Notes from the Gluten Free Dairy Free Class

I’m sorry it has taken me a few weeks to get this posted! I recently led a discussion at Integrative Health Carolinas about how we are helping heal our son’s leaky gut. It was mostly about eliminating gluten and dairy from his diet, and I wanted to share all of the points we discussed during that class. I am hoping to make this a continuing discussion on here, because it seems that so many people are interested in it! I did write a blog post all about healing Ridge’s leaky gut, and you can read that here.

Quick note: I posted a very simple gluten- and dairy-free recipe on my instagram story the other day. It was an easier, healthier alternative to broccoli casserole. I saved it to my GF DF highlight. Next time I make it, I will try to write an actual recipe, but I thought it might be helpful for you to see it for an easy weeknight dinner. 🙂 My boys love it, and even had second helpings.

What I Shared in the Class

Introduction: I want to start by sharing a bit of my story. Before my first son was born, my husband and I struggled with infertility for almost 3 years, and I also had a miscarriage. I also had migraines and some panic attacks. Then when my oldest son was around 1, I just felt off. I was tired all the time, and not from having a baby. I felt like I couldn’t focus or be productive, my hormones felt off, I had struggled with postpartum depression, my skin was in rough shape, I was bloated all the time, the enamel on my teeth was starting to wear away, I was grinding my teeth badly, and I had some joint pain. I started researching these things, and decided to try giving up gluten. I felt better after that first month and never looked back. It didn’t solve every single one of these things, but it did help with many of them. This past year I have significantly reduced my dairy intake. I am immediately bloated if I eat dairy, and I always seem to have a breakout on my face. It also seems to affect my mood. I will have goat cheese occasionally, but it took me several months before I worked that back into my diet.

With Ridge and his skin, I felt there could be an underlying cause, and was not satisfied to simply blame it on eczema or dermatitis. The creams weren’t helping, it did not look like eczema, and it would flare up at different times. After trying the pediatrician route, I decided to call Dr. Temple. Before the testing even began, we took him off of gluten and dairy and his skin improved within 2 weeks! Then Dr. Temple ordered blood work and stool testing and we were able to come up with a more detailed eating plan to help heal his leaky gut.

To see progress pictures, click to read my post!

The class was all moms who were trying to heal something with one or more of their children. Or who were learning how to feed their families without using gluten and dairy. Many of their children have skin problems and/or behavior issues. They had questions about what to eat, the ingredients to look for, and brands that were good for this lifestyle.

Let me say this again – I am not a medical professional. I have done extensive research about this, and have tried elimination diets, but please see a doctor if you have more questions about the health of your child. I would highly recommend seeing a functional medicine practitioner if possible.

gluten free dairy free class

Some of the General Tips I shared:

I do have a full post called “Gluten Free Q&A” that answers a lot of common questions about being gluten free.

Try to focus on healthy meats and veggies, rather than just turning every recipe into a gluten free one.
It’s okay to have some “treats” that are GF, but they don’t need to be eaten at every meal.
Gluten free snacks are not necessarily healthier than snacks made with regular flour. Especially those made with high-glycemic starches like potato starch or white rice.
Look for hidden sources of gluten in items:
- malt
- barley
- anything wheat
- rye
- farro
- kamut
- durum
- modified wheat starch
- matzo
- bread/stuffing
- panko
- oatmeal and oats (unless specified as gluten free)
- granola
- semolina
- beer
- triticale
- seitan
- einkorn
- imitation seafood
- imitation bacon bits
- soy sauce
- most cereals
- communion wafers
Check salad dressings, barbecue sauce, liquors, broth, soups, gravy, flavored coffee, chocolate bars, licorice, sausage, deli meat, seasonings
Don’t cheat. If you are sensitive to gluten, especially, it will take a while to get out of your system. A little bit can make a difference. With dairy, I feel it right away, but the consequences aren’t as long-lasting as those from gluten.
Symptoms of a gluten intolerance:
- brain fog
- depression/anxiety
- mood swings
- the bumpy skin on the back of your arms or thighs (keratosis pilaris)
- hormone imbalance
- infertility and miscarriage
- fatigue
- fibromyalgia
- joint pain
- migraines
- ADHD-like behavior
- skin issues similar to eczema
If you feel like you might have an issue with gluten, try eliminating it for a month. Take not of how you feel before and after.

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Alternatives That My Family Likes:

quinoa/brown rice pasta
cashew/almond yogurt – The Forager brand and Kite Hill brands are good. Kite Hill even has little yogurt squeeze packs that are great for lunch boxes. We use the plain Forager yogurt in place of sour cream on tacos, burrito bowls, etc.
Simple Mills crackers. These are made with almond flour and are actually really good.
plantain chips
cauliflower rice – My boys eat this as a side dish or in place of regular rice in a burrito bowl or stir-fry.
Birch Benders paleo pancake mix
Tessemae’s creamy ranch or avocado ranch dressing
paleo mayonnaise
almond flour – Buy a large bag at Costco!
coconut milk in a can – This is a great alternative to heavy cream in soup, pasta sauces, most savory dishes. It also can be chilled, and whipped for a topping for pie, cobbler, or cupcakes! I like the Whole Foods brand or the Thai Kitchen brand, and I do not buy the low fat one. For soups, I use the regular coconut milk, but only use the creamy party, not the water in it. For whipped coconut cream, buy the cream, not the milk, and chill in the refrigerator before mixing it.
rolled oats – Trader Joe’s has gluten free ones
coconut aminos – Use in place of soy sauce. Trader Joe’s has the cheapest.
almond cheese – I have found this shredded at Trader Joe’s and also in block form at Sprouts. It does have a tiny bit of casein, but no lactose.
Myokos cheese – Found at Whole Foods. The mozzarella is a winner at our house!
Ginger snap cookies – Trader Joe’s has some packaged soft ginger snaps that are completely allergy-friendly.