About Me and Gluten
Welcome to my gluten free blog!
This blog is designed to inform all gluten free dieters: beginners, veterans, as well as the curious. I share with all of you my story, my research and my gluten free recipes, which I thoroughly enjoy creating. Much of my research is based on what I have read, conversations with professionals and my guests on my online radio show, “Carla’s Cooking”. May your journey bring you health and enjoyment.
In 2003 I sought the help of my general practitioner to rule out a possible eye infection. I thought it may be due to allergies, but I was not quite sure. He asked how everything else was and I mentioned that I had a slight chest pain for a couple of weeks. Being what I thought was being overly cautious he ordered a 24 hour heart monitor. Lo and behold I had experienced an accelerated heart beat at the very end of the 24 hour period with some abnormal fast heart beats during my sleep. That led to additional testing which all turned out negative. My symptoms continued to grow: insomnia, hair loss, nervousness, water retention, and more. My research told me that it was the responsibility of the doctor to determine why I had experienced these heart symptoms. Since that was not occurring I furthered my research which led me to a suspicion that I had a cross between hyperthyroidism (an over-active thyroid) and hypothyroidism (low thyroid function). My doctor agreed, but the blood tests were negative. I then spent the next 2 years going from doctor to doctor and specialist to specialist trying to figure out what was wrong with me, as my symptoms increased. I never gave up, though.
In 2005 I ended up at Health Now Medical Center in Sunnyvale, California. Doctors Richard and Vikki Petersen run a great center concentrating on non-drug treatments, chiropractic and nutritional health. Their motto is to not treat the symptom, but to find the root cause. Now with over 20 years in practice, they find that many common foods are the root cause of many conditions. They are both co-authors of the book, “The Gluten Effect”. The book is known by leading experts as an epic leap forward and Dr. Vikki Petersen is acknowledged as a pioneer in advances to identify and treat gluten sensitivity.”
They, too, never gave up. They were the ones who finally diagnosed me with a thyroid condition. They listened when no one else would. My thyroid condition has been gone for several years now, but I will always remember my gluten free diet journey.
Prior to my diagnosis they introduced me to their version of an allergy elimination diet. You first eliminate many common food allergens which may cause allergic reactions and then avoid the foods that give you any reaction whatsoever. Among other foods, I reacted to gluten, the substance found in wheat, barley, rye and cross-contaminated (with gluten) oats, and other grains mentioned later in this writing. It caused me to become bloated.
When first considering the diet I understood that I would have to avoid many foods including wheat, rye, oat, barley, and breads and pastas containing those grains. It did not seem that difficult to me, as I had already been on a low carb diet. The first week of my diet I ran into the same pain staking problem I ran into with my low carb diet. I needed substitutions for the products I used in the past. I not only had to avoid bread (including white), cookies, cakes, pastries, bread crumbs, etc., but many other ingredients I commonly used.
Along the way I discovered hidden sources of gluten. Gluten can be found some or all brands of sour cream, margarine, soy sauce, steak sauce, some vinegars, artificial coloring and flavoring, malt, hydrolyzed vegetable proteins (made from wheat, corn, soy, etc.),
Other grains, less well known, that either contain gluten or may cause one to have a similar reaction as gluten are durum- also known as emmer (wheat), bulgar (wheat), semolina (wheat), couscous (semolina wheat), seitan (wheat), einkorn (European and Asian wheat), fu (usually wheat if from Asia), graham flour (wheat), triticale (a cross of wheat and rye) and kamut and spelt which sometimes causes a reaction similar to wheat. Most grains contain gluten naturally. Rice and buckwheat on the other hand are gluten free.
Gluten causes an allergic reaction in many people, but they are not aware of it until they stop eating for awhile; eat it again; and then their bodies react. The reaction may be anything from bloating, gastrointestinal problems, hives, aches and pains, sleeplessness, depression to many underlying conditions such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). When you eat anything you are allergic to, it causes inflammation in the body. Inflammation may develop into other conditions if not stopped soon enough. Those allergic to wheat, often cook gluten free, too. However, allergies to gluten do not complete the entire picture.
Individuals with celiac disease, also known as sprue, may become very ill if they consume gluten. If the condition goes on too long, untreated, it can be fatal. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, meaning the cells in the body are attacking the body itself. Gluten damages the intestines of those with celiac disease and causes a host of unwanted symptoms and conditions. Even a tiny bit of gluten may make a celiac patient very ill.
Celiac patients cannot consume any gluten food exposed to their food. If they have someone in their household that eats and cooks with gluten it may contaminate their food. When you bake with flour it flies all over the kitchen and the rest of the house causing them to ingest gluten. Flour may land on and lodge in the cracks of utensils. It may land in their gluten free foods, as well. This is one form of cross-contamination.
Another form of cross-contamination is when crops of oats or other non-gluten crops are grown near gluten free food. The wind carries the gluten crop to the gluten free crop.
Yet another form of cross-contamination is in manufacturing facilities. An example of this is when a manufacturer produces wheat flour and oats in the same facility, the oats may become contaminated with wheat. This goes for any type of food that is manufactured. If a food item such as a protein bar that is gluten free is produced in a facility that contains any gluten, the gluten free protein bar may be contaminated.
In 2006 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established labeling laws for common food allergens: milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, tree nuts, fish, and crustacean shellfish.
In 2007 the FDA proposed labeling laws for gluten-free products. Their proposal was to limit gluten-free products to include no more than 20mg per kg, 20ppm (20 parts per million). Manufacturers have until 2012 to abide by these standards. For now the standards are voluntary.
What individuals on a gluten free diet or other allergy diet should look for are items such as ‘may contain’, ‘shared equipment’ and ‘within plant’. Some manufacturers are following the guidelines in the “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology” and listing these warnings; others may not.
Europe had allowed 200 ppm since 1983, but in 2008 changed the allowance to 20 ppm.
In Australia you will find that the gluten labeling laws are much more stringent, allowing only 0.0005 (5 parts per million). They even have the equipment to test to this low degree.
You may have heard of the terms “gluten intolerance” or “gluten sensitivity”. Those who have a gluten intolerance cannot tolerate gluten, period, but may not have celiac disease. Gluten sensitivity is another term for celiac disease, but you will also find it used to describe a gluten allergy. There are many individuals who are self diagnosing and use either term. Those with an allergy may outgrow it, but someone with celiac disease has it for the rest of their lives, and is often genetically inherited.
Many individuals diagnosed with Autism eat gluten free and casein free. Casein refers to cow’s milk or any product containing milk such as whey, yogurt, butter, ice cream, sour cream, cheese, cream cheese, whipping cream, half and half, some margarine, etc. It may also be found in non-milk products in form of caseinate, used as a binder. Besides food, casein can be found in such products such as nail polish. Those with a food allergy may or not be affected by nail polish. Casein is different from dairy, as dairy would include eggs, too.
Many individuals with celiac disease are diary intolerant, too. Many Americans are lactose intolerant. Lactose is a sugar that makes up a small portion of cow’s milk. When someone cannot metabolize (digest) lactose they are considered lactose intolerant. Again, many individuals are self diagnosing themselves as being lactose intolerant. Perhaps their symptoms are evident.
People often stop eating gluten, either on their own or because of a diagnosed condition, but continue to have unwanted symptoms. I found the best way for me to find what I was allergic to was by starting an Allergy Elimination Diet. For about 2 or more weeks you avoid the foods that are known to cause allergic reactions such as corn, soy, dairy, peanuts, etc. In addition to the basic allergens, you avoid refined sugar; processed meats, including hot dogs, sausages, beef, poultry, processed foods containing additives and artificial coloring and flavoring.
One may think, “What can I eat?” One of the foods meats suggested for I was lamb, as most lamb is from Australia, and not processed like the lamb in the United States and other countries.
You can research online for “Allergy Elimination Diet” and get the full scoop. You should note that there are different versions of The Allergy Elimination Diet. The diet I was on consisted of corn and soy. Me nutritionist suggested that if I continues to have symptoms to avoid those as well and then reintroduce them to me diet and take note whether I reacted or not. My diet avoided shell fish, yet another diet in existence allows it. You should research the subject yourself and consult a medical professional to determine what is best for you.
My story ended with later being diagnosed at the Health Now Medical Center with a thyroid condition, but when my thyroid returned to normal I went off the diet. Though not as bad, I still presented unwanted symptoms.
In 2009 I was experiencing some bloating. I remember that when I was on my allergy elimination diet that when I ate pastas, and even quinoa, I experienced bloating, not this severe, but it was present. This all led me back to my gluten free diet. Though the bloating was caused by an injury to a nerve, it improved somewhat once back on my gluten free diet. The bonus is that I noticed that my other food allergies barely exist now! That has to tell us all something! I have read that our bodies are just not made to digest gluten. Why take the chance when there are so many gluten free ingredients and foods available today?
The first time I was on the diet I lost about 12 pounds very quickly, mainly because I was unaware of alternative flours and wear to purchase them. At that time my gluten free diet consisted of mainly fruit, vegetable, potatoes, rice, meat, nuts and one recipe I created myself, gluten free carrot muffins. Not a bad diet and very healthy compared to what I had been eating.
This time it is an entirely different story. I have discovered flours that enable me to create the most delicious dishes and treats imaginable. I am half Italian and used to having a cannoli or a cream puff once or twice a year. Now I can. I try to avoid refined sugar, but some recipes do not come out the same without it. In this blog, I have included a diverse set of recipes: desserts with sugar, natural sugar substitutes and sugar free (with stevia); dairy free; low sodium; low fat; and vegan. Hopefully this will arm you with recipes for everyday use, as well as entertaining.
If you miss breaded meats and vegetables, onion rings, cakes, pies, pancakes, tortillas, potstickers and many other all-purpose flour foods, the recipes on this blog should satiate your cravings, along with a variety of other gluten free recipes. You’ll find that I have provided you with a mixture of recipes from healthy to indulgent. I think everyone deserves a treat now and again. Here’s to your health!
Cent’anni! – (Italian for “May you live a hundred years!”)
UPDATE: I discovered that I am allergic to wheat.
THIS BLOG HAS PERMANENTLY MOVED TO: http://glutenfreerecipebox.com. Please join us there!
Lisa Murray said,
November 15, 2009 @ 6:59 pm
Fabulous blog. Question… how will I know when you have updated the blog? Is this daily?
carlaspacher said,
November 17, 2009 @ 7:33 pm
Hi Lisa!
I am so glad you like my blog. Thank you!
All you have to do is to go to the icon “RSS – Posts” on my blog (orange icon) and it will open a new page. Click on “Subscribe to this feed”. Check “Add to favorites bar” and click “Subscribe”. “Click on View my feeds”. There will be a list of your feeds. It will state, “Carla Spacher’s Blog”. The next time you wish to visit the feeds from my blog click on your Favorites icon and choose the Feeds tab. There you will find again, “Carla Spacher’s Blog”. If you wish to leave a comment, just click on the title of the article and it will bring you to that blog page. You can just click on HOME above to see all the latest posts.
I have also added an email subscription to my blog. See the Home page.
Enjoy!
Carla
Milli said,
March 22, 2010 @ 7:32 pm
i love this! i have a lot of dietary restrictions but unfortunately i’m not very good at cooking. on a whim i clicked on “recipes” on wordpress’ tag list and wah-lah! the fried rice seems like even i could make it. also, i’m really into health stuff and bargains so this is right up my alley. keep up the great work! (wow- i can’t believe i just used that many exclamation points.)
~milli
ps- i hope you don’t mind, i put you on my blogroll on”surviving diet change.”
carlaspacher said,
March 23, 2010 @ 7:34 pm
Thanks again for your comment, Milli! (I’m big on exclamation points, too.)
You are more than welcome to add me to your blogroll. I really appreciate it.
I’ll check out your blog, too!
You will survive! If you ever need anything clarified just leave me a comment I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.
Denise Therese said,
March 27, 2010 @ 2:06 pm
Hi! I’ve just found your blog. I’m surprised at how many gluten-free blogs there are out there!
I am actually gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and starch-free. I’ve just begun a blog for sufferers of gastrointestinal disorders (www dot freetofeast dot wordpress dot com), and I’m trying to build a following. Would it be too much trouble to ask you to add me to your blogroll? I can do the same for you, if you’d like!!
Thanks!
God bless!
Carol said,
May 1, 2010 @ 6:20 pm
Carla,
Love your blog but more than that you have given me back pancakes!!! You have made my day maybe even my month! The recipe was easy to follow and the pancakes were great! They didnt seperate in my mouth like some G Free stuff does! I left out the banana’s for food allergy issues but I added a teaspoon of G Free Vanilla Extract! I cannot thank you enough for the recipe and the “coaching” to help me along with this lifestyle change that was forced upon me…. Thanks again and like I said U r my new best friend!!!!!
Cheers! Cj
carlaspacher said,
May 1, 2010 @ 7:17 pm
Cj,
You are so very welcome. Thank you for leaving your feedback, as this may help the next person viewing this recipe. Wow, a banana allergy to boot, huh? You poor thing! Well, at least it is not found in many recipes.
Here’s to better health and better food on the table.
Your BFF,
Carla
Betsy said,
June 1, 2010 @ 6:09 pm
Hi Carla!
Thanks for visiting my site…so glad to “meet” you too. Love your blog! I’m now signed up for your email updates!
Take care,
Betsy
carlaspacher said,
June 1, 2010 @ 8:45 pm
Great, Betsy! Thanks so much! Shall I enter you in the Giveaway contest?
Caroline said,
July 22, 2010 @ 12:13 pm
Hi Carla… You’re a great job with this blog. Your intro is very informative and I’m sure will help many people decide to check out the gluten free option. As a celiac, I’ve been on a gluten free diet for more than 30 years. In those days, it took 10 years to diagnose. Gluten free choices were very limited. Now there is lots of choice- in addition to cooking at home, there are excellent products available in health food stores and increasingly in super markets as more people discover the benefits of gluten free. Thanks for your commitment to spreading the word.
Gluten Free Carla said,
July 22, 2010 @ 12:30 pm
Caroline,
Thank you so much for your compliments, words of encouragement and for sharing with others of your knowledge and experience!
Many state that gluten-free is a new market trend, but recently it is known as a market shift.
I hope you’ll visit again sometime and share more with us!
Best,
Carla
Sheila said,
August 16, 2010 @ 6:54 pm
I have had Celiac Disease I think for almost 6 years. But finally on Monday, at the City of Hope in California, a doctor confirmed that he thought that is what I have.
I look 9 months pregant and I am 56 years old. And weigh 136 pounds, and 5ft 6″. So gluten free is what I need to learn all about. There is a Trader Joe’s near by so will go there first.
Have no clue where to start. Any suggestions???
Thanks,
Sheila
Gluten Free Carla said,
August 22, 2010 @ 3:34 pm
Sheila,
Because this blog has been moved to http://glutenfreerecipebox.com I have replied via email.
Best,
Carla