The Challenge of Gluten and Corn Free Pasta

One the foods that I miss most from my pre-food allergy pre-gluten free life is pasta.   Especially during the cold winter months, I find myself wanting just a big comforting bowl of that gluten filled deliciousness. I have not had gluten at least knowingly since November of 2011.  That was when I had my last bowl of pasta.  It was delicious…and I was sick all night.

My craving for pasta didn’t disappear, but I knew I would have to find a different way to eat it.  I know there are many gluten free pastas available, but for me it’s not that simple; I also run into trouble with my corn allergy.  As far as I can tell corn seems to be a most common ingredient in GF foods.

Many people recommend rice pasta to me.  I do fine reaction-wise with plain rice ones, like Tinkayada, but they come out a little too mushy for me.  They don't compare to "real" pasta. I use them as noodles in soups, however I find myself disappointed when I try to build a meal around them. Eating it makes me miss my gluten eating days more.

It was hard to contain my excitement when I recently discovered my true GF, CF pasta substitute.  I saw a product at the market that I had never tried--Andean Dream Quinoa Pasta.  It really is a bit of a dream.  When I tried it, I knew this was a whole new level of GF pasta.  Its ingredients are simple quinoa and rice and no corn.  (They actually advertise that their products are both gluten and corn free.) The main difference between the Andean Dream and the rice pastas is that the texture is much more similar to how I remember regular pasta.  It actually tastes like al-dente pasta and it doesn't become gooey a few minutes after cooking.   The texture is just right and the taste is subtle so it doesn't over power whatever other ingredients you decide to add.  I've been making it with butter or olive oil and sautéed vegetables.

The true test is that this is the only GF pasta that my husband will eat.  Oh and I forgot to mention, it can be used for a mean macaroni and cheese.  

So I can now officially report that my two-year pasta problem has ended. For those of you with Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity, what's your favorite GF pasta?

**Please note: I have no relationship with any companies whose products are mentioned in this or any other post.**

Sometimes You Need (Gluten & Corn Free) Pancakes

This past weekend I was madly craving pancakes.  This sort of thing usually happens when I am taking post infusion steroids and my desire for carbohydrates goes up exponentially.  All I could think about  eating are those delicious butter and maple syrup topped treats.  Healthy, maybe not, but splurging is allowed sometimes.

While I certainly wouldn't mind heading out to a local diner and enjoying pancakes without any cooking involved, this is not feasible with my corn allergy and gluten sensitivity.  If I want pancakes, I have to make them myself and find, or at least adapt, a recipe that fits my allergy specifications.  Luckily, I found a simple recipe on allrecipes.com for rice based pancakes that calls for few ingredients all of which were in my pantry.   For me, less ingredients is my motto.  Less ingredients = less likely to have an allergic reaction and less room to make a catastrophic cooking mistake.   

The pancakes were super easy to make and tasted good too.  My father, who was in town visiting and also cannot have gluten, joined me in eating them.  He hadn't had pancakes for quite some time and definitely enjoyed this rare treat.  My husband who is lucky not to have any allergy restrictions also had some.  I figure it is always a good sign when someone who eats gluten has two helpings of a dish that is gluten-free.  It means it must pass the wheat-eaters taste test.

I topped my pancakes with plenty of butter and maple syrup to satisfy my increased appetite from steroids.  Maybe next time I'll have to add my corn-free and gluten-free chocolate chips to the recipe!

Rice Flour Pancakes. 

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda * (Added for additional fluffiness)

Directions

1. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with a whisk or hand mixer.  Add the milk, vegetable oil, and salt into the same bowl. Add and stir in the rice flour until no lumps remain.

2. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator overnight.

3. Heat a lightly-oiled/buttered griddle or fry-pan over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle.  Add fruit or chocolate chips to pancake batter if desired.  Cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip and cook until browned on the other side.

  

More on Gluten

Photo Source

Last week, I wrote a bit about celiac disease and thought this would be a good opportunity to share my own positive experience after going on a gluten free diet.  I was having lots of stomach problems – ones that were making things very difficult to leave the house, to put it politely.  Taking imodium became an almost daily necessity and I was spending why too much time in the bathroom (I promise no more details).  Around the same time, my joint pain had grown much more severe.  I needed help just crossing the street because my knees were so stiff, painful, and resistant to bending.  I was puzzled because my joint symptoms varied, and not with the time of day, the weather, or other external factors.

Working with my physician, I began to track if my symptoms were correlated to what foods I was eating.  I noticed that stomach symptoms were much worse after I ate pasta, pancakes, or bread.  My doctor ordered the antibody blood tests for celiac disease and the results were negative. While the next step usually would be to have an intestinal biopsy, my autoimmune condition and other health issues made it such that I was not a good candidate for additional invasive testing at that time. Instead my doctor suggested that we try to eliminate gluten for my diet and see if there would be any improvements.

Bingo!  Over the last five months there have been major changes!  While it did not happen literally overnight, within a few weeks my stomach had calmed and I was no longer often moving as fast as I could to the bathroom every time I ate.  My joints are now much more flexible again and I can move and bend without much pain and discomfort. I have even ridden a bicycle for the first time in years--albeit only once and briefly.  It's been a remarkable change for me that has made an enormous difference in my daily life. It has been well worth giving up some of my favorite foods. 

I am fortunate to live in a large city where gluten-free has become common if not quite pervasive.  I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of gluten free products available, though it did take some taste testing to find options I really enjoyed.  While my physician can't be sure whether I have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the treatment is the same--elimination of gluten from my diet.

Does anyone else with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease have favorite foods which have been helpful replacements?  I found the gluten free breads and bagels better than I expected.

I have provided a brief description of the types of possible reactions to gluten below. The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has a very comprehensive website with detailed information about celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Possible Reactions to Gluten  

• Celiac Disease – A digestive disorder where an individual’s immune system responds to gluten (a protein found in rye, barley, and wheat) by damaging and destroying part of the small intestine, called the villi. Diagnosis is often made based upon positive antibody tests or a biopsy of the intestine. Symptoms of celiac disease can be wide ranging and varied from stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, anemia, osteoporosis, and neuropathy.

• Gluten Sensitivity— Although symptoms of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease are often similar, individuals with gluten sensitivity do not produce the antibodies that cause damage and inflammation to the intestine. Specific tests for gluten sensitivity do not currently exist and the determination is often made by using a gluten elimination diet in conjunction with your physician to see if symptoms improve. Recent studies have indicated that gluten sensitivity is caused by activation of an innate immune response.

• Gluten Allergy – This is what many of us think of when allergies come to mind, a histamine reaction that can cause symptom such as hives, asthma, and anaphylaxis.

 

Sjogren's Syndrome and Celiac Disease

Many people with autoimmune disease have more than one rheumatological condition. Just our luck! Studies have found clear overlap between those with Sjogren’s Syndrome and Celiac Disease and estimate that between 4.5% and 15% of those with Sjogren’s also have Celiac Disease.  The Journal of the American Medical Association's October 12th issue provided an easy to understand patient education sheet with great information and illustrations about Celiac Disease that I wanted to share.