MTHFR - Diet changes?

[PennyIA]

So, I've been dairy free for ages (lactose intolerant). And my doctor wants me on a higher sodium diet for low blood pressure. And I've been told repeatedly to try Gluten Free.

I'm working full-time (barely) and that's about all I can cope with. I'm just starting the journey on gluten free diet... and haven't found any pasta or breads yet that I like (i've broken down and have some I 'don't hate'. but don't enjoy eating either).

So, I'm focusing on meals that I can cook in five minutes of prep work or less (because that's the longest I can stand in the kitchen)... that just don't contain any pasta, dairy or breads.

I need help.

I can make chili -because it's throw it in the pot and heat it.
I can make fajitas/taco meat and stirfry that I can serve over brown rice or lettuce.
I can make grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
I've got two soups I can make.
And I've found two recipes that are crock-pot - chicken, pineapple & onion soup mix; and ham, potatoes, geen onions...

But that's it. That's the realm of what I know how to make and can make with five minutes or less of prep work time. And these are getting old. It's just me and a 9 yr old... and ideally I'm looking for meals that freeze well, so I can get several meals out of one time cooking (take them for lunches).

Do any of you know of good recipe sources. I've found a couple that allow you to filter for gluten free/dairy free - but a lot of those simply have regular recipes where you substitute gluten-free pasta for regular pasta (yuck - maybe in the future). And 99% of them take ages to make (which is not going to happen). Most sites don't have that - and you can spend 40 hours trying to find something that a) a child will eat b) fits the restrictions and c) can be easily prepped.... good luck finding one that actually tastes good besides (ok, yes, I'm frustrated).

But I figure I can't be the only one trying to find the right recipes, maybe you guys have found a golden ticket to a good food blog or recipe site???

 

[Red04]

Aren't corn tortillas and corn chips and chulapa and taco shells gluten free? If so, you can channel your inner mexican and open up some options....

Also, have you investigated the protocols here to look at getting better? We were about to go to the major diet changes and my wife was about to quit her job or look for something else to do before we found b12, methylfolate, and the rest.....Now my wife eats just about anything and I couldn't convince her to stop working if I tried.

 

[Victronix]

I went gluten-free in December and indeed, the first couple of months are difficult to get oriented to.

First, find a gluten free bread that you like. That's really important because otherwise your options really decrease unless you like to do tortillas every day. Whole Foods (if you're in the US) has several different types of gluten-free breads. The Udi brand I thought was horrible, but I found one I liked, Canyon Bakehouse. I need to have at least toast in the mornings.

What I've been doing lately, because I had to increase both potassium and folate, is switch to having beans everyday instead of sandwiches. I cook a big pot of beans (usually pintos or black-eyed peas or kidney) and then put them into containers in the refrig and then eat them over the next couple days by mixing them with various things, along with already cooked rice in the refrig. I mix in some red pepper lentil soup that has coconut milk and great spices (http://www.pacificfoods.com/our-foods/carton-soups/vegetable-lentil-roasted-red-pepper-soup) and cilantro and tomato sauce and then just heat it up and it's ready in 15 min. You can add almost anything. At the end I add chunks of avocado.

My problem is that my gut cannot handle a lot of other things as well, like dairy and fats, so eating out is a minefield and I've been forced to eat at home for every meal pretty much recently. I also can't eat a lot of what is put out in recipes either because of that.

I also use the gluten-free oatmeal (http://www.celiac.com/glutenfreemall/glutenfreeda-natural-instant-glutenfree-oatmeal-p-1637.html) the same way as the beans, using it as a base and then mixing in a bunch of other things. I chop up a small handful of pecans into very small pieces and put them in a bowl (and cashews if I have them, but my husband usually eats all of those), then add the packet of oatmeal, raisins, hemp hearts (http://manitobaharvest.com/product/2/Hemp-Hearts-8oz.html), banana slices and slices of dried apricot (for potassium). Then I just boil 8 oz of water and add some frozen blueberries and them pour it over the whole mixture and stir, then let it sit for 2 min, and its done. This is more of a snack then a meal. It will hold me for about 2 hrs though.

The gluten free pasta is indeed yuck, at times, but not always. There are several different types out there. You just have to keep trying. My husband really liked this ravioli -- http://gfboston.blogspot.com/2010/06/contes-gluten-free-ravioli.html. And there are more things out there all the time, like this one -- http://www.bookofyum.com/blog/calif...-sunnyvale-and-mountain-view-costco-5929.html, which is pretty good. Snyders has good gluten free pretzels now -- http://www.snydersofhanover.com/products/gluten-free-pretzels.html

A relative of mine sent me a couple of copies of the magazine "Living Without" (http://www.livingwithout.com/), which was pretty interesting to read, although we got a laugh out of the title. The website looks awful, but the actual magazine is very well done. It really helps to see how many other people are coping with this and working together to, for example, make their kids lives easier by organizing to support gluten free and allergy free foods. The magazine was how I found out about several gluten free versions of products I knew of already but would never have known they had a gluten free version.

Anyway, hang in there! The beneficial changes were pretty huge for me. But it takes a few months for things to really change.

 

[Victronix]

Aren't corn tortillas and corn chips and chulapa and taco shells gluten free? If so, you can channel your inner mexican and open up some options....

Also, have you investigated the protocols here to look at getting better? We were about to go to the major diet changes and my wife was about to quit her job or look for something else to do before we found b12, methylfolate, and the rest.....Now my wife eats just about anything and I couldn't convince her to stop working if I tried.

I've been able to eat more different types of foods since starting methylfolate and also since going gluten free. Before, I never could eat much in the way of beans, but now, its a LOT easier. I haven't yet gotten to the point of trying many different things that have been a problem in the past, though, as I'm still in the process of adapting to the methylfolate. Only a week in to having potassium gluconate added to my diet . . . what a nuisance, but necessary, and worth it in the long run.

 

[PennyIA]

Aren't corn tortillas and corn chips and chulapa and taco shells gluten free? If so, you can channel your inner mexican and open up some options....

Also, have you investigated the protocols here to look at getting better? We were about to go to the major diet changes and my wife was about to quit her job or look for something else to do before we found b12, methylfolate, and the rest.....Now my wife eats just about anything and I couldn't convince her to stop working if I tried.

Actually, forgot to mention that due to gall bladder removal, I can't do fried or greasy either... (am taking bile salts, but it doesn't seem to be helping) ... if corn tortillas weren't so gross, I'd go there. But I love corn chips but am afriad to try them now. I've been doing taco ingredients on lettuce (taco salad, no shell) and fajitas over salad or rice. That's not bad. It's just that I need a few more options... you know? So, for the most part, I just skip the tortilla altogether. For instance, today I'm eating Panchero's burrito bowl. It's rice, black beans, pinto beans, steak and pico de gallo.

I'm pursuing the mb12 and the methylfolate and all of that. But trying to heal the gut first primarily and then start expanding on the long list of supplements recommended for homo MTHFR A1298C. The naturalpathic doctor helping me with gut healing is pushing for the gluten-free diet.

 

[Crux]

Hi PennylA;

Maybe you've already tried this brand of rice pasta, but I think it's delicious, and has a good texture/ mouth feel.
http://www.tinkyada.com/

Lately, I've been making some quick Thai recipes, using coconut milk, herbs, etc. Etc. includes alot of garlic!

 

[PennyIA]

I'm taking a mini-break from gluten free alternative grains. I've had an allergic reaction that I have had in the past to something in the Original Kashi Seven-grain crackers. Betting one of the alternatives I've been trying has a shared ingredient. Figure I'll wait until the allergan is completely out of my system and slow down and retry just one of the grains one at a time that I've already tried to see if I can figure out which one it is. (sigh - things can never be easy).

 

[Victronix]

I've had a terrible enough response to a Kashi product that I don't come near them. My gut went crazy. I mostly don't like the alternative grains except for rices and GF oats. Corn is also not the easiest thing for the gut and in most cases is genetically modified, which has been shown to have the potential to be also wrecking our intestines -- studies showed that the GM components were found much father down in the intestines in animals than previously thought. Hence, perhaps one reason for the explosion of "good belly" type probiotics.

 

[PennyIA]

I've been avoiding them for years. But I'm thinking that one of those grains that I don't normally expose myself was in one or more of the gluten-free alternatives I've been trying. And sadly, I've been trying a lot of them which means it could be a couple of different things. I figure now I should narrow it down so I know what to look for on the label.

 

[Phred]

I've been avoiding them for years. But I'm thinking that one of those grains that I don't normally expose myself was in one or more of the gluten-free alternatives I've been trying. And sadly, I've been trying a lot of them which means it could be a couple of different things. I figure now I should narrow it down so I know what to look for on the label.

Watch out for quinoa. I've heard of too many people with Celiac (as I have) that had issues with quinoa. Apparently it needs to be like oats, specially grown and certified gluten free. I bought some quinoa bread several weeks ago and got horribly ill from it. It's too bad because I have a bag of red quinoa sitting here that I was really hoping to try. I wanted an alternative to rice. Sigh. Some have had issues with sorghum as well. That's actually one of the grains I'm fine with. Good luck with finding your grain culprit.