Gluten free lifestyle?

Anyone on board with a gluten free lifestyle? The DH and I have been slowly getting used to the idea, doctors orders and honestly it hasn't been too bad but I think I am really hitting a wall with the possibilities out there. Anyone gluten free and offer some tips and suggestions?  Meal variety? Dining out tips? We have replaced breads with homemade arepas which has gave me back my love of sandwiches... other than that I notice we are getting a bit bland with our meals. 

We're not gluten free, but we researched it a lot and even did a few trial weeks back when they thought my son had celiac disease. Is that what you have? The UK is great for gluten-free foods. We're in the US but I found the pasta quite good. Corn tortillas are also a good option, as is rice. To be honest, I found the hardest thing was bread since my son LOVES toast and sandwiches so we really struggled with that. Picky 3 year olds don't care what the doctor's orders are!

I think there's a thread in Food called 'free from foods' or something along those lines. You might find some good info there...

My good friend here in the UK is allergic to Gluten.  Having experience dining out, most establishments only offer a small percentage of their menu to be gluten free.  Also, if you are going to be hardcore about it, gluten is in EVERYTHING.  I mean everything.  Hubby and I thoroughly check labels on everything before preparing dinner in which my friend will be present and I never knew how limiting it could be.

Of course, the main difference here being that if you started jonsing for real bread or pasta, you could always up and have it.  Being allergic leaves no such option.

Might I ask why you'd deprive yourself of gluten containing products voluntarily?

I did some research on a site that had some delicious gluten-free recipes and ideas on it (also vegetarian, though) but I can't remember what it was. Maybe I could find it. Anyway, I know that she made a lot of bean salads and things and used lots of fresh herbs and olive oils to make things tasty. I think the bread and pasta part would be tough, but not being able to use most condiments and sauces might be hardest.

Might I ask why you'd deprive yourself of gluten containing products voluntarily?

GP recommended it to help with some health aliments I have been having, bread has never been a huge bother and the tradition will be more about cancelling out hidden gluten. Thanks for the tips

Most company websites will tell you if a product has gluten in it or not, and writing to the company if in doubt usually yields answers.

The major hidden ones I can think of off the top of my head:

-Dried seasoning mixes, even just some plain pre-ground spices such as black or white pepper
-Chocolate
-Ice-cream

My MiL has Coeliac disease and a pretty intense case.  The smallest amount will set her off.  Even things legally able to say their product is gluten free will sometimes cause reactions in her.  As Navie says, it's in practically everything.

When I was doing low carb, a lot of the substitutes I used were suitable for people avoiding gluten.  For instance, ground almonds can be used as flour, "bread" can be made from cream cheese and eggs, etc.  So LC websites might be a resource for you.

It's not gluten free, but I do try to keep to Low GI and a lot of that translates well to gluten free. For grains I tend to do a lot of quinoa and brown basmati or wild rice (Waitrose does a nice combination of both) - since both tend to be a bit bland I usually toss in a handfull of either pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or slivered almonds as well as a glug of either flavoured olive oil or sesame oil and/or lemon or lime juice. I also do a lot of Mexican cooking and make my own corn tortillas to go along with the meat or veg.

You could also do a tray of roasted veg which I find is hearty and easily takes the place of carb dishes - sweet potato, butternut squash, mushrooms, courgettes, onions, and peppers - toss in olive oil and some herbs and roast away. I usually serve them with a dollop of hummus.

Just make sure when you're using rices, grains, and pulses, they are marked gluten free.  They sometimes will say themselves on the packet that they were prepared where gluten was present. You may have better luck finding ingredients that are definitely GF in a HFS than say Sainsbury's, but there is usually a big selection in most decently sized chain shops' HFsection and frozen section.

Going out to eat is another thing.  Just because something seems like it would be gluten free (say a salad or even a sandwich on GF bread), it doesn't mean that the kitchen staff avoids cross contamination.  This is one of the reasons my MiL doesn't go out to eat ever.

If I were trying to see if going GF would improve my health, I would be as strict as possible for a set period of time (say 1-3 months), then add something I wasn't sure about. 

We tried GF for my husband for a while and it helped his asthma, but every time he gives it up, he cheats too much for me to bother with it.  I suppose if he ever developed what his mum has, he'd have to do without things like Starbucks cinnamon rolls, but he's not motivated to do so at this time.

My BIL (in the US) had very severe coeliac disease and one thing he discovered is that some pills have gluten as an inactive ingredient. So you might want to check any vitamins or other supplements you are taking or any OTC or prescription meds.

thanks for the tips!!!

Being a severe coeliac is completely different from being gluten sensitive or cutting it out for other health reasons. I just wanted to point that out for anyone new to the idea of gluten free. If you have coeliac disease, actual damage is caused to the lining of the intestine if you ingest gluten. Some coeliacs are far more sensitive than others and may have to watch *everything* (such as medicine, glue, and cosmetics).

If you are gluten sensitive or allergic, again, there are different levels of sensitivity but you won't do actual damage to your intestines. Though, of course, if you are severely allergic that's something else entirely!

Cross contamination is a huge problem for coeliacs and also people with allergies. My son is currently on a diet free of dairy, eggs, soy, oats, rye, tree nuts, potatoes, tomatoes and chicken. Even at the best health food stores, we find cross contamination a HUGE problem.

The reason I suggested that she be that strict is because she says she has thyroid problems, and I'd assume that the doctor wants to in the very least prevent coeliac disease, if he or she doesn't suspect she has it already.  Almost everyone who develops coeliac disease has a thyroid condition before symptoms begin to manifest themselves as gluten intolerance.

She should probably ask for clarification from her doctor.

ETA: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/latestresearch/a/celiac.htm

I wonder if a doctor hasn't given the diagnosis of coeliac disease but perscribes a GF diet if the patient is then entitled to the pharmacy delivered breads and pasta.  It's not the best stuff on the market for GF, but if you can get it, it can help reduce the costs of buying special foods.

My MIL is very fond of this stuff.  I don't know if she gets it free or buys it on her own, but she really complains when she has to use something else.

You sort of hit the nail on the head, they are putting me on a glutenfree diet to see if some of the complications I have been having start to improve. So far my diet has been lean meats and fresh produce, it's actually been pretty easy because I don't have muscle stiffness and sickness like I usually get during the day. Missing cereal and get mix messages about if I can have oats. Love oatmeal but if I have to go without then that's okay. Used to love eating lots of things I shouldn't but know now that my mindset is becoming different.

Yes, I meant to say that oats are a problem. Most of them are grown near wheat fields so the cross contamination occurs at the crop level! I know in the US you *can* get certified gluten free oats here, but it's not easy to find them