Well, it's been a while since my last post and I thought I'd give an update on life as we are living it now. Caleb has not been 100% gluten-free, but we have cut a lot of gluten out of his diet (most of the time). In other words, mom has relaxed a bit! :) He hasn't had a migraine since the last one I reported (hooray!). His reaction to gluten comes in the form of tics (rapid, uncontrollable blinking or mouth movements are typical for him), so I can gauge how much gluten he has ingested by their frequency or the lack thereof.
I was looking back at my earlier posts and realized that there are 2 gluten-free products that we still haven't tried yet. One is the Red Bob Mills bread mix. While I did try the other mix, I used it for pizza dough because it said it could be used for either way. Thankfully, I had some experience in making pizza dough and knew that I needed to add more flour, otherwise it was a terribly sticky mess that I would likely have thrown in the garbage if it weren't for my prior knowledge. And thankfully, I had some gluten-free flour that I could add. It turned out okay in the end and it tasted okay. I will have to experiment with some homemade recipes when I get a chance. I also haven't used the Rice Flour yet. I have good intentions of making things from scratch but I lack the time necessary to experiment.
On this quest to help Caleb be healthy, I have done a lot to try to reduce the use of chemicals in our house, and yet I haven't been able to get around it altogether. I have tried making my own cleaners out of common household items but never had great results. So, I have done my best to reduce the chemicals in our home by using what I hoped to be some less chemically-filled products or by using certain chemical cleaners less often...not great options. However, thanks to a friend of mine, I have recently discovered Norwex Enviro Products. With the use of their antibacterial microfiber cloth and water, you can eliminate 99.9% of germs on any washable surface! I was impressed! That alone is a wonderful product, but they have so many other great products, including cleaners that are enzyme-based & biodegradeable (read: safe to use and good for the environment!) & they work wonderfully! I used the Descaler with the Bathroom Mitt on my bathtub, which I hate to clean because of the iron in our water which leaves rust in the tub. I didn't have to use the whole bottle (like I have done with other cleaners)...in fact I didn't use much at all and the rust came out with minimal effort on my part. And the best part--I didn't inhale fumes!!! It has a light and pleasant scent. I can't wait to try more of their products, and they have many to offer!
I am so pleased with my Norwex products that I have decided to join the Norwex team. I want to share the benefits of these great products with everyone! The Norwex Mission Statement is "to improve quality of life by reducing the use of chemicals in personal care and cleaning". What a wonderful mission statement. That lines up perfectly with what I am trying to accomplish in my life.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Day 38!
Ok, so I am a lousy blogger :( It's been almost 20 days since I blogged! Unbelievable! We went on vacation, and then my source of internet, my BlackBerry, broke (that was a sad day!) Then my boys went back to school & I went back to teaching. Life has been busy!
I entitled this Day 38 because we have decided to keep Caleb on a gluten-free diet. Pro number 1: It has been 5 weeks since his last migraine! Prior to the diet, he had his second migraine only 2&1/2 weeks after the first. Pro number 2: When he doesn't eat gluten, he doesn't have tics. As soon as he eats gluten, he has tics. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a correlation.
Whether or not he has Celiac Disease, we may never know but I am certain he has a type of gluten intolerance. The fact that he had a negative gluten intolerance test result several years ago makes me suspect CD. And while he has rarely shown the "classic" symptoms of CD, I know that not everyone who has it displays the "classic" symptoms. Regardless, he needs to be gluten-free.
I will never forget the day I discovered Celiac Disease & how it was a possibility thay my child had it. I was so excited that this could be it. This could be the answer that I had been looking for. And then to discover that all we had to do to correct it was change his diet. It was an amazing day! It has been an amazing journey!
I have been very pleased with the results of our experiment. So our journey continues, gluten-free for our son (which has also resulted in less gluten for our family as a whole). And it really hasn't been difficult...just different.
I entitled this Day 38 because we have decided to keep Caleb on a gluten-free diet. Pro number 1: It has been 5 weeks since his last migraine! Prior to the diet, he had his second migraine only 2&1/2 weeks after the first. Pro number 2: When he doesn't eat gluten, he doesn't have tics. As soon as he eats gluten, he has tics. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a correlation.
Whether or not he has Celiac Disease, we may never know but I am certain he has a type of gluten intolerance. The fact that he had a negative gluten intolerance test result several years ago makes me suspect CD. And while he has rarely shown the "classic" symptoms of CD, I know that not everyone who has it displays the "classic" symptoms. Regardless, he needs to be gluten-free.
I will never forget the day I discovered Celiac Disease & how it was a possibility thay my child had it. I was so excited that this could be it. This could be the answer that I had been looking for. And then to discover that all we had to do to correct it was change his diet. It was an amazing day! It has been an amazing journey!
I have been very pleased with the results of our experiment. So our journey continues, gluten-free for our son (which has also resulted in less gluten for our family as a whole). And it really hasn't been difficult...just different.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Day 19
Time is just flying by! Before I know it the day is over & I haven't updated. I can't believe it's been almost a week since I've posted!
We went out to eat a couple nights ago at Texas Roadhouse. I really thought we were going to make this meal out completely gluten-free for Caleb. He was doing well ordering a steak & mashed potatoes. While waiting for the food to arrive he ate some peanuts but no rolls (which was near torture to him but he survived!) When the waitress brought our salads, he indicated he would like a salad also. Since it wasn't included in the kid's meal, I ordered a salad for him with cheese & croutons only. Oops...croutons are made from bread! It didn't even dawn on me until later. Well, we almost got it right!
We are packing up for our trip and I believe the meal plans are in order. On the gluten-free dinner menu: Chicken Parmesan (with spaghetti leftovers planned for the next days lunch), Tacos (leftovers again planned for lunch), Oven Fried Herb Chicken, and Grilled Burgers (they may end up being a lunch instead of a dinner). We are planning 1 breakfast out (at Paul Bunyan's), and will likely have 1 lunch out also. Eating out is definitely the hardest time to keep the gluten away.
I am planning to use a recipe in Gluten-Free: Quick & Easy (for Chicken Nuggets) for the breading on the Chicken Parmesan, which uses crushed corn flakes rather than flour & bread crumbs. Hopefully, the end result will be satisfactory. Time will tell.
I have noticed a HUGE improvement in Caleb's tics when he is consistent with the diet! I rarely ever see them any more. Before the diet, I rarely ever saw him without them. That alone would be reason enough for him to continue the diet for the rest of his life, in my opinion. I am expecting that he will not experience migraines much (if ever) in his future if he stays off gluten also. Seems like a win, win situation to me.
We went out to eat a couple nights ago at Texas Roadhouse. I really thought we were going to make this meal out completely gluten-free for Caleb. He was doing well ordering a steak & mashed potatoes. While waiting for the food to arrive he ate some peanuts but no rolls (which was near torture to him but he survived!) When the waitress brought our salads, he indicated he would like a salad also. Since it wasn't included in the kid's meal, I ordered a salad for him with cheese & croutons only. Oops...croutons are made from bread! It didn't even dawn on me until later. Well, we almost got it right!
We are packing up for our trip and I believe the meal plans are in order. On the gluten-free dinner menu: Chicken Parmesan (with spaghetti leftovers planned for the next days lunch), Tacos (leftovers again planned for lunch), Oven Fried Herb Chicken, and Grilled Burgers (they may end up being a lunch instead of a dinner). We are planning 1 breakfast out (at Paul Bunyan's), and will likely have 1 lunch out also. Eating out is definitely the hardest time to keep the gluten away.
I am planning to use a recipe in Gluten-Free: Quick & Easy (for Chicken Nuggets) for the breading on the Chicken Parmesan, which uses crushed corn flakes rather than flour & bread crumbs. Hopefully, the end result will be satisfactory. Time will tell.
I have noticed a HUGE improvement in Caleb's tics when he is consistent with the diet! I rarely ever see them any more. Before the diet, I rarely ever saw him without them. That alone would be reason enough for him to continue the diet for the rest of his life, in my opinion. I am expecting that he will not experience migraines much (if ever) in his future if he stays off gluten also. Seems like a win, win situation to me.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Day 13
It's been a few days since I've posted. We were moving right along without gluten (mostly Caleb but we have definitely minimized our own gluten intake), until this weekend hit. Yesterday, an Amish family we met this summer at the Farmer's Market gave us some of their homemade cinnamon & pecan rolls...we didn't get a chance to tell them we were going gluten-free & who could say no to that?
We also went out to eat tonight. It was a family style buffet. Caleb tried to keep the gluten to a minimum, but his favorite part of the meal was the walleye (which was breaded).
I noticed his tics a little bit yesterday, but today they were much more noticable...mostly blinking but also some neck jerking.
I know if he has any type of gluten intolerance, especially Celiac's, he shouldn't have gluten. Period. I am hoping the longer we do it, the easier it will get and we won't feel a need to "cheat". I began perusing the cookbooks I bought again & it looks like there are some really great recipes in them. I just need more time! I was able to flag some pages in the Quick & Easy recipe book that I would like to try this week & next, so that is a start.
I have gotten Caleb more involved with helping to prepare dinner so he feels more ownership in what he eats. He has gotten really good at peeling & cutting carrots, as well as quartering potatoes for our crockpot roast dinners. He also helped make Ranch dressing a couple days ago. I discovered that he really doesn't care for pasley & the recipe I have calls for a good amount of it. I'm going to use half of what is called for next time. I've even made it without parsley before & it was good. One of the recipe books has a ranch mix recipe that calls for a number of ground spices that you mix with sour cream & milk, so I'm going to try that soon.
All in all, it's been a bit of a challenge lately, but we're going to start the week off on the right foot again & hope for the best!
We also went out to eat tonight. It was a family style buffet. Caleb tried to keep the gluten to a minimum, but his favorite part of the meal was the walleye (which was breaded).
I noticed his tics a little bit yesterday, but today they were much more noticable...mostly blinking but also some neck jerking.
I know if he has any type of gluten intolerance, especially Celiac's, he shouldn't have gluten. Period. I am hoping the longer we do it, the easier it will get and we won't feel a need to "cheat". I began perusing the cookbooks I bought again & it looks like there are some really great recipes in them. I just need more time! I was able to flag some pages in the Quick & Easy recipe book that I would like to try this week & next, so that is a start.
I have gotten Caleb more involved with helping to prepare dinner so he feels more ownership in what he eats. He has gotten really good at peeling & cutting carrots, as well as quartering potatoes for our crockpot roast dinners. He also helped make Ranch dressing a couple days ago. I discovered that he really doesn't care for pasley & the recipe I have calls for a good amount of it. I'm going to use half of what is called for next time. I've even made it without parsley before & it was good. One of the recipe books has a ranch mix recipe that calls for a number of ground spices that you mix with sour cream & milk, so I'm going to try that soon.
All in all, it's been a bit of a challenge lately, but we're going to start the week off on the right foot again & hope for the best!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day 10
Wow! 10 days already. Hard to believe we're 1/3 of the way through our experiment.
Caleb did well eating while he was away from home. It definitely helped that I packed a few things, but he did well in eating a salad for lunch. He was also treated to a cup of ice cream later, so don't feel too bad for him! :)
I am so glad I am reading Healthier Without Wheat. It has really helped to define the difference between Celiac Disease, Wheat Allergy & Gluten Intolerence. While they all can have ill effects on the body, they are very different & each has to be tested differently. I also read that the testing for CD is not always accurate, even the biopsy. The author even talks about how it is up to each individual to decide whether or not to have the testing done or to begin eliminating gluten from the diet. After all, as a friend pointed out to me this week, that is the old fashioned way of discovering whether or not a person has an allergy.
Something else I found interesting, when talking about the foods people with Celiac CAN eat, he says this, "The healthiest gluten-free foods--"whole foods" such as vegetables, fruits, meat, nuts, and so on--are not special products and are still the same price that they were when you ate gluten. Look for them on the perimeter of the grocery store". I promise, I had never read that before! It was only by my own observation that I discovered most of the food I buy on a regular basis was on the perimeter of the store!
The reality, he says, is that what is left to eat (after eliminating gluten-containing foods) is just about everything that is healthy for you. So, you are eating the right foods & eliminating the "junk" (something we have been trying to do anyway). I love that!
Click here for a great step-by-step guide to removing gluten from your diet.
I also forgot to mention that over the weekend, we tried Monical's gluten-free pizza & it was very good. I also searched http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/ to see if we have any restaurants that are recognized by the "Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program" in our area. The only restaraunt that came up was Outback Steak House in Bloomington (about 45 mi. away). I can't say that we will travel that far to eat there, but it's good to know in case we're in the area.
Caleb did well eating while he was away from home. It definitely helped that I packed a few things, but he did well in eating a salad for lunch. He was also treated to a cup of ice cream later, so don't feel too bad for him! :)
I am so glad I am reading Healthier Without Wheat. It has really helped to define the difference between Celiac Disease, Wheat Allergy & Gluten Intolerence. While they all can have ill effects on the body, they are very different & each has to be tested differently. I also read that the testing for CD is not always accurate, even the biopsy. The author even talks about how it is up to each individual to decide whether or not to have the testing done or to begin eliminating gluten from the diet. After all, as a friend pointed out to me this week, that is the old fashioned way of discovering whether or not a person has an allergy.
Something else I found interesting, when talking about the foods people with Celiac CAN eat, he says this, "The healthiest gluten-free foods--"whole foods" such as vegetables, fruits, meat, nuts, and so on--are not special products and are still the same price that they were when you ate gluten. Look for them on the perimeter of the grocery store". I promise, I had never read that before! It was only by my own observation that I discovered most of the food I buy on a regular basis was on the perimeter of the store!
The reality, he says, is that what is left to eat (after eliminating gluten-containing foods) is just about everything that is healthy for you. So, you are eating the right foods & eliminating the "junk" (something we have been trying to do anyway). I love that!
Click here for a great step-by-step guide to removing gluten from your diet.
I also forgot to mention that over the weekend, we tried Monical's gluten-free pizza & it was very good. I also searched http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/ to see if we have any restaurants that are recognized by the "Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program" in our area. The only restaraunt that came up was Outback Steak House in Bloomington (about 45 mi. away). I can't say that we will travel that far to eat there, but it's good to know in case we're in the area.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Day 9: Moving right along
I finally began reading a book I borrowed from the library last week entitled Healthier Without Wheat: A New Understaning of Wheat Allergies, Celiac Disease & Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance by Stephen Wangen. I can hardly put it down. You definitely want to read this if you suspect you or someone you love has problems digesting gluten.
My husband said that since I have been reading so much about Celiac Disease that I now think that everyone I know has it, which is simply preposterous! :) While I don't believe everyone has CD, I do believe that there are more people who have problems digesting gluten than we realize. There are nearly 200 signs or symptoms that can be related to gluten intolerance/allergy or Celiac! These syptoms range from fatigue, weight loss, weight gain, abdominal pain, anemia, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, miscarriages, Fibromyalgia, to Schizophrenia! While I also realize that everyone who experiences these symptoms does not have CD or gluten intolerance, I am left to wonder how many of them actually do have it and don't even know it. It boggles my mind that there are doctors today who don't even consider the diet (the food we put into our bodies) to play a role in our well being.
I am thankful that our family decided to take our health more seriously several years ago (well, my husband and I anyway, our boys didn't really have a choice!) We decided to remove high fructose corn syrup & hydrogenated oils while adding more organic fruits/veggies and pure water to our diet. When I grocery shop, I mostly shop the outside perimeter of the store...that's where the fruits, veggies, health food section, meat (which I rarely buy at a large chain store), and dairy sections are. I steer clear of the middle aisles except for the occassional cans of organic beans, tea bags, or some other specific item I think we need. By taking these steps in the past several years, it has certainly made taking this gluten-free step that much easier!
Caleb went to spend the night at a friends house tonight. I packed a couple of gluten-free foods in his bag. It seemed a little strange to pack him food, but also necessary. I also talked with him more about what foods contain gluten and what foods do not. He is going to have to take responsibility for what he eats. So, we'll see how he does.
My husband said that since I have been reading so much about Celiac Disease that I now think that everyone I know has it, which is simply preposterous! :) While I don't believe everyone has CD, I do believe that there are more people who have problems digesting gluten than we realize. There are nearly 200 signs or symptoms that can be related to gluten intolerance/allergy or Celiac! These syptoms range from fatigue, weight loss, weight gain, abdominal pain, anemia, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, miscarriages, Fibromyalgia, to Schizophrenia! While I also realize that everyone who experiences these symptoms does not have CD or gluten intolerance, I am left to wonder how many of them actually do have it and don't even know it. It boggles my mind that there are doctors today who don't even consider the diet (the food we put into our bodies) to play a role in our well being.
I am thankful that our family decided to take our health more seriously several years ago (well, my husband and I anyway, our boys didn't really have a choice!) We decided to remove high fructose corn syrup & hydrogenated oils while adding more organic fruits/veggies and pure water to our diet. When I grocery shop, I mostly shop the outside perimeter of the store...that's where the fruits, veggies, health food section, meat (which I rarely buy at a large chain store), and dairy sections are. I steer clear of the middle aisles except for the occassional cans of organic beans, tea bags, or some other specific item I think we need. By taking these steps in the past several years, it has certainly made taking this gluten-free step that much easier!
Caleb went to spend the night at a friends house tonight. I packed a couple of gluten-free foods in his bag. It seemed a little strange to pack him food, but also necessary. I also talked with him more about what foods contain gluten and what foods do not. He is going to have to take responsibility for what he eats. So, we'll see how he does.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Day 8
I forgot to report earlier that Caleb liked the Rice noodles I bought from Kroger. I also thought they tasted like regular noodles. The box is smaller and they are more expensive than regular noodles. I read on a blog today that GF foods cost 2 to 3 times more than regular food. I think I could manage to do it cheaper and I like a challenge like that! The most obvious way to save money is to make things from scratch and the next is to buy in bulk. I haven't had the opportunity yet to buy in bulk but I'm looking forward to doing so very soon.
However, I found some good deals at Kroger yesterday on the GF cereal and cereal bars. They were on manager's special for $1.55 and $1.29 respectively. That's about a dollar off their regular price. Every little savings counts! I stocked up too!
I think the hardest thing for me right now is planning ahead. I would like to have a week's worth of menu plans written out already but I don't have. I have a couple of days worth but a week would be better. Also, we will be going on a mini vacation in a couple of weeks, so I need to plan for that. We have reserved a place to stay with a kitchen so we can still make most of our own meals.
Caleb hasn't complained about the diet so far. It is definitely easier than trying to cut out gluten, dairy, soy and eggs...all at the same time! That was near impossible! He remembers how difficult that was and realizes how much easier this is. Funny what a little perspective does for a person.
However, I found some good deals at Kroger yesterday on the GF cereal and cereal bars. They were on manager's special for $1.55 and $1.29 respectively. That's about a dollar off their regular price. Every little savings counts! I stocked up too!
I think the hardest thing for me right now is planning ahead. I would like to have a week's worth of menu plans written out already but I don't have. I have a couple of days worth but a week would be better. Also, we will be going on a mini vacation in a couple of weeks, so I need to plan for that. We have reserved a place to stay with a kitchen so we can still make most of our own meals.
Caleb hasn't complained about the diet so far. It is definitely easier than trying to cut out gluten, dairy, soy and eggs...all at the same time! That was near impossible! He remembers how difficult that was and realizes how much easier this is. Funny what a little perspective does for a person.
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