Hi. The expo wasn't too useful for us. Lots of soy and potato used. Lots of very expensive products. lots of people talking about making fancy food with fancy GF ingredients. I talked to a couple of people startind out and they said they couldn't beleive how $ it all was. I told them it didn't have to be - and to just buy good old fashioned ingredients. We have just returned from Wellington. We went to Ora cafe and I couldn't believe the lack of choice for my daughter - and how terrible the food was. The staff were very helpful - but my food was virtually inedible. The kids ate most of theirs - but it wasn't very good - tehy must have been hungry. A big shout out to astoria cafe who made a perfect pumpkin rissotto and were at pains to find out the ingredients for us. Buzzing place - friendly and we would definetely recommend!
melford,
Oct 20, 10:02pm
I agree with the information put out by the Coeliac Society of NZ that gluten is an absolute no no for coeliacs! However, there are times when it is simply unavoidable to consume an OCCASIONAL MINUTE amount despite being vigilant. It is simply impossible to achieve a guaranteed gluten free status unless one never eats ANY commercially packaged food or homemade food. We can only aspire to doing our best by reading labels. We cannot allow ourselves to become consumed by paranoia that compromises our enjoyment of food so that we achieve a balanced healthy eating plan. We have procedures in place in NZ to help us achieve this. According to the NZ Food Safety Authority a gluten free status displayed on a food label indicates that the product has undergone vigorous testing and NODETECTABLE gluten is present! That doesn't mean to say there is no gluten , it simply means if there is any present then it is so insignificant that it considered safe for anyone with dietary problems. The NZFSA stated it is possible for manufacturers to use ingredients containing wheat in the production of gluten free food and still claim gluten free status if that product has been subjected to a process whereby it is hydrolised. This is where the offending ingredient is broken down by enzymes which extract gluten and protein from it. Next comes the testing process where it must be proven to have 'no detectable gluten" Having said that the label very often still states "wheat" which is simply complying with NZFSA requirements... . . "ALL" ingredients must be listed on the label.
herika,
Oct 21, 12:14am
I make sure I dont eat any gluten by avoiding anything that has even a minute amount of gluten in it. I rarely eat any commercially packaged food, and when I do I make sure it has absolutely no gluten in it, most of mine is homemade, and my diet is healthy, varied and interesting, consisting of: lots of fresh fruit and veges (including salad type things), meat, fish, chicken, eggs (laid by non wheat/pellet fed chooks), rice, rice noodles etc. I know I am a lot healthier by not eating all those packaged foods that are full of additives and preservatives etc (which are in a lot of GF ones unfortunately). :)
herika,
Oct 23, 3:45am
Latest news coming from Brisbane Alexander Hospt:Scientists recruited 20 participants for their human trial through the Coeliac Society. They infected half of them with live human hookworms. The parasites burrowed into participants' skin and entered the bloodstream after being applied to the forearm. They then travelled via the lungs to the gut where they happily colonised. For 21 weeks, the coeliac patients were fed white bread each day and were examined for a reaction. The study's co-author, Dr James Daveson, says patients with the parasitic gut worm fared dramatically better to gluten exposure than those without. "They experienced less inflammation and less damage was seen in the intestinal wall, " he said. At the end of the trial, the volunteers were offered worm medication to rid themselves of the parasites, but all chose to keep their worms. The study will be presented at the Australian Gastroenterology Week conference in Sydney. The researchers say further trials are needed… end quote]. Only 20 people tested. I dont know about you, but I think Id rather go without gluten than have hookworms in my system! It will be interesting to hear how this research progresses.
herika,
Nov 1, 7:28pm
Thanks for gaspodetwd, its great to have such a good recommendation.
herika,
Nov 1, 7:33pm
There is one more thing I cant have now - Fru Ju (sp? ) ice blocks. Bought a pineapple one the other day and did what no one with any sort of food allergy should do - didnt check the ingredients list... anyone who cant have vege gums, be warned, they now have this as an ingredient! as well as other things Im sure they didnt have last time I bought one. I learnt my lesson well, it really does pay to constantly check what the manufacturers are putting in anything. :)
herika,
Nov 9, 7:03pm
Dr Rodney Ford is very informative when it comes to gluten issues. This is taken from a newspaper article: Ever wonder how gluten can cause such a wide array of symptoms in so many different people? Dr Fordjust may have the answer – that gluten causes symptoms, in both celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, by directly and indirectly injuring nerve networks that control various organs and systems in the body. Gluten can provoke significant ill health other than celiac disease and symptoms “outside” the gut, such as the skin condition eczema and the nervous system disorder ataxia.
herika,
Nov 26, 2:45am
"Even Coeliacs have to be very careful: 'A breadcrumb won't hurt someone with coeliac disease'... . MYTH. Even very small amounts of gluten can be toxic to people with coeliac disease. Taking sensible steps to avoid cross contamination with gluten is therefore important.
Top tips include: keep cooking utensils separate during food preparation and cooking, avoid frying food in the same oil that has previously been used to cook gluten containing foods, use a clean grill, separate toaster or toaster bags to make gluten-free toast, use separate breadboards and wash surfaces thoroughly". All this information was taken from the NZ Coeliac Society website :)
herika,
Nov 29, 8:02pm
Hoping the info in this thread is of help. There is a lot of new information coming out now and its good to learn anything that will make being on a gluten free diet helpful :)
angie461,
Nov 29, 10:05pm
I made your biscuit recipe off the mother hubbards site, the taste is absolutely delicious, but they are a bit crumbly, any thoughts as to where I went wrong?
herika,
Dec 8, 7:49pm
Hi angie, Im not sure, maybe the banana used was smallish, or maybe there wasnt enough liquid ingredients used. Everyone does recipes a little different and uses different measuring equipment etc and their ovens (temp) can be different too. If you are okay with dairy foods you could try using butter instead of marg. Other than that its just a matter of trial and error in relation to your particular situation. Hope this helps:)
herika,
Dec 8, 7:54pm
With Xmas just around the corner some people may need to be careful of that Xmas Ham. Carrageenan (seaweed extract) can be added to the gel when processing a ham. This can cause diarrhoea in some people. Also wheat starch, gluten and sodium caseinate can be in the brine used. If it doesnt mention these ingredients on the label you may need to ring the manufacturer and ask them. If they cant guarantee its gluten free it may be best to avoid it :)
gaspodetwd,
Dec 14, 7:10am
Big shout out to the smokehouse in Chch. Making gluten free bacon! That doesn't contain preservative! And smoked salmon and beef and yummy yummy stuff. Has a cafe. Any gluten free people near Chch - it is worth a trip. We are well impressed.
herika,
Dec 14, 6:59pm
That place sounds fantastic! Heres their details incase anyone is interested in going there:650 Ferry Rd, Woolston. (03) 943-222 :)
weddingflowers,
Dec 15, 3:46am
Herika you will know doubt know this - how do I cook a raw ham that I'm purchasing for my Christmas lunch? ? ? ? I am a coeliac and so is my daughter. I did cook one years ago using Sangrita wine as a base, but since moving I have lost that recipe. Any suggestions - for anyone would be gratefully received. Merry Christmas - Glenys
herika,
Dec 15, 7:35pm
My post 148 repeated: With Xmas just around the corner some people may need to be careful of that Xmas Ham. Carrageenan (seaweed extract) can be added to the gel when processing a ham. This can cause diarrhoea in some people. Also wheat starch, gluten and sodium caseinate can be in the brine used. If it doesnt mention these ingredients on the label you may need to ring the manufacturer and ask them. If they cant guarantee its gluten free it may be best to avoid it. I dont have ham so dont have a recipe sorry. You could try a google search, Im afraid I did and couldnt find a recipe I would recommend. Sorry I cant be of more help. We usually have turkey, chicken or lamb. :)
herika,
Dec 24, 7:48am
bumping for jacb23 :)
herika,
Dec 24, 7:52am
Have a look at the Ham glaze recipe in the thread titled: GF Hints and Tips post number 939 :)
herika,
Dec 25, 10:10pm
This info is from a NZ site: www.foodreactions.org. Non Coeliac Gluten Intolerance: Many times when a person is screened for CD, tests indicate that the disease is not present. This despite that these persons suffer from symptoms upon digesting food containing gluten. This is very interesting or perhaps confusing to many. But put simply, this person may be Non Coeliac Gluten Intolerant (NCGI). It is estimated that around 15% of the world population is NCGI as opposed to less than 1% of Coeliacs. Gluten consists of many long elastic chains of proteins lined along each other, giving it the characteristics of a dough. Not all of them cause Coeliac disease, but some can cause irritation to the small intestine, enough to hinder the cells of the lining from enzymes production to break down foods. To confirm if you are NCGI do an elimination diet. Avoid all gluten food for at least two weeks and then introduce it. If symptoms return, and previous tests were negative or inconclusive then you know that you are NCGI. [/quote] Thought Id repeat this info as its so important :)
herika,
Dec 31, 6:27am
Keeping this up there! :)
herika,
Jan 5, 7:06pm
Hi, I may be the same with oranges! I put the juice of half an orange into some scrambled eggs the other day and have been wondering why I reacted badly to it. I normally add a little goat milk but hubby likes the juice so put it in. I was going back over this thread and saw your comment about oranges so it got me thinking. Will give the orange a miss next time and see what happens :)
herika,
Jan 10, 7:57pm
bumping for Mon :)
jubre,
Jan 11, 12:46am
Maybe some of you could check out the link that I heard talked about on NewstalkZB at 5. 50am thismorning. betterbods.co.nz thenclick on the TV3 interview from last year. It ws about kids that used to suffer badly from all sorts of conditions. I found it very interesting.
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