Celiac Disease Support Group

It all started with my annual check up. A finger stick showed my blood nutrient levels were completely a-mess. Within two weeks and mulitple tests and doctors I was diagnosed with Celiac.

I have run the range of emotions from relief to anger, depression to excitement.

I am battling with the changes to my diet, specifically how to make it second nature. As a mom to three kids, my famiy of 5 doesn't enjoy change so I find myself eating differently frequently.

I am also struggling with the concept of weight gain. As someone who has had a weight issue in the past, I struggle to be okay with gaining weight. I know that I am underweight but irrationally I scream at myself as I gain another pound.

I am trying to remain positive. It is hard.

As your body heals it might want to suck up extra nutrients but I'm not sure it will cause you a huge weight gain. Is this what your doctor said? I guess you would have to be careful as your body will be able to absorb things again. Hmmm, that bites.

What kinds of food are you struggling with? What are your favorite dinners? Perhaps I could recommend a different way to make them or a good alternative. Let me know. We still eat gluten-like dinners like lasagna and spaghetti, buns and bread sticks, pizza, etc. Let me know and I will see if I have a good recipe.

Talk to you soon,

Sheri

Weight gain is a different issue. I was, long ago and far away, about 40 pounds overweight. I worked very hard to change my diet and add in managable exercise (I am a single mom.) I managed to reach the appropriate weight for my height.

In the past 12 months I have last 20 pounds putting me on the borderline of scary underweight. (The curernt assumption is that Celiac began about 12 - 18 months ago.) I look nearly aneroxic in my arms, chest and face. The doctor told me I would put back about 10 pounds of it. My fear is that I won't stop at 10.

I am curently mom to a 7 year old, stepmom to a 10 and 12 year old and live with the 39 year old male. I am the only one with Celiac living with 4 very happy and gluten dependent members. Difficulty can be finding meals for us to eat with me not preparing a completely different one. This week we have a plan and the majority of meals are naturally GF.

What I miss most are pizza and soft pretzels. They are some of my favorite things that I have not found a good GF substitute.

Again thanks for talking to me.

For soft pretzels try Pamela's bread mix (found at most health food stores). Use the bagel recipe on the back (not the bread one). This will allow you to shape the dough. After shaping it into a pretzel lay it on a greased sheet for an hour and let rise. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the pretzel for 30 seconds. Put it back on the cookie sheet, cover with a bit of pizza sauce, sprinkle of cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. I think you will find that this is quite close to the wheat version.

For pizza try different pizza shell recipes or buy some pre-made ones. The trick to pizza is to buy a pizza brick. This is like a big tile that goes in your oven (when cold) and you bring it up to heat. Then you slide your pizza onto the brick to bake. It helps make the crust more like a real pizzaria pizza. You can find a pizza brick at most kitchen stores. We get Amy's rice crust pizza and then add our favorite toppings and use the pizza brick...really good stuff.

Hope this helps,

Sheri