Gluten for punishment

[spudtater]

So, I've been trying to get rid of stomach/abdominal cramps, and so am experimenting with cutting ingredients out of my diet. First experiment is going gluten-free. It's an absolute nightmare; the lack of bread/pastry/pizza/pasta I was expecting, but the random, random things with gluten added are really quite astonishing. Bernard Matthews turkey ham, for example (ewww!). Soy sauce I didn't realise was made using wheat (well, most brands, anyway). And then so many products that might be made from wheat; "vegetable protein", "glucose syrup", etc. Shouldn't we have a labelling system by now?! I mean, one in a couple of hundred sufferers is not a low number!

Pah! Anyway, worst news is the not-allowedness of beer.   8^(
But, I am allowed distilled alcohols, even whisky! Hooray for whisky!   8^)

If nothing else, this experiment has given me an appreciation of just how much random stuff is in food. I mean, essentially, they're bulking up stuff with, well, bread. Which is quite cheap and nasty of them. I think I'll be avoiding certain brands in future even if I go back on the gluten!

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Random unrelated links:
Erotic fresco from pompeii, with shocked Victorian commentary [nqsfw] (from original_aj).
Plans for first face transplant from USA Today.
US patent #5443036: method of exercising a cat.

Comments

[mr-purpleduck.livejournal.com]

It's a pain in the ass, I found out last week that Ribena of all things has sugar from wheat in. What's wrong with sugar cane!

[spudtater.livejournal.com]

Yeah, spotted that one.   8^(

This looks dubious too: Müllerice:
Milk, Rice, Sugar, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Dextrose, Egg, Modified Maize Starch, Salt, Stabilizers: Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum; Flavourings, Acidity Regulator: Sodium Citrate; Caramel, Caramel Sauce.

Was drunk and halfway through one before I realised the possible evilness.   8^P

[nickys.livejournal.com]

I recommend Sainsburies for gluten free stuff. They have a whole shelf of stuff to fit various dietary requirements, so you just have to check one single aisle, not the whole store.

Sanchi instant Miso is great for a cup-a-soup substitute (ie warm food in the time it takes to boil a kettle) and can be made more substantial by the addition of instant rice noodles.

[luckylove.livejournal.com]

I recommend Sainsburies for gluten free stuff.
seconded. They're also good for dairy free stuff. Real Foods on Broughton Street/Road (can never remember which it is) has dairy free soft cheese which is rather good. Remind me to tell you about the dairy free diet I mention at the quiz.

[sigmonster.livejournal.com]

http://www.coeliac.co.uk/

may be of use - they publish lists of gluten-free products. They have a flash-heavy interface, but I dare say you can cope.

Gluten is a way of adding water without making it obvious, which is even cheaper and nastier than bread - breadcrumbs can legitimately help manage texture, after all.

[spudtater.livejournal.com]

Argh! Cannot use flash at the moment; am using an experimental 64-bit linux operating system. Flash is one of the things that does not yet work.   8^(

And I need to know if caramel and apple müllerices are safe...   8^S

[sigmonster.livejournal.com]

On reviewing a little further, a) it really is an appalling interface and b) they publish a dead-tree book containing 11,000 safe branded foods, with monthly email or on-line updates. And are out of stock for this year. I can't find an online directory containing the same information, bad society... It's called "The Gluten Free Food and Drink Directory", but neither Edinburgh University nor the city libraries hold a copy.

So, not really helpful. Sorry.