This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

For those on the Best-Bet or gluten free diets, do you have substitutes for bread and pasta? I've been considering this diet, but I tend to eat a lot of sandwiches and make pasta often, since it's so easy.

rice versions i believe, px

I have been doing this for 4yrs. Rice or soy flour breads are a good substitute, as are rice and soy flour noodles. San Remo does a good gluten free pasta. They do 1 soy and 1 gluten free buckwheat.

Patientx -

if you google gluten free diet there a quite a few books available. I like to go to amazon site where they sell good condition used books at a discount through 3rd party like ebay. these books will offer ideas or actual subtitute for your favorite gluten products. Recipes too if you cook

Thanks, all. I've heard of rice pasta, but I didn't know bread was made with it.

Another question: I've heard about various nutritional concerns with soy. Has anyone else heard about negative effects of soy?

So.... Is the BBD the same thing as a gluten free diet? If it is not, then is it just good enough to be gluten free for MS? or does one need to follow the BBD? For instance.... I like red meat? I see where I cant have that for one year on the BBD but I see that red meat is gluten free.... The more I read, the more confused I get!

not the same i don't think bubba - i believe gluten removal is one aspect of best bet, not the whole enchilada.
if bbd is the way you want to go, what about all the things you *can* have? how did you find the recipe book link? anything in there appeal?
anyway, don't stress about never having steak again, just choose the best protein sources you can from the bbd list, if there is one, and don't worry if you need a taste of steak a few times during bbq season

Bubba, If you decide you want to give the BBD a try, from a guy who use to eat fast food and meat and potatoes types of food it can be done. Have been following BBD for over three years now, currently no MS problems. Overall it is a very healthy way to eat. Good Luck, Dave

Eliminate:
Foods that contain proteins which have the potential to cause autoimmune reactions. These are:
All dairy products (e.g. milk, cheese, yoghurt)
Foods containing gluten grains (e.g. wheat, rye or barley)
Legumes (e.g. beans, soy, peanuts. peas)
Any food that causes an allergic reaction as determined by a body reaction or a blood test. These foods can cause increased intestinal permeability (a leaky gut) and increased immune reactions.
Candy, soft drinks and foods with a high sugar content. These foods alter the gut flora which in turn can cause a leaky gut and problematic immune reactions.

Reduce:
Foods that contain saturated fat. Eat red meat (lean cuts) only once a week.
The intake of omega 6 polyunsaturated fat which are found in margarine, salad oils and many baked goods. Use olive oil (monounsaturated fat) for fat supply
Non-gluten grains such as corn and oats. Use mainly rice for grain products and eat these in moderation.
Alcohol consumption. At best, drink wine in moderation and completely avoid beer.

Increase:
Eat skinless chicken breast, game meat and fish for protein content. Fish such as salmon and mackerel also contain omega 3 polyunsaturated fat, which is very beneficial.
Eat lots of vegetables and fruits for carbohydrates and fiber.
Take a variety of supplements to bolster immune regulation, to increase anti-oxidant capacity and to avoid deficiencies. The recommended supplements are listed on the Supplement Page.

Patientx, I must admit I also use to eat a lot of sandwiches, that was one of the biggest changes I had to make with the new way of eating. Although there are some good gluten free breads you can find now, I just do not like them and I do not believe there are good for making sandwiches. Once I found new things to eat for lunch I was fine. Just takes some time when you change the way you have been eating for 40 years. Dave

REDUCE chicken even if it is breast cause it contains many pesticides and growth hormones that affect your thyroid function (if you have or may have thyroid problems)!

I just saw a tv chef use amaranth which is a super grain and gluten free.

PX,

I'm new and not sure if you're still interested in the gluten-free path. I've been gluten free for about a year now when I started noticing my increase in pain/sensations based on my diet (this was prior to reading anything about it).

Am not attached to a particular brand of pasta but use both rice and corn pasta. Corn is nice if you're doing a tomato or italian seasoning route. Rice works well for asian variations. Neither tastes quite as good as wheat to me.

I do prefer the Food for Life breads over others but generally only eat them toasted. I use open face sandwiches and toast them at work.

Hope the GF diet is going well for you if you chose that route.

Donna

Donna,

Thanks for the reply. I am still interested in the gluten-free diet. I have to admit that I haven't adopted it completely yet. I've been slowly trying to eliminate the wheat products, but I've still been eating sandwiches, which means bread. To my credit though, I've stuck with the Swank guidelines pretty well.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into them.

Hi all! I haven't been around for a while, but can say that have made some changes in my diet, smth unthinkable before. I didn't believe in the theory that eating habits actually affect illness. Now I do. Not that I have any specific reasons to, but has just changed the way I used to think. Well, it takes time...

Now, about the gluten-free diet. I've been following it for some time as well as the caseine-free one. Somehow I also can't imagine not eating bread or pasta and discovered that the gluten-free or rice substitutes are pretty good. I find no difference at all as to bread, it even seems more tasty to me. I buy gluten-free spaghetti and muffins and evth.
Soy products I substitute for milk products. This is as fas as some cream cheese or mayo goes. Soy milk is awful as well as others, but there are some that are really ok.
I've found out that we can live without flour or milk and am happy about it.

What do you think about the substitutes, do you believe it is it ok to have them?

If you're gluten-free, but not legume free, you might try Dr. Schars gluten-free rolls (google for places to buy online). You'll have to toast them, but we liked them OK for sandwiches and burgers. They do contain a legume though, so they're not for Best Bet Dieters. This brand is handy because the rolls don't have to be refrigerated all the time. We were able to take them with us to BBQs, camping outings, etc.

However, we're BBD people now, so no legumes. Now we use steamed collard green leaves as wraps for everything. The leaves are really big and flat, so they make good wraps. At first, I was concerned that the flavor of the collard would be overwhelming, but it's not. I shave down the super thick stem part of the collard leaf a bit, and toss them, flat, into about 0.5" of boiling water. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and let cool a bit before wrapping.

As for pasta...I like Tinkyada rice pasta. It's a little more resilient than some of the other rice pastas I've tried. My grocery store carries it in the "healthfood" aisle. It'll take you about 3-4 meals to get used the the difference between rice pasta and wheat pasta, but then it's fine. I've also heard really good things about some of the quinoa pasta that is blended with corn. My husband has a corn issue though, so we can't use that one. For some pasta dishes, you can use spaghetti squash instead of the pasta. Again, there is a 3-4 meal adjustment period, but then it's yummy.

I use quinoa to replace couscous. If you can't find it in your store, you can buy that online, too. And we eat a lot of brown rice now, also. I use brown rice instead of pasta for shrimp scampi, for example. It's good.

If you're gluten free, you should definitely check out "Foods By George." Their brownies are really good. In my grocery, they're in the freezer in the healthfood aisle. They still pack a sugar punch, so we use them in small servings for special occassions. But they meet the BBD restrictions. The lemon cookies from Nana's Cookies are also very good and BBD friendly (although they are 20g sugar per large cookie). You can google to buy Nanas online.

You can also use rice wrappers to make little lunch springrolls. I can find the rice wrappers in the asian section of my grocery store, but when I visit my parents we have to go to an asian market to get them. They fulfill the portability requirement like a sandwhich does. I put a recipe for salmon/rice rolls on my recipe blog, if you're interested in those. I don't have a picture up yet...I'm working on the photos. The rice wrappers take a little practice to roll well, but you'll be a pro after only one meal.

Good luck with the gluten-free gig.
--Mamacita
http://multiplesclerosisrecipes.blogspot.com/