Flipping it all upside-down

[jdeville]

So, we found out last week that our youngest daughter is gluten-intolerant. We also found out that she is sensitive to dairy. We've suspected it for about a month, and knowing that it's something we can control as opposed to something beyond our power is wonderful. However, it's still a shock, and it's still a HUGE change

We've known something was wrong for a while. She wasn't growing. She's 20 months old, and 18lb For a while we thought it was just her natural size, but when it kept staying that small, and when she started approaching the bottom of the growth charts, we knew it was more serious than natural size.

So tonight we've started emptying our cupboards, planning to take the bags to church tomorrow, and tomorrow we start that new journey of finding new foods, new snacks, new staples. My youngest doesn't really know what is happening in this respect, and my middle probably doesn't get the implications, but oldest is completely torn up by this. I'm still dazed by it, and feel like I need a drink , which I'll have, but I'll have to be more careful about now.

I don't really know what to do or think.... hence this rather random post. I don't even know enough about what I'm embarking on to really ask for advice, support or help. I guess I really just needed to unload it, so perhaps I could start to process it.

 

[JPM]

Wow, that is tough news. I'm sorry you and your child have to go through this. At least you know what the problem is and can begin to address it.

I'm not an expert, but I have worked with a few people that are gluten intolerant and they found alternatives. Now, that is probably easier for an adult than a child but it is still doable. There are lots of cookbooks that are dedicated to gluten free cooking and you can find gluten free products at the supermarket. Perhaps your doctor can put you in touch with a nutrionist that can help to create a diet for your child.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Luc]

That ain't easy!

I, somehow, always have guest coming over that are either Vegetarians, Vegans, don't eat fish only, lactose intolerant or gluten intolerant (sometimes a combination of 2-3).

As I do most of the cooking here, it's a bit of a challenge. When I stop to think about what to make, it can be complicated as I don't like preparing different meals, I think everyone should eat the same stuff!

The good news in all of this, you know what's going on!

 

[Argonaut]

Don't over do it, take a deep breath and think about it. Your kid can't eat anything at 20 months that you don't give to her. There's no reason to restrict the other siblings if they don't have the same affliction. My wife and I have triplets, they're 10 now. When they were infants,(5lbs 6oz, 5lbs,5oz, 3lbs,12oz) they all required different formulas. As they grew older, their dietary problems changed(there are 152 pellets in a capsule of Prevacid, I know because I had to divide them for an infant dose). Now they eat a normal diet. This may not be in your future for your child, but there is plenty of resources for gluten and dairy free foods. It's not as bad as you feel right now, after some time it will be a normal part of your life. Be thankfull that it's a dietary problem and not something else. It's hard to hear that your child has a problem, but it may be a blessing in disguise. Alot of kids with a dietary restriction wind up eating a healthy diet and put a priority on health and fitness in their lives. I wish you and your child the best of luck.

 

[C Reed]

My little brother was glutien intolerant and elergic to eggs for 15 years (he eventual outgrew it) and I have worked in a few vegan bakeries, some provided vegan and glutien free options. My family oredered alot form the Glutien Free Pantry, (alot of which tasted like cardborad). I'm not sure if its still a thing but might be a good start. We were never a glutien free house, but we kept stuf seperate for him (he was/ still is also deathly alergic to nuts and peanuts which were/ are in the house. There were a few close calls).

Glutien Free products are readly avliable at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's (or your local health food store) and its going to be trial and error for a while.

Soy is probably the wors dairy replacemtn on the planet espicly in yong childern, and boys more so. Way to much estrogen and it allways produced in shady ways. I have found almond and rice milk to be quite good when I had vegan roomates.

I can try to dig out some old recipie books and if you want the older siblings prespective feel free to pm me.

 

[Stubblefield]

JD, there is a growing amount of evidence that indicates that wheat and grains contain anti-nutrients and are not the best things for us, as they cause a whole rash of symptoms and problems for some--your daughter being one example. And dairy, as you are aware, can be problematic as well.

I think one possible step is to switch your daughter to paleo eating--meat, vegetables, and fruits, pretty much whatever our ancestors ate until the advent of agriculture. She may also be able to tolerate a little yogurt, as that does not have a lot of milk sugar. I'd personally forgo the grain substitutes as well, and avoid soy.

Robb Wolf runs a site devoted to paleolithic nutrition, and had a great post on paleolithic nutrition and kids:

http://robbwolf.com/2010/04/16/kids-paleo-and-nutrient-density/

Basically, he says that kids on this type of diet get more than enough of their essential nutrients. If you want more links for paleo diets I can send you a few good ones, there is a lot of variability to what is out there.

I myself do not eat any grains, legumes or rice, and my nutrition (and test results) have never been better.

Anyway, good luck, I wish you and your family good health.

 

[Mr_Amazing]

There's no reason to restrict the other siblings if they don't have the same affliction..

This is immediately what I thought when reading the post. Just because one of them can't have any gluten doesn't mean the others should have to abide by a gluten-free diet. I wish you the best of luck with finding good gluten-free foods.

Sadly, it appears that being gluten-intolerant has become the disorder that's popular these days. (By no means do I mean that your daughter isn't gluten-intolerant, but that many adults are turning to gluten-free diets as a fad). The only positive here is that it is becoming easier and easier to find gluten-free products, so it might not be as daunting a task as it used to be. About 15 years ago, a kid my age who lived down the street was gluten-intolerant. His mother had to make everything from scratch because there were no products available at the time.

 

[jdeville]

Wow, that is tough news. I'm sorry you and your child have to go through this. At least you know what the problem is and can begin to address it.

I'm not an expert, but I have worked with a few people that are gluten intolerant and they found alternatives. Now, that is probably easier for an adult than a child but it is still doable. There are lots of cookbooks that are dedicated to gluten free cooking and you can find gluten free products at the supermarket. Perhaps your doctor can put you in touch with a nutrionist that can help to create a diet for your child.

I wish you the best of luck.

That ain't easy!

I, somehow, always have guest coming over that are either Vegetarians, Vegans, don't eat fish only, lactose intolerant or gluten intolerant (sometimes a combination of 2-3).

As I do most of the cooking here, it's a bit of a challenge. When I stop to think about what to make, it can be complicated as I don't like preparing different meals, I think everyone should eat the same stuff!

The good news in all of this, you know what's going on!

Thanks for the thoughts and support. We're DEFINITELY happy to have an answer, and to know that it isn't something more serious.

Don't over do it, take a deep breath and think about it. Your kid can't eat anything at 20 months that you don't give to her. There's no reason to restrict the other siblings if they don't have the same affliction. My wife and I have triplets, they're 10 now. When they were infants,(5lbs 6oz, 5lbs,5oz, 3lbs,12oz) they all required different formulas. As they grew older, their dietary problems changed(there are 152 pellets in a capsule of Prevacid, I know because I had to divide them for an infant dose). Now they eat a normal diet. This may not be in your future for your child, but there is plenty of resources for gluten and dairy free foods. It's not as bad as you feel right now, after some time it will be a normal part of your life. Be thankfull that it's a dietary problem and not something else. It's hard to hear that your child has a problem, but it may be a blessing in disguise. Alot of kids with a dietary restriction wind up eating a healthy diet and put a priority on health and fitness in their lives. I wish you and your child the best of luck.

This is immediately what I thought when reading the post. Just because one of them can't have any gluten doesn't mean the others should have to abide by a gluten-free diet. I wish you the best of luck with finding good gluten-free foods.

Thanks for the pointers. We're trying to find the balancing point between all of this, and we don't want to restrict the older siblings too much, but we also wonder if there is any truth to the studies and stories that suggest that removing gluten can help with kids who exhibit ADHD symptoms.

We hope to eventually be able to bring dairy back in, since we currently suspect the dairy intolerance is a secondary symptom of irritation from the gluten intolerance.

Sadly, it appears that being gluten-intolerant has become the disorder that's popular these days. (By no means do I mean that your daughter isn't gluten-intolerant, but that many adults are turning to gluten-free diets as a fad). The only positive here is that it is becoming easier and easier to find gluten-free products, so it might not be as daunting a task as it used to be. About 15 years ago, a kid my age who lived down the street was gluten-intolerant. His mother had to make everything from scratch because there were no products available at the time.

Very true. My wive's aunt's family has had to be gluten-free for nearly 20 years, and she (the aunt) makes everything from scratch for the same reason.

My little brother was glutien intolerant and elergic to eggs for 15 years (he eventual outgrew it) and I have worked in a few vegan bakeries, some provided vegan and glutien free options. My family oredered alot form the Glutien Free Pantry, (alot of which tasted like cardborad). I'm not sure if its still a thing but might be a good start. We were never a glutien free house, but we kept stuf seperate for him (he was/ still is also deathly alergic to nuts and peanuts which were/ are in the house. There were a few close calls).

Glutien Free products are readly avliable at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's (or your local health food store) and its going to be trial and error for a while.

Soy is probably the wors dairy replacemtn on the planet espicly in yong childern, and boys more so. Way to much estrogen and it allways produced in shady ways. I have found almond and rice milk to be quite good when I had vegan roomates.

I can try to dig out some old recipie books and if you want the older siblings prespective feel free to pm me.

Currently, we are thinking that, unless the other kids show sensitivities, we will eventually be doing a split household , but flour is a big concern. It's so easy for it to spread out, and it is so irritating (from what I've heard) for gluten-intolerant kids, so we don't expect to have that back in the house. We definitely are concerned about soy, and we're hoping that dairy is a temporary thing. If it isn't we'll have to figure something out, since we don't want to risk soy

I'll PM you.

JD, there is a growing amount of evidence that indicates that wheat and grains contain anti-nutrients and are not the best things for us, as they cause a whole rash of symptoms and problems for some--your daughter being one example. And dairy, as you are aware, can be problematic as well.

I think one possible step is to switch your daughter to paleo eating--meat, vegetables, and fruits, pretty much whatever our ancestors ate until the advent of agriculture. She may also be able to tolerate a little yogurt, as that does not have a lot of milk sugar. I'd personally forgo the grain substitutes as well, and avoid soy.

Robb Wolf runs a site devoted to paleolithic nutrition, and had a great post on paleolithic nutrition and kids:

http://robbwolf.com/2010/04/16/kids-paleo-and-nutrient-density/

Basically, he says that kids on this type of diet get more than enough of their essential nutrients. If you want more links for paleo diets I can send you a few good ones, there is a lot of variability to what is out there.

I myself do not eat any grains, legumes or rice, and my nutrition (and test results) have never been better.

Anyway, good luck, I wish you and your family good health.

Interesting. I'd love to get some links about this and the studies you were referring to. I'll check out Robb Wolf's site as well.

 

[Mr. Imperial]

My brother-in-law is allergic to gluten. Whenever we invite him over for a meal we have to plan very carefully, but that doesn't mean we force-feed him cardboard . There are a tons and tons of good gluten-free options, including an unbelievably good chili that my wife makes .

 

[rfm2]

You may find this website helpful, both for explaining your daughter's condition and for gluten free resource info. Best of luck with this challenging problem.

http://www.celiac.org/

 

[jdeville]

A lot has happened since this post, the reason for no update is the fact that my laptop died

We're still adjusting, still trying to figure out what foods are safe and how to replace those staples we once lived by. We've definitely come to realize that we can't punish the older kids just because of Izzy. We're still trying to figure out the balance, but we're getting there.

Thanks for all the support and links. I still need to go back and follow up on all of this