| Did you know there are three stages to starting a gluten free diet successfully? Here are a few pointers from Health & Nutrition ebook by Trina Astor-Stewart http://astoriamills.ca/healthebook
Stage ‘One’ of the Gluten Free Diet If you are newly diagnosed or aware that gluten is what is causing your ‘malaise’ you can now start to eliminate it from your diet. This time brings with it all the first emotions you may have to deal with. Try and do things that keep your spirits up as you gently let your body heal itself. You may have to go back and forth between Stage 1 and 2 for awhile longer if your symptoms have not decreased as it does take 6 months for more healing to take place.
In the first stages of the diet you need to stay with simple foods. If you have someone in your family who is caring for you, this time can be much simpler. However, many of us are on our own. Even if we are surrounded by family and friends, we may actually be alone in our diet as others have no idea how you can be affected by such a thing.
WHAT DO I DO FIRST?
1. Clean out your kitchen (your whole home). Remove any food or snacks that have gluten containing foods. You don’t want to waste, so donate anything unopened to a food bank. If there are others in your home who eat wheat/gluten, enlist their support. If you were allergic to peanuts your loved ones would make changes to help you! This is really important too.
Well, now I don’t want to be mean, but everything needs to be kept separate. Including cooking surfaces, implements, anything that could cause cross contamination of your foods.
No wooden spoons unless you have a dedicated kitchen. Watch the jam jars, no double dipping.
There are plenty of avenues for other family members to indulge themselves out of your sight. Unfortunately, gluten containing foods, to those of us that are intolerant to it, can seem like an addiction. Unfortunately some of us, on feeling better can convince ourselves that ‘just a little’ won’t hurt. And if the ‘hungries’ strike, and something else is around, well, let me tell you it is just hard!
WHAT TO DO NEXT
2. Give away, box up or otherwise dispose of old toasters etc. Anything used for preparing gluten containing foods that cannot be completely cleaned through sterilizing. Give your kitchen an extreme clean. Pretend you are moving. Wash all utensils and containers and immerse in 3 rinses of boiling hot water. Clean out the entire refrigerator, freezer and all your kitchen cupboards. Make sure you have some gluten free snacks on hand to give you the energy! Enlist a friends help if you are too weak to do this.
Keep Positive…here are some recipes and food suggestions. Stage 1 also eliminates any other foods that sometimes cause sensitivities.
No milk, no eggs, no nuts, no soy, no beans & (yeast free at first).
Eat as many fresh seasonal foods that are naturally gluten free.
Sweet potatoes are awesome.
Unprocessed meats. If you are having digestion distress, you may want to have a few days of just fruits and vegetables. If you are trying to gain weight eat snacks often. Remember this is not a deprivation diet. If you are overweight, eat small meals, and don't be concerned until you have eliminated gluten for at least a month.
Many people gain weight at first on a gf diet. This is because of two reasons. 1st many prepared gluten free mixes and foods contain more sugars and fats in order to make them taste better. Avoid these or limit your intake. 2nd, your body, whether skinny or fat if you are gluten intolerant has been starving. As soon as you feed it wholesome nourishing food it wants to hang on to it all. You will level out as you heal.
GROCERY LIST:
Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you are sensitive to mold or yeast infections make sure all your fruits and vegetables are gently cooked before eating. (Plain uncooked rice, white or brown, whichever you prefer. (rice is one of the easiest foods to digest) Some people cannot tolerate Brown Rice due to a larger mold spore count. |
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