I have been able to find it in my local Kroger store and occasionally I can find it in Wal-Mart. Lots of health food stores carry it but not every community has one. You might be luckier in your area, but if not you can order Xanthan Gum online from Netrition.com.

They often have one-day sales, so make sure to watch for those.

Even better, they charge a flat fee for shipping: just $4.95 per order.

You can order lots of other gluten free foods there as well like snacks and mixes.

So just a quick note for those having a hard time finding it locally.

Netrition -
The Internet’s Premier Nutrition Superstore!

This cinnamon raisin bread takes a little time to rise but it’s pretty easy to make. It would be great toasted and spread with cream cheese for a quick snack.

When were you diagnosed as gluten intolerant? 8

Tell your story: All my sisters were and are gluten intolerant , so my mom got me off gluten at 8 years old. I would always have red bumpy cheeks and we had no clue why. After a few days off of gluten my cheeks went back to normal!
Ever since I have been gluten free.

What is your biggest challenge being gluten-intolerant? :Probably, staying off gluten. It is so hard to look at that fluffy white bread or that delicious pasta and not want it.

What advice or tip would you give others who are gluten-intolerant? : If you are gluten intolerant, than don’t just try to stay off gluten. Go ahead and heal yourself. My sister had a egg sensitivity for a while, then she went on a GAP diet and was able to add some more egg into her diet. I’m still trying to see whether it works on gluten intolerance.

Tip #1: Do your homework before you go.

This is paramount among gluten-free shopping tips. If your doctor has advised a gluten-free diet, he or she may have given you a list of brand name gluten-free products that are readily available on grocery shelves. You can expand on that (or come up with your own) by going online and researching gluten-free products and manufacturers. Most grocery stores carry a wide variety of gluten-free products, but be careful that what you buy is truly gluten-free. For example, “wheat free” doesn’t necessarily mean gluten-free. Stick to brand names and companies that specialize in gluten-free products for best success. Call your grocery store or visit its website to ensure it carries the brand names you need.

Over time you’ll become a pro at finding products that you know are gluten-free. Even so, you should always, always make sure you do your homework before you try something new. Internet research and consumer reviews should tell you whether or not a certain food truly is gluten-free and therefore safe for you to eat.

Tip #2: Make a list.

Make a list of brand name products for things like bread, crackers, cereal, and other products that are certified gluten-free. Seek out naturally gluten-free foods that you can eat without worry. Be sure to include naturally gluten-free foods such as fruits and vegetables on your list too.

Tip #3: Don’t buy something if you’re not “sure” it’s gluten-free.

Those chocolates may look good, but stay away unless they’ve been certified gluten-free. Even if the ingredients make a product look like it’s gluten-free, there may still be unlisted, trace amounts of gluten that may irritate you. Even things like caramels or hard candies can have trace amounts of gluten in them, so be careful.

Tip #4: Shop at specialty shops if you must.

Before grocery stores stocked gluten-free items, specialty shops and bakeries had them. They still do. Although a specialty shop or bakery is likely to have higher prices than your local grocery store, shop there at least occasionally. You can find gluten-free products there that you may not find elsewhere, such as gluten-free homemade (not packaged) breads and cookies.

Tip #5: Shop online.

This is one of the best gluten-free shopping tips because it’s so easy. Online retailers that sell gluten-free products abound; many even offer free shipping. Even better, every brand and product available is at your fingertips so you can choose exactly what you want. In addition, it’s often cheaper to shop online because online retailers don’t have the overhead expenses of big-box or mom-and-pop stores. You may wish to patronize local retailers whenever you can, but if you can’t find something, just buy online and have it shipped right to your door. What could be easier?

About the author:

Chris Bekermeier is Vice President, Sales & Marketing of PacMoore in Hammond, IN. PacMoore is a contract manufacturer focused on processing dry ingredients for the food & pharmaceutical industries. Capabilities include blending, spray drying, re-packaging, sifting, & consumer packaging.

When were you diagnosed as gluten intolerant? 55

Tell your story: I was ill for about 15 + years. It started with sudden, no warning, bowel incontinence. Also had brain fog, anxiety, irritability, and fatigue. Went to several GI specialists and they all said: It’s not what you are eating. Which was totally wrong! I just felt so ill, I wished I could be put in the hospital. The Drs. kept saying there is nothing wrong with you. It was very depressing. Finally a nutritionist diagnosed me and I was tested: severe gluten and dairy intolerance. My adult kids were tested (stool test) and they both have it. What I want to share is: my intestine was so damaged it took 3-4 YEARS for me to have regular bowel movements after stopping the gluten. Felt like it took forever to feel better but now I am. So glad to know what was wrong all those years. God bless the nutritionist. I was very angry at the Drs. They still do not “get it.”

What is your biggest challenge being gluten-intolerant?: Cross contamination if someone is offering you what they think is gluten free food. And then traveling is very difficult.

What advice or tip would you give others who are gluten-intolerant? : I was amazed how my high anxiety “melted away” as soon as I quit the gluten. It was such a blessing to have that go away.

Here’s a great recipe that uses oatmeal instead of wheat flour or having to use a special gluten-free flour blend.

Oats do not contain gluten, but they are often processed in plants that also handle wheat, so the oats processed in these facilities may contain trace amounts of gluten. That’s why to be safe, it’s important to look for gluten-free oats. Bob’s Red Mill is a good one.

I like this recipe because it doesn’t have raisins in it. I realized that the reason I was never a big oatmeal cookie fan is because of the raisins. Here, the raisins are replaced by dried cranberries. And the chocolate chips just make these cookies even yummier! Enjoy!

The dangers associated with gluten sensitivity include Celiac disease and autoimmune disorders. Those with these disorders may experience a range of symptoms from vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, bone and joint pain to tingling in the hands and/or feet. Additionally, some of the symptoms that accompany gluten sensitivity lead to malnutrition. Plus, the presence of gluten can also disrupt the function of the thyroid, causing a myriad of other uncomfortable symptoms.

After learning about the dangers of gluten, you too may want to switch to a gluten-free diet. However, if you’ve been shopping in the grocery stores lately, you may have noticed that gluten-free products are significantly more expensive than their gluten counterparts. So the question is: Why are gluten-free products more expensive? Let’s take a comprehensive look at gluten-free processing so you better understand the issue.

The process of removing gluten from wheat flour is quite simple. Kneading a ball of wheat flour dough under cold water causes the starch to disperse. The elastic material left behind is raw gluten. The industrial process to extract gluten is very similar except that a machine kneads the dough in a more rigorous manner. The extraction process is more defined, done repeatedly, and includes a screw press and drying chamber that evaporates the water from the starch to ensure the gluten is removed.

Manufacturers of gluten-free products must incorporate specific measures into their manufacturing process to avoid product cross-contamination. People who have gluten allergies are very sensitive to gluten, so cross-contaminating equipment must be avoided to prevent a reaction in these consumers. As a result, manufacturers must seek out single-source ingredient suppliers to grow, harvest, and package any product labeled gluten-free. This increases their costs. Also, the tests required to prove that these facilities comply with the necessary standards are both extensive and expensive. Oftentimes, written documentation, processing conditions, and certain certifications are required to confirm that everything meets gluten-free standards. The facility must also continually keep its gluten-free status up to date with frequent renewal certifications. Even the production staff must be properly trained to ensure that gluten-free standards are maintained because the slightest mistake could cause cross-contamination and ruin the company’s credibility. Maintaining standards and thoroughly training workers add additional costs to the product.  .

As you can imagine, the costs to keep a gluten-free manufacturer up and running are a lot more than those for a mainstream product from a regular manufacturer. Because so much goes into producing a quality, gluten-free product, a higher retail price results. Plus, many gluten-free manufacturers are smaller than typical food manufacturers of popular brands, so costs are typically passed to the consumers. In the end, you can judge for yourself if “gluten-free” is necessary for your health.
 

About the author:

Chris Bekermeier is Vice President, Sales & Marketing, for PacMoore, headquartered in Hammond, Indiana. PacMoore is one of the leading certified gluten-free food manufacturers focused on processing dry ingredients for the food and pharmaceutical industries. Its capabilities include blending, spray drying, re-packaging, sifting, and consumer packaging.

When were you diagnosed as gluten intolerant? 62

Tell your story: I was initially diagnosed with hoshimoto’s thyroiditis about 3 years ago along with dry eyes and dry mouth, rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis, as well as other problems. Then 2 years ago specific food sensitivities were found – all dairy including casein and whey as well as rice. At that point I stopped eating all dairy, and prior to that I stopped eating any sweeteners except stevia.

Back in 1995 a chiropractor found tropical parasites in my blood which had been there for 13 years and had caused that many years of systemic candida.

In May of 2012 I had a gluten gene sensitivity test done by Enterolab. The results showed I have one of the main genes that predisposes to gluten sensitivity and celiac sprue (HLA-DQB1*0201 or HLA-DQB1*0302) as well as a non-celiac gene predisposing to gluten sensitivity (any DQ1, DQ2 not by HLA-DQB1*0201, or DQ3 not by HLA-DQB1*0302). Other tests showed I also have leaky gut, fat malabsorption and poor protein absorption.

My doctor says the parasites were the environmental trigger that set off gluten sensitivity 32 years ago. I would appreciate it if someone could explain the HLA-DQ analysis.

What is your biggest challenge being gluten-intolerant? :I left for a 2 month vacation 4 days after receiving the test results. While I have tried to follow a strict gluten free diet the past 2 months, I am sure I have experienced cross contamination eating at restaurants and other people’s homes. That’s the part that drives me crazy.

I have also been on many web sites, but the products offered are useless for me. It is not easy finding products that are gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free. Therefore, I eat protein (no beef, organic when I can), fresh vegetables and fruits (at least 5 cups), nuts every day, and very few carbs (potatoes, corn). I lost 3 pounds in the past 2 months, and while most women would be pleased, I lost 12 pounds 3 years ago when I first changed my diet and I really don’t want to lose any more.

What advice or tip would you give others who are gluten-intolerant? : Find information you can give to family members to read in order to help them understand why you are so concerned about cross contamination and how difficult it is for you to eat out at a restaurant. Keep reading as many sites as possible because getting accurate information regarding whether specific foods are gluten free is not necessarily easy.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 eggs
4 tablespoons unsweetened grated coconut, divided
4 tablespoons chopped pecans, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F

2. Stir together pumpkin, sugar, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk in cream and eggs until well blended.

3. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons coconut and 2 tablespoons pecans evenly over bottom of 9-inch pie pan. Pour pumpkin mixture into pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle top of pie with remaining coconut and pecans.

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking 40 to 50 minutes or until knofe inserted into center comes out clean.

Makes 8 servings.

Notes:

When I made this, I increased the amount of coconut and pecans ever so slightly. Give it a try as written and see what you think.