Some Side Effects of Being on a Gluten-Free Diet

For people with celiac diease -- even those with no obvious symptoms -- being on a gluten-free diet can prevent serious, life-threatening complications. But just avoiding gluten doesn't guarantee that your diet is completely healthy. Here are some things to keep in mind when you shop and plan your meals.

You Will Probably Gain Weight:
Many of us were gaunt and sickly before we were diagnosed. Damage to the villi that line the small intestine -- a hallmark of celiac disease -- meant that food (and calories) couldn't be absorbed. After some time on the gluten-free diet, when the intestines start to heal, the nutrients (and the calories) in foods will be absorbed. Even though we may not be consuming any more calories now than we did when we were eating gluten, it's likely that we're going to gain weight. In fact, hard as it may be to imagine for people who were too thin before their diagnosis, studies show an increased risk for obesity on the gluten-free diet. It's really important to start counting calories.

You're At Risk for Poor Vitamin Status:
Patients with newly diagnosed celiac disease are usually vitamin deficient. To complicate that problem, gluten-free products are usually low in B vitamins, calcium, vitamin D, iron, zinc, magnesium, and fiber. Few if any gluten-free products are enriched or fortified with these nutrients. When researchers studied adult celiac patients who had been gluten-free for 10 years, half of the patients had vitamin deficiencies, including low levels of vitamin B-6 or folate, or both, and high levels of homocysteine (a risk factor for heart attacks, vascular disease, and strokes). Before the study, all the patients had biopsies to prove their intestines were healed and healthy, so these vitamin deficiencies could not be explained by malabsorption. Other researchers have found similar deficiencies in gluten-free adolescents. When it's time for an annual check-up, celiac patients should ask their doctor whether their vitamin status needs to be measured, and whether they should be taking folic acid and vitamin supplements.

Your Cholesterol Levels Will Probably Rise:
While I was still eating gluten, my cholesterol levels were always low. I now know why -- my intestines weren't absorbing any of the cholesterol in the foods I was eating. Not any more. Now I have to watch my cholesterol levels along with everyone else. When I check food labels for the presence of gluten, I also check the fat and cholesterol content. It's really important to choose low-fat, low-cholesterol foods. Packaged gluten-free products are usually higher in fat than their gluten-containing counterparts. This is especially true of packaged gluten-free cookies, crackers, and cakes. The American Heart Association says that foods that are high in fiber have been shown to help lower cholesterol -- so look for beans, peas, rice bran, citrus fruits, strawberries, apple pulp, and gluten-free oats.

You Might Experience Constipation or Diarrhea:
If you've replaced the bread and pasta in your diet with only white rice, the low-fiber diet may lead to constipation. If fiber-rich grains and beans are added to your diet in large amounts too quickly, you might develop gassiness and diarrhea.

Some People Actually Lose Weight:
Changes to your diet to eliminate gluten can also lead to a decrease in caloric intake and weight loss.

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Grape Tomatoes

For me suppertime is usually whatever I have on hand.  Today I had a package of sweet Italian turkey sausage and a package of grape tomatoes.    I started by heating a pan up and then coating the bottom with Smart Balance oil.  I added a package of 5 pieces of turkey sausage and cooked the sausage until almost done.  I removed the sausage from the pan onto a plate to cool and added about ¾ of a cup of white wine (I had a Chardonnay in the fridge).  Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all those delicious bits off & into the wine (deglazing) so you get all the flavor into the dish.  Add 2 – 3 cloves of garlic chopped fine and about ½ cup of chopped onions.  Cook until the onions are tender.  Slice about 2 cups of grape tomatoes in half and throw in.  Add about ¼ - ½ cup of chopped dried tomatoes.  Both of these tomatoes add a sweetness you can’t get any other way.  If you buy grape tomatoes & you find that they are a bit sour just roast them or throw them into whatever you are cooking.  This brings out the sweetness.  Cook a few more minutes.  In the meantime, or whenever you find the time, cut the sausage into bite size pieces and add to the pan.  Cook a few more minutes.  Add to this about 2 cups of chicken broth.  Let the dish bubble for about 5 more minutes so all the flavors blend together.  Add salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.  Reduce the heat to as low as it goes and add about ½ cup of mascarpone cheese.  I use this a lot, I know it is expensive but I can’t help myself.  You can easily substitute cream cheese for the mascarpone. Stir the cheese in until it is completely dissolved.  At this point turn off the burner and add about ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley and a few tablespoons of chopped basil.  Pour a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in & stir to combine.  Wallah !!  Done.  Oh, don’t forget to cook up some pasta.  GF for you and whatever the family likes for them will do.  Any type of pasta will go well with this.  Serve this up with a salad on the side and you have a quick and healthy meal for those who are gluten free and non-gluten free.  I have included a picture as well as a real recipe below.  Be sure to try this, your family will appreciate it!

The Recipe:

Cooked pasta
2 – 3 Tablespoons oil
1 package turkey sausage (quantity depends on how much you prefer to use)
¾ white wine
2 – 3 garlic cloves, chopped or minced
½ cup chopped onions
2 cups grape tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
½ cup mascarpone cheese (substitute cream cheese or ricotta cheese)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Another Really Good Pasta Dish

The May issue of bon appetit magazine has a lovely picture of a pasta dish that I just knew I could recreate and make gluten free.  I did & it was awesome!  Here is the recipe taken right from the magazine.  The only change I made was to use GF pasta for my serving.  This has several ingredients but trust me, it is easy and oh, so good.  FYI, it is even better the next day.  Enjoy!

FETTUCCINE WITH PEAS, ASPARAGUS, AND PANCETTA

12 oz. Fettuccine or penne
3 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 ¼ lb asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1 inch pieces
2 cups shelled fresh peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts
2 garlic cloves pressed or chopped
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.  Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.  Return pasta to pot.

    Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain.  Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet.  Add asparagus to drippings in skillet and sauté 3 minutes.  Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic and sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat.

    Add vegetable mixture, ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, dark green parts of green onions, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley and half of basil to pasta.  Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoons if needed.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Transfer to large bowl.  Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parley and basil over.  Serve, passing more Parmesan cheese

Celiac Disease Facts

Here are some facts about celiac disease and being gluten free. If you have been diagnosed or think you may be experiencing symptoms it is important to do the research.  Be informed.  Take control and your overall health will improve dramatically.


Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.

• One in 133 Americans has Celiac Disease.
• Three million Americans of all races, ages and genders suffer from Celiac.
• 95% of Celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.
• 10 years is the average time a person waits to be correctly diagnosed.
• 17% of Celiac patients have an immediate family member who also has Celiac.

• Celiac Disease can lead to a number of other disorders including infertility, reduced bone density, neurological disorders, some cancers, and other autoimmune diseases.

• $5,000 - $12,000 is the average cost of misdiagnosis per person/per year of Celiac, not including lost work time.

• There is NO pharmaceutical cures for Celiac Disease.

• A 100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for Celiac today.

• A positive attitude, 100% of the time, helps Celiacs create a gluten-free lifestyle for themselves and their affected family members.

• 500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the next 5 years thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of Celiac Disease.

• The gluten-free marketplace is expected to reach $1.7 billion by 2010 thanks to new vendors manufacturing better tasting and more affordable products.

This information was taken from The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Try some Whole Foods

While away on vacation recently I was lucky enough to be in a city that had a Whole Foods Store. I purchased some of my favorite foods only available at Whole Foods. Unfortunately Whole Foods Gluten Free foods can only be purchased in the store, they do not provide an online service for mail order. My favorite Whole Foods item is their Orange Cranberry Scones. They come frozen and can be easily served by defrosting for 15 – 30 seconds in the microwave. Served with a little butter and these are a bit of heaven in a plastic container. I also love their soft Gingersnap cookies. These also come frozen and come to life if left to sit on the counter to defrost by themselves, or can be softened in the microwave as well. You really can’t beat the flavor and texture of these cookies. I found some new brands of pasta I had never seen before and while taking in the smells of their bakery I noticed something behind the glass called Yucca rolls. They are dinner rolls that look exactly like a dinner roll you would normally be used to. When I inquired about them I was told that they sell them either already baked or they could be purchased frozen, unbaked in a package of 6. I went for the frozen and baked them myself. They were really good. They have a spongy texture and paired well with my meal. This is a good choice if you are looking for something a little different.

Home from vacation and back to work. With not much time for supper here is a quick pasta dish that I threw together. Start with a package of chicken tenders. Cut them into chunks and toss into a screaming hot skillet with a little oil, vegetable or olive. Cook until not quite done. Take out of pan and set aside to add later. Remove most of the leftover oil in the skillet leaving just a few tablespoons. Add onion and sauté until tender. Throw in some wine. I used a chardonnay, about ¼ to a ½ cup. Let this cook down for several minutes. Add chicken broth and cook a few minutes more. At this point add a can of stewed tomatoes and a can of whole tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with a potato smasher. Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste, salt, pepper and sugar. Let bubble for about 10 minutes more to let the flavors come together. Add the chicken back in & let simmer. If you have it, add fresh parsley and basil. Before serving add something creamy such as mascarpone cheese, creamy ricotta or cream cheese. This can be left out but it adds a creaminess that makes this dish special. At some point throw on a pot of water and get the pasta going. After sauce is ready add pasta and there it is. I’m giving you the recipe and a picture. This is quick and really easy. Hope you enjoy it!

Chicken breast tenders
½ of a medium onion
¼ to ½ cup wine
½ cup chicken broth
1 14 ½ oz. Can stewed tomatoes
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sugar
chopped parsley
chopped basil
¼ - ½ cup mascarpone cheese, ricotta or cream cheese

Gluten, an Explanation….

To help you better understand what’s happening, here is some information I have learned through my years of research. I am not a doctor and have no training whatsoever in this field. This is only information I found helpful and maybe you will also.

Gluten is a sticky protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It is also in most oats. Not because of the oat itself but because of the way it is processed. It is what makes pizza dough stretchy, it makes bread rise and it makes pasta hold together. Gluten is also the substance that can make you sick if your system can’t tolerate it.

People who can not tolerate gluten can suffer from many health problems, including seizures, bloating, intestinal problems, immune system issues, depression, anxiety, ADHA, autism, adrenal exhaustion, thyroid problems. This is only a short list.

Unfortunately there is no CURE for gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease. The only thing you can do is stay away from gluten. Just don’t eat it! Most people will start to feel better within days of removing gluten from their diets if they can’t tolerate it, others will take longer. Eliminating gluten sounds simple enough. No bread, pizza, pasta. This is easy! If only it were that simple.

Gluten is hiding in places you wouldn’t even consider to look. Some examples are jelly beans, popsicles, processed meats, canned tomato soup, soy sauce. Most processed food contains gluten. Lipsticks, soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, vitamins, nutritional supplements and medicine are on the list of gluten filled items. I once was enjoying a cup of hot tea. It was flavored and tasted delicious. I picked up the box and read the ingredients. The second ingredient on the list was wheat flour!! Shocking.

Some unsafe items to look for on food labels:
modified food starch
MSG
textured vegetable protein
emulsifiers
caramel color
malt

You will need to think about everything you put in your body. You must read all labels and understand what the words mean. For a list of all safe and unsafe items click here.
Try not to think of this as a negative thing. In fact, it will change your life in the best possible way. It is going to make you healthy. Keep in mind that most foods in their natural state are gluten free, such as fruits, vegetables, meats that are not processed, hard cheeses, fish and seafood.

So How Are You Dealing With Your Family and Friends?

When I first began to tell people I had Celiac Disease I had some pretty odd reactions. Most people had never heard of it. If they had they didn’t know what it meant. Most don’t want to ask, after all, it does have that word “disease” in it. It’s not catchy, doesn’t spread like the common cold or the flu and you can’t get it from anyone, anywhere. Except, probably, from your long passed grandparent, aunt, uncle or some other distant, or perhaps, close relative. Celiac is usually an inherited disease, in the same family of diseases as diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. All autoimmune diseases. It just means the body turns on itself. There are little soldiers inside beating each other up. The more gluten you take in the happier they are. I generally am amused at the reaction I receive when asked how I possibly EAT! My rheumatologist, who I have seen for all these years and who diagnosed me after several years of trying to figure out why this crazy lady had so many really odd symptoms that no one else has, still asks me how do I live without pasta. He knows I come from a large Italian family & have big Sunday suppers, mostly of pasta with homemade sauce and homemade everything else. People always say they know they couldn’t do it. Oh yes you can. I just think of the alternative and now I’ll never go back to “toxic” pasta and “illegal” bread. No way. You see, bloating, cramping, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, on and on, is always in the back of my mind. I can’t tell you how many times I have attempted to order a meal at a restaurant that I could somehow manipulate to be gluten free by the time it arrived at my table. There are no restaurants where I live with the words “gluten free” on the menu so I must prod the server for information related to what might be in the food I want to order. Since most people don’t know what I mean by gluten free, I just ask if it contains wheat. If there is nothing visible on the plate that looks like wheat the answer will always be no. Don’t blame the server, they don’t know they are deceiving you. Always follow that up with something like…is there gravy?….is it breaded?….have those fries been dusted in flour?….is there croutons on the salad? The reaction I usually get when I say that I can’t have bread is this…”oh, there’s no wheat in it, it’s white bread”. I don’t laugh, that would be rude. I just follow that up with, sorry, can’t have it. We Celiac’s will never be able to educate the masses on what it really means to live without gluten. We just have to accept that this is our job, no pay of course. When someone doesn’t get it, just smile and say no thanks, and order the salad with oil and vinegar and dress it yourself.

From Then Until Now

To give you some background on why I know what I know about Celiac Disease and having to adhere to a diet without gluten, I had a simple out-patient surgical procedure. Not long after coming out of the anesthesia I realized that my feet were on fire. ON FIRE! They didn’t look any different, but from within, I was sure someone had touched a blowtorch to my feet. That was the first hint that something was about to happen. Next came a major drop in my blood pressure. So low they hauled in this huge machine with a blood pressure cuff attached. That was strapped on my arm and became my new best friend. Ultimately I was admitted for an overnight stay. All of my muscles became inflamed and extremely sore to the touch. My eyes became blood red, as in no white at all. I could hardly move. Unfortunately, at that time no one could figure out what was happening to me. Very weird. After 24 hours they sent me home. I was then introduced to a Rheumatologist. A wonderful doctor who I still see every 3 or 6 months. Six long years went by before he was able to determine what exactly was going on with me. A diagnosis of Lupus came first. Then a few years later, after a long haul of weight loss, hair loss, major iron deficiency and constant pain and nausea, a simple blood test was performed. Bingo. 100% sensitivity to gliadin, the protein that makes up gluten. At that time the gold standard for Celiac Disease was a scope down into your intestine to snip a piece of tissue for testing. Not necessary for me. I was 100%. That was so long ago that there was not much information out there. Luckily for me, I had some computer experience at my full time job. After spending some time at the local library I jumped full speed into the internet, which of course I knew nothing about. I had to know what this Celiac Disease thing was. The first thing I found was a website called Celiac.com. Back then it was the best source of information out there and still is. It is always the first place I tell people to go who need information. If you or a loved one is newly diagnosed please go directly to this website. It can be overwhelming with information but take it slow. Probably the first thing you want to know is what you can’t eat and what you can. There is a comprehensive list of all foods legal and illegal for us GF people. This list became my bible. You get really good at reading labels as well. Grocery shopping can be painful. Reading all those labels makes you want to take a pillow & your sleeping bag with you. You feel like you’ll never get out of there, and then you don’t want to go back. To help with that, I bought a little address book. Using the A-Z tabs, I wrote in all the gluten free items that I thought I would ever buy from a grocery store. On each page I also wrote the items that were “toxic” or “illegal”, alphabetically of course. This book was about 4” x 5” in size and easily fit into my purse. For any item that I bought I refer to that book and don’t need to read the label of that product. Of course, back then I couldn’t find anything that I could eat that had a label. I also included those crazy ingredients that no one knows what they are. Celiac.com lists those as well so you will know what they are and if you can have them. After a while you learn which ones you can have and which ones you can’t and you won’t need to use the book. I haven’t used my book in years, but I know right where it is if I need it. That’s the best advise I can give you in the beginning. Get to know that food list really well, it will make your life so much easier. Following is my favorite recipe. This is a simple muffin recipe that comes from my favorite cookbook, The Gluten-Free Gourmet: Living Well without Wheat, Revised Edition by Bette Hagman. It has become a staple for me and takes the place of bread as I used to know it at all times. It only takes a few minutes and in no time you have warm, really good muffins. I make them plain when I am feeling hungry for bread. If you want something sweet add chocolate chips and walnuts. If you are feeling nutty add nuts and some raisins. This recipe is so versatile it will hold up to just about anything you want to throw in. Unfortunately, sometimes homemade gluten free food doesn’t keep well. I find that if I put these muffins in an airtight container, they “sweat” and become soggy. Still edible, but not as good on the second day. Also, if you leave them out uncovered they become little hockey pucks. Sounds odd, but I have found that putting them uncovered in my microwave oven to keep (be sure to remind everyone they are in there), they keep the best. They don’t usually last long anyway. Enjoy!!



Throw the sugar in the bowl with the shortening (I am using Crisco).



Cream together. This works best with a wire whip. Keep going, this will be muffins in the end, I promise.



Add 2 eggs. These are 2 beautiful brown, home grown ones from a local grower. I am lucky enough to have a father-in-law who loves to bring these home from his friends the egg people, and pass them out to those in his life. Eggs are his thing.



Beat those eggs in, builds up those arm muscles. This looks a little soupy, that's OK.



Sift the flour, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder into another bowl. Always too many utensils to clean up.



Milk, it does a body good. Anyway, now alternate adding the milk & the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Be gentle. No overbeating here. Last, fold in the vanilla.



This is what you have, ready for the muffin pan!



Fill er up.....



So good!



....and the winner is.....homemade muffins slathered with butter and honey, a little piece of heaven.

Quick and Easy Muffins

1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
2 eggs
1 cup GF flour, or all rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 milk or nondairy liquid
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease 8 muffin cups or use liners
In the mixing bowl, cream together sugar and shortening. Then beat in the eggs.
Sift together the flour, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder and add to the egg mixture alternately with the milk. Don't overbeat. Stir in the vanilla.
Pour into muffin cups and bake for about 20 minutes.