General Chat

Anyone on a gluten-free diet? Just found out I've an intolerance to Gluten, Wheat, Oats, Yeast and Egg White. That's given my beloved something of a headache for mealtimes!!

Brian, I work with another member of staff who is a Celiac, also one of the little kids in school also . It is really restricting when going out for a meal as not much on offer that hasn't been made with some form of wheat. She gets a prescription for bread. Tesco sell a range now of bread and biscuits ect. I avoid wheat and dairy also. If you want any advice I can ask on Monday for you. (email me direct) Iz

Hi Iz, Will e-mail you as suggested. Brian

Hi Penny, Noted your comments. We shop at Tescos; they have quite a good range of gluten-free foods, but no lists for customers, Thanks, Brian

Gluten is a protein found in wheat. Put about a tablespoon of flour into a hanky or cloth and keep rinsing it under a cold tap. Eventually you'll be left with a lump of what looks like beige chewing gum. Thats gluten! Lisa

Hi Brian, I use a range called TRUFREE- If you would like their e mail address and `phone number i will only to happy to pass them on. Whirl

Hi Whirl, Thanks for that offer. When we were in Tesco's earlier this evening I noticed that name- TRUEFREE- along with others (nutritionpoint, plamilfoods), and jotted down their websites. Been looking into them. Appreciate your thoughts on my behalf, Brian, ;-o)

brian iceland do a free from leaflet.go into the shop and get there customer care number.they will be happy to help as a relative has the same problem and told me about itxxxxx(:

Hi Sandra, You've really had a few horrendous moments with your complaint....I can't compete with that!! It's incredible that just one tiny slip-up could cause so much of a problem. As for "the runs", I'm the complete opposite. Anyway, thanx for pointing out those pitfalls to look out for, and for sharing those personal moments with me (plus about 300 others!). Brian, ;-x)

Hi Miss Lapland, Yet another piece of sound advice, which will be followed up. Thanx a bunch, Brian, :-x)

I have a son with Asperger Syndrome - a form of autism, and like quite a few autistics he does better on a gluten free diet - no mad dashes to the loo, errm "wind", no bad breath and better moods. However the attitude of the NHS in most areas of the UK is that reported improvements to autism with a gf diet are merely hearsay or desperate parents looking for an improvement, and thus autistics cannot have gf foods on prescription. And the stuffs so expensive too! Quick q - has anyone ever found a palatable gf sliced bread? Cheers Lisa

Hi Brian, I am also a coeliac, diagnosed 10years ago. Watch for ham, ususally soaked in wheat brine, I found out the hard way! A tip from people I met in Alice Springs, they were from the nurses federation, when eating out (I avoid if possible but travel a lot for work so cannot avoid it) they said to say I suffer from coeliac disease, resturant people take the disease bit seriously, and usually make sure that the food is gluten free. Also I often get really good meals. The down side is that eating out cheaply is difficult. I always take my bread with me when I travel, so at least get toast in the morning. Watch potato wedges, they are coated in flour. If having grilled fish, ask for it without flour. Most commercial cornflour is wheat based so my rule of thumb is to aviod it. Most soy sauce is wheat based, fountain says it is OK. Heinz will send you a list if gluten free products if you go into thier website. It is a pain but we manage quite well at home. We read packets and learn to interpret, 1400 can be difficult. I find potato flour is good for thickening gravy. Differnt taste but friends now really like it better than normal gravy. When I visit the UK I find it somewhat easier than here as things seem to be labelled. My sister usually manages to find me bread and other things at her health food shop in Taunton, for which I am grateful as I usually end up working in Pariss....definately not gluten free freindly! I always now ask my dr about the percription. to make sure gluten free and teh chemist about tablets. There are only a few headache and flu remidies that are gluten free. Always ask the Dr and or chemist to check. My guys here are constantly surprised by how may tablets contain gluten. With more people diagnosed it is getting better Commiserations. J.A

Check out on-line coeliac societies - they should be helpful. Cheers, Kylie

It's a pain when you got multi intolerences, breads & a lot of crackers contain yeast, I use oat cakes, but see you are off oats too, rice cakes taste like polystyrene. In fact yeast crops up in a lot of things like soups & stock cubes etc. Can get Doves gluten free flour, and make your own plain scones which might help replace bread. Found some Allergycare Herb & Onion stuffing in the health food store, uses rice flakes instead of breadcrumbs, and tastes quite good. Hope you get to grips with your diet soon.

The instruction book for my breadmaker has some recipes for gluten free bread and also some phone numbers. Glutafin and Trufree products..........Nutricia Customer Careline 01225 711801 Juvela products............SHS International Ltd Advice Line 0151 2281992 Schar Products.............Nutrition Point 07041 544044

Did notice quite a lot of products in Sainsbury's, this afternoon!..

Oh, my Gawd, I've had a deluge of advice, tips, warnings and good wishes from so many of you, namely Linda, Lapland Lovely, Lisa, J.A. in Limestone USA, Kylie, Val, Karen, Ros, Christine....and I do hope I haven't missed anyone out. I thank you all so very much for your contribution. I have acted on those that seemed appropriate to my "condition"; which, I am lead to believe by the sites I have visited and the medical books I have thumbed through, is not Coeliac disease (won't go into detail on here!). Thanx again to one and all, Brian ;-x)

Shops not having a list for special diet needs is a pain I'm a diabetic and spend half my time looking at labels to check sugar Safeways are pushing a glutin free choc bar at moment