Going wheat-free, maybe gluten-free too...several questions

[southernmama47]

Hi! My DD (13 months) has been dealing with eczema for several months now. She used to throw up several times weekly until she was allergy tested and found to have an egg allergy. We are now planning on going wheat or gluten free to see if her eczema will clear up. I am not sure where to start though. A couple questions: Does going wheat-free also mean going gluten-free? Are there any grains that are wheat free? (I know rice and coconut, which I'm not sure are totally healthy either). One of my issues is that a lot of the gluten-free recipes I keep seeing have odd ingredients, sorghum flour, xantham gum, etc. We were trying to do a TF diet. What ingredients are not as processed and safe to eat?

[puffingirl]

Gluten is in wheat, spelt, barley and rye (plus others but these are the most common) but not in many other grains that are very nutritious, like teff, amaranth, millet, sorghum, rice, quinoa and a bunch of others (oats can be tricky--they are GF but are often x-contaminated in processing, but there are certified GF oats out there).  We had a red quinoa and toasted sunflower seed with lemon juice and olive oil side dish last night that was healthy and delicious.  You don't need the gums (guar or xanthan)--they are often called for in just baked goods and you can certainly bake without them.  I make a muffin with teff flour, raisins and oats that are awesome and contain no gums.  Check the blog at Gluten Free Girl--she started taking gums out of her recipes when she found they didn't agree with her.  Good luck!

[kjbrown92]

and some people react to the gluten-free oats just like they react to gluten, so at the beginning if you're checking to see if this diet helps, leave out the gluten-free oats as well. Also, you may want to start a food journal to see if you notice any correlations. Just curious why you chose gluten to avoid... other top offenders are soy, corn, dairy...

[crunchy_mommy]

Does going wheat-free also mean going gluten-free?
Some people avoid only wheat depending on their specific type of allergy, but for the purposes of an elimination diet, you'll probably want to go 100% gluten-free so you can clearly see whether or not the diet is working (then you could try some non-wheat glutens to see if they are tolerated, if you want).

Are there any grains that are wheat free? (I know rice and coconut, which I'm not sure are totally healthy either).
Other GF 'grains' include buckwheat, quinoa, corn, garbanzo bean flour, pea flour, amaranth, millet, etc.

One of my issues is that a lot of the gluten-free recipes I keep seeing have odd ingredients, sorghum flour, xantham gum, etc. We were trying to do a TF diet. What ingredients are not as processed and safe to eat?[/quote]
I don't really use the gums (sometimes I do buy premade things that include it though)... supposedly xanthum gum gives things like GF bread more elasticity or something. You can leave it out of most recipes, it might slightly affect the outcome and sometimes things might end up a little more... I don't know, crumby I guess?
A lot of rice products are made with white rice so I always specifically look for 'brown rice flour' as an ingredient (for bags of flour, rice pasta, etc.)
I don't do "TF" -- I'm vegan -- but we do (unknowingly!) follow a lot of the principles I guess. Probably the TF forum could provide more guidance on this, but you don't need to buy (often heavily processed) GF substitutes for most things, unless it makes the transition easier for you. I have a huge craving for pasta so I do eat way too much brown rice pasta but for the most part we eat very little processed food... It's an adjustment getting used to meals without gluten but it tastes better (and I feel it's healthier) if you just focus on naturally GF dishes and making the meal taste really really yummy -- then you won't miss the bread or whatever. Some favorites here are roasted veggies with quinoa; homemade falafel with tahini sauce, hummus, and veggies; sauteed veggies with beans; homemade bean burgers with sweet potatoes; coconut curries...

[MsBirdie]

Check out these blogs.  We are dairy and gluten free and they have  been a great source.  Our daughter had severe eczema on her arms and it has totally cleared bow. 

raw foods have also been a great resource to find great recipes for crackers, pizza crusts, and desserts that are dairy and gluten free. 

nourishingmeals.com

nourishingdays.com

[southernmama47]

Just curious why you chose gluten to avoid... other top offenders are soy, corn, dairy...

I chose to go gluten free because it was the last thing to avoid. She is already dairy, soy, nut, shellfish, citrus, and probably something else I'm forgetting free.

As far as an update goes, we have gone totally gluten-free and her eczema IS clearing up! Not totally yet, but SO much better than it used to be. We are also doing other things like Dead Sea Salt baths, natural bath oils, Cod Liver Oil, etc etc. She still gets the occasional flare-up but the eczema overall is much reduced. I will keep the diet until it is eradicated, and then begin experimenting with foods to add back in. Thanks for all the advice!

[kjbrown92]

In the first post, you said egg showed up on an allergy test so you were avoiding it. I didn't realize that you were also avoiding all those other things (corn is another big offender). That's great that she's doing so well!!

[flightgoddess]

sourgum is a gf flour from the sourgum plant (also used to be called milo), one of the GF grains that taste closest to wheat. Good for adding a little fiber.

Almond flour is a good choice too, once you try that nut and there is no allergy.

The gums (xanthan and guar) guar is probably a little more natural than the xanthan. They are integral if you are trying to imitate or make something more like the tradtional gluteny-wheat kinds of foods.  But if you are ok with having your GF bread the texture of pound cake, then ok.

But most basic 'quick bread' types of foods (pancakes, muffins, cornbread, biscuits, etc) you can get buy without the gums.

There are some recipes that use gelatin with success.

The transition to GF is hard enough when you have to it for lifelong health and dietary reasons, let alon voluntarily as an experiment. Give yourself a little break, and try whast is already out there, and if you are handy enough with a cookbook and baking, you can continue tweaking things to make them more TF friendly.