Gluten-free Info

[Pen]

I just realized that I have quite a few links for gluten-free info and thought I would pass them on. Some of the sites are North American, others are UK ones, but all contain useful info.

DietSite.com http://www.dietsite.com/dt/diets/foodsensitivities/glutenfreediet.asp (http://www.dietsite.com/dt/diets/foodsensitivities/glutenfreediet.asp). Scroll down on this one to find a long list of foods that are and are not gluten-free. Some of the items in the list of foods that contain gluten might surprise you--I know it did me (for instance, ground spices!).

Gluten Intolerance Group North America http://www.gluten.net/ (http://www.gluten.net/)

Jackson Gastroenterology--Gluten-free (another one to scroll down for lists of gluten-free foods) http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs06.htm (http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs06.htm)

Gluten-free forum (part of Celiac.com's site) http://www.glutenfreeforum.com/ (http://www.glutenfreeforum.com/)

Celiac.com http://www.celiac.com/index.html (http://www.celiac.com/index.html).

Tinkyada Pasta-style rice products (North America) http://www.tinkyada.com/ (http://www.tinkyada.com/). These are definitely the best gluten-free pastas I have found.

Tinkyada's pasta-style rice products are also available in the UK--see http://www.bumblebee.co.uk/ (http://www.bumblebee.co.uk/)

Gluten-free flours-UK http://www.dovesfarm-glutenfree.co.uk/gluten-free-flours.htm (http://www.dovesfarm-glutenfree.co.uk/gluten-free-flours.htm)

[matt]

cheers for those. will have to browse when i have the chance.

[zoefruitcake]

I hope you don't mind but I have taken the link to post on my premature menopause community. It's a facinating read

[rebecca c]

I found some gluten free provamel rice milk to try and noticed that waitroise have the same thing...No good to you though Pen.

In the next few weeks I am going to expereiment with making dosas with lentil flour which I will have to grind myself with urad dhal - let you know how I get on. I did find a dosa ready mix in the asian supermarket but it had fenugreek in it which is no good for me.

[Pen]

I hope you don't mind but I have taken the link to post on my premature menopause community. It's a facinating read

I don't mind at all. In fact I am happy that anyone who needs the information should have access to it.

I don't have any info on premature menopause, but I am extremely interested in the natural approach to balancing hormones (none of that 'HRT' for me, thanks). I have some links for info on using natural progesterone creams, etc--I could Private Message you, but maybe we should start a thread on the topic as it is such an important matter, and many women automatically choose to use HRT because they are unaware that there are much better and safer alternatives available.

[Pen]

Being on a very restricted diet (including gluten-free, but many other banned foods besides) I dread the thought of eating out. The first time I plucked up the courage to eat out I realized how difficult it was to find food that was guaranteed to be gluten-free. I had gone to the (main) restaurant that overlooks Niagara Falls--a large, clean, modern restaurant that appeared to be just the place to find 'safe' food. I decided to choose a chicken breast (with french fries, I think) as you can't go wrong with a chicken breast can you? Wrong!!! After giving my order, I suddenly thought I would check with the waitress as to any hidden ingredients. She was very helpful and came back from the kitchen with the box that the frozen chickens come in, and listed were several added ingredients (the chicken was not a 'coated' chicken--just a 'bare' chicken breast). I could not believe that a chicken breast was not just a chicken breast! One of the added ingredients was 'flavourings' which, unless declared as gluten-free can easily contain gluten. And the french fries are often reconsituted potato and are often coated, and if they are deep-fried in 'vegetable oil' they are highly likely to be gluten-contaminated as a 'vegetable oil' will like contain gluten unless it specifically states otherwise. (As listed in the http://www.dietsite.com/dt/diets/foodsensitivities/glutenfreediet.asp table) I changed my order to salmon (also out of a box, but nothing nasty listed in the ingredients) and an undressed salad. Apart from the salmon being totally dry and overcooked it had been cooked with other ingredients (herbs of some kind) so wasn't just salmon. Whatever it was, it contained gluten (maybe they coated the fish in flour) as I reacted a short while after. And, knowing that I was on such a restricted diet (I had told the waitress), why did they decide to decorate my plate with orange and strawberries (neither of which I can eat!)? I am horrified to discover that what appears to be a relatively upscale restaurant, serves chicken from a box! I wouldn't buy or eat chicken from a box at home--I buy chicken from the meat counter. What happened to restaurants serving real food? I expect that only the very top (very expensive) restaurants do that these days--so if you eat out, beware! :rant:

[matt]

threaten to sue the buggers if they make you ill. that'll get their attention.


overcooked fish, sign of rubbish chef.

better luck next time.

[Pen]

Thankfully I was only sensitive to the food and not allergic to it, so the reaction was not major. Othewise I might have caused a fuss.

Rubbish chef--oh yes! The fish was like leather.

I have had two occasions (prior to my diet change) where I had an allergic reaction (itchy mouth and tongue) when eating out and I don't know what caused it (I know the foods I am allergic to and I was not aware of any of those being present). One of these occasions was from eating food in a hospital restaurant!!! I was in the right place had the reaction got too bad, and it definitely had me worried for a while. The other was a regular restaurant that I had eaten at many times before (but not since). I am now wondering if they had prepared/handled the food using latex rubber gloves as I am allergic to latex.

[matt]

having seen the inside of hospital kitchen albeit some years ago, i'd avoid eating there. trouble is these places go to the lowest tender. not best so you get poorly paid poorly motivated staff.


likewise i'm intolerant not allergic, thank goodness. and according to the doctors i'm not even that! i'm just suffering from stress and imagining it all. damn good imagination and clever of me to know when i accidently eat some without knowing it!

[ellsie]

Hi Pen, I am also allergic to latex as well as allergic to milk and I have to be very firm with staff when I am dining out.:bash: I had not thought about people using latex gloves for food prep as I but I will ask in future. I have had the experience though of picking up my car after a service and driving 2 miles and wondering why I was feeling poorly ,faint dizzy ,hives, breathing going-not good for driving really! Turned out that the mechanics at the garage used latex gloves while working! I had to stop driving and luckily I was near a friend's house who helped me. I have recently got a medic alert bracelet in case I get taken away in an ambulance and can't tell them about my allergy because the first thing they will do is whip on the gloves!

By the way, we are trying to emigrate to Canada at the moment!:D

[Pen]

Ellsie

Do you carry an epipen (www.epipen.com (http://www.epipen.com/)) [not sure if the site is still active as I am getting the 'page cannot be displayed' message] around with you in case of a severe allergic reaction? I don't carry one as my allergies are not life-threatening.

I first discovered my latex allergy when I had had dental work done, and I had hives and slightly swollen, itchy lips. I have to remember to remind anyone carrying out any procedure on me to use latex-free gloves. But looking back, I probably had the allergy for years as my hands would become inflamed and extremely itchy when I used to use rubber gloves for housework--but I always put it down to the fact that I had eczema, and my hands must have got hot while working.

I found some latex-free household strength gloves once, but they are hard to come by (seem to be available online though). The disposable ones are easy to find though.

Are you also allergic to kiwi? I think I remember the consultant telling me that everyone who is allergic to latex is also allergic to kiwi. I know someone who is allergic to both.

Which part of Canada are you hoping to emigrate to?

[ellsie]

Yes I do carry an Epipen with me as the life threatening allergy is milk! I would go into anaphalactic shock if I have any!

My dentist has to use plastic gloves and also the midwife when I had the kids! Even being in the dentist surgery I usually start sneezing with the powder in the air.
There are a couple of places to get household strength gloves here so if you really wanted some I could try and get them for you.
No, not allergic to kiwi or bananas which I think is also associated. Not yet anyway!^_^
We are hoping to go to Vancouver Island in BC and we will be there in October for a holiday/recky trip. I am looking forward to that:clap:
Currently the waiting time being quoted to get in is 30 months! Some queue!

[matt]

worth the wait though. a far better way of life from all i've been told.

plus maple syrup frsh from the trees!:drool:

still trying to grow some, the couple of seeds i bought don't seem to have done much. and here was me planning on my southern england maple empire.:bleh:

[Pen]

I agree with Matt--well worth the wait! Quality of life out here is so much better than in the UK (I moved here [Toronto] from the UK in 1999) and it has been the best 6 years of my life. Would love to see the west though (BC and Alberta [Banff and Jasper National Parks]. I just love the mountains, but none of those around here. But Toronto is a great place to live--lots of green areas (ravines and parks) and lots of wildlife too despite living in a city.

I can't stand the smell of maple syrup though! :)

[matt]

you heathan.

if you find any seeds for the sugar maple then think of me and send them over!

[ellsie]

I like maple syrup!:drool: Perhaps you can advise me of dairy free staple brands like marg for when I come over as we will be self catering. I have relatives in BC and have heard lots about it. It is supposed to be stunning!Can't wait!

[Pen]

Ellsie

I use goat milk products, but no milk substitutes, so I am not sure if I will be any help regarding milk-free margarines etc. However, I found a Canadian website (www.milkallergy.ca (http://www.milkallergy.ca/)) that might be of use to you--it also has a forum. (I will save that one to 'my favourites' and have a proper look at it later.) It has a list of milk-free products including Fleishman's Lactose-Free margarine.

Also, Canada has the equivalent of the UK's "Fresh & Wild" store--here it is called "Whole Foods" www.wholefoodsmarket.com (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/). The only one in BC is in west Vancouver. Where in BC will you be staying? The website has a long, long list of dairy-free foods so hopefully it will be useful to you. http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthinfo/dairy.pdf (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthinfo/dairy.pdf). We have a Whole Foods in Toronto, but I get my special foods from www.thebigcarrot.ca (http://www.thebigcarrot.ca/). Unfortunately there is not one of those in BC. But the website may have info that you can use--including a (PDF) flyer showing what kind of prices you would expect to pay here.

Pen

[ellsie]

Thanks Pen for all your help. We will be staying on Vancouver Island and travelling around but we plan to spend about a week in Campbell River. I am sure they will have a local shop for health food if there is no chain there. At the moment they are trying to keep Wal-mart out so they probably have lots of little shops until the giant breaks in! I am going to check out that milk allergy site as it could be good!:D