Mothering Forum banner

DH has Celiac's...need advice on being GF

1K views 17 replies 14 participants last post by  Funny Face 
#1 ·
DH was just diagnosed with 'early signs of Celiac's Disease' - he had a biopsy of his small intestine done. So, we went cold turkey and cut out all wheat/gluten and he's been feeling a lot better: he can eat again and feels hungry again, yeah :)

However, since starting this GF thing, he's been having more IBS issues. He thinks it's due to cutting out wheat gluten and his body healing. That this is just part of it and will go away when the inflammation goes away. As much as I think this may be the case, I just want to make sure I'm not cooking something that's making his celiac worse. I've cut out all gluten/wheat and substitute with gluten free flours, bread crumbs, snacks, everything.

* Do you think it's the bean flours in the gluten free baking mixes giving him problems? Most of the bob's red mill GF flour mixes have fava and garbanzo bean flours in them.

* Is it just a part of the healing process and soon he'll be fine, just so long as he stays GF?

* Are there better GF flours/products out there that would be better to use?

This whole Celiac's thing came out of no where. I'm basically married to SuperMan, so I didn't see anything like this coming! He's an awesome DH so I want to do the best I can for him.

Thanks for any and all advice on going GF :)
 
See less See more
#2 ·
We put our daughter GF in March to see if it would help her speech delay (her speech did improve 3 weeks later. Correlation or coincidence?) She also had what the specialist diagnosed as toddler diarrhea. (We didn't do a biopsy because she was only 2 and growing normally.) Eventually we did some allergy testing and took her off sensitive foods with no change then also took her off dairy. Three days later she had normal poops for the first time in her life. We tried to reintroduce the sensitive foods and diarrhea came back. She needs to be off multiple stuff to keep away the diarrhea.

So, we don't know if she's got gluten issues or not. However, we love the GF diet (if you avoid processed gluten foods, this is so much healthier) and her speech is improving so we stay GF. I have heard others with celicas say that they had problems with dairy for about a year after they went gluten free. Then it seemed their gut finally healed enough so they could reintroduce dairy. I'd have him go dairy free for a week and see what happens. You may want to consider getting an allergy panel done. It was one blood draw for 96 foods. Our daughter came back sensitive to cane sugar and tomatoes. When we took her off those foods and the dairy our life changed for the better, but she has to be off all of them. (We don't know if gluten gave her diarrhea or not as we're not willing to offer it to her to see.)

That said, when we went GF the entire family had problems with diarrhea off and on for months. Since I was still lactating, I kept strictly GF. My husband and son ate some gluten when we were out and about. Yet the entire family randomly had issues. To the point that a couple of us had an array of stool samples and nothing showed. Our daughter is adopted so it's not like any of us are at risk for sharing her genetic sensitivities. Eventually everyone's guts calmed down, but this went on for several months after going GF.

Because my daughter can't do dairy or cane sugar we can't do most of the GF flour mixes. Frankly, many of them have so much starch in them that there is no fiber and I consider that unhealthy. I have had great luck with the recipes at www.elanaspantry.com. She uses almond flour and a little coconut flour. We live in Arizona and tortillas are an essential part of our diet so I make my own tortillas: http://spiceandmore.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/an-exciting-discovery/

I LOVE being gluten and dairy free vegetarians. Our diet has expanded so much and is so much healthier. I now make whipped coconut cream, millet crepes, almond flour bread, mung bean tortillas, my own veggie broth (I freeze it in ice cubes and my 3 year old eats them all day long.) I am constantly finding new recipes online and in cookbooks. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but then it's exciting.
 
#3 ·
We're a year into gluten-free and I still feel like I'm just getting started! I agree with the pp, learn to live without the processed gf foods where you can... they're expensive and often pretty empty nutritionally. You may want to try some meals or recipes that are naturally gluten free (like Mexican with corn tortillas) to limit the need for replacements. I also don't eat nearly as many bread products now as I used to, but that was a slow adjustment.

As far as his symptoms getting worse, it took a long time for me to really start feeling better. It was about seven months for my headaches/digestion to clear after cutting gluten as well as soy. Gluten alone helped, but soy continued to cause problems. I've met others with celiac's that also had soy problems, so that may be worth considering.

Of all the diet changes I've made, gluten-free has been the most challenging. It's great that you're supporting your husband through this change!
smile.gif
 
#4 ·
Personally, I don't have celiac (went gluten-free because of my DD's sensitivities), but I can't handle the bean flours as substitutes. They make my belly hurt. I think they're really hard to digest for a lot of people. I'd get rid of those and see how he feels. If he's still having problems, maybe try taking out dairy too and see what happens. I have heard that lots of folks who have celiac also have problems with dairy.

And yeah, I find that I feel best when we stay away from all the gluten-free substitute foods. Once in a while I'll get some GF bread, but mostly we just steer clear. I used to love to bake, and now I don't bake at all which is sad, but I do think we eat a much healthier diet than we used to precisely because we don't eat baked goods--we eat real, unprocessed foods instead. It does take a while to form new habits and patterns of eating, and it definitely can feel hard to figure out, but once you get used to it it does get easier.
 
#6 ·
lurk.gif


My partner was recently diagnosed with Celiac's and she's feeling much better. We're still figuring out how to incorporate more GF meals that everyone loves into our planning. (DD & I are not going GF, though we've both cut back a lot).

Any favorite websites or cookbooks that folks would recommend?
 
#7 ·
My oldest son is GF (we suspect an intolerance or possibly celiac or crohn's but no one wants to scope a 4-year-old when he's not loosing weight) and I feel like we're constantly struggling with the flours and what not. I hate baking with GF flours so I've just gone to already prepared mixes (mostly cookie and cakes) or products. Probably not the healthiest route. The only thing I mix up myself is an almond flour pancake recipe that is really easy!

As for your husband, in my reading on celiac, I remember reading that folks with celiac tend to also be lactose intolerant, so it might be worth cutting that out as well. Good luck!
 
#8 ·
Withdrawl symptoms are quite normal for most people, and should improve with time. Try taking a probiotic too to reintorduce good gut flora. You can ask your practition about supplements, I took vitamins/minerals and L-glutamine for about 6 months when first going GF.

* Do you think it's the bean flours in the gluten free baking mixes giving him problems? Most of the bob's red mill GF flour mixes have fava and garbanzo bean flours in them.

(could be, especially if he was sensative to beans/gassiness before. Try Pamela's flour mix)

* Is it just a part of the healing process and soon he'll be fine, just so long as he stays GF?

(see first comment about withdrawl)

* Are there better GF flours/products out there that would be better to use?

(keep trying a new brand each time until you find one he likes the best. Use what you like!)

The library is great for 'trying' out the different cook books available, try them out and then buy the author/style of GF cooking you like and works best for your family.
 
#9 ·
I swear by Bob's Red Mill brown rice flour! I use it in anything I would normally use flour in. I make an amazing GFCF chocolate chip banana bread with that flour! Mmm! People are shocked when I tell them it's gluten and dairy free. I hate the taste of bean flours. I had a serious failed attempt at making regular bread with a bean flour and I'll never forget the taste, LOL. Being gluten-free and using these products is definitely costly, though.
irked.gif


I am gluten and casein intolerant, and it has been an ongoing healing process. I think it does take a while to heal and get your intestines back in shape. It is like withdrawal in a sense. My intestines have been so screwed up for so many years, I imagine it'll take just as long to heal them... I take probiotics and other supplements to help the process along.

It gets a lot easier over time to just have a bunch of regular GF meals floating around in your head that you'll run to most. It's like a book in my head now that I can flip through and know what ingredients I can substitute with to still make similar meals I used to. I don't even need to check ingredients labels most of the time since I know what certain go-to items contain. Like soy sauce, for instance, I have to buy gluten-free. Anything with modified food starch I'm wary of. I have to watch out for certain vinegars in foods. It will all become second nature to you!

I like to cook Mexican dishes I can make with corn tortillas (tacos, fajitas, super easy GF), or I'll make breakfast burritos with them. I buy Tinkyada rice pastas or Ancient Harvest quinoa pastas (both my favorites!) and still make a variety of Italian dishes. Have you made polenta before? That's another great GF meal option, as are stirfries and fried rices using GF sauces available at most grocery stores now. My favorite meals to make in general are soups and stews. They're the easiest for me to get all of my nutrition in and there isn't much thought that has to go into making them GFCF! I just don't use the ready packets of seasoning you buy at the store for chilis, fajitas, stews, meatloafs, etc. since I've found a lot of them to have gluten in them. I make my own seasoning mixes with recipes I've found online and some are way better anyway!

Good luck with your hubby's transition, MommyHawk!
 
#10 ·
do you have any blogs or sites you'd rec? we are moving towards dairy free and GF... the cane sugar free would just be a bonus.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SundayCrepes View Post

We put our daughter GF in March to see if it would help her speech delay (her speech did improve 3 weeks later. Correlation or coincidence?) She also had what the specialist diagnosed as toddler diarrhea. (We didn't do a biopsy because she was only 2 and growing normally.) Eventually we did some allergy testing and took her off sensitive foods with no change then also took her off dairy. Three days later she had normal poops for the first time in her life. We tried to reintroduce the sensitive foods and diarrhea came back. She needs to be off multiple stuff to keep away the diarrhea.

So, we don't know if she's got gluten issues or not. However, we love the GF diet (if you avoid processed gluten foods, this is so much healthier) and her speech is improving so we stay GF. I have heard others with celicas say that they had problems with dairy for about a year after they went gluten free. Then it seemed their gut finally healed enough so they could reintroduce dairy. I'd have him go dairy free for a week and see what happens. You may want to consider getting an allergy panel done. It was one blood draw for 96 foods. Our daughter came back sensitive to cane sugar and tomatoes. When we took her off those foods and the dairy our life changed for the better, but she has to be off all of them. (We don't know if gluten gave her diarrhea or not as we're not willing to offer it to her to see.)

That said, when we went GF the entire family had problems with diarrhea off and on for months. Since I was still lactating, I kept strictly GF. My husband and son ate some gluten when we were out and about. Yet the entire family randomly had issues. To the point that a couple of us had an array of stool samples and nothing showed. Our daughter is adopted so it's not like any of us are at risk for sharing her genetic sensitivities. Eventually everyone's guts calmed down, but this went on for several months after going GF.

Because my daughter can't do dairy or cane sugar we can't do most of the GF flour mixes. Frankly, many of them have so much starch in them that there is no fiber and I consider that unhealthy. I have had great luck with the recipes at www.elanaspantry.com. She uses almond flour and a little coconut flour. We live in Arizona and tortillas are an essential part of our diet so I make my own tortillas: http://spiceandmore.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/an-exciting-discovery/

I LOVE being gluten and dairy free vegetarians. Our diet has expanded so much and is so much healthier. I now make whipped coconut cream, millet crepes, almond flour bread, mung bean tortillas, my own veggie broth (I freeze it in ice cubes and my 3 year old eats them all day long.) I am constantly finding new recipes online and in cookbooks. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but then it's exciting.
 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by lookatreestar View Post

do you have any blogs or sites you'd rec? we are moving towards dairy free and GF... the cane sugar free would just be a bonus.
There's the two I mentioned in my prior post. I mainly look for recipes that I want to make then adapt them for our needs. Or I buy cookbooks and see what they refer to. And I read the book reviews on amazon and see where they send me to. Of course I also ask here if someone has a suggestion for something I'm specifically looking for. For example, I said I wanted a cheese substitute that doesn't use nutritional yeast and someone gave me the link to the mac and cheese I list below.

Here's one I got a great cream of broccoli soup recipe from http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

vegan macaroni and cheese http://vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=40&catId=10

coconut whipped cream http://cleangreensimple.com/2011/03/coconut-milk-whipped-cream/

tomato substitutes http://vegetalion.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-replace-nightshades-part-4.html

coconut milk yogurt (I haven't made this yet) http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/2009/04/25/homemade-coconut-milk-yogurt/

pizza crust/flat bread http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2008/04/crusty-millet-flat-bread.html

vegan crepes http://mykidfoodallergies.com/index.php/recipes/2/43

cashew cheese (I avoid nutritional yeast since it's actually like MSG.) Can't remember if I made this recipe http://www.purplecarrotkc.com/2011/07/easy-cashew-cheese.html

So, if you have something you want to make, just google it...gluten free potato soup recipe came up with more than 2 million hits.

Oh, we use Tinkyada brown rice pasta. Just don't cook per package directions. I cook about 8 minutes. Shells 6-7 minutes.

And these crackers original flavor are gluten, dairy and cane sugar free http://www.crunchmaster.com/products/multiseed.aspx They sell them at our costco store, though I don't see them online.

Here's books I like:

http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Vegan-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1600940323/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316670756&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Free-Almond-Flour-Cookbook/dp/158761345X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316670702&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Coconut-Flour-Gluten-Free-Alternative/dp/0941599639/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316670722&sr=1-2
 
#13 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by flightgoddess View Post

Withdrawl symptoms are quite normal for most people, and should improve with time. Try taking a probiotic too to reintorduce good gut flora. You can ask your practition about supplements, I took vitamins/minerals and L-glutamine for about 6 months when first going GF.

* Do you think it's the bean flours in the gluten free baking mixes giving him problems? Most of the bob's red mill GF flour mixes have fava and garbanzo bean flours in them.

(could be, especially if he was sensative to beans/gassiness before. Try Pamela's flour mix)

* Is it just a part of the healing process and soon he'll be fine, just so long as he stays GF?

(see first comment about withdrawl)

* Are there better GF flours/products out there that would be better to use?

(keep trying a new brand each time until you find one he likes the best. Use what you like!)

The library is great for 'trying' out the different cook books available, try them out and then buy the author/style of GF cooking you like and works best for your family.
My mom can't digest bean flours (and I think they taste gross), so we don't use them.

Pamela's mix is great, but if dairy is the issue it won't work because it has buttermilk flour (although Pamela's may have some dairy free mixes).
 
#14 ·
Are you using GF oats? A lot of people with celiac are told to go without oats (even GF ones) for a while before trying them again because the proteins are similar.

I agree that bean flours are hard to digest, but actually if he's feeling WORSE (instead of just "not better") I'd see what you're eating more of. Many celiacs have other food intolerance as well, because of the gut damage. And many are lactose intolerant at the beginning.
 
#15 ·
DH's finding that he can't eat anything 'gluten free' that comes prepackaged...so for now we're going to just do rice and potatoes (no GF pastas or breads) for now to see if it helps. Anyone have Celiac this bad? What are other things I can try? He seems to have problems with soy too. poor guy
greensad.gif
 
#16 ·
As a pp said, he could be having trouble digesting other foods. Maybe he should try an elimination diet or just try cutting out the top allergen foods. Or, as you seem to be, just cut out packaged foods and go to a whole foods diet for a while -- rice, potatoes, vegetables, meats, beans, nuts and seeds, etc.

He would probably benefit from getting on a good probiotic with multiple organisms and trying some fermented foods, like miso.

If you want to try some packaged foods, I'd start with something with very few ingredients (like tinkyada pasta which is just rice) and also make sure it is labeled that it is produced in a dedicated gluten free facility; many things aren't. For example, the only gf crackers at my co-op that are also nut and dairy free are produced in a facility that also processes wheat. We don't seem to have a problem with that, but someone more sensitive to gluten might.

Hang in there -- try not to get frustrated and just eat really clean for a few months to give his body time to heal.
 
#17 ·
And as hard as this is, look at it for the great opportunity it is. You and your family MUST now eat a healthier diet. It's a bit of work to learn, but once you get the hang of it you will be eating healthier. What a great opportunity for your kids.

We are preparing for our fist trip where we stay in a motel and won't have cooking facilities. We will take a microwave, toaster oven, and an ice chest of food I prepare in advance. I could be bummed by, and overwhelmed, it. Instead I am looking forward to the challenge of it.

You will conquer this. Really, you will. Just hang tight for awhile.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top