If you've been reading this blog for a while, you already know that my son reacts badly to anything containing dairy or gluten. After putting him on a gluten free diet in late October 2010, his health did a major turn around and all of his nasty symptoms disappeared. The question became: Could it be celiac? (hence the URL and the blog title). We declined the biopsy for the time being because he had already been gluten free for a few months and putting him back on the diet for the 2-3 months necessary to get an accurate result was hurting his health too much. He was losing weight rapidly, with constant diarrhea and was lethargic and miserable. Our family doctor sent him to be tested for allergies (he was tested for both wheat and dairy), and he tested negative. Since it was clear that he was reacting to gluten, our family doctor felt that the symptoms were close enough that she wrote a diagnosis to the effect that he had enough symptoms to treat for celiac (meaning a strict gluten-free diet).
The specialist at the hospital who we saw my son in December led us through a range of possibilities that included full-blown celiac, but that also ranged from a wheat allergy to a gluten intolerance. At the time of his visit we had not yet seen the pediatric allergist. The hospital did blood work that showed that Etienne was low in iron and vitamin D. He suggested coming back for a follow-up appointment in 6 months. He also suggested re-exposing our son to gluten or wheat to see what happened. While we didn't do this voluntarily, our son has been exposed to gluten 3 times since December, each with the same result: rash (2 of the 3 times), bloating, gas, diarrhea for about 2 weeks post exposure, mood and behaviour changes and increased appetite.
Today was the six month follow up. Thankfully, our son has gained some height and weight since the last visit. The doctor indicated that he was in the healthy range and was pleased to see an improvement. He asked what we were feeding him, and said that his diet seemed to be working and that it was nutritionally sound. We went through the list of how my son had responded to being exposed to gluten, and he agreed that there was clearly a problem. But we're no clearer to receiving consensus on his condition than we were before.
The doctor wonders whether there is a wheat or a gluten allergy at work, rather than full-blown celiac. Despite the fact that my son has already tested negative for a wheat allergy. Just like the celiac test, allergy tests can often be inconclusive or show negative in young children. He suggested keeping him on the gluten free diet because it's working, and having our son allergy tested again when he's three, and then possibly every year after that if the test comes back negative. We also have the option to try and feed him gluten based products again in the future for long enough to get an accurate biopsy done, but since his reaction is so severe, the doctor agreed that it might be better to wait until he's older provided the allergy tests continue to come back negative.
So, what does this change? Nothing.
Whether this turns out to be celiac, gluten intolerance, gluten allergy or a wheat allergy, the treatment remains the same: a strict gluten free diet. The exception comes if it's a specific wheat allergy, in which case gluten from other sources could be introduced into the diet. But since most processed foods with gluten take it from a wheat source, it might be more complicated for my son as a child to discern between the different sources. And if/until that distinction is made, he didn't recommend changing anything in his diet in regards to gluten. The doctor also mentioned that if it is a wheat allergy, it is more likely to get worse rather than better over time, so the question of "will he grow out of it" is No, whether it's celiac or not.
So that's where we stand. Could it be celiac? Gluten intolerance? A wheat allergy? Only time will tell.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan
First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Dads out there! I'll be posting a few photos of our Father's Day celebration tomorrow (including what was on the menu!) but today, I wanted to get the weekly menu plan up as usual.
Monday: Tuna & Zucchini Pasta Bake & Chopped Salad
Tuesday: Rhubarb Chicken & Oil & Vinegar
Shredded Salad
Wednesday: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, Baked Asparagus with
Mayo Dipping Sauce
Thursday: Lentil Vegetable Soup
Friday: Leftover Rhubarb Chicken & Spinach Mashed
Potatoes
Monday: Tuna & Zucchini Pasta Bake & Chopped Salad
Tuesday: Rhubarb Chicken & Oil & Vinegar
Shredded Salad
Wednesday: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, Baked Asparagus with
Mayo Dipping Sauce
Thursday: Lentil Vegetable Soup
Friday: Leftover Rhubarb Chicken & Spinach Mashed
Potatoes
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Landscaping on a Hot, Sunny Saturday
The little strip of land between my neighbour's house and my own has been a bit of an eyesore since we moved in two years ago. Our neighbours moved in not long after we did, and as a result we had both inherited this unfortunate little eyesore with so much potential, but a crazy mix of landscaping elements. It was a mixture of a few dangerously leaning umbrella trees, a lovely but sadly misplaced tall tree, wood chips, weeds, and ROCKS of all shapes and sizes.
We ignored it the summer we moved in because there were other things to be done.
Last summer, we discussed options with the new neighbours and settled on the idea of ripping everything up and just laying down some nice new grass. They had just finished some renovating in their own house, and so we decided to wait.
This summer, we finally decided that the time was right. So this morning, armed with a saw, an axe, some shovels, rakes and a wheelbarrow (not to mention about 25 lawn and garden bags), we set to work. First, down came the trees.
We sawed, hacked, pulled out roots, cut up branches and packed the remains away in lawn bags. Then came the wood chips and the endless supply of rocks. Wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of rocks went into my neighbours' yard and under their deck.
The weeds, ivy vines, flower bulbs (of flowers that hadn't popped up since all the rocks had been thrown on top), and weeds all came out. We tilled the soil, leveled it all out, and rolled out the grass.
Sounds easy, right? All in all, the project took 8 hours to complete. It wasn't a complicated job, just time consuming and physically tiring. But we were in good company, and the time literally flew by.
And now we have a lovely little strip of grass that I am proud to share with my neighbours.
We ignored it the summer we moved in because there were other things to be done.
Last summer, we discussed options with the new neighbours and settled on the idea of ripping everything up and just laying down some nice new grass. They had just finished some renovating in their own house, and so we decided to wait.
This summer, we finally decided that the time was right. So this morning, armed with a saw, an axe, some shovels, rakes and a wheelbarrow (not to mention about 25 lawn and garden bags), we set to work. First, down came the trees.
We sawed, hacked, pulled out roots, cut up branches and packed the remains away in lawn bags. Then came the wood chips and the endless supply of rocks. Wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of rocks went into my neighbours' yard and under their deck.
The weeds, ivy vines, flower bulbs (of flowers that hadn't popped up since all the rocks had been thrown on top), and weeds all came out. We tilled the soil, leveled it all out, and rolled out the grass.
Sounds easy, right? All in all, the project took 8 hours to complete. It wasn't a complicated job, just time consuming and physically tiring. But we were in good company, and the time literally flew by.
And now we have a lovely little strip of grass that I am proud to share with my neighbours.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Asparagus Bundles (Recipe from Carron Farms Harvest Food Share)
After receiving my harvest food share delivery on Wednesday, I couldn't help but try out the recipe of the week, the Asparagus bundles with homemade vinaigrette. It made a great side dish, and a pretty presentation.
Vinaigrette Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 - 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Here's the Recipe from Carron Farms
Roasted Asparagus Bundles with Lemon Vinaigrette
3/4 lb Fresh Asparagus, woody stems removed
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Vinaigrette Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 - 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl toss the asparagus in the olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Spread the stalks out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast until tender but still firm and moist, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the mustard and lemon juice.
Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl toss the asparagus in the olive oil and some salt and pepper.
Spread the stalks out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast until tender but still firm and moist, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the mustard and lemon juice.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking quickly to emulsify the olive oil into the juice mixture.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss together the roasted asparagus and vinaigrette. May be eaten warm or cold.
Toss together the roasted asparagus and vinaigrette. May be eaten warm or cold.
I tied the bundle together with one of their garlic scapes. Even my asparagus-hating husband liked it, because he likes anything that has lemon on it. Almost impossible to go wrong with this easy side dish.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Fresh, Local Produce
Last year, we signed up for a weekly produce delivery service that ran through the summer and fall. We liked it so much that we signed up for it again this year, upgrading from the personal box to the family sized one. For 20 weeks (June through the end of October), we will receive a box filled with a variety of fruits and vegetables based on what's in season in Ontario at the time.
Here's how it works:
A local Ontario farm, Carron Farms, organizes the service and works with other local farms to provide a variety of fresh vegetables (and some fruit) every week from June through the end of October. The farm is located a bit too far for us to drive out and pick the box up every week, so we signed up for the home delivery service for an extra few dollars a week. They drop off the box on our front step every Wednesday. Yesterday was the first delivery.
-a bunch of rhubarb
-a zucchini
-a cucumber
-4 bell peppers
-a bag of mushrooms
-a head of lettuce
-a bunch of spinach
-a bunch of radishes
Along with our produce, we receive an email telling us where each item comes from and includes storage tips. There is also a weekly featured item, with a recipe to go along with it. This week's featured item was asparagus. The recipe is for Roasted Asparagus Bundles tied with garlic scape and tossed in a homemade vinaigrette. YUMMY!
I like that by being a part of this program I am also supporting local farmers and cutting down on my carbon footprint by eating foods that didn't have to travel hundreds of miles to get to my home. Everything is really fresh and comes from farms that are certified as having sustainable farming practices. Some, but not all, of the produce is organic as well.
I also look forward to trying new vegetables that I wouldn't regularly buy, and adding to my recipe collection. Last year we ate turnips, rutabaga, celeriac, and a few other things that aren't normally on my radar. We ate a rutabaga gratin for Thanksgiving and scalloped turnips on more than one occasion. Since many of the recipes are gluten free as well, this is an added bonus that I wasn't concerned with last year but really appreciate this time around.
And it's affordable. My initial decision to sign up last year was based on a cost comparison I did. I compared each item on the "sample" box list on the farm's website, and priced it out online with the supermarket I regularly shop at. Even with the delivery charge, the price was comparable. That sold me. This year, I signed up because the service last year was so good. The delivery guy was friendly, the produce was always fresh and varied from week to week. And I was finally putting my money where my mouth is. I believe strongly in supporting the local economy, I believe in supporting local farmers and in eating food that is as fresh as possible.
I can do that with this program, in an affordable way. And it all gets delivered right to my front door. What more could I ask for?
Here's how it works:
A local Ontario farm, Carron Farms, organizes the service and works with other local farms to provide a variety of fresh vegetables (and some fruit) every week from June through the end of October. The farm is located a bit too far for us to drive out and pick the box up every week, so we signed up for the home delivery service for an extra few dollars a week. They drop off the box on our front step every Wednesday. Yesterday was the first delivery.
Since it's still the beginning of the season, the box is still a bit smaller than it will get as time goes on, but it's enough for us.
We received:
-a large bag of asparagus
-two tomatoes-a bunch of rhubarb
-a zucchini
-a cucumber
-4 bell peppers
-a bag of mushrooms
-a head of lettuce
-a bunch of spinach
-a bunch of radishes
Along with our produce, we receive an email telling us where each item comes from and includes storage tips. There is also a weekly featured item, with a recipe to go along with it. This week's featured item was asparagus. The recipe is for Roasted Asparagus Bundles tied with garlic scape and tossed in a homemade vinaigrette. YUMMY!
I like that by being a part of this program I am also supporting local farmers and cutting down on my carbon footprint by eating foods that didn't have to travel hundreds of miles to get to my home. Everything is really fresh and comes from farms that are certified as having sustainable farming practices. Some, but not all, of the produce is organic as well.
I also look forward to trying new vegetables that I wouldn't regularly buy, and adding to my recipe collection. Last year we ate turnips, rutabaga, celeriac, and a few other things that aren't normally on my radar. We ate a rutabaga gratin for Thanksgiving and scalloped turnips on more than one occasion. Since many of the recipes are gluten free as well, this is an added bonus that I wasn't concerned with last year but really appreciate this time around.
And it's affordable. My initial decision to sign up last year was based on a cost comparison I did. I compared each item on the "sample" box list on the farm's website, and priced it out online with the supermarket I regularly shop at. Even with the delivery charge, the price was comparable. That sold me. This year, I signed up because the service last year was so good. The delivery guy was friendly, the produce was always fresh and varied from week to week. And I was finally putting my money where my mouth is. I believe strongly in supporting the local economy, I believe in supporting local farmers and in eating food that is as fresh as possible.
I can do that with this program, in an affordable way. And it all gets delivered right to my front door. What more could I ask for?
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
The Support of Family and Friends
Allie at Little Baby Fields left me a comment the other day on THIS post, mentioning how lucky I am to have friends who support me and my son's dietary restrictions. She's been making some changes in her family's eating habits, and wrote an interesting post about the responses she's been getting from the people in her life when they learn about how she's trying to support her children's health through nutrition. It's worth a read-just click on the link above to go to her blog.
There are a few differences between Allie's family and my own; namely that I changed my son's diet initially because the food was making him physically ill in a very obvious way. THIS is my inaugural blog post that briefly explains his situation, but rereading it now makes it plain to me that I will have to expand on it in a future post.
To make a long story short, removing gluten and dairy from his diet allowed him to regain his lost weight, cleared up his rashes, and eliminated his diarrhea. It made him physically healthy again. It also had other unexpected consequences, such as an almost immediate change in his behaviour for the better, and eliminated the out of control temper tantrums that could sometimes continue for over half an hour. Allie is changing her family's diet for her own reasons, which you can read about on her blog. I guess it could be argued that we changed our son's diet out of necessity, and she is changing hers by choice, but if you really read her reasoning carefully, I believe that she's doing it out of necessity as well.
At the end of the day though, we are both ultimately working for the health and well-being of our children. And as she notes, I am very lucky indeed to have family and friends who not only support me, but who go out of their way to make my son's food restrictions a non-issue.
Here are just a few examples:
-My parents and my sister have dedicated cooking pots and utensils to use when preparing food for my son, and have an "Etienne" corner of the snack cupboard full of gluten and dairy free snacks. My sister even made her daughter's entire birthday party gluten free so that my son wouldn't be left out
-My friend Alana offered to order gluten free pizza and buy a gluten free cupcake for my son at her daughter's birthday party
-The daycare supervisor handed my husband an order form for an allergy friendly magazine that she had picked up in the hospital emergency room over the weekend, while waiting to be seen by the doctor with her daughter. She said she saw the magazine and immediately thought of us. She also told us that she would be providing gluten free hot dogs for our son at the Family BBQ this Friday. Now we don't have to bring our own.
-My friend Sonia regularly sends me emails and links to gluten free sights, products and information that she thinks might be useful to me. She also always brings along a gluten free snack when she comes to see us.
-One of my colleagues at work sent me an email with her home phone number immediately after hearing about my son. Her husband and son are both diagnosed with celiac.
-Whenever we go to visit friends, we call to ask what's on the menu so that we can provide something similar for our son. I would say that nine times out of ten, the host has already planned to have a few items available that my son can safely consume.
-I was almost bombarded with messages of support, resources, links, products, etc. from friends and family when we first found out that our son would no longer be able to consume gluten. After the initial "But he might grow out of it, right?", and our "No" response, there was just a general acceptance that this was going to be our new normal.
It hasn't all been easy- understanding how easy it is to cross-contaminate someone with gluten is a complicated thing, and he's been served food that he's not supposed to eat by people who were trying to be careful but missed an ingredient or didn't adequately separate his food during the preparation process. Overall though, I feel that my friends and family have gone out of their way to learn about how to provide food for my son that is safe and healthy.
I can't imagine how tough it would be to have to justify our actions, or to be told that our son was not welcome somewhere because of his food restrictions. I'm sure the time will come when he will feel left out of some event, or when someone will be unnecessarily insensitive, and we'll have to teach him how to handle those situations.
Within our immediate circle however, I feel that we've been blessed with some pretty fabulous, supporting individuals. We are lucky indeed.
There are a few differences between Allie's family and my own; namely that I changed my son's diet initially because the food was making him physically ill in a very obvious way. THIS is my inaugural blog post that briefly explains his situation, but rereading it now makes it plain to me that I will have to expand on it in a future post.
 |
| Tired, lethargic, miserable. This was how he typically looked. |
 |
| Rash on his face |
To make a long story short, removing gluten and dairy from his diet allowed him to regain his lost weight, cleared up his rashes, and eliminated his diarrhea. It made him physically healthy again. It also had other unexpected consequences, such as an almost immediate change in his behaviour for the better, and eliminated the out of control temper tantrums that could sometimes continue for over half an hour. Allie is changing her family's diet for her own reasons, which you can read about on her blog. I guess it could be argued that we changed our son's diet out of necessity, and she is changing hers by choice, but if you really read her reasoning carefully, I believe that she's doing it out of necessity as well.
At the end of the day though, we are both ultimately working for the health and well-being of our children. And as she notes, I am very lucky indeed to have family and friends who not only support me, but who go out of their way to make my son's food restrictions a non-issue.
Here are just a few examples:
-My parents and my sister have dedicated cooking pots and utensils to use when preparing food for my son, and have an "Etienne" corner of the snack cupboard full of gluten and dairy free snacks. My sister even made her daughter's entire birthday party gluten free so that my son wouldn't be left out
 |
| Gluten and Dairy Free Cake for my niece's birthday |
-The daycare supervisor handed my husband an order form for an allergy friendly magazine that she had picked up in the hospital emergency room over the weekend, while waiting to be seen by the doctor with her daughter. She said she saw the magazine and immediately thought of us. She also told us that she would be providing gluten free hot dogs for our son at the Family BBQ this Friday. Now we don't have to bring our own.
-My friend Sonia regularly sends me emails and links to gluten free sights, products and information that she thinks might be useful to me. She also always brings along a gluten free snack when she comes to see us.
 |
| Mmmm...gluten free chips! |
-One of my colleagues at work sent me an email with her home phone number immediately after hearing about my son. Her husband and son are both diagnosed with celiac.
-Whenever we go to visit friends, we call to ask what's on the menu so that we can provide something similar for our son. I would say that nine times out of ten, the host has already planned to have a few items available that my son can safely consume.
 |
| At a friend's Christmas party, munching on marshmallows just for him |
-I was almost bombarded with messages of support, resources, links, products, etc. from friends and family when we first found out that our son would no longer be able to consume gluten. After the initial "But he might grow out of it, right?", and our "No" response, there was just a general acceptance that this was going to be our new normal.
It hasn't all been easy- understanding how easy it is to cross-contaminate someone with gluten is a complicated thing, and he's been served food that he's not supposed to eat by people who were trying to be careful but missed an ingredient or didn't adequately separate his food during the preparation process. Overall though, I feel that my friends and family have gone out of their way to learn about how to provide food for my son that is safe and healthy.
I can't imagine how tough it would be to have to justify our actions, or to be told that our son was not welcome somewhere because of his food restrictions. I'm sure the time will come when he will feel left out of some event, or when someone will be unnecessarily insensitive, and we'll have to teach him how to handle those situations.
Within our immediate circle however, I feel that we've been blessed with some pretty fabulous, supporting individuals. We are lucky indeed.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Gluten, Dairy and Nut Free Gathering
Yesterday a friend of mine came over for lunch with her two kids. My son is gluten and dairy free, and her daughter is nut free, but it didn't stop us from providing a fantastic meal for everyone.
My friend brought along:
-lentil chips & hummus
-organic strawberries
-tea
And I provided:
-BBQ chicken
-Greek Salad (the only thing my son couldn't have, but he's not a huge salad fan)
-Vegetable platter
-Nacho chips and salsa
-Veggie Chips
The kids ate everything put in front of them and even shared a bowl of nacho chips:
My friend brought along:
-lentil chips & hummus
-organic strawberries
-tea
And I provided:
-BBQ chicken
-Greek Salad (the only thing my son couldn't have, but he's not a huge salad fan)
-Vegetable platter
-Nacho chips and salsa
-Veggie Chips
The kids ate everything put in front of them and even shared a bowl of nacho chips:
Nothing fancy, nothing fussy, just simple finger foods that we were able to pick up at the grocery store and put out with minimal effort. The focus wasn't on the food. It was on catching up with a friend and watching our children try to catch bubbles, invent new ways to go down a slide, and just generally run around until they were exhausted. That's the way it should be.
And it was a lot of fun!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Weekly Gluten Free Menu Plan
Monday: Steak Salad with Avocado in a Honey Lime Dressing & Gluten and Dairy Free Cornbread
(Salad will be made tomorrow)
Tuesday: Apple Butter Glazed Pork Chops with Caramelized Carrots and Onions
Wednesday: Peperoncino Spaghetti
Thursday: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
(This is my son's daycare lunch for tomorrow-cornbread in place of
the potatoes)
Friday: We have the Daycare's annual family picnic on Friday, so we'll be bringing some gluten free hot dogs along.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
But I don't see a birthday party....
After reminding my son that he would be going to a birthday party today for one of my friend's daughters, my son ran into the living room, looked around and said "But I don't see a birthday party??" and then looked around the room like the party would jump out at him. I love when he randomly throws out little gems like that, they make me laugh out loud.
We did eventually get to the party, and he had a great time. We made some Something Good cupcakes and brought them along, and he happily chowed down on those instead of cake. We got a few curious glances from a few of the people we didn't know, but nobody asked, so I didn't offer any apologies or explanations.
My friend is aware of my son's gluten and dairy issues and had actually offered to provide some gluten free pizza and a gluten free cupcake for us. I didn't want her to go out of her way, so I provided my own for him, and brought extras in case anyone wanted to try. I felt that as long as my friend and I had worked out a suitable plan for my son that unless someone asked, I didn't really need to get into it. I welcome the opportunity to explain about celiac & gluten intolerance issues, but I don't feel the need to randomly start discussing it with every person I meet. My focus at events like birthday parties is on providing safe, delicious food alternatives for him that are as close to what other children are eating as possible. Mission Accomplished.
Tomorrow, we're hosting a friend of mine and her two children for lunch. The last time they visited, THIS is what we had. I haven't finalized the plan for tomorrow, but it will be a gluten, dairy, and nut free meal. It will preferably also be delicious! I haven't seen my friend in a few months, so it will be great to catch up face-to-face. It's always better than over email or on the phone.
The menu plan will still go up tomorrow, so be sure to check back.
We did eventually get to the party, and he had a great time. We made some Something Good cupcakes and brought them along, and he happily chowed down on those instead of cake. We got a few curious glances from a few of the people we didn't know, but nobody asked, so I didn't offer any apologies or explanations.
My friend is aware of my son's gluten and dairy issues and had actually offered to provide some gluten free pizza and a gluten free cupcake for us. I didn't want her to go out of her way, so I provided my own for him, and brought extras in case anyone wanted to try. I felt that as long as my friend and I had worked out a suitable plan for my son that unless someone asked, I didn't really need to get into it. I welcome the opportunity to explain about celiac & gluten intolerance issues, but I don't feel the need to randomly start discussing it with every person I meet. My focus at events like birthday parties is on providing safe, delicious food alternatives for him that are as close to what other children are eating as possible. Mission Accomplished.
Tomorrow, we're hosting a friend of mine and her two children for lunch. The last time they visited, THIS is what we had. I haven't finalized the plan for tomorrow, but it will be a gluten, dairy, and nut free meal. It will preferably also be delicious! I haven't seen my friend in a few months, so it will be great to catch up face-to-face. It's always better than over email or on the phone.
The menu plan will still go up tomorrow, so be sure to check back.
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