Kellogg's Corn Pops

[Guest guest]

<< But when I feel like a failure for letting him eat corn pops

three times a day that contain Gluten I can't help it. >>

I've known since high school that I had to avoid wheat, rye, and oats. In

my twenties I learned that they had gluten in common. In my thirties my older

brother was diagnosed with extreme celiac - it almost killed him - and

learned so much more!

I didn't go totally gluten free, hoped that not eating the gluten products

that I could live without would delay my complete celiac. I did not know that

damage is damage, no matter how much you eat.

About 5 years ago we experimented with no gluten, as one of my sons was

acting like it. We checked out Bette Hagman's book, and experimented. We at

least found out what didn't work for us! In the couple of weeks we didn't

notice major changes. Actually, the only thing I did notice was that the

oldest - not the one we were working on - ate cake a lot for the first time

in his life! The only time he would eat cakes was at birthday's and then no

icing. He loved my 'muffin bars' and could eat a 9x13 pan in a night. He

never did, though, because I ate half of them!

And a few years later the oldes was diagnosed autism - at age 19. We hit the

internet and read what we could. I was fine, until I read the factor that

gluten and milk could have on autistics. That was when I cried. For 19 years

he had eaten gluten, and at least for the last 5 I could have been eating

non-gluten, and so could have he, and I was too lazy to do it.

It is now 3 1/2 years later. We moved in that time, so going gluten free was

out. Also, we discovered that milk was just as bad for us. We can handle

cheese and yougurt - cultured milk. Finally, a year ago, I was able to go

totally GFCF. Not much difference in how I felt - just better times in the

bathroom!

I did find out, though, that eating milk and gluten does aggravate my panic

attacks and bipolar moods! Wow. That was not fun. Now I do not have 'just

one'. The memory suffices.

Jeff also has seizures. He went through a period of intense muscle

non-control. We found out that food coloring is part of it happening! So he

avoids the food coloring. Means he drinks more water and fruit juice. (Not

bad!)

When I am GFCF I eat less. Before I was eating a regular diet, with more

chocolate chip cookies than I probably should have had! GFCF, I eat half of

what I did before, and 30 lbs melted off.

Jeff likes that and is willing to GFCF. Problem is, it is hard for him to

totally change his eating habits. We are trying again.

My goal is to have all three boys GFCF. My youngest is 13, and is definitely

a shadow. I hope we can keep his brain from being as damaged as his brothers'

So, the guilt is with us all. At least we look, and learn, and try stuff. For

that alone, we should not feel guilty about missing things. We just keep

looking, and act when we find something.

(And thanks to you guys, we have more places to look for hidden stuff.)