Don't know if people on here have come across this site before but I have been having a read and found it interesting and relevant to my needs so thought I would post it.
Apologies if it has already been posted.
mylifewithfoodallergies.com...
Found this article very interesting.
mylifewithfoodallergies.com...
Moggie x
Hi Moggie. Thanks for the link. It was quite appropriate for me actually as I have just accepted being Coeliac since being diagnosed about 2 and a half years ago. I knew there was nothing I could do about it so I just changed my diet and got on with it. If I am perfectly honest, I didn't understand people moaning or complaining about not being able to have certain things and even sometimes giving in and having them and then suffering the consequences. But only yesterday did that feeling hit me. We live in a seaside town and as we drove through yesterday and the smell hit me, all i wanted was fish and chips, soaked in salt and vinegar. Up until now I have resigned myself to the fact I can't have them and just moved on but yesterday i felt upset, cheated and almost tearful about it; it suddenly seemed so unfair. I am currently on the verge of diagnosis for Hashimoto's so I think I am just feeling low - a combination of not feeling well physically and the frustration of not being 'like everyone else' and just able to enjoy life. I agree with the blogger from your link that it is so good to be able to go onto online forums (like this one) and talk to people in the same situation as us as we are the only ones who truly understand what each other are going through.
Welcome to my Hashi's world - which isn't half as bad as it can be if you are still eating gluten. My thyroid troubles hardly bother me now that I have gone gluten, dairy and sugar free (have been meat free for over 30 years) but the restricted diet can get me down. The only way I have found around this is to be very creative in the kitchen as, like the article said, you can get stuck with eating the same old foods.
I love fish and chips (well mainly the chips with lots of salt and vinegar on them) but, like you, batter and vinegar are big no, no's so I switched to cider vinegar and it taste no different to the normal stuff - in fact it tastes even better in my view. This is the one I use and by it in the 6 bottle offer to save money.
amazon.co.uk/Health-Organic...
When I first went almost everything free I didn't know where to turn and felt so depressed as I found giving up dairy even harder that gluten as, being a long standing veggie, I lived off cheese (even tried goats cheese but reacted just as bad).
My efforts have all been worth while as my TPO (thyroid anti bodies) have gone from over 1,000 (shame they stopped counting at a thousand as I would have liked to know what the true figure was) down to 150, which means that my body is no longer attacking my thyroid nearly as much as it was so I am more stable on my meds, so if you need any help thyroid wise you know where I am as I am 5 years into that particular journey, and have picked up a tip or two on the way, like the importance of medication timings and how different blood testing times can give you totally different thyroid results ect.
I totally agree with the articles mention of getting help from support groups on line as I have found these a life saver sometimes, especially when you are down and don't know which way to turn. I have also found a special friend who has helped me through my gluten free minefield and has been with me every step of the way and I can honestly say I don't know how I would have coped without her, so any help I can give others is payback for all the help I have received.
Moggie x
Hi Moggie,
Thanks for posting the links, I found them to be very good reads.
I try to make a point of being quite open about how much having Coeliac Disease has affected me psychologically; because like the girl in the blog, I think I'm far from unique in this respect. Certainly anyone who is a regular GFG may have come across bits and pieces that I have posted along the way, in response to peoples questions.
Reading further into her blog I very interested to learn that under the American Disability Act, Coeliac Disease IS legally classified as a disability.
This interested me because I know that the law here is a lot more murky. The Disability Discrimination Act of 1995 (and updated in 2005) states that: "A person has a disability for the purposes of this act if he has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities" (The equality act of 2010 states something very similar); and I personally would argue that most (if not all) Coeliac's meet this criteria -because of dietary restrictions etc. However when I approached Coeliac UK about it at the end of last year, their opinion (at the time) was this:
"Coeliac disease is not one of the chronic diseases that is classified as a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995.
Coeliac disease may be considered a disability depending upon the individual circumstances.
To get coeliac disease listed as one of the conditions that is automatically regarded as a disability in all cases would be very difficult and of an uncertain outcome. This is because there is a huge difference in how coeliac disease affects people and the impact it has on an individual’s daily life."
I do hope that one day that the UK will catch up with America's Disability legislation. Maybe then we will all encounter less discrimination and have our needs met better (and yes peeps - I do know that things are improving!). I just think that it could've helped me a lot more when I was in my last job; and would probably help me to get my needs recognised better when I go off to Uni later this year.
Sorry folks - time for me to get off my soapbox!!
Great reply - interesting and informative. I am not coeliac so didn't know about the is it/isn't it a disability issue so thanks for enlightening me.
Good luck at Uni - you wouldn't be studying medicine by any chance would you? You could then go on to specialise in Immunology and we could all fill your appt book.lol.
Moggie x
Hi Moggie,
Sadly not! I've already spent many years working in the health sector, so have decided to do something completely different in the shape of an arts degree.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my fatigue issues (Coeliac related?!) will be manageable and that I'll be able to go the distance.
If that fails, then maybe I could look into going into immunology!
I read a very interesting article on auto immune illness and fatigue (written by a pharmacist) and was pointed towards vit B1. I started taking it last week and the difference it has made to me is amazing. Have a read and see what you think but all I can say is that is has made such a difference to my energy levels. I tracked down a brand that is lactose free and with hardly any other fillers and it is certainly hitting the spot.
thyroidpharmacist.com/blog/...
I have been following this lady for a few years now and she really knows her stuff.
Moggie x
Thanks Moggie, for the new link.
B1 deficiency is not something I'd previously considered. Taking high doses of B5 and B6 seemed to sort out my adrenal issues (much to the surprise of my then consultant!).
I have come across this lady before; and agree that she's really knowledgeable.
I shall certainly consider giving B1 a go! It seems to be working for you - and I often like to work on the basis of: what have I got to lose? (except the cost of buying a supplement...).
Thanks again,
R.B.
In UK, there is a GF batter now, called Glu-2-Go glu2go.co.uk. Many UK chippies can use it as they do not use blended cooking oil. My local chippy, Fish over Sands, cook a fish in GF batter at no extra cost in their regular palm oil fryer. Hawes chippy have a separate fryer to avoid cross contamination.
Be aware, chippy 'vinegar' may not be vinegar, but non brewed condiment derived from barley and other things. Vinegar is diluted acetic acid. Ask to read the label of bottle used to fill dispenser.
Found the article annoying from the onset as they called CD an allergy. It's an autoimmune disorder and having a slice of cake or cod & chips means you destroy your own body - very appetising. Believe me if you could opt in and out I'd be having a few beers tonight.
Ps lots of fish shops do separate GF these days.
O well you cant please all of the people all of the time - I found the article said how I feel so thought it would resonate with others as well.
Moggie x
Hi Moggie .I mentioned on thyroid uk today that you had been great help to me when i first joined and many others.And was told you were here .Please drop in when you can you have been missed.Lizzy x
Awful new site!
Trust me I'm a doctor
Other than gluten, what else are you unable to eat