<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Hi!

I'm a new member and just made it through the log files for the past three
months.  Wheew!  But worth it.  I have the following comments to make on
what I've read:

1.  An early message mentioned an infant that responded to a GF diet but had
a negative antibody test.  I'm not surprised, the immune sytem is probably not
fully developed at that age.

2.  Corn tortillas were mentioned as being GF.  Some are, some aren't.  You
have to watch for Lime Water and Treated with Lime in the labels.  Since
food processors are not obligated to list ingredients of ingredients (a
point they fight fiercely for they are now using this as a way of getting
HVP into the product without the consumer knowing.  I am very sensitive to
gluten and after getting reactions from both Garden of Eatin's Black Bean
Chips and their corn tortillas I cross matched the ingredients.  A call to
the NOMSG Group (see next item) confirmed that their members were also
reporting reactions to corn tortillas.  Lime, by the way, is Calcium
Carbonate, or CaCO3, or sometimes called chalk.  But there is no Standard of
Identity for lime and the processors have jumped through another loophole.
How does one get the FDA to create a new Standard of Identity?

3.  The NOMSG (Nationwide Organization Mobilized to Stop Glutamate) group
has a newsletter.  They are very sensitive to HVP (frequently used as a
carrier for MSG) and are a good source for tips in finding its hidden
sources.  They are much more activist then some of our celiac organizations.
Membership is $25 per year.

NOMSG                           1-800-beat-msg
P.O. Box 367                    1-505-983-1733   fax
Santa Fe, NM  87504

4.  Anatto Color.  Some of NOMSG's members have reported reactions to it.

5.  MacDonald's French Fries.  I called and asked them if they were going to
follow Canada's lead and remove wheat starch from the hash brown's
ingredients.  They said they had no plans.  We should all call them and ask
then why.  They're at 708-575-FOOD.  800-627-7646 may also get them.

6.  Finding GF French Fries.  If you're near NYC the Corner Bistro in the
Village has them.  The only other things on the menu are chili and burgers.

7.  Buckwheat.  The story I heard was that it can become contaminated with
weed wheat.  It can be grown in the same fields under a rotation pattern, or
grown in fields next to wheat.  It is a cover crop.

8.  Cookbooks.  A source for any sort of specialized cookbook is Kitchen
Arts & Letters at 212-876-5550.  It's all they sell.  They have a shop at
1435 Lexington Avenue and do a large mail order business.

9.  Time for Mucosa to Heal.  When I figured out, at 40, that my long
forgotten childhood disease was a lifetime condition, I had the opportunity
to see how long it would take for it all to heal.  Using my lactose
intolerance as a guide to the healing of the microvilli (the lactase enzymes
need them to hang on to) it took two years on a GF diet.  I have met a
woman, who, using the same method, also said it took her two years.

10.  Eating Out.  Have you tried Indian restaurants?  Indian curries are
*all* gluten free - or they should be.  They use chick pea flour and only
use wheat for their breads.  Restauranteurs from Madras, in southern India,
even use chick pea flour for the Samosas.  It's too hot there and wheat
won't grow.   Restaurants here use corn oil and not ghee - it's expensive.
Things to watch for:  Vinegar.  It is not used in India (where they use a
lime like citrus juice) but here it is used for the making of home made
cottage cheese and sometimes for marinating the meat before putting in the
tandoor oven.  Canned tomato paste.  Has gotten me twice.  Nothing should
come from a "tin" but sometimes they cheat.  The best are the Pakistani
restaurants that are Halal and cater to the recent immigrants.  They expect
all fresh ingredients.

11.  Allergic to Wheat.  I have always found this to be interesting.  More
so after having dinner with a woman that told me of her allergy to wheat as
she ate a serving of macaroni egg noodles.  I believe the allergy is to
wheat dust.  Just like I'm allergic to rag weed (hay fever).

12.  Hair Thickness.  The citation on Horsetail herb mentioned thicking of
hair.  my hair strands are very thin.  I was eating gluten from ages 3-40.
Do other celiacs have thin hair?

13.  Long List of Govt Offices.  But now that I'm an internaut I'd rather
not "write a letter".  What we need are their internet addresses.

14.  The mix of recipes and other things on this list.  As the list grows it
seems to me that it would be most logical to split into two lists.  The
second just for GFRECIPES.  Then those with rules based filtering could
easily send the messages to their respective folders.

15.  Is anybody else out there single?