Gluten Free Q & A

Today’s post is all about being gluten free. I am always reminded that there are so many other people out there who are curious about being gluten free, or passionate about the subject like I am. I received a TON of questions after asking about this on instagram this week. I am going on a Charlotte morning show, WBTV Morning Break, on Monday to discuss being gluten free and some foods that are great options for people who need to stay away from gluten. I post a lot of recipes that are gluten free, but I realized that I haven’t fully opened up about the subject, and why I stay away from gluten. I asked on instagram this week for you guys to tell me any specific questions you have about the topic, and I wanted to share those and the answers in a blog post. This post has some general facts and tips, followed by a Q&A, and then a list of gluten free products and resources. This is a long post, but all of the questions are easily visible, so feel free to read the answers to the questions most applicable to you. AND, if you think of any follow-up questions, please leave them in the comments!

Just a reminder – I am not a nutritionist or a doctor. I have done my research, and used myself as a type of experiement. But please do not take my word over that of your medical professional. 🙂

Personally, I chose to try eliminating gluten after reading about the symptoms and connecting some of the dots. It took years for us to get pregnant with our first son, even with fertility treatments, and I was curious to know how food affected my hormones. From there I found out that gluten intolerance can also cause other problems I was having. I decided to try eating gluten free for a month to see how I felt. All of my symptoms improved, and I have been gluten free (with very few exceptions) ever since.

Celiac disease is not the only condition that people have that causes problems with gluten. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity occurs in people whose body’s do not tolerate gluten well, and have many of the symptoms that gluten intolerance causes. These people, like myself, feel much better when they avoid gluten. The difference is that people with gluten sensitivity do not have the same antibodies and intestinal damage that is seen in people with Celiac disease. Many of the non-celiac gluten sensitivity symptoms are not digestive related.

Questions & Answers

Do you have an allergy or did you make the change for another reason?

I was not tested for Celiac, and I still do not think I have Celiac disease. My symptoms are more
in line with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NGCS). I used an elimination diet as a test. I made a change initially after going through years of infertility to get pregnant with our first son. Then my hormones felt off, I was having problems with my teeth and skin, and brain fog and fatigue were bothering me. I decided to try eliminating gluten for a month. I felt much better after that, so I stuck with it. Now if I eat gluten, I feel it within a couple of days.

Is it just tummy symptoms?

Definitely not. My symptoms, and those of many people with NCGS are rarely related to tummy problems. More below.

What are the symptoms? What are some of the symptoms of intolerance that people might not realize?

Surprisingly most of the symptoms of NCGS are not related to digestive problems. This article explains the symptoms well.
-brain fog
-mood problems (feeling up and down; depression; anxiety)
-bloating
-keratosis pilaris (bumpy skin on the back of arms)
-hormone imbalance
-tooth decay and bruxism (enamel wears off of teeth, and teeth grinding)
-fatigue
-fibromyalgia
-infertility and miscarriage
-joint pain
-migraines
-ADHD-like behavior
-skin issues similar to eczema

What are the benefits you have seen from going gluten free?

The main benefit is mental clarity and more stabilized moods. I also have less inflammation overall. My skin is better, my tooth decay has lessened, and I no longer have headaches.

Is there a test I can have done?

Yes, you can have blood work done by your doctor to look for an antibody that would show up in most people with Celiac disease. If this is negative, but you still feel like you have an issue with gluten, the best way to test is with an elimination diet. Eat 100% gluten free for a month, no cheating. Write down how you feel before doing the elimination diet, then how you feel after. If you notice a big difference, especially mentally, then you probably have a sensitivity to gluten. Functional medicine doctors can also work with you in more detail with finding exactly which foods bother you. They run different types of tests than conventional medical doctors.
This article has some more info about the specific blood tests. You can also try Pinnertest. A friend let me know via instagram that she tried it to verify her food intolerances and it seemed to be very accurate!

How did I pinpoint gluten as the culprit to my issues? What did your life look like pre-diagnosis and now post? What steps did you take to confirm the curiosity that you might not tolerate gluten?

Since starting to eat much cleaner several years ago, I stay pretty in-tune with my body. I began paying attention to every little thing that felt like it wasn’t at optimal health. My infertility struggle was the initial wake-up call, and then I went from there. I saw something one day about gluten sensitivity causing tooth decay and it caught my attention. I had had problems with teeth grinding and the enamel on my teeth wearing away. I also had the bumps on the back of my arms and just assumed I would have those forever. I also had issues with migraines and panic attacks. I did more research and saw a list of symptoms like the one above and realized I had just about every one of them. All of those symptoms are pretty much gone now. I get tired, but hello, I have two kids. And my teeth aren’t perfect, but I never wake up with a jaw ache from ginding my teeth too hard. And I am less anxious than I used to be. I still have mood swings, but I just feel more mentally steady. I no longer have headaches – when I do get a headache it is so shocking because they are very rare.
I have since realized that I do not tolerate dairy very well either, but those symptoms are much different. When I eat dairy I almost always break out, and I am immediately bloated and feel about 5 months pregnant. Dairy doesn’t affect me long-term as much, and gluten has longer-lasting symptoms.

It’s not an allergy that is visible, such as rash or swelling. Gluten seems to attack the gut, right?

Celiac disease does affect the gut, and some people believe that gluten does as well. But with Celiac, it is a direct correlation to gut problems. It causes malnutrition (malabsorption) because of the damage to your intestines. Gluten sensitivity has so many mental symptoms, and not as many tummy symptoms. I have heard of younger people breaking bones frequently, not growing as well, struggling with ADHD, etc, and their doctors have pointed them in the direction of testing for Celiac. Often eliminating gluten can help with such issues.

Did you notice a change when you stopped eating gluten?

Yes. The brain fog was less frequent, I no longer have the bumps on the backs of my arms, I experience less anxiety, less bloating, and I have less joint pain. My teeth have improved some as well. I still grind my teeth, but it isn’t as bad. I used to fight acne, and I only have the occasional breakout now. I did have another miscarriage and it did take us a couple years to get pregnant with our youngest, but my cycles were more regular. And my mood was more stabilized overall. Also, TMI, with a more stable mood and hormones, and less fatigue, your sex drive improves.

Tips for eating out and staying gluten free?

-always ask about a gluten free menu
-servers should know which options are or can be made GF
-ingredients to look for (besides the obvious “bread” options): soy sauce, sauces
and soups that could have been thickened with flour, regular tortillas, anything pan-
fried could have used flour, fried foods that share a fryer with things like chicken tenders,
barbecue sauce (many are not GF), casseroles, cheese sauce, flavored coffee and hot
chocolate, scrambled eggs and omelets (some places add pancake batter), imitation
seafood (like some of the crab in sushi), imitation bacon bits
-go for “whole food” items that have fewer ingredients
-always ask for the croutons or bread to be left off
-tell the server you have a wheat allergy if you want to try and avoid cross-contamination

Best ways to ease a picky child on a standard American diet to a gluten free or paleo diet?

I am not a doctor, but my personal suggestion would be to try gluten free, healthy, whole-
grain foods before going straight to paleo, and see how the child does. Some people seem to
need more carbs than others, so maybe try that first.
I would try to stay away from too many packaged gluten free snacks that have a lot of
ingredients. Some of the starches in those are not the best. However, there are brands such
as Simple Mills that have great crackers and baking mixes and they are grain-free.
Tortilla chips and popcorn are typically gluten free, and usually only have a few ingredients.
The plantain chips from Trader Joe’s or Sprouts are also good. (My boys like them)
Try making paleo muffins, gluten free pancakes – things that are similar to kid-friendly
comfort foods.
Use potatoes and cauliflower rice in place of other starchy side dishes. (My boys love burrito
bowls with cauliflower rice instead of regular rice).
Try the quinoa pasta from Trader Joe’s if you’re okay with giving some grains.
Use Danielle Walker’s Against All Grains cookbooks as a resource. She has kids and makes some great paleo alternatives to conventional foods.
With dairy, try almond milk (the Califia Farms unsweetened is our favorite). Try to gradually
reduce the amount of cheese served. You can often use ghee, almond milk, and coconut milk
as an alternative to milk and butter.
Try making homemade granola as an alternative to cereal. If they like yogurt, you can try coconut
yogurt.

Grocery haul

I may need to make this an entirely separate post, but here are some things I always have on hand: healthy meat and seafood (I store extra in the freezer); lots of fruit and veggies, including bananas that I freeze for my smoothies; baby spinach; eggs; almond milk; gluten free bread in my freezer; gluten free frozen waffles for a quick breakfast for the boys; plantain chips; tortilla chips; popcorn; rice cakes; almond butter; hemp seeds; chia seeds; nuts; Boars Head turkey; cucumbers; broccoli; hummus; organic ketchup; brown rice (I like to buy the frozen kind from Trader Joe’s so that it is super easy to prepare); quinoa; lentils and/or beans; frozen cauliflower rice; avocados; salsa; applesauce squeeze packs for the boys; GF salad dressings and bbq sauce; coconut oil; balsamic vinegar; olive oil; whole grain dijon mustard; fresh herbs; potatoes and sweet potatoes. Those are just some of my go-tos that come to mind.
The Simple Mills brand has great crackers and the Birch Benders paleo pancake mix is a family favorite.
The more specialized items that I keep on hand include gluten free flour, xantham gum, almond flour, coconut flower, arrowroot powder, ground flax seed, tapioca starch, Nut Pods.
I am such a snacker, so having popcorn, tortilla chips, or plantain chips available is a must.
Another good option for a super healthy, crunchy snack are Flackers.

I linked a lot of these at the bottom of the post. 

What are some easily accessible staples for making a gluten free lifestyle doable? Things I can find from Target and Walmart?

Target carries gluten free bread and waffles in their frozen section. For snacks, they do offer some gluten free crackers and pretzels. And my family likes to eat popcorn as well, and many varieties are non-GMO and just corn, oil, and salt. I love to snack on gluten free pretzels and almond butter as well as tortilla chips and salsa.
I would focus on the outer aisles of the grocery store: produce, meat, and frozen if needed. You could still buy meat and veggies, plus some healthy things like frozen fruit for smoothies. You can also find quinoa and brown rice, as well as beans, hummus, nuts, and seeds at those places. Look for gluten free granola or gluten free rolled oats to have as breakfast options. I’m sure they both offer at least one brand of gluten free pasta as well, if your family loves a spaghetti night.
Another idea is to join Thrive Market.
Also – Amazon Prime for the harder-to-find, specialty items!

Do you have any tips for taking gluten recipes and making them gluten free?

Google everything. Seriously – I have a culinary degree and I still do this all the time. I experiment some, and it does take some practice, but there is a good chance that someone has already tried something you want to make, so it can’t hurt to search for a review or recipe.
Here are a few things I’ve learned:
-Almond flour or coconut flour cannot be replaced 1:1 for regular flour in recipes
-Gluten free flour can sometimes be replaced 1:1, but it sometimes needs the addition
of xantham gum. Read the container, and that should tell you
-The texture of bread just won’t be the same, but you can definitely learn to enjoy it, even
though it’s different. I have, and my boys love the baked goods I make, too!
Those are for baking, but in other recipes that require gluten, such as Asian dishes needing soy sauce, it’s a bit easier. You can replace regular soy sauce with gluten free soy sauce, or coconut aminos (to stay away from soy).
If you’re making a sauce, such as a cheese sauce or an enchilada sauce, and it requires flour, just use gluten free flour. I have done this and they both worked well.
In a soup or lasagna or pasta salad, use gluten free pasta. Just pay attention to the cooking times, because GF noodles often take less time to cook.

What are some of the hidden sources of gluten in every day items?

Always look for any form of wheat, barley, rye, and malt. Other grains that are not gluten free include farro, kamut, durum, modified wheat starch, matzo, breading/stuffing, bread crumbs, panko, oatmeal and oats (unless the oats are from a pure source), granola, semolina, triticale, seitan, bran, einkorn, imitation seafood, imitation bacon bits, soy sauce, beer, most cereal.
Check salad dressings, broth, soups, barbecue sauce, processed foods, gravy, flavored coffee, chocolate bars, licorice, sausages, deli meat, seasonings.

How do you modify meals for your family who are not gluten free?

Most of our dinners are gluten free, but my boys and husband do eat regular sandwich bread (they eat Dave’s or another organic brand like Eureka). I am just careful not to cross-contaminate. They all like the paleo muffins and desserts that I make, so that helps. I do buy them granola that isn’t gluten free, and the boys eat crackers that aren’t gluten free. For dinner, our side dishes are almost always gluten free. Things like brown rice, quinoa, and potatoes are naturally gluten free and are healthy options. They also really like cauliflower rice. When we have pasta, I usually make gluten free pasta (typically quinoa or lentil pasta), but sometimes I make them some regular pasta, and a gluten free version (or baked spaghetti squash) for myself. We all love Mexican food, which is easy to make gluten free, so that is a go-to for us. Davis has learned that I can’t eat certain things and he knows to ask “does it have gluten in it?” It rarely causes a problem, honestly.

Do you still give your kids gluten?

Yes, but not at every meal. And they enjoy the gluten free and paleo foods that I eat. A lot of our meals are gluten free, but they do eat some gluten. (More in the answer to the previous question).

I love sandwiches. Any advice on an alternative to bread? Lettuce wraps? Use the lunch meat as a roll-up?

Those are both great options. Collard greens make great wraps as well. Another option are Siete Foods tortillas. I make a paleo blender bread that is really yummy, and works well for an open-faced sandwich. I also like to have some gluten free bread in my freezer for the times I’m craving toast or a sandwich. I just always toast it before eating. The Trader Joe’s brand gluten free bread is a good option, and I like the Whole Foods brand that is found in the freezer section there.

What brand of GF bread and pasta?

I like to buy most of my gluten free products from Trader Joe’s. They have a quinoa pasta that is good, and my boys enjoy it. They also have lentil pasta, which is grain-free as well. Some of the brown rice pasta can get a bit sticky, so just be careful not to overcook it. The Trader Joe’s brand bread is decent, especially when it is toasted. This 5-minute paleo blender bread is really yummy, too. It’s pictured as avocado toast above.
If you need arrowroot powder to make your own, I linked the kind that I order at the bottom of the post.

What does it feel like when you do eat gluten?

I had food with gluten recently. It was very healthy food, and I did not eat any “obvious” gluten, like bread, but I did make a conscious decision to partake in the meal. The food was absolutely delicious, but it affected me. Two days to one week after the meal I had major brain fog and fatigue and was just in a bad mood more often than normal. I felt like I was dragging. I also felt a little sick the night that I ate gluten. My body is just not used to it. I felt a little swollen, too, which is probably from the inflammation. In the past it has made me feel almost flu-like, but I think that’s just the fatigue and joint pain.

How do you handle social events or family events where a majority of the food is something you can’t eat? How do you address it verbally, because usually people ask why you aren’t eating?

My family knows I am gluten free, and I actually have a family member who has Celiac, so it is well accepted with them. I always plan ahead. I am not okay with skipping meals – hello, hangry! So I sometimes eat before if I know there will not be any gluten free options. I don’t like to make a big deal out of it, and I am okay not having as many options as everyone else. I don’t expect them to make every single dish gluten free. I am invited to food events, and I usually try to be as polite as possible, and just tell them that I have a gluten allergy and am not able to eat certain foods. I say “I can’t have gluten,” rather than saying “I’m not eating gluten.” One sounds like a diet, but saying you cannot have it shows that you don’t really have a choice. If I go to a wedding or an event that has catered food, I will eat something that appears safe, like a salad or something grilled. I eat a snack on the way there, too. FYI, if you are at a restaurant, tell the server you have an allergy. Otherwise they don’t always take it seriously. This has improved over the years, but I have had a couple run-ins with rude servers.

We love Mexican food. What is a good gluten free tortilla?

I only eat corn tortillas, or I make lettuce wraps for tacos. Corn tortillas do tend to fall apart, but I have gotten used to them. The Trader Joe’s brand of soft corn tortillas has very few ingredients. I like to grill them a bit or use them for enchiladas. There are brands of gluten free tortillas other than corn, but I honestly haven’t tried them. P.S. Have y’all ever looked at the ingredient list for conventional flour tortillas? Certainly not a very clean food, so I would recommend not over-doing it even if you can have gluten. I also love making plantain chip nachos! And we like to have burrito bowls and use either brown rice or cauliflower rice as a base. My boys really love this meal. Another great option are the grain free tortillas from Siete Foods!

What is the best type of gluten free flour for baking?

I make a lot of paleo recipes that use almond flour and coconut flour, but for conventional gluten free recipes, I like the King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose or 1:1 gluten free flour. Some recipes require adding xantham gum, but a tiny bit goes a long way

Are there any condiments to doublecheck/avoid or have sneaky amounts of gluten in them?

Yes! Some barbecue sauce, balsamic glazes, salad dressings, malt vinegar, soy sauce. Some Italian salad dressings and sesame ginger salad dressings have gluten. Look for any wheat derivative, modified food starch, malt vinegar, some enchilada sauce, most Asian sauces, and make sure to check any soups and stock. Also, anything with beer typically has gluten.

Gluten Free Products I Recommend:

• plantain chips
• Siete Foods tortillas
• arrowroot powder (for making grain free recipes)
• Tessemae’s creamy ranch dressing
• xantham gum
• gluten free all-purpose flour; this brand is also good
• barbecue sauce
• Against All Grain cookbook
• almond flour
• coconut flour
• ground flax seed
• quinoa pasta (look in your local grocery store, because the brands on Amazon are very expensive)
• chickpea pasta
• coconut aminos
• Simple Mills crackers
• Birch Benders paleo pancake mix
• tapioca starch
• NutPods
• Flackers

I hope this was a helpful post! If you think of anything else, please feel free to leave any questions or extra info or tips in the comments. Thank you!!

 

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