6 weeks of gluten free living: Week 1
April 18, 2018
I’ve been seeing research that suggests that a gluten-free diet may help the effects of my fibro and rosacea, not just anecdotes like I’d heard in the past and finally had to start considering that it might be something worth trying.
I hated the thought because oh how I love my carbs but I’ve lived with high levels of pain for most of my life. If a simple change in diet might help, I’ve got to try it.
I planned to wait until after our summer vacation to start because that would give me time to use up the gluten-ful ingredients we have stocked and phase in GF foods instead over the course of several weeks. Instead, PiC convinced me to start early because if it could help, why not find out earlier rather than later?
My order-loving soul is grumpy about it but his argument has a certain amount of logic. It takes at least two weeks, according to the experienced, for all the gluten to exit the system so I have to try this for at least 6 weeks to get any real sense of whether this will help.
Week 1
Day 1. We’re eating with family today and luckily they’re already experienced at accommodating a gluten free diet. I never noticed before but there’s only one bread item at the table. The rest is good healthy fare: ham, greens, eggs. That was an accidental green eggs and ham reference but my point is, this isn’t so bad!
Day 2. It feels like I’m living in a barren desert. All the food in this house has gluten, from the breakfast foods, to the condiments, to the ingredients for most of our go to dinner entrees. Meatloaf, half a cup of bread crumbs and soy sauce. Ten pounds of whole wheat and regular pasta, yep, gluten. English muffins, whole wheat bread, croissants, bagels, gluten gluten and gluten. Home baked goodies? All whole wheat flour. I just opened a five lb bag of wheat flour! Sigh.
On Day 3 I realize we also eat plenty of foods that are naturally gluten free: pesto, shrimp, tilapia, pork, chicken, rice, potatoes in so many forms, eggs, cheese. Thank goodness for cheese because losing bread feels like losing an arm. Then PiC came home with an armload of gluten free supplies from Costco! GF bread, Late July chips, veggie snacks, more cheese. Bless him.
Day 4. I buy corn tortillas, which look like sadness because my favorite lunch is a daily quesadilla made with flour tortillas, and lots of frozen veggies to shore up my supplies. JB wonders why I keep reading all the labels, isn’t that Daddy’s job? Yes, yes it is. But a great discovery: I love these Trader Joe’s Beet Chips.
My GF friends encourage me to try adding more naturally GF meals which won’t taste like depression like GF food replacements will, and they’re right. They also suggest that it’d be better to outsource some of it at first so it doesn’t feel quite so hard.
Day 5. PiC raided Trader Joe’s and Sprouts for me. He is a saint! Armed with more supplies, both fresh and processed, I feel less frustrated with having started this early and am just frustrated by the cost. GF cookies, cereal, crackers, and flour are 30-50% more expensive. It’s even more expensive when you have a preschooler who thinks ze should eat everything that Mom and Dad eat. It was intended to be a healthy thing – eat a balanced diet like we do, not just mac ‘n’ cheese and hot dogs, but I see it backfiring a little here. And vice versa, ze still likes sharing food so ze always offers me a bite or two of whatever ze is eating. I keep forgetting that my favorite cereal isn’t for me anymore. He also bought me almond flour for when my heart comes back to baking.
To give me a break after a long week between work and the usual pain and fatigue, not to mention the new diet, we pick up pho for dinner.
Day 6. I’ll have to use up the rest of the whole wheat flour baking massive amounts of muffins, resisting my urge to eat the first ones out of the oven. Weirdly enough, it turns out that I like this GF bread PiC picked. The flavor isn’t there but the texture is great, so one out of two isn’t bad. It’s chewy and thick, perfect for sandwiches or dipping in saucy foods like curry.
Day 7. I almost stole JB’s goldfish crackers, and stop myself in time. I almost take a bite of peanut butter sesame bagel, and stop myself. I reached for the pasta to make mac ‘n’ cheese and … nope. That reminds me that my favorite comfort food on high pain days, frozen mac ‘n’ cheese, is not an option. Dammit. This better be worth it. If it actually substantially reduces pain, it will be but I’m going to be very annoyed if it’s only a small reduction of pain.
Thank goodness I’d already planned dinner that will yield leftovers for days: Crockpot ribs and coconut rice with a side of asparagus. GF and safe.
***
I’m taking this one step at a time and am ever so grateful that PiC is on top of hunting and gathering for me. I’m not ready for recipes yet this week, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be asking y’all for suggestions as I get more settled.
This reminds me of being pregnant and makes me feel sort of queasy…
https://nicoleandmaggie.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/wheat/
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I had no idea that pregnancy could trigger that! I clearly missed that post.
It took me forever to figure out my food sensitivity situation. Once you get into the groove of things, it gets a lot better since you’ll already be stocked up on the right ingredients and there’s less cognitive overhead trying to figure out if something fits in your diet or not. Almond meal and garbanzo bean flour is where it’s at.
Also, your post reminded me of this video I recently watched, which maybe might be helpful? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN5c4trigMk&t=1082s
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Did you have to go through a whole regimen of food elimination to figure it out?
Yeah, it took me a couple years to figure it out because I wasn’t systematic with it. Had I done Whole 30 or something to begin with, it’d’ve helped a lot (but mostly because of the types of foods I am particularly sensitive to).
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Yes! I am also on a gluten free diet, have been for almost 7 years now. I really hope this results in a substantial reduction in pain for you, I know it did for me. The advice to eat naturally gluten free meals that don’t taste like depression is spot on. The alternatives are a convenient crutch, but they kind of make life taste like sadness.
I’m going to think about some of my go to resources this morning and report back to you!
So fortunately you’re already ahead of the curve in that you cook the majority of your meals at home and know how to use whole ingredients. If you were used to eating out a lot or relying on pre-packaged foods a lot this would probably be a much harder transition. Also, you’re fortunate to live close to an area that has a food culture that’s corn heavy rather than wheat heavy. You may find alternatives are easier to source than in other areas.
Okay, so everything MaggieO said in her comment (Tinkyada pasta, Udi’s bread, using tamari) is perfect. I’d also like the drive home her comment about not trying to be frugal and using the wheat flour up. I came across a bag of multi-grain buns in the freezer about 6 weeks after I started cutting the gluten out. This was during my debt reduction days, so I was really keeping a close eye on my money. I didn’t want them to go to waste, so I said what the hell and ate two of them with butter. I was doubled over within 15 minutes, and I’ve sworn it off hard ever since. If you find some improvement over time by taking it out, don’t tempt fate and try to put it back in.
For other actual products, Bob’s Red Mill has a whole gluten free line that they process in a dedicated facility. I wouldn’t make them a regular part of the diet due to cost, but sometimes you just want a pancake. I also use a Canadian line called Only Oats that you should be able to find on Amazon. I buy their flaked oats and use them regularly for breakfast and baking.
I’m terrible for following actual recipes, but for inspiration I go to foodgawker and use the search function to filter for gluten free. I also find a lot of vegan bloggers are quite sensitive of food issues, so a lot of them will call out if their recipes are gluten free or not. I like Mama Eats Plants, who keeps her rheumatoid arthritis at bay with her diet. Deliciously Ella uses diet to tackle her Postural Tachycardia Syndrome. Both have lots of naturally gluten free recipes. Oh She Glows and Minimalist Baker are both also solid options to browse as well, and identify gluten free swaps when they’re available.
Anyway, I’m spamming your comment section at this point. If you want to chat more, feel free to email me 🙂
No no, I really appreciate all of this information! It’s perfect because I can now easily pop back into this post and check notes.
Always “spam” my comments please – your thoughts are all very welcome. 🙂
Definitely won’t try to go back if this turns out to be the thing – PiC and JB can eat up all the supplies just fine without me.
We do get lots of Bob’s Red Mill here so I’m going to take advantage of that.
I’m gluten free 5+ years now to deal with migraines, joint pain, and eczema. I also found out that I’m less anxious, itchy, able to focus and remember things better, and less generally cranky unless exposed to gluten. I’m not allergic to it, but I clearly react to it.
At first it was harder, but now it’s just how life is. I make a box of Kraft for the boyfriend and kids and Annie’s for me, my bread is in the freezer and theirs is on top of it. We have separate butter dishes and the toaster oven requires a piece of foil before the bread goes it. Cross contamination is sometimes an issue, sometimes not so we treat it like it’s always a problem.
Mostly they’re used to gf baked goods (King Arthur is my favorite baking blend!). Chex, Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Fruity and Chocolate Pebbles and a few others are marked gf, but a lot of cereal is made without wheat now. Some of the things I make for friends and family are better than their gluten containing counterparts.
Good luck! I promise it gets easier and the kids actually get used to me eating different things sometimes because theirs “makes me sick”. When you’re ready, I’m happy to help, but if you love baking one of the best books I was gifted was “The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook: Revolutionary Techniques. Groundbreaking Recipes.” I’m happy to send you a copy. It’s really cool even if I don’t follow it to the letter.
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Court – that’s a great benefit to eliminating your exposure to gluten!
We’e adjusting to it ok so far, incorporating the GF items into our diet so everyone gets to try it and PiC and JB will carry on eating the wheat products.
JB is totally still confused but doesn’t make a fuss, ze just wants to try my food too.
So glad PIC is making this a bit easier to adapt to. I really hope it helps with the pain!
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I have an adult-onset wheat allergy. I don’t have a problem with gluten, but I eat gluten-free because it’s a convenient shortcut to wheat-free. It seemed tricky at first, but over time has become less of a big deal. I’ve been given a lot of GF cookbooks over the years and gotten rid of nearly all of them–they tended to rely on buying a bunch of expensive esoteric flours and then making your own flour blend. I generally just make whatever recipes I feel like and then substitute or leave out the wheat ingredients. It’s no big deal once you get used to it, though it’s true that there are times when I’ll read a recipe and think, “no, too complicated to adjust this one.”
Some tips:
* Tinkyada rice pasta is the closest to wheat pasta that I’ve found in terms of texture/taste
* GF bread is so expensive that I rarely bought it for a long time. I relaxed my rule on it a few years ago, and Udi’s is my current favorite.
* You probably already know this, but pretty much every brand of soy sauce is out. Tamari is the usual substitute
* Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour is the best everyday flour I’ve been able to find in my area.
* Be really careful in restaurants that don’t have GF designations on menus. Even when I’ve talked to the wait staff and they understand, I’ve had accidental exposures several times– I know, because my reaction is instant and I can feel it.
*Around here (much smaller, much less food-aware place than San Francisco) Mexican and Thai places usually have a lot of options; Chinese and Italian places don’t
*If you’re planning a trip, check out menus ahead of time and bring food for yourself as needed. On-the-road options are usually a lot less reliable than the known factors at home. And if you’re attending a business lunch/dinner (which I think may be rare for you?) try to find out the restaurant ahead of time so that you can scope out the choices beforehand. I like to know if my only option is going to be a salad with no croutons–it saves me from feeling like I’m holding people up while I read the menu. Plus it tells me to pack a granola bar for later in the day.
*If you’re really being rigorous, keep an eye out for potential exposure in odd places. A number of hair products contain wheat, for example. I stick to my usual brands at home and have to check the labels when I get my hair cut so that my hair doesn’t get washed or sprayed with something that I’m going to react to.
I get the frugal desire to bake all you can and use up the wheat flour you have in the house, but I personally wouldn’t risk it further if you aren’t already done. I react to wheat when it touches my skin– it doesn’t have to be eaten for your body to react to it. I don’t know if the level of sensitivity is the same for someone who’s looking at it for non-allergy health conditions, but it might be something to consider going forward.
MaggieO – thanks so much for this fantastic list and suggestions, I will be referencing your notes over the coming weeks repeatedly!
I will be extra careful in using up the rest of the wheat flour – and use gloves if I have to! – because JB and PiC can eat it just fine.
But I find the temptation to steal just a bite has started to go away so that’s great too.
I am really interested how this goes for you. I just finished a book called the swift diet. (The authors name is swift). She is a nutritionist in the area that my moms osteopath recommended. She feels very strongly that even though not everyone is allergic to gluten, it is characterized as a gut irritant, like lactose as well. I have started by making more gluten free meals but not elimating it.my family loves bread, so it’s often a side item with my GF dinner. I really need to try elimating it completely to see.
Thanks – it’s nice to know there’s enough interest to justify my sharing each week.
I’m finding that with some creativity, I don’t have to try too hard to have delicious GF meals, and the family can always have their bread on the side if they want it. I will share recipes if there’s interest.
Ugh, must be hard to give up wheat/ pasta/ bread. There are some gluten free pastas that I’ve tried (made by Catelli?) that taste just as good though. So great your husband is supportive and keeping an eye out for GF stuff for you.
Nom Nom Paleo has a gluten free section on her blog https://nomnompaleo.com/tag/gluten-free/page/20 I love her cook book ideas, instant pot Chicken Pho should be gluten free I think (minus potential fish sauce?).
Thanks so much for the link!
There are days when the yearning for the Gluten foods is so strong but other days when I’m quite happy with the substitutes because it’s far better than nothing 😀
I hope you make it to your 6-week mark. The first week or two will be the most difficult – and I love your honesty in sharing everything that has been annoying about the change so far. We’re on a vegan experiment (that has long since passed its “experiment” phase of 1 month), and like you, I find the change means more time and more money devoted to food. I’m hoping that as we become more expert, we’ll discover efficiencies to bring things into better alignment. I have gained new respect for PiC. What a considerate husband you have!
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Oh PiC is a basket of gems – he’s made this so much easier. And he’s not even going out of his normal level of consideration, he’s just LIKE this all the time!
I surely do hope this works for you. There’s some reason to think it may…one if my clients is a chiropractor (yeah, i know…) who specializes in helping people with fibromyalgia. His approach is to use a therapy developed by a medical doctor. One of the things it does involve is going gluten-free. Actually, his scheme is a little more extreme: to try to cut out all possible allergens and foods people might be sensitive to, and then re-introduce things one at a time, trying to identify those that cause a reaction.
Does it work? I’m not a doctor so you couldn’t prove it by me. But his patients think he’s God. You would not believe the number of people who rave about the results, many of them folks who have been through rafts of doctors and therapies and quack schemes. One thing’s for sure: it can’t hurt to try.
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Thanks so much! I am hoping that it has results!
I got diagnosed with GERD and the “do not eat list” is basically the “what Stephanie likes to eat list”. I’ll admit I don’t always follow it, and of course it backfires because the heartburn roars back. I’d be interested to see if eliminating gluten could provide benefits for me as well, reading other people’s comments about eczema and other conditions.
Hope this all works well for you!
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This is how it feels right now! Everything I want, I cannot have. WHY.
Thanks!
Hi, I’m a longtime reader of Donna Freedman & Abby, and a short time lurker of yours. I hadn’t checked your blog since before you started the gluten challenge, so I’m going to fill in comments as I catch up. My family had to go 100% gluten-free 2 years ago when my husband, my four-year-old, and my two-year-old were all diagnosed with Celiac; my six [now eight] year old and I don’t have Celiac, so occasionally we sneak out for McDonald’s, but it’s easiest and cheapest to have us all be GF at home. It’s also complicated because I am mildly allergic to dairy & eggs.
It’s been a roller coaster ride these last two years – and an expensive one to boot! – but when it makes a difference to your health it is SO worth it.
3 pieces of advice: 1. Pamela’s bread mix is our favorite GF bread (we have a dedicated bread machine), and the store-bought GF breads taste better if you toast them or warm them in the microwave right before eating. 2. Barilla GF pasta is good and it turns out best if you heavily salt the water, be very careful not to overcook it, drain it & rinse it in cool water, and immediately toss it with olive oil. 3. GF rolled oats for breakfast is a delicious option that provides a lot of the fiber that a gluten-free diet might be deficient in. Now, GF oats are debated in some circles, and other people react to both wheat/gluten AND oats, but if you can handle them – they are great!
Welcome and thanks so much for taking the time!
Thanks so much for the suggestions – these are so helpful! And it’s true, dietary restrictions can be so complicated, but I’m willing to figure it out if it helps.