Elimination_diet_allergy_gluten_dairy

After 2 years of intense research of Celiac disease, gluten allergies and dairy allergies for my granddaughter, I realized that I had experienced many of the same symptoms for years. I decided to follow an elimination diet and eat gluten-free and dairy-free for two weeks and record my reactions to determine if I, too, was a Celiac with a gluten allergy. I also wanted to determine if I have a dairy intolerance. I avoided most dairy products for years, but was still able to eat some products that contained dairy. Some gave me a reaction (that I was willing to live with) and some didn't. And some gave me a reaction that I was NOT willing to live with - those I avoided.

Once the two week GFCF diet was complete, I planned to eat a gluten-filled donut and record my physical reactions. If there was no reaction, I would know I didn't have issues with gluten. If, however, I had a reaction to the gluten, it would be a pretty good bet that I could not eat gluten.

I DISCOVERED THAT:

I CANNOT EAT GLUTEN OR DAIRY!

To read about my experiences with the elimination diet, and my gluten-free, dairy-free thoughts during that time . . .

March 5, 2010

Don't Feed Me Blog

It's amazing how a person can look at something over and over and over again, and not see what later appears to be obvious. I have spent endless hours researching Celiac Disease and Casein Allergy, for my granddaughter, for close to two years. It has always been topmost in my mind. I've read more articles than I can number, doctor's reports, personal experiences, medical opinions, hundreds of websites, magazines, newspapers, alternative medicine findings - everything I could get my hands on for two years. Because I wanted to do everything I could to help Aivah.

I have a granddaughter, and an older sister, who have Celiac disease. My mother (who will be 91) has had intestinal problems most of her life and is a colon cancer survivor. I know that people who have close relatives with Celiac disease have a higher tendency to have Celiac disease themselves. I know that many of the symptoms of Celiac disease can be misdiagnosed as something else. I know that many people who have Celiac disease aren't diagnosed until later in their life because we just don't think a "food allergy" can cause so many problems. I know what many of the symptoms of Celiac disease are. And yet, I never linked all of the above information to myself. Until this past week. I have many of the symptoms of Celiac disease - and they've been diagnosed as other problems on an individual basis, in the past. I just never linked them all together before.

I'm not saying I KNOW FOR A FACT that I have Celiac disease - yet. I am only saying it occurred to me this past week that it could be the cause for many of my symptoms. Doctors can test your blood for certain antibodies (Anti-Gliadin Antibodies and Endomysial Antibodies) to test for Celiac disease. These blood tests are dependent on how much gluten is in your system, if you are on a gluten-free diet, and can be only 30% accurate. Doctors can also do a small bowel biopsy to see if there is damage to the villi in your intestine. I so do not want to go through the biopsy (I have issues with medications and anesthetic) and depending on my diet, the blood tests could be falsely negative. So . . . I decided to do a "food test". (with my doctor's approval). I am not suggesting anyone else do this, or that it's a good idea for anyone but me. If you have health issues, you should consult with your doctor.

But - I decided to try a gluten-free, dairy-free diet for the next two weeks. I decided to overindulge in gluten before starting the GFCF diet, just to see what would happen. If I'm not gluten intolerant, it wouldn't hurt me. I also decided to write down all the symptoms I've had for years, so I could keep track of their progress through the next two weeks. I've had these symptoms for years, so I just accepted them as a part of my life and getting older (I'm 56). Here goes:

My symptoms:
Constant headaches
Painful, swollen joints (arthritis?) knees, left shoulder, fingers and toes. Stairs haven't been easy for years and I can't
remember when my knees didn't always hurt. There have been times when I couldn't walk because it was too painful.
Constipation
Diarrhea (foul smelling and liquid at times)
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (it was also diagnosed as PPP - Plantar Palmer Pustulosis - tiny blisters on the palms of the
hands and arch of the feet. I found if I avoided chemicals in my food, specifically MSG, sodium nitrate and nitrite,
artificial colors and flavors I could keep the blisters down but not gone.)
Abdominal cramping (severe enough to cause me to bend over until the cramping was done)
Nausea (almost daily basis)
Burning stomach (worse that "just heartburn")
Inability to sleep through the night (I would wake up on average every hour)
Exhaustion - especially mornings and early afternoons
Lactose Intolerant
"Muffled" thinking - it's like my head is filled with cotton, sometimes and I can't think straight
Short attention span
Short memory

2/27/10 - 2 Days before new diet
This is the day I overindulged in gluten. I ate crackers, bread, Cheetos, toast, cookies, candy. Since I know I have an issue with dairy, I didn't overindulge in dairy - I wanted all reactions - if there were any - to be from the gluten.

By the time I went to bed at 11:00 pm, I was very nauseous, tried very hard not to throw up, had stomach cramps, terrible headache and my knees and shoulder were extremely painful. I woke up about every half hour during the night with severe pain in my knees, shoulder, headache and nausea.

2/28/10 - Day after overindulgence
I got up at 7:30 am because I just couldn't stay in bed any longer and knew I wouldn't sleep. Blinding headache that hurt when I moved my head and opened my eyes. My stomach felt like it was on fire. Severe diarrhea as soon as I got out of bed. It was painful to walk across the floor and much more painful to climb the stairs. My knees were very swollen and painful. It hurt to bend my knees to sit in a chair (this has happened on occasion in the past, too.) My shoulder felt like someone had hit me with a hammer. My finger joints were swollen and painful. I had very bad abdominal cramps. I did NOT eat any gluten today. I made chamomile tea and honey to settle my stomach and calm my digestive system. No breakfast (didn't feel like eating) but I had scrambled eggs for lunch. Dinner was meat, potatoes, vegetable - no gluten. I was feeling better by early evening. Headache was almost gone (yes, I took a pain reliever) and cramps were much less. My stomach was just sore now, not on fire. My joints were less painful, but I had taken a pain reliever so that helped. I baked a loaf of GFCF bread and a batch of chocolate mayonnaise GFCF cupcakes. I had small blisters forming on the palms of my hands and on the arch of my right foot

Don't Feed Me - Day 1

3/1/10 - First day of GFCF Diet

I slept through my alarm for 20 minutes - alarm ringing, but I never heard it. I only remember waking up 4 - 5 times during the night. I woke up totally exhausted and wiped out. I had a slight headache, but it was livable. No need for pain relievers (I try not to take pain relievers unless the headache is VERY bad - they have artificial colors in them.) My knees were sore, but not unbearable. Still hurt to walk up the stairs, but walking across the floor just made them ache. rather than painful. My left shoulder was sore, but not terrible. I went to work and as the day progressed, I noticed my knees really didn't hurt much going up and down the stairs. I had plenty of energy. I didn't feel like falling asleep at my desk in the afternoon. My stomach didn't feel upset and I wasn't nauseated at all during the day. I did, however, have a lot of gas in the afternoon and evening. This could have been caused by my body getting rid of all the gluten I had eaten 2 days before. OR - it could have something to do with the fact that I ate 6 chocolate mayonnaise GFCF cupcakes during the day. Cupcakes that were made with soy flour. I know from past experience that soy flour causes gas for me. Might have been a combination of both? :-) By the end of the first day, I realized my knees still weren't very painful and I still wasn't nauseated. My head was fine and my thinking was much clearer. I still had tiny blisters on my palms and foot.

Don't Feed Me - Day 2

3/2/10 - Second day of GFCF Diet

I woke up with my alarm and felt "just sleepy" - not exhausted. My knees were merely sore - not painful. Walking up the stairs was much easier. I was alert all day and never felt like I wanted to just lie down and sleep. I was actually happier all day. I usually try to keep a positive outlook on life and be constantly thankful for all the good things in my life. But today it was much easier. I smiled a lot more than normal - even I noticed that. No nausea whatsoever. No burning stomach. Still had occasional abdominal cramps and could feel the gas bubbles rumbling through. (yes, I had two more cupcakes - I love those things!). Absolutely NO diarrhea -what a wonderful day! The small blisters on my palms and foot are going away. I am truly amazed at the difference in just a few days with no gluten. However, this is not conclusive. We'll see what happens in the next two weeks.

Don't Feed Me - Day 3

3/3/10 - Third day of GFCF Diet

I woke up with my alarm again, this morning. No exhaustion. When I walked up the stairs I realized I didn't have to hang onto the banister to help me up the stairs. I realized I used to put a lot of my weight on the banister to keep it off my knees when I walked up the stairs. Especially first thing in the morning. My knees would be so painful it hurt to bend them to step up to the next stair. They would also be very swollen, I assumed from lying in bed all night and not using them. Now I'm wondering if they were so swollen from all the gluten I had eaten the day before? I've been thinking back on what I used to eat and snack on during the day. I would have a sweet roll with my morning coffee around 9:00 am in the mornings (gluten). At about 10:00 am I would get the "munchies" and eat a small bag of Cheetos (dairy) or a cup of Wheat Thins (gluten). For lunch I would have a sandwich (bread - gluten), or crackers (gluten) and peanut butter, some fruit and maybe a few more Wheat Thins. If I bought my lunch, I would have chicken strips (gluten in the coating) or a hot sandwich (gluten). In the afternoon, I would have iced tea (NO gluten), more Wheat Thins or Cheetos or more crackers (gluten). Dinner would be meat, potatoes or rice and a vegetable - no gluten. BUT, I might have buttered bread or crackers with it. In the evening I might have a bowl of cereal (gluten) with soy milk. So, looking back, I see that I was consuming gluten on a daily basis. Today, however, I ate no gluten. Morning coffee went with a banana. Lunch was fresh strawberries, peanut butter (on a spoon rather than a cracker) and a fresh mandarin orange. In the afternoon I had an apple with my iced tea. Dinner was turkey burgers (made with vegetable protein flakes), mashed potatoes and corn. Again - NO gluten! My knees - I notice these the most - are slightly sore. I can stand up and bend my knee up and down and I don't have shooting pains in my knees. I can bend my knees to sit at a chair and don't have horrible pain in them. They are still slightly swollen - but hey - it's only been 3 days and I hear we have a weather front coming in, in the next few days. Fronts always made them hurt more in the past, so I don't expect that to go away. Would you believe I R-A-N today? It may have only been for about 30 feet, but I did it. Afterwards, this light bulb popped on in my head that said, "Hey! Did you notice what you just did??? You ran from one office to the other!" And my knees didn't hurt more after I ran than they did before I ran. Wow! I didn't have any "Please let me lie down and take a nap" this afternoon, like I used to. I was awake and alert all day long. I didn't have any problem keeping up with the frantic pace I had at work today. I don't generally like to discuss "bodily functions", but since gluten intolerance involves many bodily functions it's kind of hard not to mention some of them. Plus, if you have any experience with Celiac disease or gluten and/or dairy intolerance, you already know about all the bodily functions associated with that. So - let's just say I wasn't constipated and didn't have diarrhea today - everything was "normal". :-) What a change! Still somewhat gassy, but I didn't have any cupcakes made with soy flour, today, so it must just be getting rid of the old gluten that's doing that. I honestly can't believe how much better I feel today. All over - physically, mentally, emotionally. Sometimes you don't realize how bad you feel, or how painful something is, until you don't feel that way anymore. You experience something on a daily basis and it becomes a part of your normal life. Since it's a daily experience for you, it IS normal - for you. Then, if you don't have that pain anymore you notice that it ISN'T there - but you didn't really notice that it WAS there. You know what I mean? I realized today that my knees WEREN'T as painful as they normally were. But, in the past I didn't focus on how much they DID hurt, because it was a part of my "normal" day. They always hurt. It was always painful to go up and down the stairs. They were always painful and swollen in the mornings and at night. But today - they're "sore". It is SO cool! Anyway, I've rattled on quite a bit this evening. I just want to say - nothing is conclusive. It's only been 3 days. But I will continue to eat gluten-free until Friday, March 12. The evening of March 12 I plan to eat gluten and see what kind of reaction - if any - I have. I decided to eat gluten on Friday night so I would have the weekend in case I DO have some type of reaction. Whatever happens - if anything - I'll still be ready for work on Monday. I have missed so many days in the past because of horrible diarrhea, or severe headaches, etc. that I don't want to miss any now. Thanks for listening. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Don't Feed Me - Day 4

3/4/10 - 4th Day of GFCF Diet

I have something to add to yesterday's notes - I discovered firsthand the effects of "invisible" cross-contamination". I decided I wanted to snack on something to satisfy my "crunch craving". The cupboards are a little low on gluten-free snacks and I just didn't feel like leaving the house and driving to the store. I have a "gluten-eater" in the house, so there are plenty of snacks with gluten - cookies, crackers, cereal, chips, etc. Fresh fruits and vegetables are nice and healthy - but they don't crunch. I haven't purchased a new GF toaster yet (in case I'm not gluten intolerant), so a crunchy slice of GF toast was out of the question. I found a bag of tortilla chips. I diligently read the ingredients - Whole white corn, Vegetable oil, Salt. That's it. I could pronounce all the ingredients and I knew none of them contained gluten. It seemed like a safe snack. What I didn't do was take into consideration that this bag of chips had already been opened. In looking back, I believe we ate these chips - right out of the bag - along with cheese and salsa dip, crackers and flour tortillas. So, the hands that held and ate the crackers and tortillas also went into the tortilla chip bag. This means that those fingers had crumbs and gluten on them from the crackers and tortillas. And then those same fingers grabbed chips out of the bag. Which means the chips that remained in the bag had been contaminated with gluten. But, of course, I didn't think of all of this when I grabbed a few chips to munch on. The saying, "Hindsight is 20/20" really is true! I only had a handful of chips - enough to satisfy that need to CRUNCH! Then I put the bag away. About an hour after I had eaten the chips, I noticed some slight gas pains. My first thought was, "Ok, what did I eat for dinner that is doing this to me?" Nope, couldn't have been dinner. I had spaghetti - gluten-free, rice based noodles and GF spaghetti sauce. We also had french cut green beans. Ok, I'd better check the ingredients on the package of beans. Nope, the ingredients said Green Beans. That's it. Hmmmmm. What could it be? After about 10 more minutes, the gas was rumbling through me and, yup, I was definitely passing gas. (Sorry - but like I said the other day - anyone who has experience with gluten intolerance knows all about gas - and diarrhea and constipation. So, I have to talk about it. If I don’t mention my symptoms, there's really no point to recording this diet log, is there?) Another 10 minutes and I was feeling nauseated and the "icky, sick" headache was starting. These are the symptoms I used to associate with eating dairy. Even when I knew I hadn't had dairy. I would tell myself I must have misread the ingredients and something I ate really must have had dairy in it to cause these symptoms. After 40 minutes, I had terrible gas pains, was passing quite a bit of gas, I was trying very hard not to throw up, my sick headache was getting worse and the "buzzing" had started. I'm not sure how to describe this buzzing. Whenever I have bad gas pains - with the nausea and sick headache, I get this buzzing in my head. Not in my ears. It's like this low buzzing sound inside my head. Another thing that happened was the itching! About 10 minutes after I ate the chips, the palms of my hands itched so bad I thought I'd go crazy! (Of course I didn't associate it with the chips at that time, because the gas, nausea and headache hadn't started yet.) And the outside of my right knee itched the same way. If I had scratched the way I wanted to, I would have scratched the skin off my hands and my knee! I though back on what I had eaten and the only culprit I could think of was the previously opened bag of contaminated chips. Holy cow! With my granddaughter, Aivah, I knew that we always had to be conscious of cross-contamination. I knew gluten was invisible and could contaminate GF foods very easily. Yet, until you experience the effects yourself, and realize how little gluten had actually been ingested, you really don't understand. Now I can see why gluten-eaters just don't seem to understand the dangers of cross-contamination. Wow! So, an hour later I decided to go to bed for the night and hopefully sleep away the symptoms. Which pretty much worked, once I was able to fall asleep (an hour and a half later). Waking up this morning, I had very sore knees again. Not painful, the way they used to be, but more sore than the day before. The nausea and headache were gone, as well as most of the gas problem. By 10:00 this morning, I was back to normal. My NEW normal. I still can't believe how great I feel in comparison to how I used to feel when I thought I felt great. Until last night's fiasco with the tortilla chips, I haven't had any - none - nada - no gas problems for 4 days! No headache! I can stand up, lift my leg and bend my knee - over and over and over again! They're a little sore - like a sore muscle, but no PAIN. My shoulder feels fine. I haven't been able to lay on my left side in bed for, oh, probably 2 years because it was just too painful to lay on my left shoulder. I can go to sleep laying on my left side now. Wow! Another think I've noticed is my sinuses have cleared up. I didn't realize there were any sinus issues, until I started looking back. I've always sneezed a lot. Sometimes, I would think I was getting a cold (another cold) and then a few days later it would be gone. And I'd just be thankful the cold went away. I used to sniff a lot and my nose was itchy most of the time. I haven't sneezed in 3 days! And my nose doesn't itch any longer. I have energy all day long, no sleepy down-time. I can walk faster than I used to (although I haven't been running again). We have a large staircase where I work - has 27 steps. And an elevator. For the past year, I have always taken the elevator. At least on the way up. There were a few months, about a year ago, when it caused excruciating pain in both knees to even try to go up one or two stairs. They were very swollen and very, very painful. Until a few months ago, I would take the elevator up and down. Then I decided my knees were not going to get better by babying them, so I started taking the stairs on the trips down. If I went slow, I could make it down the stairs without too much extra pain. Going up was more painful so I avoided going up the stairs. Today, I looked at that staircase at work, every time I passed it. And I thought, "That would be a good test. If I can walk DOWN those stairs without wanting to quit before I get to the bottom, I'll know for sure my knees feel better." So, tomorrow is the knee test. It's late and the cats want to go to bed. I have three of them who are sitting at my feet looking at me as if they're saying, "Hey, it's late and we want to go to sleep. On your pillow, on your feet and on your head." Just like every night!

Don't Feed Me - Day 5

3/5/10 - 5th Day of GFCF Diet

Well, it's been an interesting day to say the least. Ups and downs and lots of inbetweens. First, I did take the stairs when I got to work this morning. Not bad. My knees were stiff, but not horribly painful. I went slow and when I reached the top of the staircase, my knees didn't hurt any more than they did at the bottom of the stairs! My knees have improved a great deal in the last 5 days - but I'm not pain-free. Compared to how painful they were about 2 weeks ago, the pain I have now I just call "sore". There is still some swelling, now and then. But it's such an improvement over what I used to have! Although the knees are still somewhat painful, my shoulder is actually PAIN FREE! I haven't been able to sleep on my left side in such a long time. Now, I can sleep on either side! I can move my are all over, lift heavy things, rotate my left shoulder - and NO PAIN. This part is wonderful.

I felt great again this morning. No exhaustion. Clear head. Lots of energy at work. I had a bag of potato chips with my morning coffee (instead of the sweet roll I used to have.) The ingredients read: "potatoes, oil, salt". That's it. I figured that was pretty safe. Lunch was mashed potatoes and a turkey burger. Both were leftovers from last night's dinner. The turkey burgers are made with ground turkey, soy protein flakes, onions, celery, an egg and spices. (The recipe is in my book "Don't Feed Me - Gluten-free, Dairy-free Cooking" which, by the way, you can order from my website listed above - http://www.dontfeedme.com/). During my lunch hour, I went to the grocery store to get something to snack on in the afternoon. I miss my Cheetos! I bought a bag of GF ginger snaps and a bag of tortilla chips. I read the ingredients on both packages. The gingersnaps are from a reliable gluten-free company and were made with rice flour, soy flour and a few other gluten-free flours. The tortilla chips, however, were from a "mainline" food company. The ingredients read: "Whole white corn, Vegetable Oil, Salt", so I figured I was safe.

I started having a little problem with gas around 3 pm. I didn't think much of it, because it was only once in awhile. I figured that could come from so many things. The gas problem increased as the day went by. OK - let's interrupt this with a short discussion on "bodily functions". Something I really don't care to discuss in public. But, since this is a public forum and we've already discussed that anyone who has experience with food allergies (particularly gluten and dairy) knows all about "bodily functions" that you don't normally discuss in public. Such as constipation. And diarrhea. And GAS. Passing gas. Flatulence. Farting. Can I say "fart" here? Hold on - let me ask. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yup - all 3 of my cats say the word "fart" is acceptable. It's a normal body occurrence, everyone does it, it has lots of different names - and I can use the word "fart" here. For those of you who prefer to be bodily functionally correct - please insert "passed gas" every time you read "fart".

So, anyway. The gas problem increased as the day went by. I didn't feel sick, or have a headache, or feel nauseated. I just had a lot of gas. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I thought back on everything I had eaten. Turkey burger - had that last night and I was fine. Mashed potatoes - I made those myself with soy milk and had those, too, last night. Strawberries - they're ok. I had an apple, but I had an apple from the same bag 2 days ago and was fine. GF Ginger Snaps. Hmmmmm. Tortilla Chips. Hmmmmmmmm. I decided to let it go and see what happened.

I had to drive an hour and a half from my home, after work. As more time passed, the gas became more frequent. (Which means I was farting a lot more). :) After driving about an hour, I started itching. First the back of my hand, then my forehead, then my legs, and finally my ears. All I could think of was "allergic reaction". But allergic to what? The only things I ate today that I haven't eaten in the past 5 days were the ginger snaps and the tortilla chips. You know, sometimes I can be SO slow! I started thinking it HAD to be the ginger snaps. Yes, they were gluten-free, manufactured in a gluten-free facility. So I knew I didn't have to worry about cross-contamination. One of the ingredients in the cookies was soy flour. I mentioned a few days ago that I know soy flour can give me gas (see, I still have a problem saying "fart"). So, of course, it had to be the soy flour. I'm thinking, oh great - I'm allergic to soy, too??? I had soy protein in my turkey burger and soy flour in my cookies. It MUST be the soy flour.

As the evening progressed, the gas got worse. So did the itching. But I didn't have a headache or nausea, so it couldn't be cross-contamination. As I was driving home (another hour and a half trip) I started feeling nauseas. And I was developing a slight headache. Not a real headache, just kind of an achy feeling in my head. There is a difference. And the gas got worse. Without getting into too much detail, I drove with the window open a lot of the time and was thankful I didn't have passengers!

By the time I got home, I was really feeling lousy! Very nauseous. The headache was getting worse and had that "buzzy" feeling to it. Kind of like you feel like it's making your eyes cross, but it isn't? I came home & fed the cats. who were very happy to see me - and the cat food. Once they had a dish of food in front of them, they totally ignored me - as usual! So, I'm sitting here going over everything I ate today - again. And wondering why I felt the same way I felt the other night when I experienced cross-contamination - with the open bag of tortilla chips. TORTILLA CHIPS! Oh geez! Sometimes I get so upset with myself when I miss something that seems to be right in front of my face! The tortilla chips I had today - from the new, unopened bag - were the same brand I had from the open bag the other night. No, they are not manufactured WITH gluten, but they are NOT manufactured in a gluten-free facility! Since the symptoms were identical both times I ate the tortilla chips, it has to be a case of cross-contamination. The symptoms were less severe last time because I only ate 4-5 chips. Today, however, I ate 1/3 of the bag. And it was a LARGE bag. It's the only thing that makes sense.

So - since I'm feeling so poorly tonite, I'm going to go to bed and "sleep it off". The cats are waiting, anyway. I will write more tomorrow - about more bodily functions - such as diarrhea and constipation. The second of which I seem to be having a problem with the past few days. And haven't had a problem with for years!! Always the other. I have a great solution for constipation that my mom taught me - it's natural, has no side effects and works. Even on my cat after she had surgery.

But, I really don't feel very well and it's after midnight. Goodnight.

Don't Feed Me - Day 6

3/6/10 - 6th Day of GFCF Diet

Yesterday was NOT a good day. By the time I quit writing last night, I had a terrible headache, bad gas pains, my eyes itched and I was nauseous. When I went to bed, it took about an hour before I could finally fall asleep. Once I did, I literally passed out until 8:00 am this morning. I do not remember waking up once during the night (that's the good part?)

So - now I know I don't have any issues to soy flour. Which was a dumb thing to think, anyway. I've eaten soy products many times in the past. I use soy milk to cook with and I use soy protein flakes in my turkey burgers and meatloaf. So, it didn't make sense that I would have a reaction to a new cookie made with soy flour. At the time, however, I couldn't think of anything else it could have been. In my head, the tortilla chips couldn't have been a problem because they only had 3 ingredients - corn, oil & salt. BUT - and it's a big but - they were not manufactured in a gluten-free facility. The company makes all sorts of chips and snacks and many of them include wheat.

I am realizing, unless you have experienced cross-contamination firsthand, you really have no idea how it feels and how little it takes to make you sick. My granddaughter, Aivah, was diagnosed with Celiac disease and a Casein allergy almost 2 years ago. (She turns 3 next week!!!) I've seen her reactions to cross-contamination, I've walked the floor with her, I used to watch her pound her head with her hands because of a headache. I changed her diapers when she had the horrid, foul-smelling, butt-burning diarrhea. But I NEVER truly understood cross-contamination. Until I experienced it myself. More than once.

If I didn't truly understand the effects of cross-contamination, how can we expect "gluten-eaters" to understand? Or believe it? If a gluten product and a gluten-free product are manufactured in the same facility, "gluten-eaters" don't realize it only takes a little wheat flour in the air to contaminate the gluten-free product. You can't see the gluten, so it can't hurt you, right? Now I know that is SO wrong!

I live with a gluten-eater, so I will need to be careful to avoid cross-contamination. I cook the meals for both of us, so I'm just now realizing I will need to cook two different meals at the same time. Just like this past week when we had spaghetti. I used the same spaghetti sauce for both of us, but I needed two pans to cook two types of spaghetti noodles. I also realized that my gluten-free rice noodles took twice as long to cook as the semolina flour noodles. And if I left her noodles sit in the water until mine were done, her noodles would have been mushy. So, this time we couldn't eat at the same time. Another hard part is learning to cook just enough for one person - one gluten meal and one gluten-free meal. I had a hard enough time trying to make just enough for two people! Now I have to cut that in half. It's a good thing I don't mind taking leftovers for lunch at work the next day.

I realize I'm speaking as if I know I'm gluten intolerant and planning for the future. It's only been a week since I started the GF diet, so it's not for sure. I haven't eaten that piece of bread, yet. I'm actually reluctant to eat a piece of wheat bread next week. I feel so much better, now. Most of the symptoms I've had for years are gone! Today it rained. I know that's not important to you, but my knees don't hurt! Before this, I could tell when the weather was going to change, when a warm front or cold front was coming in, when we'd get moisture. My knees would get very swollen and painful for 2 - 3 days beforehand. It would be hard to walk up a few stairs, hard to get in and out of the car. I went to the store today and when I left the store it was raining. At first I thought, "Hmmm - it's raining. At least it will get rid of some of the snow." I got in the car and drove home. When I got out of the car it hit me - I didn't know it was going to rain! It came as a complete surprise to me. Which made me realize I got in and out of the car without a problem, and my knees didn't hurt. And it was raining. How wonderful!

I've been baking, today. Because of my craving for a snack this past week, I ate food I should have known not to eat. So, today I made GF donuts. And GF donut holes. And GF bread - 2 loaves. And GF banana bread - 2 loaves. No, I didn't eat all of it. Actually, Aivah will get half of everything. So she has some new snacks to eat. I took my mother's recipe for cake donuts and converted it to gluten-free. They're pretty good, although I think I need more liquid next time. I have my mother's donut maker - the old metal tube thing that you fill with batter. You push down on the handle at the top, and the batter comes out the bottom around the metal circle at the bottom - forming a donut. The batter was a little on the thick side, so I had to shake it down. Next time I'll add a little more water. Oh, I also made Aivah a GF Chocolate Bundt Cake (recipe is in my cookbook) for her birthday party tomorrow, which I'm going to frost with boiled frosting (recipe also in my cookbook).

Last night I was talking about constipation and the best "cure" for it. This is something my mother told me when my children were young. I used it for my children, and now my daughter uses it for her children. It's Karo dark corn syrup. Yes, it's gluten-free. I had them verify it. For an adult, use 1 tsp. For a child 1/2 tsp works. For small cats put about 1/4 tsp on their paw. They will lick it off and it works. My cat, Zoey, was constipated after surgery. I had her spayed and she was very constipated for weeks after surgery. I know constipation can be a problem after surgery - for people. Now, I know it can also be a problem for cats, after surgery. Anyway - dark corn syrup is made from real ingredients, as opposed to chemicals. It can't hurt you, (unless you're allergic to sugar) and has no side effects - except it will get rid of your constipation - without causing diarrhea. Sometimes, when you use chemical products, there are side effects. For example, if you are constipated, you take a laxative. Which can cause diarrhea. So, you take a fiber product. Which causes constipation. And so on and so on. Your body gets so used to the chemical products that you get on a roller coaster of diarrhea and constipation and eventually you can't have a normal bowel movement on your own. I prefer to take the natural way to treat symptoms rather than chemical drugs.

So, that's enough for tonite. I'm going to make a fresh pot of coffee and sit down with a few donut holes. And maybe a slice or two of banana bread. And, just maybe, a slice of yeast bread. Because it's here and it might go bad, right?

Don't Feed Me - Day 7

3/7/10 -7th Day of GFCF Diet

I have discovered, through recent experience, that it takes approximately 48 hours to fully recover from the effects of cross-contamination. And if I have any issues with constipation, to just eat something contaminated and I won't have that problem after 24 hours. Hmmmmm. I would like to tell you what helps me - and my family - when we have a problem with diarrhea. Let me remind you that I'm not a doctor and I'm not telling you that this will work for you. I'm just telling you what works FOR ME. It is always up to the individual to decide if a product is right for them.

Now that I'm done with that - whenever I have diarrhea (here we are discussing "bodily functions" again) I take two Slippery Elm Bark capsules. I use Nature's Way Slippery Elm. This is a natural product, has no side effects that I know of and works within 20 minutes. It's been a lifesaver over the years for me and for my family. My daughter and one granddaughter are lactose intolerant and Aivah is a Celiac with a Casein allergy. I have had issues with diarrhea for years (I think I know why, now). According to the University of Maryland Medical Center:

Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) has been used as an herbal remedy in North America for centuries. Native Americans used slippery elm in healing salves for wounds, boils, ulcers, burns, and skin inflammation. It was also taken orally to relieve coughs, sore throats, diarrhea, and stomach problems. Slippery elm contains mucilage, a substance that becomes a slick gel when mixed with water. It coats and soothes the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines; it also contains antioxidants that help relieve inflammatory bowel conditions. Slippery elm also causes reflux stimulation of nerve endings in the gastrointestinal tract leading to increased mucus secretion. The increased mucus production may protect the gastrointestinal tract against ulcers and excess acidity.

In plain English - when you have diarrhea and you take Slippery Elm, it doesn't make you constipated. It just changes the consistency, sort of thickens things up. It coats the lining of your intestines and also stops the terrible gas pains. Within 20 minutes.

Something else I use when I'm either nauseous or have bad gas pains is Chamomile tea with honey. Chamomile tea isn't the best tasting tea on its own, so I use one part Chamomile tea and one part Raspberry tea with 2 tsp of honey. I've given this to my grandkids when they have an upset stomach. The raspberry and honey make it taste good. Aivah drank this as a toddler, before her Celiac diagnosis.

Another "cure" for nausea is ginger. I happen to like the taste of candied ginger. It is somewhat sweet (the candied part) and will stop nausea within 15 minutes. I had my daughter try this when she had a problem with nausea, but she didn't care for the flavor. Ginger has a little bit of a "bite" to it. Her solution was to eat ginger snap cookies. It works just as well and tastes better. If you decide to try this, be sure the cookies are made with REAL GINGER - not ginger flavoring. If you are a Celiac, also be certain they are gluten-free. :)

Today's experience with the gluten-free, dairy-free diet was much better. I was still feeling the effects of the cross-contamination from Friday. Today was the diarrhea in the morning. After taking Slippery Elm (once I figured out the diarrhea wasn't going to stop) I felt much better. My knees are still doing great. They aren't completely pain-free, but just a little stiff and sore. I've injured both knees and fallen on them for various reasons so many times in the past that, to me, it's understandable that they'd be a little sore at my age. Anything but the pain I've experienced in the past 7 - 8 years.

So, I consider this a wonderful day. It was also Aivah's 3rd birthday. She loved the chocolate bundt cake with boiled frosting. (Her mother, however, wasn't too excited about the frosting. It resembles marshmallow creme. Messy. Oh well, you're only 3 once and that's what grandma's are for, right?

I've been busy working on the website (http://www.dontfeedme.com/ ) tonite, so it's late and I have to get up for work in the morning. I have bread and donuts and donut holes and banana bread for tomorrow - all gluten-free. So I'm happy.

Don't Feed Me - Day 8

3/8/10 - 8th Day of GFCF Diet

Another wonderful day in the life of gluten-free! I can't believe how good I feel. No headaches, no fuzzy head, no exhaustion, no "bodily functions" to discuss, my knees feel great as well as my shoulder. It's been warm here - in the 30's and 40's - which is WARM for the frozen tundra! It's been humid, sometimes drizzling, sometimes raining. I'm sure there has been a front or two moving through the area - and none of it has bothered me in the least. I can't remember the last time my knees and shoulders and hands felt this good in rainy weather - maybe 10 years? Or more? I know I mention my knees a lot - but it's just such a relief not to have them ache and hurt and swell up, so it's uppermost in my mind.

It's funny how you don't realize how lousy you feel until you actually feel good. Then, and only then, can you look back and see that what you considered "normal" really wasn't. At my age (56) I shouldn't have felt as OLD as I did. And I never really realized it wasn't right. Or maybe you worry so much about helping those around you that you don't think of helping yourself. You just put up with what each day brings and learn to deal with it. It is what it is. So, it won't change. If someone had asked me a month ago - or a year ago, or 5 years ago - if I considered myself healthy I would have told them "Of course. I'm very healthy." Looking back, I realize I wasn't. To me, going back and forth between constipation and terrible diarrhea (bodily functions, again) was normal. Joints so swollen and painful it hurt to walk across the floor, climb stairs, get in and out of a car, sleep at night - this was normal. Headaches at least four days out of every week was normal. Tiny blisters on the palm of my hands and arches of my feet were normal. Waking up every hour during the night with either nausea, headache, painful joints - this too was normal. Being exhausted by 2:00 in the afternoon and wishing I could just lay down and sleep, but dragging myself through the rest of the day was normal. I look back - after a little over a week of gluten-free - and wonder HOW COULD I THINK THAT WAS NORMAL?? Because, for me, it was.

I have so much energy now! I can't believe it. Not feeling like you're going to throw up at any minute is great. I'm not grouchy all the time (which I'm sure the people around me appreciate). I have business meeting I need to go to in April. It includes a dinner. I was trying to figure out if there was a way I could avoid going - because of the dinner. I'm afraid to eat out because of cross-contamination. I know now what happens to me and that it takes 48 hours to get past the effects. I really don't want to go through that again. Thankfully, I called the restaurant and asked about their experience with gluten-free cooking and was assured that they are able to cook a gluten-free meal for me. I hope they're right. We'll see.

Another day I'm not looking forward to is Friday, March 19. That's the day I eat the slice of wheat bread. I planned to eat it on a Friday, so if I have a reaction (??) I will have Saturday and Sunday to recover. If I had a 48 hour reaction just from cross-contamination, what will an entire piece of wheat bread do? But, I feel I need to do this to prove to myself that gluten-free is better for me. Now that I'm eating gluten-free, it's pointless to have the blood tests for gluten. There won't be any in my system. Plus, I've read on many websites and in reports from numerous doctors that the blood tests are only about 30% accurate. To me, eating gluten-free for two weeks and then eating a piece of wheat bread sounds like a more accurate test. It may not be scientific, but I know my body and what it does and doesn't do. The results from this test will tell me if I want to be gluten-free or not. I am not advising anyone else to do this. If you have questions or health issues, you should consult your doctor. If, however, you don't seem to be getting answers, or are being made feel like it's all in your head - or being told that by a doctor - consult another doctor. Many doctors don't - or won't - believe that food allergies can make a person sick. Or worse. If you had a growth somewhere on your body, and your doctor told you there really wasn't a growth, that it was all your imagination - you would consult another doctor wouldn't you? The same holds true if you believe you have a food allergy. If you don't feel the doctor you are seeing is taking you seriously, find another doctor. Sometimes we forget that the doctors work for us. Without a patient, a doctor wouldn't have a job.

Well, it's late, again. The cats have had their nightly treat and are all three sitting at my feet looking up at me as if to say, "Hey, it's late. Let's go to bed." I think I'll take their advice. Goodnight.

Don't Feed Me - Day 9

So this is Day 9 of the gluten-free, dairy-free diet. I don't know about you, but I'm getting bored with this blog. I had a good day, my symptoms are gone and I feel great. What else can I say? I think it's fantastic, and I haven't felt this good in I don't know how many years. But you can only say that a few times and it's boring - because nothing changes. It's a GOOD thing, but boring.

So, I'm going to talk about mothers. And fathers. And fighters. I just finished reading Jenny McCarthy's "Mother Warriers". I'm amazed. And encouraged. And - honestly - humbled. There are so many mothers who fight so hard for their children. Whether their children are Celiacs, are Autistic or have some sort of food allergy doesn't matter. These mothers will do whatever it takes to keep their children safe and healthy. Mothers know their children better than anyone. Better than doctors, better than teachers, better than friends, better than relatives - better than anyone. A mother knows when something is wrong with her child. And will fight tooth and nail to get that child the help he or she needs. A mother will go up against all odds, fight what others would call a losing battle, all to help her child. I am and have been one of those mothers, and now I'm one of those grandmothers, and I'm still humbled by all the mothers out there who will fight for their children. I'm amazed at what they will go through to help their child. Even though I know I would go through the same things, I'm still amazed. Just tonite, my oldest granddaughter asked me, "If I needed a kidney, Nana, would you give me one of yours?" Out of the blue. I didn't even have to think about it. I just replied, "Of course. I would give you anything you needed."

And let's not forget about the fathers. There are fathers who will fight right alongside those mothers, to help their child. I think fathers, on a whole, get a bad reputation because there are so many jerks who DON'T care, who DON'T help, who WON'T fight. But there are more who will. And do. That's what a parent is supposed to do. Fight to protect their child - whether it's to protect them from "the bad guy", or bullies, or from getting hurt, or from illness, or from doctors who just don't understand, that's what a parent is supposed to do.

It's too bad that so many parents have to fight unnecessary battles. Such as convincing a doctor that there really IS something wrong with your child. And that the medical profession and pharmaceutical companies and the chemical companies are the ones who are causing this child - and millions of others - to be sick. Very, very sick. So much has changed in our world since I was a kid. Not that there weren't bad things back then. But our world is so much more toxic now than it was 50 years ago. Not much is pure anymore. Or clean. We contaminate the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. The medicines we give our children are contaminated with known toxins and poisons. We have doctors and government officials who believe if one chemical is good, ten are better. And if something happens to our children, it MUST be something the parent did. Or the parent is just imagining it and is w.r.o.n.g. Even when we can prove that we are right, and we know how to help our children, there are doctors, pharmaceutical companies and really good sales & marketing departments who will try - and succeed - in discrediting us. One step forward, five steps back. And still, we fight for our children. Because that's what parents do. Thankfully, there are also doctors who DO listen to us, who ARE willing to try something different, who WILL believe us.

My website "Don't Feed Me" says it's "for children with food allergies". It's actually for the parents of the children with food allergies. When I started "Don't Feed Me" I wanted to create a website that would give parents - and relatives and friends - information on food allergies. What some of the symptoms are, what could possibly happen if a food allergy remains undiagnosed, where to go for answers. I think I've accomplished that to a certain extent. I wanted to have information about Celiac disease (because of Aivah), Autism (I have a grandson with Autism), Nut allergies (we have a friend who's son is deathly allergic to nuts), dairy allergies (Casein allergy and lactose intolerance in our family), and possibly expand into other food allergies. I wanted to "do it all". I have spent the past 2 years researching all of the above, and more. Read thousands of pages of information on the internet, checked out hundreds of books at the library, bought books at so many bookstores, and read every one - and I still feel as if I know so little and there is SO much more to learn. I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed because I want to do so much, and I'm only one person. Can just one person really make a difference? Can just one person find the necessary information? Can one person work hard enough, long enough, steady enough to help just one other person? And then I realized that, yes, just one person can make a difference. One mother. One father, One grandparent.

I feel like I'm just a drop of water. One drop of water can't do much. Can't help much, but can't do much damage either. Then I realized if you have two drops of water, you can help a little more. And 50 drops of water has a bigger effect. If you combine a lot of drops of water, you can create an ocean. And an ocean can float - or destroy - a ship. If the "ship" is called Celiac disease, or Autism, or food allergy, then the ocean of parents and grandparents and relatives and friends can join together to make a difference.

Are you "just a drop of water"?

Don't Feed Me - Day 10

This is Day 10 of my gluten-free, dairy-free diet. The fact that I have no symptoms - absolutely NO symptoms - still makes for boring. Exciting to me, to be without symptoms. But boring for others to read.

So tonite I want to tell you about the conclusions I came to, today. I finally know what I want to be when I grow up! When we're kids, we imagine all sorts of scenarios of what we want to be when we grow up. Adults always seemed to be asking us, "What do YOU want to be when you grow up?" Throughout the years, I've never been really been able to answer that. I have a full-time job, and I like what I do. I've had a few other jobs during my lifetime, and I liked all of them. But none of them were what I could shout, "THIS is what I want to be when I grow up." I liked my jobs, I tried to do my best at these jobs, but none of them were what I felt like I could strive for. Not something that I could focus on and work towards. Until today. I want to be an advocate for children with Celiac disease when I grow up. I always liked the phrase "I may have to grow older, but I'll never grow up". To me, this meant I could still do childish things - like run barefoot in the rain, skate down the sidewalk the first time it snowed, eat ice cream for breakfast - you get the idea. I had to grow older, because that's just the natural progression of things. I had to accept the responsibilities of an "older person". And I have done all of those things.

But, now I want to grow up (not grow old) and BE what I want to be "when I grow up".

There were two events in the past few weeks that brought me to this conclusion. Discovering that I am a Celiac, and reading Jenny McCarthy's "Mother Warriors". I have spent the past two years researching Celiac disease and Casein allergy because of my granddaughter's Celiac diagnosis. I know the pain and suffering she went through. I changed her diapers, saw the blisters, cleaned up her vomit, all of it. I know what Celiac disease is - from the outside. I saw the pain she was in, heard her cries, was caught in her eyes when they would plead "help me". I understood this. From the outside. I believe it took me until now to discover that I'm also a Celiac, so I would know what it is like from the INSIDE. Not as one watching someone else experience the symptoms. But as someone who experiences those symptoms herself. It's one thing to see someone with a broken leg and think, "Boy, I bet that hurts." It's quite different to HAVE the broken leg and think, "Boy, this hurts like hell!"

Reading Jenny McCarthy's book was very emotional for me. And should be for anyone who reads it. It made me feel insignificant. I've learned so much in the past two years. And there is still so much more to learn. I'm afraid I won't learn it all. As I said yesterday, I started Don't Feed Me to help children like Aivah. Children with Celiac disease. Since I know that many Autistic children respond well to the gluten-free, casein-free diet, I wanted to help those children, too. And there are children who have allergies to foods other than gluten and dairy. I wanted to help them, too.

But, today, I realized that I really can't save the world. I can do everything in my power to help as many parents and children as I can - but I can't do it all. I can't know everything about everything. I don't want to know a little bit about a lot of things. I want to know a lot about one thing. So, I decided I need to focus on a part of the whole. I have more experience with Celiac disease than any of the other issues. I'm going to concentrate on that. I will continue to research, and read, and send emails and talk to people and do whatever I need to do. For Celiac disease.

Rather than research everything there is to know about Autism and try to put it all on my website, I am going to create a page with links to all of this wonderful information. I don't need to reinvent the wheel. There are many, many very qualified people out there who know so much more than I do. Who have experience - from the outside and from the inside - with Autism, the symptoms, the signs, and the recovery. You can't cure Autism, but you can recover from it. I hope to have this page ready by the end of this month.

I will concentrate on Celiacs, but will also have information about other food allergies because of the similarities. And I will talk. In this blog, to people I meet, to groups of people. "Groups of People" - scary, scary thought for me. I have issues with crowds - and more than 3 people is a crowd to me. I have panic attacks in large crowds (more than 10 people). My heart starts beating faster, I have trouble breathing, I break out in a sweat. I feel like I'm suffocating and can't get enough air. My personal space grows with the number of people in the room. And I have to leave the room. One nice thing about doing a blog, and creating the Don't Feed Me website, is I can do both from the comfort of my own home. Where I have cats who are small and leave me alone most of the time. I published a cookbook without having to talk to too many people face to face. Much of it was accomplished via the computer. Perfect world, right? I have my comfort zone and I don't have to leave it. But I can only do so much by myself. You can't spread the word to other people if you constantly avoid those people. You can't share experiences if you don't meet these other people face to face. You can't raise money for Celiac research and Celiac awareness from the comfort of your own home. I stepped outside my comfort zone to create Don't Feed Me. I stepped outside my comfort zone to publish the cookbook. Now I REALLY need to step outside my comfort zone to help children with Celiac disease. Children are our future. If we don’t do everything we can to protect them and help them when they are still children, what hope is there for the future?

Don't Feed Me - Day 11

This is the last day of gluten-free, dairy-free. When I began this diet, I told myself I would not eat gluten or dairy for 2 weeks. Then I would eat a piece of bread to see if anything happened. What has happened since the first day, is I lost all my symptoms. Symptoms I've had for 20+ years. That alone has convinced me to eat gluten and dairy-free. BUT - I need to eat gluten, again, to see what happens. Am I looking forward to it? Not in the least. I really don't want to eat that slice of wheat bread. I'm nervous about it. I've felt better in the past two weeks than I have in years. I don't want to go back to how I used to feel. But the only way I will know for sure is to eat wheat and see what happens. Maybe nothing will happen. If so, then I can go back to eating all the things I haven't had for the past two weeks.

I have gone two weeks - and more - without eating other foods. I've gone months without eating an apple, or an orange, or asparagus. When I finally do eat it, nothing happens. If you take a food you aren't allergic to out of your diet for an extended period of time, and then eat it, nothing happens. Because you're not allergic to it. You don't have an intolerance to it. If you take a food you ARE allergic to out of your diet, and then eat it weeks or months later, you WILL have a reaction. Because you are allergic to it. Which means you quit eating it (or put up with the consequences).

So, tomorrow night I have bread. And on Saturday we see what happens. Or maybe Sunday. Or maybe Friday night. Or maybe never. I will let you know.

It's late, I'm tired and I wish you a good evening

Don't Feed Me - The Day After

I didn't update the blog last night, because there wasn't anything to update - last night. This morning, however, is another story! Oh man!

I ate a regular, gluten-filled donut last night. I had originally planned to eat a piece of bread, but a donut sounded better. They're both made with wheat, so if I was going to have a reaction, the donut would do just as well as a piece of bread. And the donut would taste better. Or so I thought. The first thing I noticed while I was eating the donut was that it didn't taste as good as I remembered. It had a "funny" taste. Apparently, my taste buds don't like gluten anymore, either. So, at 9:00 pm last night I ate a donut. After the first few bites, I wanted to quit eating it because it didn't taste good, but I knew I had to eat the whole thing for it to be an accurate test.

By 9:30 pm I had a slight headache, felt slightly lightheaded and was slightly nauseous.

At 10:00 pm I broke out in the sweats. Kind of like a hot flash - on steroids. I had to step outside to cool off (I'm in MN and it was about 28 degrees last night.) The cool felt good. Then I would go back inside, sit down and tell myself, "I'm NOT going to throw up!" The lightheadedness and nausea would come in waves. I'd feel really crummy for about 15 minutes, and then it would sort of fade away. I'd start thinking, "OK, that was icky but now it's done and I'll feel better." And then it would be back, a little worse than the last time. And then it would go away. And come back. Yuck!

Around 10:30 pm the gas started (bodily functions, again). I would step outside, then, just to be away from everyone else in the house. (My granddaughter had friends over for the night and I didn't want to embarrass her.) :)

By 11:00 pm, I was very nauseous, and had a terrible headache. I went to bed to watch a movie. I thought maybe I'd feel better if I layed down. The headache was worse, my knees were hurting and I really didn't want to throw up. After lying in bed for about 20 minutes, I decided I really didn't care about the movie and wanted to escape in sleep. So I did. I remember turning off the TV, laying down and . . . nothing. I zonked out immediately.

I woke up many times during the night. Between the horrible headache, the sore shoulder and the painful knees, I woke up about once an hour. I woke up at 6:30 this morning with a blinding headache. I decided I really didn't want to get up just to experience that, so I tried to go back to sleep. I "napped" off and on for the next hour and a half. I finally got out of bed at 8:00 this morning. Blinding headache! The knees hurt so bad it was painful to get out of bed and up the stairs. Oh boy, did that bring back memories!

I didn't want to take anything for the headache, because I wouldn't be able to follow the reactions accurately, if I got rid of anything. After another two hours, the headache was starting to go away. The knees were a little better, but I had been walking around trying to loosen them up. As things were improving, I was thinking, "OK, maybe I really don't have a problem with gluten. Maybe it was something else last night. Maybe the knees (and shoulder) hurt because of the weather. We've had rain, fog and humidity for an entire week, now. Granted, my joints haven't hurt all week, but maybe it just took more time, this time." I think I was hopeful that I really didn't have a problem with gluten. That way I could go back to eating my Cheetos!

And then at 11:00 am this morning the diarrhea started. And kept going. And going. And, oh my Lord, going. This brought back SO many memories. About 30 years’ worth of memories! After an hour of this, I finally decided I didn't want to record all the reactions. Well, I didn't want to record THIS reaction anymore. An hour of diarrhea is recording enough. So, I took two Slippery Elm bark. It normally slows the diarrhea down in about 20 minutes. It's actually taken about 45 minutes, this time. (I've had to quit typing this blog 4 times in the past 10 minutes to make another trip to the bathroom.) Believe it or not, it HAS slowed down since I first took the Slippery Elm bark. (I described slippery elm bark in a previous blog.) I don't know how I would have survived the past about 15 years without slippery elm bark.

So - to ME, this means no more gluten. If I can go the rest of my life without this horrible diarrhea, headache and nausea, I'll be fine with it. And I'm ok with that. Plus, I made gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies last night and they're great! They're still soft this morning. They taste the way I remember chocolate chip cookies! My granddaughter, Morgan, tasted them and said they taste like "real" chocolate chip cookies! I'll add the recipe to tomorrow's blog. I have to share these with you!

So, I'm going to go get over this reaction and chill out until the slippery elm bark takes care of the diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Then, I'm going to have a cup of coffee and a couple of REALLY GOOD chocolate chip cookies!

Don't Feed Me - Slippery Elm Bark

After my experience with gluten, after being gluten-free and dairy-free for two weeks, I have no plans to EVER eat gluten again. Looking back in the notes I took, yesterday, I discovered the first wave of diarrhea came 15 hours after eating gluten. Then - to my surprise - I realized there was a second wave 15 hours after that. Throughout the 36 hour period after eating gluten, I took slippery elm bark 3 times. I can't remember when I took slippery elm bark that much in a 36 hour period. Rather than have you look for previous references to slippery elm bark, I will explain what it is and what it does, now.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center:

"Slippery elm contains mucilage, a substance that becomes a slick gel when mixed with water. It coats and soothes the mouth, throat, stomach and intestines. It also contains antioxidants that help relieve inflammatory bowel conditions. Slippery elm also causes reflux stimulation of nerve endings in the gastrointestinal tract leading to increased mucus secretion. The increased mucus production may protect the gastrointestinal tract against ulcers and excess acidity."

I don't know what we would have done, for the past 10+ years, without slippery elm bark. I've had intestinal issues for many years, my daughter and one granddaughter are lactose intolerant and Aivah is a Celiac. Which means we have all had issues with diarrhea. Severe diarrhea. Slippery elm bark has helped every time. Because the slippery elm bark powder becomes a gel when mixed with water, basically it coats the lining of your stomach, intestines and colon. When you feel like your entire abdomen is on fire and you have severe diarrhea, believe me this offers such relief. It's natural - "The Slippery Elm is a small tree abundant in North America. The inner bark has important medicinal value and is an official drug of the United States Pharmacopoeia. The bark, which is the only part used, is collected in the spring." (from Botanical.com).

Since I am not a doctor, I am not recommending that you use slippery elm - I can only tell you what works for me, and my family. It is always up to each individual to determine if a product is safe for them.

However, if you decide to try slippery elm bark for diarrhea (and, yes, it works for constipation, too) be sure to read the ingredients to be sure there are no "fillers" or other gluten products in the brand you are purchasing. If you aren't sure, call the manufacturer. Many companies use fillers (sometimes gluten products). Be sure you are buying a pure product. I can't mention brand names, but we have been using the same brand for over 10 years. It comes in a white plastic bottle with a bright green cap.

I do want to mention, if you have diarrhea because of something you ate, slippery elm will slow things down and soothe the burning, gas and pain. It will not stop you from having a bowel movement, which so many over the counter chemical products will do. When this happens, you end up with constipation. Then you take another over the counter chemical product for the constipation - which causes diarrhea. And around and around you go. Slippery elm just sort of "thickens" things up so you no longer have diarrhea.

It will NOT help if you have diarrhea because of illness, such as the flu. Apparently, your body knows it needs to get rid of whatever germ or virus you have, and does.

So - look at this - an entire blog about "bodily functions". :) Guess I'm getting better at talking about them. All I know is - no more gluten for me.

Since it's late and I need to get up early for work tomorrow, I'll give you that recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies I mentioned. Gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cookies. That are still soft the next day and taste great! Aivah loved them! These are the first chocolate chip cookies she's had in 3 years - and she's 3 years old.

Goodnight

Don't Feed Me - GFDF Chocolate Chip Cookies

As I said last night, I made the best gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies! Today, they're still soft. So many gluten-free baked products are great right after you make them, but dry out as the days go by. These cookies seem to stay soft. I've tried many recipes for chocolate chip cookies and they always seem to get as hard as a rock a day or two after I bake them. (It doesn't matter if they're gluten-free or made with wheat flour - I could never seem to make a chocolate chip cookie like those in the commercials. Where they come out of the oven all soft and warm and the chocolate chip oozes out and STAYS SOFT. Hah! If I can just get the COOKIE to stay soft, I'm happy.

So, without further ado, here is the recipe:

1 C brown rice flour

3/4 C tapioca flour

3/4 C potato starch flour

1 tsp GF baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp xanthan gum

3/4 C dairy-free margarine

3/4 C packed GF brown sugar

1/2 C granulated sugar

2 eggs

6 oz. mini dairy-free chocolate chips (1/2 bag)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl combine margarine, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix at high speed until creamy. Add eggs and mix at high speed for 2 minutes.

Add flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix at high speed for 2 minutes until well blended. Add xanthan gum and mix until well blended. (If you only have a hand mixer like I do, once you add the xanthan gum and the mixture really thickens up, the hand mixer doesn't work. I added 1 tsp of xanthan gum and mixed with the hand mixer. Then I added the 2nd tsp of xanthan gum and mixed with a wooden spoon. I put directions for using a countertop mixer in because I assume most people have one. Not me, but most people)

Stir in mini chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2-3 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until MOST of the cookie is light brown. The center of the cookie should be lighter than the edges. Remove pan from oven and carefully remove cookies from cookie sheet. They are delicate, because they are still hot. If you leave them on the pan too long before removing them, they are difficult to get off the cookie sheet (I speak from experience, here).

I'm not supposed to mention brands, but we found the BEST gluten-free, dairy-free mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. These are SO good, I have to tell you what they are. They are the "Enjoy LIfe" allergy friendly semi-sweet chocolate chips. These are dairy, nut and soy FREE! I still remember the taste of regular semi-sweet chocolate chips (you know, the kind with dairy in them?) and I think these taste the same. My granddaughter is a "gluten-eater" and, after convincing her that they really do taste good - she tried one. She agrees. In fact, she even went so far as to try one of the above chocolate chip cookies - and still had to agree - they taste good. She said they taste just like a "regular" chocolate chip cookies.

It's great when a "gluten-eater" tells you something you made gluten-free and dairy-free STILL tastes good! But the best part is Aivah. She was 15 months old when she was diagnosed with Celiac disease, and a Casein allergy. She's never had REAL chocolate. (Well, to be honest, she hasn't had REAL chocolate on a regular basis since her diagnosis. There are some people who will remain nameless that continue to feed her food that contains gluten and dairy, which of course make her sick, but we won't mention THAT person.)

Aivah LOVES her chocolate chip cookies. I also made her oatmeal cookies. Oatmeal is another food she hasn't had since her diagnosis over a year and a half ago. I bought some of Bob's Red Mill (another brand I can't say enough good things about) gluten-free oatmeal for the cookies. For Aivah. And me. I'm still new enough to this that I wanted a GOOD cookie. That didn't cost more than I was willing to pay. (What can I say - I'm frugal.) Yesterday, she had an oatmeal cookie and a chocolate chip cookie. (I think she actually had more than one of the chocolate chip cookies, but I won't tattle.) When mom offered her an oatmeal cookie today, she said, "I no want that. I no like that one. I want a cawklate one!" I have a feeling I'll be making chocolate chip cookies on a regular basis from now on. That's ok with me - as long as I get to share!

Once again, it's late and I need to get up early in the morning. One of these nights, I'll start this earlier and actually get to bed before midnight. I've been telling myself that for months and still haven't made it. There are just so many things I want to get done and never enough time to do them in. If I could figure out how to keep going without needing to sleep, I could get SO much more accomplished!

Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

Don't Feed Me . . . what?

I have had many comments on the name "Don't Feed Me". I've been asked, "Don't Feed Me? Don't feed me WHAT?" Well, that's the whole purpose behind the name. It differs from person to person, child to child. Originally, it was Don't Feed Me wheat. Then casein. Then it progressed to dairy. And nuts. And chemicals. "Don't Feed Me *insert allergen* because it can make me sick."

The purpose of Don't Feed Me is to help children, and adults, who have reactions to various foods. Foods that can cause reactions from mild to devastating. Reactions that can cause other conditions - such as Celiac disease, Autism, ADHD, Arthritis, Anaphylactic Shock, convulsions, hives, vomiting, blisters, rashes, anemia - I can go on and on and on. I truly believe allergies to foods are commonly mis-diagnosed. So many diseases and conditions can cause similar symptoms, that we can't put all the blame on doctors. They are, after all, only human. Unfortunately, there are enough people in the medical profession who are not willing to listen to a patient's or a parent's ideas and suggestions. They expect you to do as they say because "You're not a doctor." But, you ARE a parent. And you know your child better than anyone. That's why parents need to be informed and fight all odds to protect their children. Sometimes, you need to think "outside the box" and look at different ideas. Each child is an individual. Not all children react to everything in the same way. So, one solution will not work for all children. Information is the key. Don't Feed Me provides information. Visit http://www.dontfeedme.com/ (or http://www.dontfeedme.net/) and look at the information provided. If you can't find what you're looking for, please let me know. I will research and help you find the information you need.

Research - it's such a part of my everyday life that I forget other people don't research everything the way I do. If I don't know what an ingredient is in a food, I will research it - what is it, what does it do, where does it come from, was it tested on animals (or people), what can happen if I eat it/use it - before I will eat it or use it. If it has a chemical name, especially if I can't pronounce it, I certainly research it first. I do this with ingredients in food, cleaning products, clothing fabrics, just about everything I use. For me, it's normal. I have to remember, a lot of people don't think about what is in the food they're eating (look at all the fast food places and how popular they are!) or what's in their soap, cleaning products (look at the Magic Erasers - the commercial shows a woman using them with her bare hands. EEEWWW! If it will eat away at anything that's on your wall/counter/floor - what do you think it will do to your skin? And what will be absorbed into your body? And what damage - years down the road - will it do to you?) or what's in the make-up women use (I'll get into that another time). So, Don't Feed Me is to help you stay informed on what you're eating and using.

I've added a new page to the website called "Information Highway". I want to provide links to information that is (or could be) important to you. Information on food recalls, vaccines, food additives, etc. Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in a day and I can't do it all at once - as much as I would like to. So, check this page often. As I find more information that I think someone might be interested in, I will add it.

This is a short blog tonite, and I'm sorry. Hopefully, the website will talk for me tonite. I've spent most of the night updating the website and it's late and I need to get some sleep before tomorrow gets here. I have a full time job, in addition to Don't Feed Me, so I should stay awake for that tomorrow.

One last item - the Medical Alert Clothing should HOPEFULLY be available by the end of THIS month! I'm so excited! I realize things take time, but I want it all done NOW. Instant gratification, you know. Little by little things progress. My mother always told me, "Good things come to those who wait." But, I've always been impatient and never good at waiting. The wait is almost over for the Medical Alert Clothing. I'll let you know when we're "THERE".

"We're all angels with one wing, we need each other to fly."

Don't Feed Me - Cross-contamination

Well, once again I'm having an experience - with cross-contamination! You would think I'd learn. I've always been very conscious about cross-contamination when it comes to Aivah. And I tell people how important it is to be aware of cross-contamination. I stress how easy it is to cross-contaminate at home. And how you need to read ingredients, and that just because a product doesn't have gluten in the ingredient list you still need to verify that it was manufactured in a gluten-free facility.

And I at a Hershey's milk chocolate candy bar. Well, duh! On Monday, I ate half of the candy bar. Before going on the gluten-free, dairy-free diet I wasn't able to eat this brand of candy bar. In fact, I haven't been able to eat this brand of milk chocolate candy bar for over 10 years. I always thought it was because it contained dairy and I have had problems with dairy for 15+ years. At least that's what I thought. So, to test it, I ate half the candy bar.

In the past, if I ate something with dairy, I would have a reaction (gas, diarrhea, etc.) within the first hour. All these years I thought it was the dairy. I'm still learning that when I eat something that contains gluten, or has been contaminated with gluten, the "effects" can take up to 12 - 18 hours to occur. I ate half of the candy bar at 3:00 pm on Monday. I thought it was great, because I didn't have any kind of reaction all afternoon. And nothing all night. Great! I was able to eat these candy bars, again! HAH! I woke up with painful stiff knees, nausea and the icky, sick headache on Tuesday. Two slippery elm bark and about half a gallon of water later, I was feeling closer to normal by 5 pm. I find that when I've ingested gluten, I get really thirsty. I'm thinking my body is telling me to flush it out of my system, and a lot of water will help do that.

So, by last night I was almost feeling normal. And that should have been the end of it - right? Of course not! Tuesday afternoon, when I was finally feeling halfway decent, I saw the other half of the candy bar sitting on my desk. Now, I paid good money for that candy bar and I'm not one to waste perfectly good food. And maybe I had eaten something else that made me sick. So, of course, I at the other half. As I said earlier, by last night I was feeling pretty good, compared to how I had felt in the morning. "Good" is all in what you compare it to. Compared to how I felt in the morning, I felt "good" in the afternoon. Compared to how I have felt for the past 20+ years, I felt REALLY good in the afternoon. Compared to how I feel when I don't eat any gluten - I didn't feel so hot. But, hey, I can justify almost anything. So I found a reason to eat the other half of the candy bar. It would be a good test to see if that's what had made me sick in the morning, right? I forgot that I was the one who had to deal with the after effects. Who had to put up with the nausea, the icky sick headache, the lightheadedness, the diarrhea, the constant gas (good thing I work alone in a cube!).

So, this morning, I wake up with painful, swollen joints, nausea, gas, diarrhea, the headache - are we getting the whole picture here? Yes, the candy bar made me sick. Again. Maybe it was because of cross-contamination or it may have been because of the dairy. I don't know about the gluten - the Hershey's website has absolutely NO information about gluten in any of their products. I've read a few other websites about people calling Hershey's and getting the run-around when it comes to committing to whether or not their products contain gluten. Hershey's has told some of the people who have called the company directly, that they have a few products that don't contain gluten - per se - but may have "gluten containing ingredients" from other sources in their products. And "may" be manufactured in a facility that also manufactures products that DO contain gluten.

With that - I'm off ALL Hershey's products. For good. For real. No more justifications. It really doesn't matter if it was the gluten or the dairy that got me. I think I actually learned, this time. I suspect it was gluten, though. The reaction, and results, are identical to what happened when I ate cross-contaminated tortilla chips during my two week trial of the gluten-free, dairy-free diet. You know, when I ate contaminated tortilla chips - twice. I guess it takes more than once to convince me. :)

It's just NOT worth it!

It's funny, because I'm so conscious of cross-contamination when it comes to Aivah. But I just can't seem to apply it to myself. Weird. But I think I'll be more aware of it in the future.

Don't Feed Me - Celiac disease

I've discussed the gluten-free, dairy free diet, cross-contamination (numerous times), ways to treat constipation & diarrhea (bodily functions!) and many other subjects. One thing I haven't discussed is Celiac disease. So, let's start at the beginning.

Undiagnosed Celiac disease can cause many symptoms. Not everyone will have every symptom. The symptoms of Celiac disease can also be symptoms of other diseases and illnesses. We also have SOME doctors who aren't willing to listen to their patients, who don't pay attention to family history, are over-worked, have patient quotas to maintain and who are accustomed to treating SYMPTOMS with chemical drugs, rather than trying to locate the CAUSE of the patient's symptoms. We also have many good doctors who do listen to their patients, look for the cause of symptoms and don't automatically treat everything with a chemical drug. I'm not against all doctors - just bad doctors. (Maybe that's a subject for another blog?)

A person who suffers from undiagnosed Celiac disease can have some, all or a few of the following symptoms:

*Diarrhea (at times liquid and foul-smelling) and/or constipation *Headaches *Nausea and/or vomiting *Abdominal cramps and gas (flatulence) *Inability to sleep through the night *Tiredness or exhaustion *Delayed menstruation *Dysmenorrhea (extremely heavy bleeding during periods) *Miscarriage *Unexplained Infertility *Easy bruising *Nosebleeds *Panic attacks *Vertigo (lightheadedness & dizziness) *Osteoporosis *Just "not feeling well"

This isn't a complete list, because each person has their own set of symptoms - and some people don't exhibit any symptoms. Each person is different. BUT, if you have some of these symptoms, you might want to think about Celiac disease as the cause.

Celiac disease is also associated with the following conditions and disorders:

*Arthritis *ADD *Autism *Lactose Intolerance *Candida overgrowth *Depression *Diabetes *Crohn's Disease *Gallbladder problems *Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS) *Kidney & Liver Disease *Migraines *Obesity *Osteoporosis *Failure to gain weight *Thyroid problems *Skin problems

This, also, is not a complete list. But it gives you the idea that untreated Celiac disease can lead to other conditions. Conditions that would be treated by doctors. Conditions that may not respond to treatment, baffle the doctors and convince them to try other treatments, other chemical drugs. The, of course, they need to treat the symptoms caused by the treatment - and on and on it goes. Too bad doctors don't look at food allergies and intolerances in the beginning. Too bad many doctors are not as informed about food allergies and their symptoms the way they should be. Too bad that 1 in every 130 people have Celiac disease - not all of them diagnosed - and many doctors don't think to look at an allergy to gluten as the cause of a patient's symptoms. Which is why many people aren't diagnosed until they are adults - in their 30's, 40's, 50's and later.

I've heard people say, "There are more allergies to food these days than there used to be." That may be true, to a certain extent, but I also think more people are becoming aware of their food and what it can and can't do for and TO you. I think more people are making use of the internet and searching for answers on their own, instead of depending on someone else to tell them what is "wrong" with them. We all need to be aware of what our bodies are telling us. Just as doctors need to listen to patients, we need to listen to our bodies. Our bodies tell us when something is wrong - with a symptom - we need to figure out how to interpret these symptoms. And to continue to search for answers until we find the right one

Don't Feed Me - Medications & gluten

I've discussed cross-contamination numerous times. Cross-contamination from other foods, countertops, plastic containers. These aren't the only areas you need to be conscious of cross-contamination. You also need to know if your MEDICATIONS are gluten-free. Many manufactures use gluten products as fillers or flavoring in their medications. Some use dairy product as fillers, or in flavoring.

I take Advil for pain. When my knees are painful, or I have a headache, I take Advil. I checked on the Advil website (manufacturer Wyeth) and Advil is gluten-free AND casein-free. Advil is NOT manufactured on a line that also manufactures gluten or dairy product. Motrin IB is also gluten-free and casein-free.

My daughter used Children's Motrin - non-staining, dye-free liquid pain reliever for Aivah. Gluten-free and casein-free. Benadryl makes a dye-free, gluten-free, casein-free children's liquid allergy medication.

The best way to find out if an over-the-counter product is gluten-free and/or casein-free is to (1) go to the manufacture's website and type in "gluten-free" in their search box. Check their "frequently asked questions" section. If the information isn't on their website, call them directly. Most companies have a phone number listed on their website. Or a "contact us" section where you can ask questions. It may take awhile to receive an answer, but most companies will reply to your question.

You can also go to a search engine (Google, etc.) and type in the product name and "gluten-free" (Such as "Advil gluten-free". If the answer isn't on the company website, there are usually many other links where you can find your answer.

Over the counter medications can be easily researched on the internet. You may need to do a little more work for prescription medications. If your doctor is prescribing a medication for you, DO ask him/her if it is gluten-free (or dairy-free or nut-free). If your doctor doesn't know, or answers you with "I'm sure it is" (which means they don't know) have him/her find out! You can also call a pharmacy, tell them what medication your doctor has prescribed and ask them if it's gluten-free (or dairy or nuts). If THEY don't know, ask them to find out for you and call you back. They may be able to contact the manufacturer directly to get you an answer. You can also Google the prescription name and "gluten-free". You should get links to websites that have your answers.

As always - don't put ANYTHING in your mouth unless you know for sure that it does not contain gluten (or dairy or nuts, etc.)

I apologize for the shortness of this blog (which is actually a day late) but I am in the process of getting the line of Medical Alert Clothing closer to being launched! The Medical Alert Clothing will have the "Don't Feed Me" logo (in lime green), the food not to be fed, and the Don't Feed Me cow or grains on each shirt. Since all great things start small, the clothing line will start with "dairy" and "grains" and will match the Medical Alert Pins. Each shirt is hand-painted. The shirts (and decoration) can be safely machine washed or dry cleaned. Hopefully, the line of Medical Alert Clothing will be available on dontfeedme.com sometime next week!

My shirts await . . . . . . .

Don't Feed Me - Celiacs with Dairy issues

I apologize for the lack of updates on this blog for the past few days. I've been taking care of my granddaughter who has been ill with Mononucleosis and infected tonsils. She's finally up and moving around - and eating something other than liquids - today. She's been very sick for the past 5 days.

I was in the grocery store, tonite, and noticed there are (finally) more and more gluten-free products on the shelves. And not just in the "natural foods" section - but throughout the rest of the store, right alongside the "regular" food. I think it's great! I really do! General Mills has a gluten-free facility just for these products and is introducing more and more gluten-free products all the time.

BUT - (you knew there was a big but coming, didn't you?) - what about the Celiacs (and others) who can't have DAIRY? There are a LOT of us out here! My granddaughter, Aivah, has a casein allergy in addition to the gluten allergy. I can't tolerate any dairy, without reactions from the least amount. Many people follow a gluten-free, dairy-free diet - for whatever reason. All of these wonderful gluten-free products aren't any good to us because so many of them have dairy in them!

Food manufacturers need to realize how many of us are out there. I think the reason there are so many more gluten-free products on the market today is because these companies finally figured out they could make a lot of money by providing gluten-free products. Food allergies are big business. Fortunately, we benefit (by having more gluten-free products available) and the manufacturers benefit (by making more money). It's a win-win situation. Unless you also have dairy issues - then, we don't buy the products and the manufacturers don't make money.

The latest information I've read is 1 in 133 people have a gluten allergy or intolerance. 3% of the US population have a Casein allergy - that's over 9 million people in the US alone with a specific Casein allergy! Not to mention those who are lactose intolerant. 75% of the world’s population is Lactose Intolerant to some extent. In 2008, the world's population was 6,692,030,277 people. That means there are 5,019,022,707 people who are lactose intolerant! Many, many of those people have dairy issues AND have a gluten allergy or intolerance. If manufacturers would look at these numbers, that's BIG MONEY! And those of us who can't have dairy OR gluten could benefit. We could buy more "regular" products (at "regular" prices) in the main part of the grocery store. Instead of having to find gluten-free & dairy-free products in the special section of the grocery stores, or needing to go to a separate natural or organic grocery store. We could do all of our grocery shopping in one store.

I may have to write to General Mills and other mainstream manufacturers and let them know they're missing out on an entire section of the population. Who buy a lot of food. All that money . . . . .

Don't Feed Me - Antibiotics

It was a little hectic last week. My granddaughter was sick last weekend and the first few days of the week with infected tonsils. Once she was on antibiotics, she was back to being a normal teenager staying up late and having friends over. Threw off my schedule. Plus, I've been working on getting the hand-painted Medical Alert T-Shirts ready and on the website. I'm happy to say the T-shirts are ready and available on the website. Have a look!

I would like to comment on antibiotics. They're great for taking care of infections. Emma was very sick with the infected tonsils. 24 hours after taking the antibiotic, she was feeling much better. BUT - (another big but) antibiotics kill bacteria. It's good when they kill the "bad" bacteria that makes us sick. But they also kill the good bacteria everyone has in their digestive system. We all have over 400 types of bacteria in our digestive systems. The good bacteria helps our digestive system do what it is meant to do. Some types of good bacteria also help prevent disease and make our digestive system an unfavorable place for the bad bacteria that makes us sick.

Good bacteria breaks down plant starches and other foods that the digestive system has trouble breaking down. This allows our bodies to convert more food into energy. The good bacteria also helps turn extra calories into fat. Because of this, a person's weight may be connected to the type of bacteria they have in their digestive system. Good bacteria also create Vitamin K, something our bodies can't make on their own. (Vitamin K plays an important role in blood clotting. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in fatty tissue. Without Vitamin K our blood would not clot.) Good bacteria also break down medications and carcinogens that lead to cancer.

They also help the digestive tract renew itself. THIS is very important if you have food allergies that cause damage to the digestive tract. Such as Celiac disease, which damage the villi (small finger-like projections on the intestinal wall that absorb nutrients). Each time a Celiac eats food that contains gluten, or has been cross-contaminated with gluten, it causes damage to the villi. Which means our digestive tract is not absorbing the necessary vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat. Without the good bacteria in our system, the digestive tract can't renew itself. If a Celiac eats gluten-free foods, the digestive tract can repair the villi - with the help of the good bacteria.

When we take antibiotics - which we need to kill the BAD bacteria - we also kill the good bacteria. Which leads to a roller coaster of digestive issues. The roller coaster can be easily averted by taking Acidophilus. "The term acidophilus is used to describe a number of bacteria which help in human digestion. These bacteria include L. acidophilus, L. casein, L. bulgaricus, among others. Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the bacteria found in these mixtures, but the term acidophilus usually refers to a combination of L. acidophilus with other beneficial bacteria. Acidophilus can help protect the body against harmful bacteria, parasites, and other organisms. As it breaks down, it releases things such as hydrogen peroxide that create a toxic environment for unhealthy creatures in the body, helping to drive them out. It also plays an important role in digestion, helping to produce a number of chemicals which aid in the digestion process." (from www.wisegeek.com)

If you are able to eat dairy, you should eat yogurt while you are on antibiotics. If, like many of us in our family, you are not able to eat dairy, you should take acidophilus capsules while you are on the antibiotic. I would suggest taking them separate from your antibiotic capsule. There are many, many companies that offer acidophilus "pills". If the acidophilus comes in a hard tablet that is sold on the shelf, do not buy it. In order to form those nice, round, perfectly symmetrical pills the ingredients are compressed under heat. Which kills the live acidophilus. Which won't do your digestive system a bit of good - eating dead acidophilus. If you buy acidophilus, buy it in a capsule that is kept in a refrigerated section. You can purchase just acidophilus, acidophilus and bifidus (bifidus is another "good" bacteria), acidophilus and many other "good" bacteria. While on antibiotics, we take 2 acidophilus capsules daily. (Keep in mind, I'm not a doctor and am not prescribing acidophilus for anyone - I am telling you what our family does -and what works. It is up to each person to decide if a product is safe for them.)

But, if you take medication that kills ALL the bacteria - good and bad - in your digestive system, it makes sense to want to replace the good bacteria - right? It's up to you

Don't Feed Me - Cooking with Xanthan Gum

I've learned a few new things (quite a few new things) while learning to cook gluten-free. I have quite a bit of experience cooking dairy-free, but gluten-free has been a whole new experience for me. The most important thing I have learned is you need to be exact in your measurements.

I learned to cook and bake from my mother. I don't know that she ever used a measuring cup or measuring spoons. She could judge "about a cup" or "just a pinch" very well. My mother was always baking bread. Fresh bread has always been a comfort food to me. That warm, yeasty aroma makes me all warm & fuzzy inside! (That's why I keep working on a GOOD bread recipe.) When my mother baked bread she never made just one loaf. Maybe three or four or five. The bowl she used to mix the bread dough was about two feet across. When I was little, the best part was when she let me punch the raised dough down before she kneaded it and put it in the pans. Wham! One good smack right in the middle of the big, yeasty bowl of dough. And then I'd watch it slowly deflate.

When I had kids of my own, I asked my mom so many times for her bread recipe. I always got the same answer - "There isn't a recipe.". She would just put oil and eggs and water and yeast and flour in the bowl. If it didn't look right, she would add more of what she thought it needed - liquid or flour. I tried to guess measurements of the ingredients while watching her make bread. I'd go home and try it - and it was never my mother's bread. The funny thing is, she would add different amounts of everything each time - and her bread always turned out the same. Warm and yeasty and really, really good! The best part was when the first loaf would come out of the oven. We would let it cool for oh, maybe 2 or 3 minutes and then cut off both ends of the loaf. One for her and one for me. We'd spread lots of cold, hard butter on the bread (it looked more like cheese - and yes, it was REAL butter) and eat the crusty ends of the loaf before the butter had a chance to completely melt. Oh, the days!

Anyway, I've grown up (and older) measuring many ingredients in the palm of my had. I am pretty good at a teaspoon or a tablespoon. I can measure 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup in a regular coffee cup. Apparently, wheat flour is forgiving. Gluten-free flours aren't. And xanthan gum definitely isn't at all forgiving. I'm finding, especially with xanthan gum, you need to use exactly the amount called for in a recipe. And when making up your own recipe, or converting a recipe with wheat flour to gluten-free ingredients, to start SMALL with the xanthan gum!

I've also learned to add the xanthan gum last. No matter what I'm making. I have a small hand mixer, which does not do well with thick batters or dough. As soon as you add the xanthan gum, it all thickens up! (Someday I'm going to buy a heavy duty mixer that I don't have to hold to mix the ingredients and that can easily handle bread dough!) Until then, I'll keep mixing with the hand mixer until I add the xanthan gum - then I switch to the wooden spoon. And elbow grease.

Funny story about "elbow grease". When my second granddaughter, Morgan, was younger (she's 12 now) it was her chore to clean the bathroom, one day. She was having trouble with the bathtub and asked her mom how to get it clean. Her mom replied, "Just use some elbow grease." Morgan went back to the bathroom. My daughter heard cupboard doors opening and closing. Morgan came back and asked, "Mom, where's the elbow grease? I can't find it."

Anyway . . . I guess it's time to buy some measuring spoons. At least for the xanthan gum. Because you can't always thin out something that's too thick, once you add the xanthan gum! I made gluten-free donut holes this weekend. I measured the xanthan gum in the palm of my hand, and apparently added just a little too much. The batter was very thick. I assumed that if I added a little water, it would thin out the batter. I had planned to make donuts, not donut holes. I have my mother's old metal hand donut maker. It's sort of a tube that narrows at the bottom. It has a "plunger" in the center with a flat circle on the bottom. Once you put the donut batter inside, you push the plunger down which pushes the circle at the bottom down and the batter oozes out the bottom, around the metal circle, forming donut shapes. But the batter needs to be thin enough to "ooze". My batter was way too thick. So I added about 1/4 cup of water (of course I didn't actually measure it.) And stirred with the wooden spoon. The batter increased, but didn't get thinner. So I added another 1/4 cup of water. And the batter increased in size again, but didn't get thinner. Hmmmmm. I added one more 1/4 cup of water - more batter, no thinner. Ok - I'm making donut holes. They turned out fine, but I really wanted donuts! Actually, Aivah wanted donuts. And bread. And chocolate chip cookies. So, it was a baking weekend. The good thing is, I get to keep some for myself, now that I'm not eating gluten.

I created a wonderful sugar cookie recipe tonite. My aunt Sally used to make really good sugar cookies with powdered sugar, instead of granulated sugar. So I converted her recipe to gluten-free and dairy-free.

And that's another story for tomorrow. :)

Don't Feed Me - GFDF Holiday Treats

With the Easter Bunny's big day fast approaching, I started thinking about gluten-free, dairy-free treats for holidays. Last year, Aivah was really too little for much candy. We discovered that she could have Dum-Dum suckers and, at 2, she was happy with those. This year, however, she's 3 - and will see all the other kids get candy - and want "what everybody else" has.

Granted, my daughter doesn't go all out with candy for the Easter Bunny - or any other holiday, for that matter. Kids don't need that much sugar! They get other things in their Easter Baskets, besides candy. BUT (I always have a BIG but, don't I? I've been told that before!) Anyway, Aivah is old enough that she isn't going to be happy watching all the other kids get SOME candy, and she gets cookies - or chips - or more Dum-Dum suckers - or crayons, etc, etc, etc. She's going to want some candy, too.

So . . . . I decided to make her chocolate covered eggs and "Peeps" - all gluten-free and dairy-free. I made a batch of homemade marshmallows (which just happens to be in the Don't Feed Me Cookbook - and I will include it at the end of this blog). When you pour out the marshmallow creme on the cookie sheet, you normally cover the parchment paper with sifted powdered sugar. I covered a small piece (about 10" across" with colored sugar. Of course, I colored the sugar myself. Commercial colored sugar can have so many different chemicals in it - and may not be gluten-free. McCormick food colors are gluten-free (I know, I checked with the company).

To color sugar, all you need to do is put about a cup of granulated sugar in a bowl with high sides (you don't HAVE to have high sides, but I tend to spill if the sides are too shallow.) Add 4 drops of food color to the sugar. 4 drops of red made a very nice pink sugar. Using the back of a teaspoon, crush and sort of smear the food color against the side of the bowl (this is where I spill if the sides aren't high enough) over and over and over, turning the bowl as you go. Continue to press the food color into the sugar until it becomes uniform in color. That's it.

So, I covered a small piece of parchment paper with the pink colored sugar, and the parchment paper on the cookie sheet with sifted powdered sugar. I put about a fourth of the marshmallow creme on the sugar, and the rest on the powdered sugar. I covered the top of the sugared marshmallow creme with more pink sugar, and the marshmallow creme on the cookie sheet was covered with sifted powdered sugar.

After letting the marshmallow creme set up for about an hour, I took half a plastic Easter egg and cut circles. Next year I'm going to plan ahead and buy a chick cookie cutter for "real" peeps. I discovered, when looking for a plastic Easter egg to buy - they are all cut in half the short way! So you end up with circles, rather than egg shaped pieces. I guess I'll have to buy an egg shaped cookie cutter next year, too.

Once the "peeps" were cut - all nice round circles - I rolled the edges in the pink sugar, so there aren't any sticky parts. Since they aren't in the shape of a chick - "Peeps" - but are in the shape of an egg (a round egg), I've decided to call them "Pre-Peeps"! They're the chick before it became a chick! Not that Aivah will care - it's candy, it's covered in sugar and it tastes good!

I cut the cookie sheet of marshmallows into egg shapes. No, I didn't buy an egg shaped cookie cutter - (it's 11:30 at night!). I taped a strip of heavy card tag into an oval shape and used that as a cutter. (I should have thought of that when I was cutting out the "Pre-Peeps", shouldn't I? I will freeze the egg shapes tonite and tomorrow dip them in melted gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips.

If they're good, I hope I can save some for Aivah! :)

Here is the very easy recipe for Homemade Marshmallows:

4 pkgs unflavored gelatin
1 C cold water
2 C granulated sugar
2 egg whites
2 C GF powdered sugar
parchment paper

Line a cookie sheet, with sides, with parchment paper. Heavily coat parchment paper with sifted powdered sugar, covering paper completely.

In a medium saucepan, soak the gelatin in the water, stirring with a wire whisk until soft (about 3 - 5 minutes). Add granulated sugar and gently dissolve over low heat, stirring with wire whisk, for about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow to cool until next step is completed.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then fold in the powdered sugar. While mixer is on low, slowly poor the gelatin mixture into the egg white mixture. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until white and thick. Mixture should double in size.

Pour marshmallow mixture onto lined cookie sheet. Dust with more powdered sugar, covering completely. Leave out overnight or let set for about 2 - 3 hours. Marshmallows should be light and springy when set.

Move slab of marshmallows on parchment paper to counter. Using a large, sharp knife, slice marshmallows into 2" squares. OR - using small plastic egg halves or cookie cutters, cut marshmallows into shapes.

If you are leaving these as "just marshmallows" coat sides of marshmallows with powdered sugar. You can do this with each individual marshmallow by turning it on all sides in the powdered sugar on the pan - or take my easy way out and put about 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a small brown paper bag. Add 6 or 7 marshmallows to the bag and shake to coat them with the powdered sugar.

Store marshmallows in zip lock bags or other airtight container.

Enjoy! I'll let you know how it goes coating them in melted GFDF chocolate tomorrow!

April 3, 2010

Don't Feed Me - Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

Ok, I have to tell you my experience with making homemade gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate covered marshmallows for Aivah for her Easter basket!

What an experience! It was a good idea. Really, it was. I miss chocolate covered marshmallow bunnies and Aivah has never had one. So I thought I'd make her some. I made a batch of homemade marshmallows (recipe is in my cookbook "Don't Feed Me" and in the blog from March 31.) I didn't have a small bunny cookie cutter, or a baby chick cookie cutter because I didn't think that far ahead. Duh! So, I used half of a plastic egg and ended up with round marshmallows. I'll tell Aivah they're eggs. Round eggs.

I put the marshmallow circles in paper bags that I had added a little powdered sugar to, to keep the marshmallow pieces from sticking to each other. I put the bags in the freezer, thinking that it would be easier to dip frozen marshmallows in the melted chocolate. When you make chocolate covered bananas, you freeze the bananas on a stick and then dip the frozen bananas in melted chocolate. It should work the same for homemade marshmallows, right?

So, I poured a bag of gluten-free, dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small saucepan. I put water in a pan just a little larger. I placed the pan with the chocolate inside the pan with the water and turned on the stove. (A double boiler would have been much easier, but of course, I don't have one so you make do with what you have.) I stirred the chocolate until it was melted and turned off the stove. Nice warm, gooey, melty chocolate. Yum!

I took the first marshmallow out of the paper bag, dusted off as much powdered sugar as I could, put it on a toothpick and dipped it in the chocolate. Hmmmmm - the first thing I noticed when I took it out of the paper bag is MARSHMALLOWS DON'T FREEZE! It was as nice and soft and spring as it had been when I put it in the freezer 2 days ago.

Well, it should still work. I know it will. I dipped the marshmallow in the melted chocolate - and it came back out with very little chocolate on it. It appears that even a slight dusting of powdered sugar keeps the chocolate from sticking. (I knew that, and yet I thought if I ignored that part, it would work.) So I dipped it in again, thinking most of the powdered sugar was now in the melted chocolate. I pulled it out and . . . the hot chocolate was making the marshmallow melt! Well, duh! again! Of course marshmallows melt. That's why we put them in cocoa - to melt and get all sweet and gooey on top of our HOT cocoa!

I put the first marshmallow aside (I'll eat that one as soon as it cools) and decided to try another one. Maybe if I just try to coat half of the round marshmallow it will work. I took the second marshmallow out of the bag, really rubbed and patted and dusted off the powdered sugar. It's a good thing marshmallows are flexible and not the least bit delicate. I held this one between my finger and thumb and dipped it halfway into the melted chocolate. Most of the chocolate stuck this time. I spread the chocolate around a little, making sure it coated the sides and edges and placed it on waxed paper. The chocolate was a little lumpy, but hey it was a semi-chocolate covered marshmallow.

I dipped about a dozen more in the chocolate and discovered a few more things. You need to practically beat the powdered sugar off the marshmallows before you dip them in hot chocolate. There's no getting around having powdered sugar on the marshmallows - you need to coat them when you make them to keep them from sticking to each other (and anything else they happen to touch.) I also discovered that the powdered sugar that comes off the marshmallow into the melted chocolate makes little "sugar lumps" in your melted chocolate. So, as you continue to dip marshmallows, you get more and more little, dark lumps in your chocolate. My final discovery is, when you use your finger to spread the chocolate around on the now melting marshmallow (I could use my finger, rather than a spoon (which didn't work) because these are just for Aivah and she doesn't mind if I use my fingers when I make her treats.) is that melted chocolate - whether it's real chocolate or gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate is REALLY, REALLY HOT! And it sticks to your finger - because your finger isn't coated with powdered sugar like the marshmallows are! And IT'S REALLY HOT!

So, I was able to make about a dozen marshmallows for Aivah (and me?) before my burning finger said it was time to stop. Hopefully, her mother will let her have some of the plain marshmallows. If not, I'll have to melt them down and make her gluten-free crisped rice cereal bars!

Next year, I think I'll go online and find some gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate covered bunnies and buy her some!!

June 29,2010

Celiac and Migraines

If you have migraines and have not been able to determine the cause, you may want to research the link between migraine headaches and gluten. Eleven out of 100 people experience migraines, which can be debilitating at times.

Migraines are a type of vascular headache, which is caused by vascular spasms of certain blood vessels in the brain. Migraine sufferers may also experience nausea, vomiting, inability to endure bright lights or noise. Pain killers can help with the pain caused by a migraine, but cannot remedy the vascular spasms of the blood vessels. The pain, as excruciating as it is, is merely a symptom of the cause of a migraine.

A 2001 study was published in Neurology (56:385-388) that showed evidence of the link between migraines and a gluten-free diet. In this study, 9 out of 10 patients experienced migraine relief by switching to a gluten-free diet.

In 2003 a study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology (98:625-629) changed the approach to the link between migraines and gluten-free diets and confirmed 2001 results. This study tested migraine sufferers for Celiac disease by using the gliadin IgA and IgG tests. A significant portion of these migraine sufferers were found to have Celiac disease. This suggests a further link between migraines and gluten. One of the symptoms of untreated Celiac disease is vitamin and mineral deficiencies due to malabsorption. Several studies have shown a link between low magnesium levels in the blood and the occurrence of migraine headaches. If eating foods that contain gluten cause a magnesium deficiency, this may result in migraines.

Migraines usually have a trigger. The immune response which causes damage to the villi in the small intestine when gluten in consumed may also cause the same brain activity to occur when you have a migraine. One of the best preventative measures for migraines is to reduce or avoid contact with potential triggers.

If you suffer from migraines, but have been unable to determine the cause, you may want to try a gluten-free diet for 2 – 4 weeks to see if it has an effect on your migraines.

June 22, 2010

Hidden Celiac Disease - 5 Questions for Kids

I recently read an article with 5 basic questions parents - and doctors - should ask if a child is having health issues. The answers to these questions could lead doctors and parents towards looking at a food allergy as the basis for certain symptoms. Unfortunately, symptoms of a food allergy can mimic symptoms of so many other illnesses and diseases and many times it becomes a "process of elimination". Personally, I don't feel most doctors consider food allergies as often as they should. The information from the article is below:

"Five Questions find hidden Celiac disease in Kids

Research carried out by Dr. Peter Toftedal of Odense University Hospital in Denmark and reported by WedMD suggests that five simple questions can help you find out whether your child could have Celiac disease.

Feb. 1, 2010 - Five simple questions can help you find out whether your child needs a gluten-free diet, Danish researchers suggest. Many children have celiac disease, a disorder that causes damage to the intestines when food containing gluten is eaten. Such kids do much better on a gluten-free diet. Foods containing wheat, oats, and barley give them trouble. But at least half of kids with celiac disease never get diagnosed, and thus needlessly suffer symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and behavior problems.

There's a blood test that tells doctors which kids likely have celiac disease. But it's impractical to give all kids the blood test. Might it be easier to test only kids who have one or more symptoms of celiac disease? To find out, Peter Toftedal, MD, of Odense University Hospital, Denmark, created a questionnaire for parents. The five items elicit information on recurrent abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, constipation , and lack of height and weight gain:

• Has your child ever suffered from abdominal pain more than twice during the last three months?

• Has your child ever had diarrhea lasting more than two weeks?

• Does your child have a tendency to firm and hard stools?

• Does your child gain enough weight?

• Does your child gain enough height?

How well does it work? Toftedal and colleagues tested the questionnaire on Denmark's County of Funen. They mailed it to the parents of 9,880 8- and 9-year-olds. Before giving the questionnaire, 13 Funen kids were known to have celiac disease. Of the 7,029 parents who filled out the questionnaire, 2,835 reported at least one symptom. All of these kids were invited for a blood test. Of the 1,720 children tested, 24 were positive for the antibodies characteristic of celiac disease. Further tests identified 14 kids with celiac disease. That means that in Funen, only half of the kids with celiac disease had been diagnosed. "A number of preclinical and low-grade symptomatic patients with celiac disease may be identified by their responses to a mailed questionnaire," Toftedal and colleagues conclude.

The findings appear in the March issue of Pediatrics."