When being gluten-free gets old

It's now been well over a decade (11 3/4 years, but who's counting?) since I was diagnosed with celiac.  Of course, it was hard to learn what gluten was, where it was hidden in foods, how to eat out, and most importantly, how to travel while following a strict gluten-free diet.  However, in time it came to be second nature for me, as it does for most of us.  And, with two other family members going off gluten within my first year, I had a pretty easy transition overall.

But there are days when being gluten-free simply isn't fun.  Sometimes it's just annoying and other times it's super stressful.  I'd be hard pressed to believe anyone who didn't experience gluten-free fatigue as I prefer to call it.  I mean, let's get real...there are scores of people with celiac disease (confirmed) who are consuming as much gluten as ever - all the while downing Pepto Bismol (or a similar otc medication) in order to keep their symptoms manageable.  For those of us who take having celiac (which can and absolutely does cause certain cancers) seriously, and would not touch gluten on purpose with a 10-foot pole, it can get weary to remain vigilant 24/7.

There's always a wedding (or worse, a funeral), a family reunion, a work event, a holiday party...well, you get the gist.  There is almost always some event coming up which requires you to do something extra to prepare to attend it.  You need to find out who's supplying the food and what, if anything is safe for you to eat.  If not, can you take your own food in without causing a ruckus with the host or establishment.  Or do you need to sneak any and everything you plan to eat in your purse and possibly your husband's pockets?  Once there, you might need to find a place to quickly nibble on whatever you've smuggled in (yes, it feels like you're smuggling) so that no one takes notice and makes a big deal about it.

I'm convinced that people don't mean to be rude and inappropriate when they inquire about what happens when you consume gluten by mistake.  They are just ignorant....give them a break.  Had I not been the one diagnosed, I might be as ignorant as the next guy.  In years past, I would usually change the subject so as not to make anyone uncomfortable.  But that is probably part of the problem. We don't like talking about things that make others squirm. If we did, MANY more people would understand what celiac disease is by now.  These days, I simply reply that I might throw up for anywhere from an hour to three, depending on how much gluten I've ingested unknowingly.  Sometimes, if I'm feeling generous, I'll add something like "it's like a kid who ate way too much junk at the fair...everything comes up the way it went down"...and I add a little chuckle.

Yes, being gluten-free does gets old from time to time, but I try to look as the positive side of it. At least I'm not out there making myself sick, causing myself serious and possibly irreparable harm, like so many countless others are doing this very minute.  When I remember that, I count my blessings to be sure ;)

 





  

Special thanks at Thanksgiving

I feel like my middle name is travel lately. However, as busy as I've been running around to various weekend getaways and family functions, I need to take a moment to say thanks. Even though I have many reasons to be thankful this season, I owe a special thank you to all the people who bought something from my table at the Atlanta vendor fair in September. When I signed up to work the event for Triumph Dining, I was working for them. Due to other work opportunities with Celiac-Disease.com, I had to make the tough decision to quit writing on the Triumph Dining blog shortly before the fair here. Even so, the great folks at Triumph Dining allowed me to work the Atlanta event for them. As it happened, I also represented Shelley Case at the event and sold her great books as well as my own t-shirts and hats.

For various reasons, I wasn't quite sure when I showed up to the event that working the show would be worth my time, but guess what? It paid off big time! In fact, I was able to buy my laptop (and new modem for wifi service) with my earnings from the day. So, if any of you great people that bought something from our table at the show are reading this - THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!  Seriously, this is more wonderful than I can possibly convey...no more asking to borrow my husband's laptop....this is something to be very thankful for, no doubt!

During this time of year, I try to remember the many wonderful things I have to be thankful for. As far as my work is concerned - my readers are what I'm most thankful for. Without you guys, I would not  have this fun new career where I strive to help others learn to love the gluten-free lifestyle as much as I do. I owe you all a debt I can never repay. Thank you all for being there and for all your heartfelt notes of thanks. Thanks to my U.S. readers which of late have surpassed those living outside the states. Thanks also to my many international readers. I'm quite humbled that people across the globe are interested in something I have to say. To all of you, I wish a most lovely holiday season filled with good friends and family and LOTS of delicious gluten-free food!
     

Are Gluten-free Restaurant Goofs Growing?

Recently, I was told about some very odd mistakes that restaurant staffers made at places with printed gluten-free menus. While nothing happened to make anyone sick, the mistakes are so strange that I’m compelled to share them. Most people know that just because someone hands you a gluten-free menu doesn’t mean they understand what gluten is. It’s up to gluten-free diners to ask the right questions and determine what the staff does or doesn’t know. The exception is when you’re a regular customer and the staff writes gluten-free on your ticket before you can ask them to.  

The first goof was at a national chain that has American cuisine and a gluten-free menu that includes a killer brownie dessert. At a location in Kentucky, a gluten-free diner was told by the server that everything on the menu was gluten-free. The customer knew that was not the case and asked the server to go ask someone for help. The server came back and nicely apologized that he was mistaken – the hamburger buns, pasta and other various things were not gluten-free.

The next week, the same customer was in Atlanta at another national chain that has a gluten-free menu. The place specializes in burgers and has gluten-free French fries. The server at that place said the fries were not gluten-free even though they are clearly listed on the gluten-free menu. The customer was a regular and had enjoyed fries there for over two years. After an awkward conversation, the server left the table to find out about the safety of the fries. They returned to the table to report that the fries were gluten-free, but only as of that day. Unlike the server in Kentucky, this server was not particularly friendly and didn’t want to admit they had made a mistake.

In both of the above cases, there was no harm done, but that is because the customer knew more about the gluten-free options at the restaurants they were visiting than the servers assigned to their table. At both places, the managers and/or the people making the food knew the fries were gluten-free at the burger place and that not everything on the menu was gluten-free at the other establishment. That is really what mattered – or is it?

Let’s say that someone new to the gluten-free diet goes to either place and has the same experience. Seasoned gluten-free diners would know that incorrect information was being shared with them, but newbies would not necessarily be so informed. At the place where everything here is gluten-free” (except that it’s not), the customer might just get excited and order a whole lot of gluten dishes and pay the consequences later. I’ve been to a gluten-free restaurant and overheard people at tables next to us ask the servers if everything is really gluten-free. People who are not expecting to hear that news are shocked, to say the least.

At the place where the uninformed server insisted that that fries were not gluten-free, someone would just go without fries that in fact, were safe to consume. This would not cause anyone to get sick which is a good thing. But if the person went there because someone told them the fries were gluten-free and they didn’t get to order them in the end, they might not ever go back to the place. How is that good for business?

It’s exciting to have more gluten-free dining options than we can possibly even try, but it can be exhausting to play twenty questions with a server at a place that promotes their gluten-free menu. I feel like it’s my responsibility to know what gluten-free means and it’s the restaurant’s responsibility to know what is gluten-free at their establishment. At least someone there needs to be informed and it would be nice if the servers had some knowledge about the gluten-free menu where they work. If that isn’t the case, the place should not state that they can accommodate gluten-free diners, period.

  

Remember to ALWAYS get copies of your lab work!

This post is to remind everyone that it is imperative to ask for all your lab results for every medical test you have. You'll have to sign a waiver in order for the doctor to release the paperwork (the actual copies from the lab) to you. Do that and then tell the office (and doctor) to note on your chart that you want every lab test result sheet sent to you after each visit. What most doctors do is send patients a sheet with a summary of the test results which is great unless they forget to list something important.

I had my annual exam in January of this year and at a recent appointment, I asked for my results sheets that the office said they sent in February that never arrived. Unfortunately, after reading my lab work at the doctor's office, I realized that my doctor had not noted something she should have on her appointment  follow up sheet back in January. Thankfully, it wasn't anything super important, but what if it had been? Before I was diagnosed with celiac, I had no idea how important it was to get copies of my lab results. The one time in almost five years that I didn't get them (and didn't follow up on it) was the one time that my doctor goofed. If you are not getting your lab paperwork from your doctor (or doctors), you are taking risks with your health - seriously.

While it might be a bit confusing when you don't understand something meant for a doctors eyes, it's better to get the paperwork and ask questions if you need to. Something noted on my sheet actually read quite oddly and after my doctor explained what it meant, it was actually good news instead of something that read rather negatively. It's like a sixth grader came up with some of the working for the results sheets. Anyway, please people - get your lab work - all of it - ALWAYS.

It will be a while before I write up my recap of the recent Atlanta GF Vendor fair, but just know it was by far the best event the group has ever put on. In fact, prior shows kind of look pale by comparison and last year's event was pretty terrific. Due to me having to work the event, I actually have appointments with some local vendors that I missed out on spending time with or trying their wares. Thanks to those of you who stopped by our table to buy something or just say hello. It was great to meet quite a few of my readers and the positive feedback you shared with me really warmed my heart. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much!        

Fall has finally arrived in the ATL so I'm going out to enjoy the beautiful day. Wishing all of you a lovely -  and tasty  - gluten-free weekend!
 
 
 



 




 

 

Atlanta's GF Vendor Fair is just around the corner!

Remember everyone - the most amazing gluten-free event of the year (in the entire Southeast) is just two weeks away. The AMC Gluten-Free Vendor Fair is September 26th in Norcross, GA. There is a $5 charge to attend (payable in cash only) and unlike previous events here, there are amazing speakers and even a cooking class by Jules of Jules Gluten Free!*. If someone wanted to try everything sampled at the event and had to buy it all themselves, the cost would be in the hundreds of dollars so it's an incredible value, to say the least!

I'll be selling the line of fabulous products from Triumph Dining, Shelley Case's amazing must have book and some cute t-shirts and hats. More details about that coming next week. For now, please read all about the wonderful event here.

*Cooking class not included in admission and is a pre-paid event requiring online registration. You can find details about the class here. 

 

Download Back-to-School ebook from Jules Gluten-Free!

The deadline to download this FREE ebook is tomorrow so take advantage of the offer from Jules Shepard of Jules Gluten Free flour!

Even if you're not sending a gluten-free child to school - or going to school yourself - you can still benefit by downloading this great guide! Deadline for free download is August 17th, 2010. Enter coupon code b2s (case sensitive).

Excerpt from the Jules Gluten Free website about what you can learn from the ebook:

How and when to talk to teachers and school administrators How to handle birthdays (your child's and others') What responsibilities your school has for accommodating special diets Creative lunchbox ideas for mains, desserts, and snacks The Top Ten college tips, like talking to roommates, talking to dining hall staff, creating short explanations about gluten free eating styles, and meeting gluten free friends.

Cheddar Snackers from The Grainless Baker are fabulous!

The Grainless Baker in PA makes some outstanding gluten-free products, but my faves from the line are the hamburger/hot dog buns, graham crackers and cheese crackers. On a recent visit to Return to Eden (the store has a new website), I picked up the newly reformulated cheese crackers called "Cheddar Snackers". It's hard to imagine that the original version of the bakery's killer cheese crackers could be improved upon, but somehow they were!

The crackers have sleek new packaging as well and since the "snackers" as they're called, are so small, one serving is 17 of them. I didn't eat that many at once but I could easily do so. The crackers are simply delicious - perfectly cheesy and crunchy! I shared a couple of them with a gluten eater recently who stated "those are really good". The comment came complete with a very perplexed look. Hey - not everyone got the memo that most of us are eating fantastic gluten-free foods that taste as good or better than they items they were meant to replace.

If you have not picked up (or ordered) these wonderful gluten-free cheese crackers (like a Cheez-It only better!) yet, you really should check them out! The new "Graham Snackers" are also available at Return to Eden. I've tried five brands of gluten-free graham crackers and for me, none compares to the wonderful version from The Grainless Baker. Be sure to stop in and meet the mastermind behind The Grainless Baker at the upcoming Atlanta Vendor Fair on September 25th!    
 
*Photo courtesy of The Grainless Baker




   

Erewhon gluten-free cereal winners!

OK - the winners of the new cereals from Erewhon have been selected! Due to computer issues (thanks AT&T...) these winners will be announced next week on my Examiner.com page, when we have all five addresses needed for the company.


If your comment is listed below, you are a winner and will recieve two boxes of FREE cereal from Erewhon! Please click on my profile on this page, click on e-mail and e-mail me your FULL and complete shipping (or mailing) address. This information is being sent to Erewhon and once they confirm they have it, all addresses will be deleted from my records for good.


Thanks to all who entered the contest! There will be another exciting offer next week so be sure and follow me on Twitter (ATLglutenfree) and read my page on Examiner.com.

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Kim said...
I would love to try these cereals! I have been looking all over & can't find them!


http://samkaine.com/ said...
I've been feeding the regular brown rice version of this a 'finger food' to my baby since we don't know if he inherited my celiac or not. I'm so excited there's a chocolate version. That box will be all mine!


Katie said...
They sound great! I'm fairly new to the gluten-free world, and it's very helpful to read reviews of products before spending lots of money trying new things. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

Jamie P said...
I would love to try them! The Strawberry one reminds of me Special K Strawberry...

dionne said...
I can't find these cereals anywhere, but would love to try them (especially for free!).


Special thanks to Erewhon for helping my readers get to taste these great new cereals for FREE!

Huge loss for our community

Today I received some very sad news via a celiac listserv post. One of the nicest gluten-free bloggers (Gluten-Free NYC: http://glutenfreenyc.blogspot.com/ ) around who helped untold visitors to NYC enjoy their gluten-free visits immensely through his blog posts, passed away from a sudden illness. David Marc Fischer was a joy to know - even if only through the internet. Recently he and I had begun corresponding via e-mail. He had a great sense of humor and a generous spirit and rarely did I not get a laugh out of something he included in his e-mails.

I am deeply saddened by this news and I'm certain that many others who knew David in any way feel like I do. The gluten-free world was better off with him in it. He will be missed greatly. Hopefully we can all take a lesson from David and live our lives to the fullest and not let a dietary restriction get in the way of that goal.

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From the listserv post : "David will be greatly missed, and remembered for his friendliness, intelligence, and sincere contributions to the celiac community. His family would like people to know that any donations in David's memory can be made to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. This can be done either online or by mail.

Online: https://giving.columbia.edu/giveonline/Use the "Select a School or Division" drop down box, and select Celiac Disease Center. You will be able to specify on the next page that the gift is in memory of David Marc Fischer, and a note will be sent to the family.

By mail: Checks payable to: Trustees of Columbia University. Please note on the memo line that the donation is in memory of David Marc Fischer, and a note will be sent to the family. Mail to: Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Harkness Pavilion, 180 Fort Washington Avenue, Suite 934, New York, NY 10032"