<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
I am sorry to be sending this addendum out so much later than the summary, but am on vacation. :)
I just barely missed getting my e-mail in time to know about the Las Cruces NM Support Group
meeting last week-- was looking forward to meeting some fellow Celiacs in NM! Anyway, here are a
few comments I received after sending out my summary. I felt I should share these as well,
including the original summary at the end.
Smiles,
Maggs
((the subject concerned the gluten-free status of/company statement for Stoneyfield brand Yogurt--
and I had, before my diagnosis, been eating yogurt on Rice Chex, and getting constipated...))
DANNON IS NOT GF. IT HAS NOT BEEN GF FOR ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO. I ALSO USE PLAIN GOAT YOGURT OR
PLAIN YOGURT FOR MY MAYO.
About two years ago discovered a kefir (drinkable type of yogurt) with the brand name of Lifeway.
It contains tons of probiotics that occur naturally in the fermentation process. I cannot tolerate
yogurt.....I've tried all the brands, including Stonyfields, but I get very constipated. Lifeway
kefir, which I buy at Whole Foods and have also found at Wild Oats and other natural foods stores,
is the best thing that ever happened to heal my gut. I drink only the plain, not the flavored,
even though all of their flavors are gf.
Rice Crunch 'Ems! cereal is pretty much like Rice Chex. The same company (Health Valley) makes
Corn Crunch 'Ems! also. They are available at health food stores, natural groceries such as Wild
Oats (and probably Whole Foods Market but there isn't one near me) and in some mainstream
groceries, generally in the "natural foods" section (Giant Eagle and Kroger both carry it in my
area...You can purchase them through Miss Roben's.
My experience with smaller health food stores is that if it isn't on the shelf but their
distributor carries it, the management is usually more than happy to order it for you. You can
also get it mail order from various GF vendors.
..............
Since the constipation has cleared up, you might want to track it the next time (there probably
will be a next time). Sometimes it can be linked to hormonal fluctuations. In which case
additional fiber in the diet at "those times" can help, plus mild exercise and plenty of water.
------------------------
Original Summary:
(It occurs to me that there is alwaysd an excuse for summarizing late *giggle*))
______________________
Sorry this summary took so long to get out! I should know better than to write a question during
busy times at school! Thankfully, summer vacation is here. Yay!
Here is my original question, followed by a brief sumamry of replies:
Before I was diagnosed Celiac, I ate fruit on the bottom yogurts often-- by themselves or on top
of Rice Chex. However too much yogurt would cause constipation issues, so I stopped eating it
before my diagnosis of Celiac. Now, I haven't read up much on yogurt since going gluten-free, as
wasn't certain what brands were safe, and more concerned about other products. Now I am looking
for gluten-free and hopefully organic yogurts in my area, and found Stonyfield's organics
introduced at a local Walmart, of all places! I don't seem to have a problem with most dairy
products, but yogurt had caused mild constipation when I ate it too often. I wonder now-- was it
the gluten or something else? I haven't ever had any obvious trouble with other dairy products.
Also, does anyone know any good, nonpasteurized, non-homogenized commercial dairy products? I
have read that pasteurization is not necessary in today's age of sanitation, and actually kills
off much of the good that dairy can give those of us who can stomach it. ((I was raised on
simple, strained goat milk as a child- it was lovely!))
This is what Stonyfield had to say about their products--some of which are gluten-free. Since the
gluten they do report is from grain alcohol, would the distillation process actually deal with
this issue as it has with most vinegars? ((I am ignorant concerning grain alcohols as I don't
drink or use them in cooking.))
"Does your yogurt contain gluten?
Though we don't add gluten, there is an immeasurable amount of gluten in our yogurt, which comes
from the processing of the fruit and flavors with a grain alcohol. The only flavors we can be
absolutely certain have no traces of gluten are our nonfat, lowfat and whole milk plain yogurts.
We are still in the process of learning more about Celiac disease and have been told that some
individuals are sensitive to even miniscule amounts of gluten. We have difficulty answering
questions because we are concerned about giving out information to individuals who have unique and
sensitive health issues without the person going through their doctor, especially since the
outcome could be very serious."
---------------------------------------
A couple of people suggested buying plain yogurt and flavoring it with syrup, honey, or fruit
compote or preserve. Two people person suggested that I should make my own yogurt to avoid the
risk.
One person said they only use Yoplait yogurts, another said Dannon plain is their personal choice.
Another recommended Columbo. One said that all he/she uses is Stoneyfield. Another said I might
look for other organic commercially sold yogurts as well, such as Frivan, which was completely GF.
Brown Cow was another recommended brand.
The majority consensus was that Stoneyfield Farms plain yogurts are safe and that the flavored
yogurts are probably safe because: "...The grain alcohol is distilled so all the gluten is left
behind when the alcohol is "evaporated off...."
Several people agreed that the company was being responsibly cautious or protectng themselves from
liability in conservatively describing the contents of their products.
Several people either cautioned me against using unpasteurized dairy-- or said about what this
person said:
"Only a few states allow the sale of unpasteurized milk... it probably is much cleaner than the
regular pasteurized milk. Those dairymen have to jump through much stricter hoops than the regular
ones do. Check with your health food store. They usually carry it if they are allowed to. They
will know if it is available in your area or not and where you can get it if it is."
-------------
here were some other thoughtful comments I wouldlike to share: (My added comments are in (()). )
"If you became constipated after eating "too much" (a bit vague since it isn't quantified) it may
very well have been all the sugar in the fruit-in-bottom yogurt. It is loaded with sugar (in
varying forms including the corn syrups) which can be extremely constipating. Also, I hope you are
no longer eating Rice Chex as they are not GF due to the malt syrup. Have you tried Health
Valley's 'Rice Crunch 'Ems!'? "
((*I would like to know where I might buy something that emulates rice chex-- I haven't found
anything in local health food stores/grocery sections, and I miss that sort of cereal))
-----------------------
Just a clarification here, by constipated you don't mean that it causes you to not 'go' for one
day or anything do you? Celiac's usually have such chronic diarreha that they often think skipping
one bowel movement one day is constipated, it's not!
*(this was a good point--actually, I was experiencing hard bowel movements which caused all sorts
of discomforts, and yes-- skipping a bowel movement-- I never have had too much trouble with
diarrhea, actually, but that was enough for me to feel concerned.)
--------
"I would suggest you to go to this other exellent site:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/messages
There are good and knowledgeable people there to answer your questions, and Abigail's gf food,
product and medication list.
Moreover, I have voluntarily posted thousands of GF recipes."
----------
"There is a whole lot about yogurt -- for one thing, it has lactobacillus, which is the same stuff
that is in probiotics. A lot of the problems with celiac have to do with the problems caused by
undigested food causing the wrong kind of bacteria to grow, and taking probiotics helps put the
right kind back in place. Now, my own feeling has been, that when you do this, you get something
of a "rebound" effect. That is, most celiacs have a bit of diarrhea all the time, so when you STOP
having it you get constipated (maybe the normal pushing/paristalisis that goes on has been out of
practice). I eat lots of other probiotic foods now on a regular basis, and things have normalized
a LOT. The book Nuturing Traditions goes into that whole thing. So does www.healingcrow.com.
There is a whole group of people that are into that: at yahoogroups, NuturingTraditions group or
BeyondPrice..."
-----------
((Thanks to all for your excellent advice! I would like to report that since I received these
e-mails, I have been eating some yogurt--usually blended or fruit on the bottom-- almost every day
with no ill effects, whatsoever. Perhaps it was simply a problem brought on by other symptoms of
the disease, as I was barely diagnosed the last time I ate yogurt. I am relievedto be able to add
it to my diet again.
Smiles,
Maggs))
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