Gulten Free

Definitely go to Whole Foods. The one in Wheaton has more of a selection than the one in Palatine. I know people worry about the prices, but if you actually go there, it's cheaper than buying the stuff at Jewel or somewhere. Everyone there is very helpful and you can also go to their website and get recipies. I had to stay away from whest for a while too (headaches) and trust me Whole foods all the way.

another great site w/ info, recipes and message boards w/ over 8,000 parent of kids w/ food allergies is www.kidswithfoodallergies.org

M.,
My husband is on a Gluten-Free diet; he has Celiac Disease.
If you look up Celiac on Google, you will find all kinds of info on diets...

As to the shampoo, got no answer for you...the gluten affects
my husband internally, so that has never been an issue for us.
Have no idea what it would/wouldn't do for your daughter's skin issues.

We eat lots of meat/proteins, rice, broth based soups, veggies, and ice cream. OOps, did I actually write that last one? We thicken gravies and soups with cornstarch instead of flour...Buy the vast majority of our Gluten Free products at
Whole Foods Market. They have a WIDE selection.

Hope this helps,
C.

I have tried my son on the glueten free diet - he has sensory integration and someone said that it might help... it did not but it was easier than I thought. If there is a Whole Foods or other organic food store by you, they have a ton of food that is glueten free. There is frozen bread, waflles, snacks, etc... the Jewel also has a pretty good section of this as well. Some Jewels now have organic sections of dry food as well, but they definilty have frozen sectons! Check ito ut.

HI M.,

Unfortunately, gluten free diet is very difficult. However here is a link to a website that may help. http://www.csaceliacs.org/gluten_grains.php

Also I know that you can make a lot of things using gluten free flour. The website above has a lot of recipes and ideas. Unfortunately it requires you to cook a lot. Look in the specialty foods aisle at the grocery store--they are always starting to sell more and more items without wheat.

Hope this helps.

M.,

You will find a whole lot of Gulten free foods at the Whole foods store.

E.

Hi,
My husband and I have been off of wheat since 2001. We went to a meeting at Whole Foods (when we lived in NJ) and met Joan Ifland who wrote a book "Sugars and Flours Make Us Crazy, Sick & Fat". Not only did we lose 70 pounds between us, but my husband's sinuses cleared up and my skin shined. I suggest you get this book and it will give you a shopping list of items to buy and great recipes. We continue to eat non-wheat, non-sugar foods and have introduced the same menu to our two young children. It's not a diet, but a way of life!

Hi M.-

My husband has celiac disease (intolerance to wheat and gluten) and my pediatrician has suggested that we not allow our baby (9 mos) to have any wheat until she's 1 year. Therefore, we are forced to buy a lot of wheat-free products. The best source I've found is Whole Foods. They have tons of foods without wheat and nuts. Everything from bread mixes and frozen waffles, to cookies and cereals. They even have wonderful freshly baked foods without wheat. If you check online, there are also many resources for a wheat-free diet. You can purchase additional foods and get great recipes.

Good luck!
D.

Good for you!!! You are doing great. Yes, you must be a detective and read every single label--twice! This takes a huge amount of time and energy, as you know. Whole Foods has many things--I hope you have plenty of money to buy them! The prices aren't much better, but you can find things on-line at the Gluten Free Pantry and also at Gluten Free Mall. I'm not sure of the exact web addresses. Also, if you like to cook--GF baking is MUCH more difficult than baking with wheat--check out the "Gluten-free Gourmet" cookbooks. Also, there is a good healthfood store on North Milwaukee Ave. called J's Vitamins and More. They have an unbelievable selection of GF products. The store is in the same little mall as Once Upon a Child, near Central Ave. (This is a 3-street intersection.) Also, if you need a great doctor, let me know.
Amy

There are a lot of foods you can eat on a gluten free diet (i've had to dabble in it for me, and now i'm trying it again to see if it will help my son's excema since i'm nursing him). You can eat meats (unprocessed), cheeses (that aren't processed with gluten), and grains as well. There is a great grain called quinoa (pronounced Keen' wa) that's pretty high in the protein and iron department as far as grains go. Also there are some items that typically have gluten in them but you can find with rice flour instead like certain gluten free breads (beware, they can be pretty dense). A lot of times gluten free things comes off as chewy but we found a pasta that seemed pretty good (just don't overcook it), the brand is: Tinkyada brown rice pasta fusilli. And there are fantastic chocolate chips that are gluten free from Enjoy Life (at Whole Foods) - i love these and have made really good hot chocolate with them. Amy's brand also has a lot of gluten free frozen foods. We've found these things at Whole Foods, Wild Oats Market, and a store called JD Mills on Chicago Ave. in Evanston. You may also want to be sure to check canned goods that say "natural flavors" and stuff like that because you never know what's in them. I think busch's vegetarian baked beans are gluten free (check their website). good luck!

You have inspired me to try again! Have you heard of a website called Glutenfree Girl? I just heard about it recently! I wish I had the exact URL, but it shouldn't be too hard to find!! This girl has devoted her life to it! Best wishes/ XO L.

My niece was recently diagnosed with Ciliac disease where her intestines cannot process gluten at all. She had terrible stomach aches and constipation, but now that she is gluten free is also thriving.
My Jewel was recently remodeled to add a section called Wild Harvest where they have the more 'natural' products. Within that section there are lots of products that are gluten free - including fruit bars, mac-n-cheese, cookies, flour to make your own bread, etc. Hopefully there is a Jewel near you but I would also try Whole Foods to see what they have. You may also want to visit some websites on Ciliac disease to see what suggestions they have. Best of luck! ~ K.

My mom has celiac disease and she orders a tapioca based bread from a company based out of Seattle called Ener-G. This is her preferred bread after trying many. You need to store it in the freezer, and it is not great for sandwiches because it is very dense, but okay for toast with butter and jam or it makes a good french toast. The company makes lots of gluten free products. Also, they make a corn based pasta which is more like regular wheat pasta than the rice pastas that you usually find at grocery stores. I haven't been there, but there is a health food store on Ogden in Naperville that specializes in gluten free foods. Good luck!

Hi M.....for a brief time of about six months last year, I was misdiagnosed with celiac disease and was unable to eat gluten. I have to tell you, I wish I thought I still had it, because I felt a hell of a lot better than I do now. I am thinking about doing it again. At Trader Joe's. they have a lot of good gluten free products. I use to substitute rice pasta for spaghetti and gluten free bread for toast and it really was not too bad. Woodmans in Carpentersville also has a lot of products that are gluten free. There is a book you can get from the Celiac Sprue Association. www.csaceliacs.org....and it's a 400 page book with all brand name items that are safe to eat....like, Deans sherbert or ice cream, etc.....good luck!

M.,
I copied a couple of websites for you to check out...www.celiac.com and www.glutenfree.com. My husband's grandmother and a couple of others in the family have Celiac Disease (which is an intolerance to wheat). Although your daughter has a skin problem due to gluten, this should assist you tremendously in getting lists of Do and Don't foods, recipes, etc.:)

In regards to the shampoo - gluten is in many wellness products (cosmetics, vitamins, etc). My company, Arbonne, has a list of it's gluten-free products available. I will send you a separate personal e-mail so you can check out the information. It would be a nice way for you to easily get products without having a concern of looking at every label at the store.:) For example, I know the teen vitamins are gluten-free. FYI
Best of luck to you! -D.

It feels great to solve problems naturally, doesn't it? I'm so happy for your daughter, that you've found something that works for her.
There are a lot of internet sites that talk about gluten free diets, and health food stores carry gluten free products like cake mixes, pancake mixes, etc. Additionally, books you might be interested in reading (it seems like I'm always reading nutrition books!) are Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Fallon and Enig (I know it sounds like a weight loss book, but it's also a health recovery plan and addresses gluten free a bit), and The Coconut Flour Cookbook by Bruce Fife. Yes, coconut flour, if you can believe it!! I'll admit, things made with coconut flour are not as good as wheat flour, but the health benefits are numerous. Coconut flour can be tricky to find, I order it from a store in WI. Let me know if you'd like their info, I'd be happy to get that to you.
Whole grain rice is also a good option for rounding out meals. Good luck to you!

I went on a yeast free diet, meaning no bread, sugars or anythign with yeast. I had a lot of spaghetti, ate burgers without the buns, lots of chicken, chicken strips, french fries, meatloaf, any pasta dishes, anything with beef, oatmeal, eggs and bacon. I can't think of anything else...