know I can't have Soy Sauce or Soy Solids.. This means no Soy of anykind? No Silk for my coffee?
Where do I draw the line with all this info??
I just want to feel better :^\
posted by:
anni
offline anni
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  • Elonwy
    Elonwy
    offline 39

    Re: Still having a very hard time learning all the precautions I have to take.. have many questions..

    Wed, January 17, 2007 - 9:57 AM
    Biggest kitchen gotchas:
    crumbs on counter/cutting board
    Using wooden/plastic/scratched items that have been used for gluten, you should get new ones of these and label/segregate
    Double-dipping. This will get you. Gluten person takes knife, dips in something, spreads on gluten item, then goes back in for more. CRUMBS!
    I bought all new condiments, learning to love the squeeze bottle variety when available, and used stickers to indicate which items were only for me.
    Toaster. With a toaster oven, use tin foil under GF items to keep them safe. With a top-loading toaster, use toaster bags or get a separate toaster for GF. That thing is full of crumbs.
    Keep counter clean.
    Don't use the same dishtowels for hands and stuff as a Gluten eater.
    HTH
    As for soy, thats all about you. We can't have soy sauce cause it has wheat, not because of the soy. Are you soy intolerant?
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  • anni
    anni
    offline 79

    Re: Still having a very hard time learning all the precautions I have to take.. have many questions..

    Sat, January 20, 2007 - 9:59 PM
    Yet another question I have no answer for...

    How do I deal with the inconsiderate gluten eaters in my house?
    They think its all a joke...
    I think they're inconsiderate morons...
    how do I find a happy medium with this?
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    • Alison
      Alison
      online 4

      Re: Still having a very hard time learning all the precautions I have to take.. have many questions..

      Sun, January 21, 2007 - 4:49 PM
      I refer (to myself for a laugh) to inconsiderate people who think gluten intolerance is some neurotic joke as "the glutes." Even if other people are inconsiderate, you will probably still be able to keep gluten-free if you keep your own food and wipe things down before you prepare your food - and watch out for the previously mentioned toaster. It really does get easier as time goes on and you start to feel better and have some more energy - hey what a concept. I thought that I would never feel better, but after about six months on a gluten free diet, I started to feel pretty great and have ever since! Best wishes to you!
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      • Petite
        Petite
        offline 210

        Re: Still having a very hard time learning all the precautions I have to take.. have many questions..

        Tue, January 23, 2007 - 7:06 PM
        Anni don't give up and don't let the inconsiderate people get the best of you.

        For years I have been trying to piece together what is wrong with me - trying this and that until I finally figured it out. During all that time my family kinda thinks I'm a bit of a hypochondriac so they don't really take it seriously anymore.
        My own family didn't even believe me until one day when my mom made meatloaf and "slipped" some regular breadcrumbs into it thinking she'd just pull one over on me and I'd never notice.....I broke out in the worst worst worst case of rash all over my legs. It was so bad I could not stop crying and I just wanted to scratch the skin off my bones. When I asked her if she used regular breadcrumbs in the meatloaf and she admitted it, then I told her that it was the reason I got the rash, she felt really bad about it and she has not taken as a joke after that. It think it FINALLY got through to her and the rest of my family that this is not some sort of new diet I'm trying out. This is for real.

        Even today, she was wondering why I am so concerned about gluten....I told her that if I keep eating it even though I am allergic to it, IT CAUSES AN AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDER.....THAT'S CANCER, MOM, CANCER.

        I think she is finally beginning to understand.
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    • MaryAnn
      MaryAnn
      offline 0

      Re: Still having a very hard time learning all the precautions I have to take.. have many questions..

      Tue, October 16, 2007 - 4:34 AM
      When you find out, let me know!!!! My husband SAYS he understands as he decides to pick up Subway for dinner!!!! My biggest challenge is trying to get him to comprehend my diet!!!! As horrible as this may sound, sometimes I feel that if I lived alone, I'd handle my diet better because only I would be bringing food into the house. I don't expect him to follow along with me but to be considerate of my diet. He goes to the store and 90% of what he buys is processed, gluten filled foods. After a year now of trying to get this in check, he'll still tell me he didn't know. Trying to get him to read information on this disease and comprehend it is impossible! I do the best I can and shop the whole food stores for myself but sometimes when I look in that freezer and see all those foods I too use to love, it makes it hard to not give up!
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      • Rebecca
        Rebecca
        offline 38

        Re: Still having a very hard time learning all the precautions I have to take.. have many questions..

        Tue, October 16, 2007 - 8:50 AM
        It can be hard but don't let up. I am a mother of a celiac kid, he is the only one in a family of 4 that has celiac. Teaching my boyfriend and my teenage daughter to be considerate was a challenge and we still have issues. I normally eat gluten out of the house, for me the toughest thing is missing pasta at home and I found a great gluten free pasta called Tinkyada. Nowadays my freezer doesn't have a lot in it, I buy large family packs of meat and repackage it into dinner sizes and freeze, I keep gluten free waffles and a gluten free pizza on hand and that's about it. The whole family eats a lot healthier as a result. We overflow with fresh fruits and veggies and nuts. All of us crave processed foods much less and when I can't resist a pizza night I pop out his pizza and Clifton adds whatever he wants to the top of it and enjoys pizza right alongside us. Homemade french toast tastes pretty darn good with gluten free bread by the way.

        It will take a while to begin changing your own habits too, let alone your husband who probably feels a little resentment that he is expected to change just like you probably are. My son was 4 when he was diagnosed and it took just a few weeks to feel dramatically better but it took about 2 years to accustom him to the tastes of gluten-free eating. Remind your husband that some of the best foods are already gluten free. Does he like meat and potatoes for dinner? Gluten free. Omelettes for breakfast? Gluten free.

        Have fun and enjoy your food.
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