So now what do I eat?

Shopping List of Gluten-Free Food PRODUCE

All fresh fruit, All fresh vegetables, Fresh herbs and spices FATS AND OILS

Vegetable, canola and olive oils, Shortenings, Mayonnaise, Salad dressings FROZEN FOODS

Plain frozen fruits and vegetables, Ice creams, sherbets REFRIGERATOR SECTION

Milk, half-and-half, cream, whipping cream, Aged cheeses, Butter, Margarine, Yogurts, Cottage cheese, Sour cream, Cream cheese, Eggs, Tofu, Jell-O, Rice pudding, Tapioca pudding, 100% fruit juices PACKAGES, CANS, JARS

Plain canned fruits and vegetables, Applesauce, Cranberry sauce, canned beans and lentils, Spaghetti sauces, Canned fish (e.g., tuna, salmon, sardines), Organic packaged soups, Gluten-free pastas, Corn tortillas SNACKS

Rice cakes, rice crackers, Soy crisps, Popcorn, Cheese puffs, Potato and corn chips, Jell-O, Chocolates, Dried fruits MEAT AND FISH

All fresh beef and poultry, All fish and shellfish, Hot dogs and luncheon meats (For anything pre-packaged or pre-wrapped, check labels for additives) GRAINS, SEEDS, AND STARCHES

Quinoa, Rice, Buckwheat, Chickpeas, Flax, Sunflower seeds, Cornstarch, Potato starch CONDIMENTS

Vinegars (but not malt vinegar), Mustard, Ketchup, Horseradish, Jams and jellies, Honey, Maple syrup, Relish, pickles, olives BREAKFAST FOODS

Cream of Rice cereal, Puffed rice, puffed corn, Gluten-free cereals BAKING SUPPLIES

Sugar, Salt and pepper, Herbs and spices, Evaporated or condensed milk, Corn meal, Tapioca, Baking soda, Baking powder, Gluten-free flours, Baking chocolate, Cocoa BEVERAGES

Coffee and Tea (but check the gluten-free status of flavored coffees and teas), Soft drinks, Fruit juice NUTS AND BEANS

Dried beans and peas, Plain nuts, Sunflower Seeds, (great on salads) Peanut butter, Almond butter

WOW-What a great list for someone that can't eat Gluten.

This is a great beginning for you if you're new to the Gluten-Free life. In this blog we'll explore together how to manage a life without gluten. 

I was very lucky that I had the support of my family. My husband listened and tried to understand. Most of the support came from my mother-in-law. She went to the bookstore with me and we purchased

Cookbooks and others books on the subject. What I found out is you need to know where gluten hides and how you can find it.

My mother-in-law even went one step further and went to the Gluten-Free store in St. Vital with me. We found pre-packaged bread. I am not a fan. We also found a product by Celimix that is bread mix. It comes in white bread and flax bread. I love the flax bread and I also like when she adds cinnamon to a loaf or two. It's terrific toasted with butter and brown sugar.... Yumm! She says to make it in a small bread pan and add 1/4 cup of water more than is called for. 

If you have tried and tested recipes you'd like to share please do. I'd love to hear from you.

glutenfreeinwinnipeg@gmail.com

I will try to post every second Sunday so you can shop and prepare for the week. It will also let you have time to give the weekend some thought. I love going to Pier 7 on Pembina Hwy for coffee and an Ice Cream Slab Creamery cake. They serve two choices; Coffee flavored and Turtle. I have only tried the Coffee but it's terrific and 

I've had it a few times and didn't have any reaction. It's basically ice cream and has no cookie base so you're relatively safe. Now remember, this is only my opinion and I am only positive about what works for me. 

I am not a doctor, nor am I a dietician, or a nutritionist. I am a mother of three young adults. I've been married for almost 25 years and I'm not an expert. I just know what has made my life better and I hope this information will improve your life.

My story...Celiac or what?

Now that we are a little more educated on what Gluten is and why it is toxic to some of us, let's talk. I didn't just wake up one day, have some issues and the doctor said "you suffer from celiac". It just doesn't work like this in the real world. (where I live)

I suffered for years with painful stomach problems. I always thought this was normal, or that time of the month. Pain was just a natural part of my life I would eat and be okay. It would seem that by Sunday, I was "sick". I would be doubled over in pain, praying for death.

I never really associated it with what I ate I just thought it was "normal".  I would bloat up llike I was ready to give birth and when this happens so often it becomes part of your life, even if it's so negative.

I tried to get rid of the pain. This became my focus. You see, we treat the symptoms before we figure out that we need to treat the cause. I needed to find out what was causing the problem not just treat the issues being caused by the main problem.

I found myself time and again in the doctor's office and the emergency room for pain and pain management. I was treated for various conditions; pancreatitis, gallbladder, and anemia, fatigue and lactose intolerance.

Through the years I took various treatments of antibiotics. I swallowed products to break down lactose, the enzyme in milk that can irritate your digestive system. I turned to herbal therapies and spent a fortune on these treatments.

At the tender age of 42, after a lifetime of pain and suffering, I finally found my answer. Surprisingly enough, where my answer came, was from my mother in-law. She knew my history and had read an article about Celiac. She had also seen a show about it on one of the daytime medical talk shows.

I looked it up and researched the illness. I couldn't believe it. I had almost all of the symptoms. I had finally figured out what I had. I stopped eating gluten to see if I was correct. I was. I had to now convince a doctor. I told him what had happened.

Luckily I have an understanding physician, He'd been through years of pain with me. Because I had never been fully honest with him about my intestinal issues, (because I was way too embarassed to admit this) I also thought what I was going through had been "normal" for so long. Now I knew it wasn't.

I had screwed up though, I needed to come to have testing before I changed to "gluten free" for the testing to be accurate. This is something you should keep in mind if you have any idea you might suffer from Celiac.

I was sent to a very caring gastrointerologist-a specialist in digestive issues. He listened to my history and told me I had a classic case of Celiac. Oh My God! Years of pain and agony were over! I was thrilled.
He said that because I had been on my gluten-free diet for six months already, and was symptom-free, I would fine as long as I stayed on it for the rest of my life. As far as life sentences go, I felt with the support of my family and a better understanding I could do this!

What is Gluten and why does it hurt some people?

In the 70' it was cool  to become a Vegetarian, in the 80's people were about  how environmentally friendly it was. In the 90's it was popular to be a Vegan, nothing with a face. Now it seems to be trendy to be Gluten-Free. 


Living Gluten-Free is not about being trendy, or living with an food allergy. With an allergy it infers that you can pop some anti histamine or medication to manage it.


It is about having a toxic reaction to gluten, which is a protein found in specific grains. It is hereditary, you can pass this to your children and is likely that another family member had it. It is an autoimmune problem which means it will cause the body to attack itself. It is also chronic in that it is life-long. 

Definition (Canadian Celiac Association)

Celiac disease is a medical condition in which the absorptive surface of the small intestine is damaged by a substance called gluten. This results in an inability of the body to absorb nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for good health.

Although statistics are not readily available, it is estimated that 1 in 133 persons in Canada are affected by celiac disease.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, triticale, barley. In the case of wheat, gliadin has been isolated as the toxic fraction. It is the gluten in the flour that helps bread and other baked goods bind and prevents crumbling. This feature has made gluten widely used in the production of many processed and packaged foods.


At present there is no cure, but celiac disease is readily treated by following the gluten-free diet.



Common symptoms are anemia, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, cramps and bloating, irritability.

In other cases, sufferers from gluten-intolerance develop an intense burning and itching rash called dermatitis herpetiformis. The intestinal symptoms of celiac disease may or may not appear in dermatitis herpetiformis.



Is there a cure?
Not yet. However, research efforts continue. But celiac disease can be controlled. Strict adherence to the GLUTEN-FREE DIET is essential for good health.

(www.canadianceiacassociation.com)

There are also other diseases that seem to go hand in hand with having Celiac go undiagnosed. These include:

• infertility and spontaneous miscarriages
• inetestinal cancers
• anemia
• osteoporosis
• vitamin deficiencies
• thyroid problems
• fibromyalgia
• type 1 diabetes
• rhumatoid arthritis

It is important to note that Celiac disease has been found to influence mood and behavior disorders including:

• ADHD
• Bipolar disorder 
• Depression

It has also been linked to Autism spectrum disorders. It is being studied currently if living gluten-free can improve the condition.