The other day, I received this lovely note from one of my favorite readers, CoconutGal:I wanted to send you an email to let you know how thankful I am for your generosity in sharing your wholesome, creative, and super delicious recipes.I would like to tell you a little bit about my story;
I have been diagnosed with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis, an autoimmune disorder where my white blood cells recognize food as a virus and attack my body when I eat, causing extreme pain, malabsorption, frail body, etc.
This diagnosis is still relatively new to me. I am 22 years old and went most of my life complaining of bellyaches and knew that greasy foods made me sick. I went to doctors and was simply told I was a picky eater or I had IBS. So I continued on with the belly aches but had no major problems until about 2 ½ years ago.
Two months before my wedding I became extremely ill. Food wasn’t staying inside of me. No one could figure out what was wrong. After 1 month and a 10-pound weight loss I was in the ER. After several tests, including an upper endoscopy and a colonoscopy they diagnosed me with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis.
Since that day, my eating has drastically changed, I have been to countless doctors and no one knew what to do. Only 300 Americans have been diagnosed with EG and all the doctors I have seen have never met anyone before myself with the illness. It’s very rare and very scary.I went days and months trying all sorts of elimination diets, not knowing what to do. I felt very helpless and alone. One day I could eat something and feel fine but the next day my body would attack me for eating the same food and I would be held up in bed for a week in excruciating intestinal pain.Life went on like this until this past August. I finally found an amazing naturopath who has helped me so much!Through some great tests, (normal doctors tested me for food allergies and I came back all clear, supposedly allergic to nothing!) we found my body attacks itself when I eat: gluten, dairy, cane sugar, eggs, soy, yeast, sesame, and peanuts. I have been free of all those foods since October and am finally starting to gain some strength and feel a little like my old self again.
I first stumbled upon your great website in the summer when I was on a feeding tube formula (full of icky things like soy and BHT) but needed it to stay alive. I loved looking at your site but sort of took a hiatus from anything food as it was just too hard to think about it since I could only drink my nutrition. Anyway, when I was able to slowly wean myself off the formula and go back to cook purred foods, I remembered your blog as it was about the same time I found out the real foods that made me sick and your diet is quite similar to mine.I already ate low gluten and had been dairy free for half a year and was mainly living on protein and veggies before I cut out the for-sure offenders.Your site has been one of my inspirations that I don’t have to suffer eating this way. It’s fun and unbelievably healthy! I would’ve never known I could have a cookie or apple pie! I just thought if I cant eat flour, butter, sugar- than there obviously aren’t any treats I can eat!I had not had a cookie in 2 ½ years. I’ve made raw food desserts with lots of nuts and dates but never knew I could have an ACTUAL cookie until I found your recipes. Thank you so much.
I just wanted to share this with you because I am sure you spend a lot of time creating these recipes and responding to people on your website and all this work you do is out of the goodness of your heart. Your site is a great place to find community as well which has been something I have craved for so long because eating this “restricted” is just so rare.I’ve included a couple of photos from my “first cookie since I’ve been ill experiment.” My husband helped me make your dairy free version of chocolate chip cookies on Valentine’s Day! We don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day, but this was our special treat. They turned out wonderfully. I couldn’t wait for them to cool and ate 3 piping hot cookies! Oh my gosh! So yummy!! We used raw cocoa nibs as I cannot find cane sugar free chocolate chips. I think my dough turned out a lot greasier than yours looks in the photo. You don’t pack down the almond flour when you measure it do you? I was thinking maybe I should have done that because it seemed rather moist. I used Honeyville. The cookies were gone in 3 days and my “normal eating” husband enjoyed them just as much as me! I brought them to my parents house and it made them so happy that I should share a treat with them.I know to most people, a cookie is just a cookie, but this provides me with so many more opportunities to feel included in social events and I get to actually enjoy my food, rather than eating out of necessity. Thanks Elana for all your yummy recipes!Blessings, CoconutGal
Thank you so much CoconutGal for your heartwarming message. It is so sweet and inspiring! And yes, I do pack the almond flour in the measuring cup when I cook –good detective work on your part that will be of help to others too.
Gluten Free and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2½ cups blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup grapeseed oil or palm shortening
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup agave nectar or honey
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
- Stir together wet ingredients in a small bowl
- Mix wet ingredients into dry
- Form ½-inch 1-inch balls and press onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Bake at 350°F for 7-10 minutes
- Cool and serve
In case you haven’t seen it already, here is my video tutorial on how to make chocolate chip cookies. Stay tuned for more video tutorials.
Christianne says
Dear Elana, I have said it many times before on this website and I’ll say it again: THANK YOU SO MUCH for your magnificent work. I adore your recipes, my family does and we are very happy and healthy now! I have been glutenfree for 6 years now, and I remember the anxiety of changing my diet like yesterday. However, I can only imagine what CoconutGal has gone through. What an amazing story, it is so inspiring and touched my heart. I am so glad she found this site! Eating and sharing a cookie (and other food) is one of the pleasures in life!
Why don’t we all start shopping with Elana Pantry totes, or wear her Tshirts? We might spread the word to other Coconutgals out there who are unaware of all the possibilities of a restricted diet!
Sue says
Two separate comments:
1) I watched the cookie tutorial, and your techniques are very different from what I’ve learned…. You use dry cups to measure liquid ingredients and you don’t level off dry ingredients when you measure them. I’ve read the intros of so many cookbooks that INSIST that baking is exact… was this just for the sake of the video or does it really not make a difference??
2) Thanks SO much for posting CoconutGal’s letter. I also suffered for a long time with an incorrectly diagnosed condition. I had upper GI pain and aversions to fruit and vegetables. The only foods I could tolerate were carbs and proteins. I was told I had IBS or given other non-accurate answers. I had tests that were normal where something wasn’t right to ME, yet the Drs couldn’t give me an explanation. FINALLY, my CHIROPRACTOR, of all people (!!) figured out that I’m gluten intolerant. He’d been treating me with all sorts of holistic things that weren’t working, and he’d gone to a conference and it just hit him that this was ME.
That was last summer and, while the diagnosis was overwhelming at first and VERY hard to accept and adjust to, giving up gluten has made a HUGE difference in my life. At first, things got worse. I don’t know if it was like a “detox” or something, but I went through about 4 months of being incredibly weak. After that, I started being able to tolerate fruit and my energy started coming back a little.
Last month, we went away for Passover and it was AMAZING!! I was able to eat LOTS of salads and fruit and ENJOY it :-)!! As a friend of mine said, I made friends with food again. The pastry chef made an AMAZING flourless chocolate cake for my mom’s birthday, and the cheesecakes were gluten-free (I just skipped the crust.) With that, it SO didn’t matter that I couldn’t eat any of the other desserts ;-).
I used to have a baking business from my home, and I was known for my baked goods (and the custom artwork I did on birthday and other occasion cakes.) Now, my “mission” is to bake GF stuff that tastes just as good as the non-GF stuff. Fortunately, I can have eggs and sugar (although I try to reduce the amount and use brown rice syrup for 1/2 in some things…) so it’s actually possible.
I make banana chocolate chip bread and pumpkin bread that my kids DEVOUR (even my husband will sneak a piece occasionally….) I’ve even managed to make a corn muffin that my daughter will accept (I think she’s gluten intolerant also, but she’s only 10, so I’m trying to help her reduce the amount of gluten she consumes as she’s totally not ready to give it up completely!!) I’ve made some brownies and cookies and found some good mixes for when I don’t have time to bake from scratch. It makes SUCH a difference to be able to have dessert with everyone else.
Thanks Elana, for taking so much time to post all your recipes. I pre-ordered your new book from amazon :-).
Junecutie says
My hubby and I really loved CoconutGal’s pictures, and her story touched our hearts. I have soy, peanut, and dairy allergies and suspect a gluten sensitivity as well. One of the hardest things about these problems is the reaction you get from other people and many doctors when you mention your issues. This site is a welcome cozy place for me and so many of us. Kudos to CoconutGal for her courage in making such a great new life and family. We can feel your joy just looking at your pictures and reading your words. And thanks again to Elana for this site and all your hard work. Much love and many blessings to all. June
Sarah W. says
What an inspirational letter. I am weepy over it. This puts into words how powerful your kind offerings of recipes are. They allow those of us with sensitivities to have pleasure from food instead of pain. Off to send this post to my recently diagnosed celiac sil.
Hannah Handpainted says
What a beautiful story. It made me tear up! I’m glad that people are able to benefit from your recipes and site, Elana, and it’s just heartening to know that the internet can have such a helpful effect on people who otherwise may not connect or have a community.
LK- healthy delicious says
wow. wat an amazing story! I can’t even imagine going through something like that…
gfe-gluten free easily says
Hi, Elana,
Thanks so much for sharing Coconut Gal’s story! I am quite a fan of hers and yours. How terrific that you’ve given her a cookie recipe she can use. I know how wonderful it was for me to be baking again successfully after going gluten free and that was JUST gluten free, so I can’t imagine how wonderful it must be for her to have your recipes that she can use. Bravo, Elana, and thanks so much Coconut Gal for sharing your story!! I love all your photos!
Shirley
Debbie says
Thanks to Coconutgal for sharing w us. Peace and Good Health to us all.
CoconutGal says
Thanks Elana!! I am happy to share my story in hopes it encourages others so they know they are not alone. These cookies have been made multiple times in my household since Valentine’s Day!!
I am excited to see more tutorials, it’s fun to see the process of recipes.
Aren’t my kitties so cute? I think my husband is too :)
Natasha Prymak says
Hi, I just read your story on an old post from 2009 on Elana’s GF blog. Your story is completely amazing to me, as I have had horrible digestive issues over the past 5 years. I was hoping I could check out your blog & see if there is any other info about you experience/intolerances that might be a clue to me in my situation. I was also curious about the naturopath you saw . . . is that person available for appointments? Hope you are doing well, natasha
Rebecca says
Hi,
I am in the process of being diagnosed with Eosinophilic Gastritis (test stage). I tried to visit your website, but it is listed as private. Do you plan to make it public in the near future? I would love to know more about what really works for you – vegan, paleo, low fat, etc. At present, I can’t tolerate oil, but eat nuts and seeds. I am GF, vegan and low histamine. Are you taking a holistic approach (no meds)?
monique says
thanks for sharing elana. i wonder if coconut gal could share her who ND was?
monique