Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, fml.

[950483]

My son can't eat gluten, dairy, or sugar, I also have milder food sensitivities to the same things, so I'm changing my diet too. So far, so good. He was looking so much better within only a few days, that I will definitely not be having gluten, dairy, or sugar in my house any more.

At first I managed fairly well, as I can cook, and have been vegan or sugar free in the past, so I'm not a total novice. Then the other day, I saw all the cheese in the supermarket, and I just wanted to cry, because I love cheeses. Cheese is an integral part of my life, and necessary in most of my favourite recipes.

Anyway, aside from grieving the loss of cheese, I am struggling a bit as I'm trying to follow three special diets in one. GF recipes often contain dairy, DF ones often contain gluten and sugar, and so on. Also some places on the internet suggest removing grains altogether, which I'm not so sure about.

Basically, any advice or good recipes, or book recommendations would be very much appreciated.

 

[AlteredEgo]

So, when dairy-heavy recipes call for starch, it is usually a thickener. Substitute with a nut "flour" if you can, and experiment with xanthan gum. When you buy a bag of it, it will seem costly, but you're going to be using the tiniest bits of it at a time. I've had the same bag since July. It is natural. It's actually the ground, dried husks of a specific insect. It is miraculous in its ability to hold particles together. It is flavorless. Be careful. Too much and you can turn anything into gel, or worse, give it the consistency of snot. Just a tiny, tiny bit. Read up on it.

Sugar, unless it is part of the structure of the thing, can easily be replaced with stevia, but stevia is bitter. I find a bit of crystallized lemon or lime counters this, but then you may taste the lemon. Most of the time this is welcome. Sometimes it is not.

Check out paleo blogs for recipe ideas. They'll have neither grains nor dairy, but may include fruit. Can he have fruit?

Check out raw foodist blogs. I have a tummy ache right now, so I don't want to get up and consult my kitchen library just this moment, but prod me about it and I'll post pictures of some cookbooks and recipes you might like. I've got at least one raw, at least one paleo, and a few fad diet books that have cool recipes, and some diabetes cookbooks, and... yeah, I have a whole bookcase and two night stands overflowing with cookbooks. I'm bound to have something you might like to see.

 

[ronin001]

Good Luck

 

[9InchGaz]

I'm on a gluten free diet because of autistic gluten sensitivity issues My partner is vegan and has motor control issues, and so I usually cook her fine recipes when we catch up.

Arrowroot flour makes a good egg white substitute for baking: 1tsp ~ 1 egg.

If you're not vegan, there are lactose free cheeses available. If it's a casein issue, I have little advice. There are some wonderful vegan cheeses on the market too.

Corn flour is the ultimate thickener in my opinion, every kitchen should stock this wonderful friend.

For my vegan friend, I substitute almond milk. She had issues with soy. It amazes me that I can make a white sauce with almond milk, a tsp olive oil, and a couple of tsp corn flour.

If you're not vegan, honey is a good substitute for sugar. Personally, a lot of the sugar substitutes are disgusting, chemically concerning, and diarrhea inducing, so I can't offer better advice here.

When it comes to processed foods, check the label for allergens before purchase. Cross contamination issues are a never ending hazard, so check gluten free forums. I've even had to contact manufacturers when in doubt to verify gluten issues. I also do Google Searches when shopping, if not clear about the source of an additive. Just type in the additive code eg E350..

Alcohol producers have no legal onus to declare gluten ingredients, but contacting a producer will usually help you establish if their booze is gf.

I avoid gluten free products if they are 5ppm. Eat enough of that in a day and you'll still suffer the consequences. In an ideal world, "gluten free" = 0ppm (here in Australia, it has to be 0ppm to legally get the gluten free label). A lot of food manufacturers mistakenly think their product is gf, while cashing in on the hipster craze, so be careful. A good online search will help establish a manufacturer's gf reputation. The Coeliac Association symbol only appears on genuinely gf products.

Examples of vegan blogs:
http://simpleveganblog.com
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/raw-creamy-spinach-mushroom-pasta/

Good luck!

 

[950483]

So, when dairy-heavy recipes call for starch, it is usually a thickener. Substitute with a nut "flour" if you can, and experiment with xanthan gum. When you buy a bag of it, it will seem costly, but you're going to be using the tiniest bits of it at a time. I've had the same bag since July. It is natural. It's actually the ground, dried husks of a specific insect. It is miraculous in its ability to hold particles together. It is flavorless. Be careful. Too much and you can turn anything into gel, or worse, give it the consistency of snot. Just a tiny, tiny bit. Read up on it.

Sugar, unless it is part of the structure of the thing, can easily be replaced with stevia, but stevia is bitter. I find a bit of crystallized lemon or lime counters this, but then you may taste the lemon. Most of the time this is welcome. Sometimes it is not.

Check out paleo blogs for recipe ideas. They'll have neither grains nor dairy, but may include fruit. Can he have fruit?

Check out raw foodist blogs. I have a tummy ache right now, so I don't want to get up and consult my kitchen library just this moment, but prod me about it and I'll post pictures of some cookbooks and recipes you might like. I've got at least one raw, at least one paleo, and a few fad diet books that have cool recipes, and some diabetes cookbooks, and... yeah, I have a whole bookcase and two night stands overflowing with cookbooks. I'm bound to have something you might like to see.

Thankyou. Paleo might fit the bill best I think. I'm hoping he can still have fruit. He isn't diabetic, he is struggling with skin conditions, and is underweight. He just looks ill . Refined sugar doesn't agree with him, so I was hoping to just cut that out and use honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and fruit sugar, all in moderation. I don't really know if that would be just as bad as giving him sugar though. I need to encourage him to seek medical advice about this, but I know that there will be a very long waiting list so I just need to do my best in the meantime.

 

[950483]

Good Luck

Thanks, I'll need it almost as much as I need Bear Grylls' chocolate recipes.

 

[950483]

I'm on a gluten free diet because of autistic gluten sensitivity issues My partner is vegan and has motor control issues, and so I usually cook her fine recipes when we catch up.

Arrowroot flour makes a good egg white substitute for baking: 1tsp ~ 1 egg.

If you're not vegan, there are lactose free cheeses available. If it's a casein issue, I have little advice. There are some wonderful vegan cheeses on the market too.

Corn flour is the ultimate thickener in my opinion, every kitchen should stock this wonderful friend.

For my vegan friend, I substitute almond milk. She had issues with soy. It amazes me that I can make a white sauce with almond milk, a tsp olive oil, and a couple of tsp corn flour.

If you're not vegan, honey is a good substitute for sugar. Personally, a lot of the sugar substitutes are disgusting, chemically concerning, and diarrhea inducing, so I can't offer better advice here.

When it comes to processed foods, check the label for allergens before purchase. Cross contamination issues are a never ending hazard, so check gluten free forums. I've even had to contact manufacturers when in doubt to verify gluten issues. I also do Google Searches when shopping, if not clear about the source of an additive. Just type in the additive code eg E350..

Alcohol producers have no legal onus to declare gluten ingredients, but contacting a producer will usually help you establish if their booze is gf.

I avoid gluten free products if they are 5ppm. Eat enough of that in a day and you'll still suffer the consequences. In an ideal world, "gluten free" = 0ppm (here in Australia, it has to be 0ppm to legally get the gluten free label). A lot of food manufacturers mistakenly think their product is gf, while cashing in on the hipster craze, so be careful. A good online search will help establish a manufacturer's gf reputation. The Coeliac Association symbol only appears on genuinely gf products.

Examples of vegan blogs:
http://simpleveganblog.com
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/raw-creamy-spinach-mushroom-pasta/

Good luck!

It's been scientifically proven that there is no link between gluten sensitivity and autism. My son does have Asperger's though! It kind of makes me wonder about the MMR jab again.

My son really does look unwell, so the hipster craze and all of the food snobbery and the price of some of the products is irritating to say the least, but most of these products would not be so easily available otherwise I guess. I have tried to venture out of the "free from" aisle in the supermarket, where a simple loaf of gf bread is at least 3 times the price of normal bread, and I had noticed that some products claim to be gluten free on the package, but then, in the small print warn that they may contain traces of gluten. . He won't go into anaphylactic shock and die if he eats gluten, but I don't know how pedantic I should be about traces of gluten. Unless I exclude all gluten I suppose I won't know how well it's working, or whether I need to exclude other things too.

Vegan recipes are helpful , because it is casein that causes the problems rather than lactose.

 

[9InchGaz]

I may just happen to be on the spectrum and have a wheat sensitivity on the side...

http://newsroom.cumc.columbia.edu/b...d-biological-explanation-wheat-sensitivity-2/

One of the issues I've had to stay on top of: gluten cross contamination, either at the producer's end, or the kitchen end. Nowadays I avoid producers I've had bad experiences from, and I've had to replace a lot of kitchen equipment like bread boards, strainers etc. I manage to get by gluten free for long periods of time now, and I notice the difference when I've accidentally eaten gluten. A lot of my autistic issues become less manageable :O

I know what you mean about the hipster craze, but I do appreciate the greater number of options available.

I've been wondering about casein too, of late..

Good luck with everything

 

[Industrialsize]

As a Registered Nurse I can say that avoiding gluten has become a fad. The ONLY people who need to avoid gluten are people diagnosed with Celiac Disease. If you don't have Celiac disease, you are avoiding gluten needlessly.

 

[950483]

As a Registered Nurse I can say that avoiding gluten has become a fad. The ONLY people who need to avoid gluten are people diagnosed with Celiac Disease. If you don't have Celiac disease, you are avoiding gluten needlessly.

You are saying that as a registered nurse who has not personally experienced any problems with gluten sensitivity. For me, noticeable problems began a few years ago at around the same time that I gave up smoking and also took a course of antibiotics to treat mild acne. As you can gather, I was not at optimum health at the time, but after the antibiotics I started to experience mild digestive problems with wheat, and have since had dermatitis only on my left hand, which just will not go. I also still get mild acne outbreaks, at the age of 37. My son has now got to a point where he has pretty bad acne which has caused scarring, dermatitis, and eczema. He looks ill, tired and underweight. He claims to have no digestive symptoms at all. I don't think either of us actually fit the criteria for getting a diagnosis of coeliac disease on the NHS.

Believe me, attention seeking picky eaters irritate the hell out of me. Recently I decided not to date a particular person partly because I felt so intensely annoyed by the long list of vegetables he wouldn't eat, and the fact that he is happy eating the same few boring things all of the time.

 

[Industrialsize]

You are saying that as a registered nurse who has not personally experienced any problems with gluten sensitivity. For me, noticeable problems began a few years ago at around the same time that I gave up smoking and also took a course of antibiotics to treat mild acne. As you can gather, I was not at optimum health at the time, but after the antibiotics I started to experience mild digestive problems with wheat, and have since had dermatitis only on my left hand, which just will not go. I also still get mild acne outbreaks, at the age of 37. My son has now got to a point where he has pretty bad acne which has caused scarring, dermatitis, and eczema. He looks ill, tired and underweight. He claims to have no digestive symptoms at all. I don't think either of us actually fit the criteria for getting a diagnosis of coeliac disease on the NHS.

Believe me, attention seeking picky eaters irritate the hell out of me. Recently I decided not to date a particular person partly because I felt so intensely annoyed by the long list of vegetables he wouldn't eat, and the fact that he is happy eating the same few boring things all of the time.

yes, I can say that without celiac disease there is no reason to avoid gluten. To truly avoid gluten one cannot eat at restaurants or purchase most processed foods. Gluten is in everything and is very hard to avoid. And fyi, casein is a protein, lactose is a sugar. Your body processes them in different ways and they are in no way related compounds. There is a lot of pseudo-science circulating regarding food and diets.

 

[950483]

To truly avoid gluten one cannot eat at restaurants or purchase most rocessed foods. Gluten is in everything and is very hard to avoid.

Don't I just know it!, hence the thread.

And fyi, casein is a protein, lactose is a sugar. Your body processes them in different ways and they are in no way related compounds.

I was aware of that thanks. As I've already said,it's the casein we have a problem with, and not the lactose. I'm not sure what you are trying to tell me, or what your point is. I've read my previous posts and can't figure it out. If you have any helpful information I would greatly appreciate it. If you would like to insist that our difficulties with food sensitivities don't exist, and that I've simply got nothing better to do, I'd prefer it if you wasted your time elsewhere.

 

[Industrialsize]

Don't I just know it!, hence the thread.

I was aware of that thanks. As I've already said,it's the casein we have a problem with, and not the lactose. I'm not sure what you are trying to tell me, or what your point is. I've read my previous posts and can't figure it out. If you have any helpful information I would greatly appreciate it. If you would like to insist that our difficulties with food sensitivities don't exist, and that I've simply got nothing better to do, I'd prefer it if you wasted your time elsewhere.

I'm just curious. Who told either yourself or son to avoid gluten? As you well know, gluten free has become quite a fad.( as well as gmos, but those are another story) Here is an example of gluten and gmo hysteria.

Of course there is no gluten or gmos in vitamins!

 

[palakaorion]

Of course there is no gluten or gmos in vitamins!

Depends on the binders and fillers used in making the tablets.

 

[palakaorion]

Late wife was Type 1 diabetic since a toddler, and was on low sodium low potassium diet in her final years. Deciphering labels is exhausting. My sympathies to the OP.

 

[950483]

I'm just curious. Who told either yourself or son to avoid gluten? As you well know, gluten free has become quite a fad.( as well as gmos, but those are another story) Here is an example of gluten and gmo hysteria. View attachment 619762
Of course there is no gluten or gmos in vitamins!

Now that I'm realizing that gluten and casein are everywhere, I wouldn't want to assume that. Particularly as I already knew that many supplements contain gelatine and shellac, and are therefore unsuitable for vegan and halal diets. You haven't provided an example of gluten and gmo hysteria, you've just made yourself look stupid and eroded my faith in healthcare professionals. Thanks anyway though, because I've just checked the ingredients of my multivitamins, and although they do not contain gluten they do contain casein, which I'm not overly concerned about; as far as I can tell, trace amounts are not as likely to cause the same problems as trace amounts of gluten.

Depends on the binders and fillers used in making the tablets.

@palakaorion is correct.
As you are a registered nurse it might be wise for you to gen up on gluten intolerence.

 

[lookatthat]

Fad aside, my wife is gluten intolerant. She eats/drinks wheat or wheat flour and her intestines swell so it looks like she's smuggling a beach ball. Took more than 10 years to be diagnosed. It's very painful. It's also pre-cancerous and affects her in other ways. So we've cut out gluten. And for those who scoff and dismiss (there was one with 1 day of your post, on a dick size site), the effects are real. It's incredible how many people need for you to unquestioningly eat sandwiches or pizzas or packaged products, and if you don't, you're attacked as not understanding science.

Once you cut it out, you realize how wheat and wheat flour is in so many food products. As binders, as thickeners, as crunch, as filler, etc...
The trick is not to find analogues for the foods you're cutting out. This is where you change the way you eat and shop. Don't make gluten free sandwiches, don't replace the empty calories with a replica. Choose something totally different. Never stop by a fast food restaurant... we haven't eaten at a fast food restaurant this century.
Buy whole real foods... like beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, animal protein. Do you need to fill your diet with extra carbs found in flour? You don't need to fry foods in a flour or use a flour to shape the platform of delivery (bread, cake, pizza, etc..).

FWIW, every (non chain fast food) restaurant not named Applebees has gluten free options. And for dishes/recipes you know to contain a roue, like short ribs or some creamy soups, don't order them, or ask.

Gluten has been used as a binding agent in supplements/vitamins. As vitamins may contain plant material, the plants sourced could be GMO. So... what is your point, one wonders? Fads make you mad and people need to know what you believe?

 

[sangheili90]

Fad aside, my wife is gluten intolerant. She eats/drinks wheat or wheat flour and her intestines swell so it looks like she's smuggling a beach ball. Took more than 10 years to be diagnosed. It's very painful. It's also pre-cancerous and affects her in other ways. So we've cut out gluten. And for those who scoff and dismiss (there was one with 1 day of your post, on a dick size site), the effects are real. It's incredible how many people need for you to unquestioningly eat sandwiches or pizzas or packaged products, and if you don't, you're attacked as not understanding science.

Once you cut it out, you realize how wheat and wheat flour is in so many food products. As binders, as thickeners, as crunch, as filler, etc...
The trick is not to find analogues for the foods you're cutting out. This is where you change the way you eat and shop. Don't make gluten free sandwiches, don't replace the empty calories with a replica. Choose something totally different. Never stop by a fast food restaurant... we haven't eaten at a fast food restaurant this century.
Buy whole real foods... like beans, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, animal protein. Do you need to fill your diet with extra carbs found in flour? You don't need to fry foods in a flour or use a flour to shape the platform of delivery (bread, cake, pizza, etc..).

FWIW, every (non chain fast food) restaurant not named Applebees has gluten free options. And for dishes/recipes you know to contain a roue, like short ribs or some creamy soups, don't order them, or ask.

Gluten has been used as a binding agent in supplements/vitamins. As vitamins may contain plant material, the plants sourced could be GMO. So... what is your point, one wonders? Fads make you mad and people need to know what you believe?

The point is that Celiac disease and sensitivity to gluten is fairly uncommon among the general public, making this gluten free fad simply what it is, a fad. Unless you are one of those in the small minority, there is no reason why one should feel they should avoid wheat products in their whole form (shredded wheat, multi grain breads etc.). The benefit that many people claim while going gluten free most likely has to do with them eliminating nutritionally poor processed grain products from their diet (white bread, pasta etc.).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten-related_disorders

 

[sangheili90]

I'm just curious. Who told either yourself or son to avoid gluten? As you well know, gluten free has become quite a fad.( as well as gmos, but those are another story) Here is an example of gluten and gmo hysteria. View attachment 619762
Of course there is no gluten or gmos in vitamins!

I'm pretty sure this is a marketing tactic that some of these companies are trying to capitalize on, as many people might be totally clueless as what it makes something gluten free, non gmo, vegan etc.

 

[neintynein]

I'm pretty sure this is a marketing tactic that some of these companies are trying to capitalize on, as many people might be totally clueless as what it makes something gluten free, non gmo, vegan etc.

There could easily be gluten in vitamins -- some kind of filler used in making the pill.

Don't get me wrong -- I think the fad around gluten-free is absurd, and I couldn't move for about 30 seconds after spotting a brand of orange juice (not from concentrate) with a big "Gluten Free!" sticker on the bottle. I know several people who are legitimately celiac or otherwise sensitive to gluten, it's a real thing, but it's not common. My celiac friends have celebrated the fad mostly because it means lots of new foods created for the trend that they can safely eat, but they think the fad is complete bullshit.