[cat265]

I have been trying for the past 3 weeks to follow a gluten free diet. I had a few slip ups but for the most part I think I have been able to cut out gluten, at the very least 80% of it.

My question is even if I was only able to cut out 80% should I feel a little better? How long do you have to follow this diet to know it is working?

[ewizabeth]

I cut out gluten 100% for six weeks and felt worse. My husband feels better though so he's sticking with it.

I think you have to cut it altogether to get the benefit, if it's going to help you, that is.

[jccgf]

Originally Posted by cat265

I have been trying for the past 3 weeks to follow a gluten free diet. I had a few slip ups but for the most part I think I have been able to cut out gluten, at the very least 80% of it.

My question is even if I was only able to cut out 80% should I feel a little better? How long do you have to follow this diet to know it is working?

It is an all or nothing sort of thing. While some people might feel a little better just by reducing the gluten load (or even carb load), you really need to give it up completely to halt the immune system response.

Unfortunately, it can take up to 6 months to a year or more for people to feel well. Some know they are better in the first week, but others may require longer to heal a damaged gut, fix nutritional deficiencies, and ferret out other related problems that also need fixing.

And... for example... if someone is gluten and casein sensitive, and they only remove gluten... casein may keep them feeling bad. It can be a process to figure it all out, and determine what factors are at play.

P.S. Wiz, Daisy is an adorable kitten!

[cat265]

Thanks for the answers. I could give up gluten so much faster then I could give up cheese! My hardest meal is lunch. I get tierd of salads and I have not found a bread I can live with yet. Someone told me about a bread by Udi? I have not been able to find it. I tried making one with a bread machine, that didn't work out so well

[ewizabeth]

Originally Posted by cat265

Thanks for the answers. I could give up gluten so much faster then I could give up cheese! My hardest meal is lunch. I get tierd of salads and I have not found a bread I can live with yet. Someone told me about a bread by Udi? I have not been able to find it. I tried making one with a bread machine, that didn't work out so well

I got a recipe book from Amazon that's just great, but you have to follow the directions exactly.

"Gluten-Free Baking Classics for the Bread Machine" by Annalise G. Roberts

She uses a Zojirushi bread machine and a special flour mix (in the book) and I've had great results!

The machine is pricey though, so prepare yourself! It makes excellent regular breads too, for our sons.

[jccgf]

I like the frozen sandwich bread by Kinnikinnick and we use Glutano's frozen English Muffins for both breakfast muffins and hamburger buns.

I make my daughter a fresh gluten free flour tortilla every morning for her lunch sandwich. My electric tortilla press is practically falling apart and unfortunatley VillaWare no longer makes them. I've been scouting out new brands, but we use these tortilla wraps for sandwiches and tacos... and put everything in them from pizza fixings to salmon salad to sloppy joe to scrambled eggs.

Tortillas

1 1/2 cups rice flour (white and/or brown... I mix my rice flours.. Bob's)
1/2 cup potato starch (I use Bob's Red Mill)
2 cups tapioca flour (I use EnerG)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons milk powder*
2 cups warm water

*For dairy free, you can try substituting rice or almond milk instead of water and milk powder.

I mix the dry ingredients first, and then add water and mix with my mixer. I use a 2 inch scooper to move the dough to my tortilla press, and keep them in a tortilla keeper after cooking... which really improves the pliability. I do oil the surface of my press as I find it works best this way. A wetter dough makes for a larger thinner and more pliable tortilla... so adust if necessary.

I also make my own bread, but do so less and less since starting the every day tortilla craze.

Here is the recipe I've had good luck with, though.

Best Buns Ever (aka Bread Winner)
*contains milk, yeast and eggs

Preheat oven to 200 degrees and turn OFF for raising your bread.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl :
(wide base is better for mixing.. at least if you are using a hand held mixer!)

1 1/2 cups rice flour (brown and/or white)
1 cup potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
2 Tbls sugar
1 Tbls xanthan gum or guar gum
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1 pkg dry yeast
1 tsp unflavored gelatin (Knox)

Melt 2 Tbls butter/margarine into 1 1/2 cups water... warm to 130 degrees. Add 1 tsp rice or apple cider vinegar.
(I accomplish this in the microwave on my 'beverage' setting...but all microwaves are different. the water temp is important for the yeast as it can fail if either too hot or too cold)

Gradually add water mixture to dry ingredients, and mix well with electric beater.

Add 3 eggs, one at a time, and beat between each addition. Use room temperature eggs. They can be warmed by floating in hot water if you haven't set the eggs out in advance.

Beat three minutes.

Put into two regular loaf pans (5x9), one extra long pan, 12 hamburger buns, or make 24 dinner rolls using cupcake tins. The cupcake buns make good little sandwich buns for younger children. Grease pans and dust w/ gluten flour before filling.

Raise in warmed oven (preheat to 200 but turn OFF) for about one hour (up to fifteen minutes beyond if necessary), covered with a light cloth.

Leave pan in oven (remove cloth!) and turn oven on to 375 degrees and bake:
35 minutes for buns or muffins
55 minutes for bread
(if your bread gets too brown, you can rest foil over the top for the last fifteen minutes of bake time)

Cool on rack; remove from pan after ten minutes and continue to cool on rack. This is important or it will get soggy on the bottom.

*To make milk free, omit dry milk powder and use 1 1/2 cup gf rice or almond milk in place of water.

Hint: Dough should not be too stiff. Your beaters should not bounce. It is hard to describe texture, but it should be smooth and beaters should be able to move through it without too much difficulty. It should be somewhere between the consistency of cake batter and cookie batter. I have found there is great variability of flour densitivity between brands. If needed, add more water, 1 Tbsp at a time, or an extra egg white, to get the right consistency. Don't give up~ it may take some experimentation to get the right consistency...not too stiff, not too wet, but just right