Going Gluten-free & Warning Sign of Gluten Intolerance Part 1

My son called me last week and we talked for almost two hours, it seems that he's been having digestive troubles for the past year. The past year! I think this is so crazy considering that he knows all about my struggles with gluten among other things, he knows I eat gluten free & I am a Chef who has a blog about gluten free food. His answer when I asked the normal why question was that he didn't think that was the problem & he didn't want it to be the problem. This was so relatable, it took about 7 years to figure out what the problem was in my case & another 4 years for me to accept and commit to gluten-free eating & living. It was devastating when I found out that I had to stop working in gluten environments, as a Chef working in a cupcake pastry shop at the time, there was no way to avoid gluten. Even if I wasn't ingesting it, it was being inhaled, touched, and causing serious health conditions. When I look back on it I realize that it was the beginning of all that is happening to me now. More on that at a later date when the doctor's confirm. Needless to say, I did not want my son to experience the decline in health, strength, and wellness, as I have.
I immediately went into mom mode & insisted he go gluten-free for a solid week to see if gluten was the culprit. He will see if he has a reaction when he does try to eat it & then it's off to the clinic for referrals for allergies. We went shopping, I gave him a quick run down of top 10 symptoms and foods to avoid as well as some sneaky ingredients that gluten could be hiding in. Here is a quick chart I put together with a list of top 10 signs you may be having serious difficulty with a gluten intolerances allergy or even celiacs disease.



There's so much to go over and tons of information to give but this post is just part 1. I do not agree with dumping loads of information on people without giving time to take in, digest, and understand what they have just learned. Absorb.
Back to Devon, my son.
We went to the health food store and I introduced him to the vast array of gluten free products on the market today. A huge difference from when I started out all those years ago. He was shocked by the prices- it's never been kind to the wallet, & by the things he could not have. Granola was a tough one for him to give up on. I am going to make him some with different recipes he will find taste great & are way more nutritious. Those are a surprise with recipes that will come in future posts. The bread was the first thing we checked out. I have three companies I prefer when I am not baking my own bread. The first two are Quebec based companies and I have been very pleased with the texture, taste, quality of ingredients, and consistency of their products. ie: They don't crumble into bits when defrosted and toasted nor do they weigh or feel like a brick.

Cuisine L'angelique:

They have breads, mixes, muffins and all kinds of awesome flours. Organic, Cassein-free, and loaded with whole grains. I do well with these products & I like that they are a healthy choice. These are not empty, crappy calories. They are about $8.



Maison Cannelle was the first bread I found that I really liked after searching, spending, and throwing out painful amounts of products. Nothing brings my grrrrr out more than repeatedly wasting $8-$10 and still not finding what I need. The kaiser buns have been a big life saver & my son agreed when he tasted them. They are about $8.





I believe his exact words upon comparing the kaiser to the much smaller Cuisine L'angelique bread was, "Why didn't we just buy more of the big buns?"
Because eggs need toast & I wanted him to see the flavours available so he could choose without wasting money when he was ready to shop for himself. Silly bunny of mine.
The last bread which was out of stock in several stores we went to, which makes me think they're back ordered. Yes, they are that good. I am talking about Udi's Gluten-free Tortillas! I borrowed this pic because I obviously couldn't take pictures of out of stock items, thank you to gluten-freehomemaker.com for this pic.

These are what I consider a treat because they are a white bread product but they are awesome when heated in the oven or used as wraps and for pizza bases. These are about $6 here.
He also got some brown rice pasta and sausages and probiotic plain organic yogurt to help his digestive tract.
I will add more posts on this subject soon with an update on Devon and more going gluten-free info.
Have a blessed day everyone & leave your comments below.