So glad to see you here.
Just like to say that there is lots of good advice here, also if you look for health food stores in your area, lots of good stuff in there to eat.

I think the best advice I got when I first started going gluten free was to find something you can have as a treat. ie cake, cookies, these things I craved, then I found a few reciepes and away I went. My husband also eats gluten free, which is really great. He says now that he prefers the way we eat now, and in fact finds that he doesn't even miss it.

Isn't it amazing how your energy level goes up. Take care, Patricia

the internet may be necessary for you, Lois.

I do grits for breakfast for hot cereal. You can add things, like honey, bacon etc..and it is quite good. After I went gluten free.. I found oatmeal very problematic. But I can do whole oats, granolas, the natural kind. I don't understand this myself.

Gorilla Munch is gluten free, you can get it from Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/EnviroKidz-Gor.../dp/B000FBL8FU
Other flavors are there too! Even my son's cat eats it! Loves it, begs for it as a treat. They have started carrying at Kroger's too. Some local stores will special order things if you ask. Give that a try too.

I am not a celiac..but just intolerant. After a while, I could use some things
with malt in them..small amounts. People vary tho.

With your MG, you may need strict observance and you may find an improvement with the MG over time, since it is autoimmune.

Have you seen this link for gluten-free by mail?

GLUTEN-FREE FOOD VENDORS

Great links.

I use Kinnikinnick bread and pancake mix alot. I am going to order it for
delivery up North next year. My local store only carries the white bread.
I'd like to try the dark with flax one.

The pancake mix is really good. My son likes it best. It is not so heavy on
the "corn" which seems common in others. And our store is often out of it.

https://secure.kinnikinnick.com/inde...odcatid/5.html

I don't eat enough bread to bake my own...so I prefer commercial ones.
Maybe when I retire (finally) I'll give it whirl.

Thanks for the links! Mrsd, apparently I'm like you, just gluten sensitive, but not celiac. The results came in the mail today, negative for celiac. Now, does that mean that I definitely do not have celiac? (My MG is seronegative). If it's definitely not celiac, but just gluten sensitivity, does that mean I can very occasionally sneak in some gluten? I'm afraid to try it since the improvement has been so dramatic. No more diarrhea, no more cramps, no more gas than normal people have, no bloating, plus nowhere near as much fatigue as I was having. I feel like I've gotten my life back!
Hugs,

Most of the folks who follow the GF life, do not cheat.

I sort of admit it, that I do very occasionally. But this is not a popular point
of view.

A true Celiac cannot.

I have found after more than 2 yrs GF, that tiny amounts of the malted
ingredients in cereal do not set me off. I do not eat any wheat ones however.
Only the rice and corn ones. Like Crispix, Honeycomb. Only the instant oatmeals, I cannot do them.

There is a granola one called Bear Naked which has whole oats, and that does not bother me either. But I cannot cheat with pasta...I found that out dramatically. My hands swell up rather quickly.

I think it is possible that once your GI tract settles down, other things show up to upset you. Some people find dairy a problem, or corn, or soy.
I'd really be up the creek if corn turned on me. I use corn chips with tuna/salmon, and other things, alot for bread substitutes. I eat nuts instead of pretzels, or other cracker snacks. I use Orville redenbacher corn cakes, and Quaker rice cakes for peanut butter. But I don't search out cross contamination, etc, because I am not battling severe issues. I started out years ago cutting out bagels, at first, then bread. Then this board started on OBT, and I started reading etc and getting better at it.

But admitting to a cheat or cutting corners, is not really acceptable to the GF or Celiac bunch. So don't follow my example, or I might not be welcome here anymore!

Hi Lois,

What tests did you have run? I am "just gluten sensitive" myself. I don't have the celiac genes and I've never been tested for celiac. For many years, I cheated fairly regularly, but cutting down on gluten dramatically helped my digestion. However, I developed many other food intolerances, including dairy, corn, quinoa, soy, and nuts. I can't help but think that if I had truly given up gluten years ago, I would not have developed these other food intolerances. At the time, it wasn't recommended that I go totally GF. If I only had to give up gluten now, I would be so grateful!

If a GF diet is working for you, I say listen to your body!

Claire

Mrsd, don't worry, I won't tell on you! I really doubt if I'll "cheat" since I feel so much better GF. I think I must have gotten a little bit of hidden gluten in my lunch yesterday, since I started to have a few symptoms today, but it must not have been much, since they've already died down. Unless, like Claire mentioned, I'm developing other sensitivities. But I think it was hidden gluten. I got carry-out from a restaurant, salad, green beans, corn and sausage. Then wondered after I ate the sausage whether it might have flour in it as a filler.
Claire, the only test I've had was a blood test, and I think they called it a celiac panel, but I'm not sure. All I know is that my GP said it was to test for celiac, and it came back negative.
2 of my kids, who also have digestive problems, are going to try the GF diet to see if it helps them. Thanks to all of you for your support and ideas.
Hugs