Are all Gluten Free Foods OK for MC?

[lsedels]

I have been acquainting myself with the Gluten Free aisle in my local supermarket and could use some help. I realize that trigger substances are somewhat dependent upon the individual and the best thing to do is to either try the elimination diet or do the Enterolab tests. But I would be interested in thoughts on the following:

1. I find it interesting that some foods labeled GF contain brown rice or brown rice flour (e.g. GF pasta, GF rice cakes, etc). Would foods containing brown rice flour or whole grain rice be ok for someone with MC and the tendency towards chronic diarrhea that comes along with it?

2. Same for GF oats. On the package it says "Whole Grain". Is that good for someone with MC?

3. I also saw GF granola. Same question.

4. GF chocolate? Would chocolate be ok for someone with MC?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[tex]

1. I find it interesting that some foods labeled GF contain brown rice or brown rice flour (e.g. GF pasta, GF rice cakes, etc). Would foods containing brown rice flour or whole grain rice be ok for someone with MC and the tendency towards chronic diarrhea that comes along with it?

Brown rice flour should be gluten free (unless it's cross-contaminated, but most of us have trouble handling that much fiber when we are reacting/recovering. You are probably aware of this but I'll post it anyway, in case someone reading this is wondering about the difference — the difference between brown rice and white rice is that the hull is removed from brown rice to make white rice, and the hull contains most of the fiber. Try corn pasta. Brown rice is for health zealots, not MC patients.

2. Same for GF oats. On the package it says "Whole Grain". Is that good for someone with MC?

Not only do oats contain a lot of fiber, but they contain avenin, which is the storage grain in oats that's equivalent to the gluten in wheat. Many/most of us here react to avenin. It causes us to produce antibodies, so it typically triggers a reaction similar to wheat gluten, but on a slightly weaker level, since the protein content is lower.

3. I also saw GF granola. Same question.

Hard to say — whether or not it will cause a reaction will depend on it's ingredients. Most such products contain a lot of fiber.

4. GF chocolate? Would chocolate be ok for someone with MC?

Chocolate doesn't contain gluten, but unfortunately it causes many of us to react anyway. Milk chocolate obviously contains casein, and most dark chocolate contains soy lecithin, which causes many of us to react. Even dark chocolate that is soy-free causes some of us to react, because it is a high-histamine food. That said, some of us can tolerate dark chocolate if we can tolerate soy, or if it is soy-free.

Incidentally, that "Whole Grain" campaign is a rip-off sales gimmick. It's a way for processors to save money, because it allows cheaper processing, but it does not deliver the health benefits claimed. And it definitely does not provide any benefits for most people who are having digestive system problems.

The best place to shop is the periphery of the story, where all the whole, unprocessed foods can be found. Of course preparing whole foods requires cooking from scratch, and that may not be what you had in mind.

Tex

[lsedels]

1. I find it interesting that some foods labeled GF contain brown rice or brown rice flour (e.g. GF pasta, GF rice cakes, etc). Would foods containing brown rice flour or whole grain rice be ok for someone with MC and the tendency towards chronic diarrhea that comes along with it?

Brown rice flour should be gluten free (unless it's cross-contaminated, but most of us have trouble handling that much fiber when we are reacting/recovering. You are probably aware of this but I'll post it anyway, in case someone reading this is wondering about the difference — the difference between brown rice and white rice is that the hull is removed from brown rice to make white rice, and the hull contains most of the fiber. Try corn pasta. Brown rice is for health zealots, not MC patients.

2. Same for GF oats. On the package it says "Whole Grain". Is that good for someone with MC?

Not only do oats contain a lot of fiber, but they contain avenin, which is the storage grain in oats that's equivalent to the gluten in wheat. Many/most of us here react to avenin. It causes us to produce antibodies, so it typically triggers a reaction similar to wheat gluten, but on a slightly weaker level, since the protein content is lower.

3. I also saw GF granola. Same question.

Hard to say — whether or not it will cause a reaction will depend on it's ingredients. Most such products contain a lot of fiber.

4. GF chocolate? Would chocolate be ok for someone with MC?

Chocolate doesn't contain gluten, but unfortunately it causes many of us to react anyway. Milk chocolate obviously contains casein, and most dark chocolate contains soy lecithin, which causes many of us to react. Even dark chocolate that is soy-free causes some of us to react, because it is a high-histamine food. That said, some of us can tolerate dark chocolate if we can tolerate soy, or if it is soy-free.

Incidentally, that "Whole Grain" campaign is a rip-off sales gimmick. It's a way for processors to save money, because it allows cheaper processing, but it does not deliver the health benefits claimed. And it definitely does not provide any benefits for most people who are having digestive system problems.

The best place to shop is the periphery of the story, where all the whole, unprocessed foods can be found. Of course preparing whole foods requires cooking from scratch, and that may not be what you had in mind.

Tex

Thanks very much. Going to have to think about this. Going GF is one thing - giving up so many other things is another. At least for my Mom. We may have to start her with GF and try to tolerate some foods that have Whole Grain as an ingredient. She can always eliminate them later if she can't tolerate them.

[tex]

Right. You have the right idea. We have to do what we can do, and then make adjustments later, if necessary.

Some people seem to do OK on processed GF foods, but many of us cannot tolerate them when we are still recovering, probably because they contain some unknown ingredient that we simply can't handle. The trick with buying commercial GF foods is finding foods that don't taste like poorly-seasoned cardboard. LOL. Years ago, that was a common problem. These days, there are much better-tasting GF products on the market.

For example, General Mills makes at least 5 Chex cereals that are GF, and they're available in any grocery store that sells Chex cereals. And they taste just as good as the original versions. You still have to read the labels though, because they also still make a few Chex cereals that are not gluten-free. Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Cinnamon Chex, and Apple Cinnamon Chex are gluten free. They go great with almond milk.

Tex

[nerdhume]

I have had good luck with the chex cereals.
Many of the gluten free products have dairy, soy, eggs or just too many preservatives and other ingredients. Added vitamin D or E may contain soy. I have found I react to some 'added flavorings'.
I am so glad I had the enterolab tests. If I had not known I was reacting to all those things I might never have figured it out.
I agree with Tex, shop the perimeters of the store where there are foods with only 1 ingredient. Meats, vegetables, easy to digest fruits, etc.
It gets easier with time, after a while you will just know what is good and what is not. Focus on the good.

[lsedels]

Right. You have the right idea. We have to do what we can do, and then make adjustments later, if necessary.

Some people seem to do OK on processed GF foods, but many of us cannot tolerate them when we are still recovering, probably because they contain some unknown ingredient that we simply can't handle. The trick with buying commercial GF foods is finding foods that don't taste like poorly-seasoned cardboard. LOL. Years ago, that was a common problem. These days, there are much better-tasting GF products on the market.

For example, General Mills makes at least 5 Chex cereals that are GF, and they're available in any grocery store that sells Chex cereals. And they taste just as good as the original versions. You still have to read the labels though, because they also still make a few Chex cereals that are not gluten-free. Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Honey Nut Chex, Cinnamon Chex, and Apple Cinnamon Chex are gluten free. They go great with almond milk.

Tex

Thanks again. One more question. What about red sauce for the GF pasta?

[nerdhume]

I have noticed soybean oil is added to most canned spaghetti sauces. I have had good luck with Classico brand which comes in a mason jar.
I would suggest this be an occasional treat and not everyday staple. Even though it says gluten free there are still probably trace amounts that will add up to a problem if consumed in large quantities or often. In previous discussions we learned the "gluten free" like "fat free" means there is less than a certain amount per serving and they lie about how much is a serving.
I was excited to realize I can tolerate fritos & bean dip, the small bag I bought says it has 4.5 servings....do you think I shared that with 4 other people? I did just eat a few chips beside other items at lunch for 3 days to test it.
I just read an article about "olive oil" actually being stretched with other cheaper oils such as soybean. It wasn't bad enough that soy is in many products and says so on the label, now we have to worry about it being in things that do only state 1 ingredient?

[lsedels]

I have noticed soybean oil is added to most canned spaghetti sauces. I have had good luck with Classico brand which comes in a mason jar.
I would suggest this be an occasional treat and not everyday staple. Even though it says gluten free there are still probably trace amounts that will add up to a problem if consumed in large quantities or often. In previous discussions we learned the "gluten free" like "fat free" means there is less than a certain amount per serving and they lie about how much is a serving.
I was excited to realize I can tolerate fritos & bean dip, the small bag I bought says it has 4.5 servings....do you think I shared that with 4 other people? I did just eat a few chips beside other items at lunch for 3 days to test it.
I just read an article about "olive oil" actually being stretched with other cheaper oils such as soybean. It wasn't bad enough that soy is in many products and says so on the label, now we have to worry about it being in things that do only state 1 ingredient?

I understand your concern. But there is only so far you can go with this. All you can do is do the best you can. I will take the word of the labels until I confirm otherwise based on symptoms and suspicions. Nothing wrong with educating yourself, but if you heed every doubter and every article written that casts doubts on foods or food quality, you might as well just hook up an IV and eat that way. I can only go so far. Just my 2 cents.

[Tonya]

Why don't you just buy some plain tomato sauce with no additives and add some spices yourself. It is not that much more difficult that the ready made versions of pasta sauce out there. There is so much processed food available that is full of additives and chemicals that we don't need in our bodies. A little garlic and onion powder, some italian seasoning and you have a good pasta sauce, and you don't have to worry about the ingredients. Remember that simpler is better.

Tonya

[nerdhume]

Tonya,
The list of ingredients on the bottle ARE tomato sauce with onion, garlic, Italian seasonings, so I don't see the difference in buying the Classico and it's ready to go. We have to do so much cooking 'from scratch' as it is.

[tex]

Nothing wrong with educating yourself, but if you heed every doubter and every article written that casts doubts on foods or food quality, you might as well just hook up an IV and eat that way. I can only go so far. Just my 2 cents.

I hear you. I grew up on a farm, and I still live on a farm. I have always eaten the crops that I grow and sell to make a living (except for wheat, of course, which I stopped eating 12 years ago). This has nothing to do with food sensitivities (or this discussion board), but if 1 % of what some of the activists claim is wrong with modern farming and ranching were actually true, I should have been pushing up daises decades ago. We have the safest food in the world in this country.

That said, yes, I'm very concerned about all the crap that so many processors feel obligated to throw in their products under the pretense of making them "better", but fortunately it's still a free country so we can buy what we choose (provided that we can find it). And more and more people in the general population are beginning to question and reject a lot of the ingredients that the FDA claims are safe, but experience shows otherwise.

The bad news is, believe it or not, some of those IV pouches contain gluten and/or soy. They certainly wouldn't have to, and one would think that the medical profession should certainly know better, but unfortunately, incompetence can be found virtually anywhere in the real world, if one looks closely enough. So if we're conscious when they hook us up, it pays to ask about the ingredients before they turn the IVs on.

Tex

[Tonya]

Theresa,

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I just assumed that a ready made pasta sauce would have a lot of additives in it. I don't use any premade food and haven't for quite a few years, long before my MC diagnosis. I was just trying to point out that there is way to fix meals without having to scrutinize the label of every thing that you eat. Some foods have so many ingredients in them that the labels can get very confusing, especially to someone new to this disease.

Tonya

[nerdhume]

Tonya,
I was not offended, just stated my opinion. I, too, stay away from things with long ingredient lists. Especially since I react to so many things. I have been in remission 2 months so I am just now adding foods back in and I get excited easily.... Like when I found I can eat fritos and bean dip. It's the little things
I have never been offended on this group and what a blessing it is. We each have to find our own way, we are all different, and it is great to exchange ideas with people that realize this.

[coryhub]

I can eat Classico sauce now when I'm enjoying a lengthy period of remission. I could not eat acidic tomatoe products of any kind the first couple years. I started off with small cans of Hunts tomatoe sauce and later was able to add Classico spaghetti sauce once I had achieved a good bit of healing. Cinnamon Chex cereal I never had a problem with. I eat it as a snack. Love it!