Question and Answers – Page 7

Q. Hi Roberta

I have appreciated your e mails but have not subscribed as yet because I have not officially been diagnosed with a gluten allergy. I am stuck as to go about getting properly assessed as I did have a blood test through my G.P and apparently it came back as ok/ normal.Of course I do not have the details of the results and still feel I need more answers. I have heard also that it is a difficult test to read accurately and can vary depending on what you consume at the time.


I have tried a low carb/no wheat diet for a 2 weeks with amazing effects with a decrease in symptoms especially of fatigue, abdominal bloating, diarrhea and depression as well as having increased energy.

Its just so hard to stick to that when you don’t know for sure. I try to stick to gluten free but find I still have cravings for refined flour products only to feel awful after eating them.

Can you help? Who should I see and how to go about getting further testing?

Many thanks for replying. I so much want to get this sorted. I am living in Nelson, New Zealand so is there anyone I could contact?

A. www.dietitians.org.nz/FindADietitian.html

This is the link to find dietitians in New Zealand. Type in your area and you should get a list of names. Try to find someone with expertise in gluten intolerance and celiac disease. In the meantime, you are correct in that sometimes the blood test is inconclusive (only the intestinal biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis). However, if you feel better on a gluten free diet it would be best to continue following it (why do something you know will cause you pain??).

When you say you have “cravings for refined flour products” are you talking about all cookies, cakes, pies, etc. or just those made with refined wheat flour?

I have had great success baking with Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Flour (www.glutenfreeflour.com) and have made these foods almost indistinguishable from their regular wheat based counterparts.

If you want further testing you will have to go back to eating gluten containing foods for a period of time to get a reliable test (the length of time depends on what the lab says where your test is being done).

Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,I have only been diagnosed as Celiac for about 6 wks. so I am very new to the gluten free world.. I will now know it!

In a lot of the recipes on gluten-free.com they call for rice flour. Can I use another gf flour?
I recently ordered a gf flour from Az. that has all the different flour already mixed, so I’m not sure if I can use it when a recipe calls for rice flour only?

A. If the flour you ordered is Tom Sawyer’s you made a good choice. I’ve been using that for over a year myself since I first heard of it. This product contains rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and unflavored gelatin. The latter two ingredients are used to give the baked product the structure that would have been provided by gluten.

If you are using it in a recipe that calls for plain rice flour you don’t have to add additional xanthan gum or gelatin if they are called for in the recipe (many gluten free recipes call for one or both of these ingredients for the reasons I mentioned above). If the recipe doesn’t call for one of those ingredients I don’t think you will be disappointed in the results using the Tom Sawyer flour instead of the rice flour, but if you are you can always experiment the next time using a little more liquid or flour and seeing what happens.

Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,Thanks for all the info on the website, etc…

I want to make gluten-free bread for my husband but really, I do not know the right bread making machine to buy.
Do you have suggestions, I will be very grateful If you have!

Thank You

A. I have heard that the Zojirushi V-120 machines are very good; however, they are also pricey.
The main thing is you want a machine that can be programmed for one rising cycle.

Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,I have recently adopted the gluten-free diet with good results. I have not had a biopsy yet because of insurance problems. My daughter who is 45, is experiencing seizures and severe anemia, both of which are symptoms of celiac disease. I cannot find a lot of discussion on adult seizures.

Can you give me any references or information that would be helpful. I can only find information about childhood incidences of seizures.

Thanks

A. Has your daughter been to a neurologist for the seizures?

I would suggest that as a first step and if she immediately goes gluten free and they do not stop the neurologist will be able to evaluate to see what else may be going on.
Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,I decided after years of stomach trouble and little help from doctors to try a gluten free diet. I have seen close to 95% improvement and it has only been 3 weeks.

My question is about testing. I know I need to be eating gluten to be tested. However, if I have been off it this long, even if I start eating it again will it be enough to get accurate test results? How long do I need to be eating gluten to get tested, a day, 2 days, a week, a month?? Thanks!!

A. I have heard different numbers from different sources. The best thing to do would be to ask the doctor you will be going to for the testing. They may have information from the lab that will be doing the test.

Even so, you will be told that the “gold standard” for definitively diagnosing celiac disease is an intestinal biopsy. The biopsy would be ordered after a positive blood test to confirm the diagnosis.

Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,Hi, I have been diagnosed with an under active thyroid for nearly a year.

I’ve found that no matter what i eat i still put on weight. Is there a diet for people with Hypothyroidism who is also a vegetarian, if so do you know any good ones you can recommend please, because im getting really desperate to lose weight.

A. A vegetarian diet without large quantities of desserts such as cake, cookies, candy, ice cream, etc and fried or high fat foods would probably help with your weight problem, but remember portions are also important. Your plate should be mostly vegetables and beans which will fill you up as they are high in fiber. Limit your fat but don’t eliminate it entirely. There are no good or bad foods–but some foods will make you gain weight faster so use moderation.

Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,Hello, I was wondering if wheat grass and barley grass are Gluten Free?
I have heard from some people that it is, and from others that it isn’t.
I am interested in a supplement that contains these items.
Any information you can give me would be much appreciated!

A. It would be best to purchase a supplement that states it is gluten free.
Here’s one available on the internet:

Each product is different so I can’t make a general statement that ALL wheat grass or barley grass is gluten free.
Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,I have a question regarding the possible effects of gluten on the placenta.
I am gluten intolerant.
I usually stay off of gluten, except for when i am pregnant, then I eat a lot of spelt bread.

When i gave birth to my first child my midwife said after examining the placenta that it was in very poor condition. She said this could have been causes either by excessive smoking or severe malnutrition.
I never smoke, and my nutrition was very good throughout the pregnancy.
I was wondering if there could possibly be a link between my eating gluten during the pregnancy and the poor condition of the placenta.
Please respond soon, as i am now pregnant with my second child and would like to prevent a recurrence of this issue.
Thank You

A. Yes, there definitely can be an effect on the placenta in those with celiac disease. I had 6 miscarriages prior to the birth of my almost 9 year old son, and at the time (prior to my diagnosis of CD) the doctors thought my small placenta and short umbilical cord were due to my “advanced age” of 43–causing IUGR (intrauterine growth retardation — my son was born at 37 weeks gestation weighing 4 pounds 13 ounces).

My son now has Asperger’s Syndrome, which may have been due to the IUGR and therefore my undiagnosed CD. I now believe the IUGR was probably at least partially due to the fact that my body was not absorbing nutrients properly due to CD. If you possibly have celiac disease you MUST totally avoid gluten, for your sake as well as the sake of your unborn child.

Roberta

Q. Dear Roberta,I was diagnosed with celiac’s disease almost 2 years ago. It has been a struggle for me to to loose weight. I also have Diverticulitis.

Just recently I had my first attack since 2002. The attack was caused by medications I have recently been put on for depression and high blood pressure.

The combined meds (wellbrutin and spironolactone) have caused me to be constipated, which caused my most recent attack and two weeks on antibiotics. After the infection was cleared, up my doctor suggested that I use a Benefiber.

It has been a month since I finished my antibiotics, and started using benefiber. About 5 days ago I thought the diverticulitis back, as I was experiencing pain in my left side and hurt worse when I’d have bowel movements. I went to the doctors today and I had to have another CT Scan to see if the diverticulitis was have back. However it showed that all was still clear.

In looking through questions that another person had asked you, I noticed that you do not think there is enough wheat dextrin in benefiber and seems to be gluten free and should be safe to use. Is it possible that I am sensitive to the wheat dextrin in benefiber and is causing my stomach muscles to be cramp and have muscle spasms?

Is there another form of fiber that you can suggest that would be easier on my colon and less gassy? I actually felt embarrassed when my doctor called and said that I was most likely still constipated and straining, which had
caused my stomach muscles to become sore.

Thanks for your help.

A. I have investigated this and now have concluded that there may be gluten in Benefiber. Fibersure, a similar type product by another manufacturer, does not contain gluten so I would recommend it instead. It contains fiber from inulin, derived from a vegetable source. It can be mixed into liquids and other foods just like Benefiber.

Roberta