St. Patrick's Day the Gluten Free Way

Picked up O'Reilly's Corned Beef at Shop Rite and very happy to see those magic words, "Gluten Free," on the label. Ten years ago those words were rarely seen, especially on seasonal food. I almost danced in the meat aisle.

Up early this morning, that slab of deliciousness is now submerged in the crock pot. The potatoes and cabbage will go in as soon as I get home from work. Dinner should be ready at seven. All that's missing is the green, gluten free, beer.

Every St. Patrick's day I used to worry about the safety of the meal. The magic words rarely appeared on the good stuff. If I wanted to find them, I'd have to go to the health food store. Now, bigger companies are stepping up and realizing the importance of labeling things gluten free ...

Bahahahaha! Just kidding. They do it because they see a market. More and more Celiacs are being diagnosed. That 1 in 100 number is growing and I'm sure this old estimate will soon be updated. Add in the dieters. Those who are going gluten free because they think it will help them lose weight (Ha!) or who are just hoping to calm the chaos in their gut.

I only hope this isn't a flash in the pan and that labeling gluten will become the norm and not a passing fad. When I see the magic words, "Gluten Free," on a label I go to the company's website and thank them. A short note to let them know how that thoughtful gesture impacted my day and my life. Did they do it for marketing? Who cares! They made my life easier and probably healthier.

Happy St. Paddy's Day! May the Corned Beef be gluten free and the meal make you smile. Just make sure the green beer is gluten free, too!

God Bless Ireland

Sharing a Gluten Free Kitchen with...(Gulp!) ... Glutenators!

For those who react badly to gluten sharing a kitchen with a glutenator can be scary. I've gotten sick on more than one occasion on just a tiny amount of gluten so I'm super careful of what goes in my mouth. And I share my kitchen with gluten.



How to manage a shared kitchen?

Set boundaries.
      My counter space is "L" shaped with a stove on one side. All gluten belongs to the left of the stove. There's a drawer on that side holds the gluten snacks. There's a toaster and electric can opener on the counter and a gluten bread basket.

     Right side of kitchen is the longer expanse of counter with a gluten-free toaster, gluten-free blender, gluten-free electric can opener and the always gluten-free coffee pot.

     There are two Teflon pots in our kitchen - both glutenated. The stainless steal      pots are gluten free. Glutened plastic spatulas/Gluten-free stainless spatulas. (Remember Teflon and plastic holds gluten.)
   
     A lower cabinet is the plastic-ware. I consider all plastic-ware glutenous.
     Upper cabinet is the glass -ware. These have plastic tops but I can hand wash        them away from gluten. And glass-ware comes in lunch-box sizes. Yay!

The biggest thing about a shared kitchen is co-operation. No matter how careful we are it doesn't work unless every family member understands cross contamination. Take time to set the rules and make sure everyone understands the gluten boundaries. Give the glutenators a special place to keep their goodies and make another area the gluten free zone. You're tummy and immune system will thank you for it.
Happy cooking!

Supermarkets & Finding Gluten Free

My supermarket is rearranging the store. They used to have a small but adequate gluten free section with just the basics; crackers, breads, cookies, soups, etc. Now with this giant re-do they're mixing the gluten free stuff in with all the gluten food.

If I had one wish I'd like to take their marketing or layout department or whomever is in charge of this decision shopping with me. Let them get really hungry and take them down these mixed aisles and say, "You can't eat that, you can't eat that, you can't eat that, you can't eat that..." on and on until you find the one box of cereal you can eat.

For a supermarket to do this it's almost torture. Like waving all the things I can't eat in front of me and making me climb over it to get to the prize. Blah. This diet isn't a choice for me and many others. It's a necessity for life. It can be hard and I really don't need the extra aggravation of having to hunt all over the store to find something edible. Am I alone in the fact that it's not going to make me buy more. In fact, it makes me drive down the street to the store that has s special aisle with my gluten free food.

I think I'll go find the store's facebook page and explain.... join me? We might find cookies...

Where Gluten Hides

Going gluten free easy???
Well, no.
It's not just what you buy, cook, and serve your Celiac that is an issue. It's also what you cook in, store in, and clean with.

• Teflon pans; Teflon is porous and will hold gluten to be passed to the next food cooked on it. Stainless steel is the best choice. 
• Tupperware/Plastic Storage; Plastic is another porous product that can pass gluten along to the next food stored in it. Does the dishwasher remove gluten? It's 50/50. Plastic has microscopic divets so you're still taking a chance. I use glass (dishwasher)with plastic lids that I hand wash away from gluten.
• Toaster! It's the last hold out for some newly diagnosed Celiacs. If the toaster has ever been used for gluten toast, then it has crumbs in it and it will get on the gluten free food. Invest in another toaster. We have two. Red one is gluten free and all the way on the other (gluten) side of the kitchen is the black (gluten) toaster. 
• Kitchen Sponge; If your kitchen sponge has ever touched gluten...well, it's sharing it with everything it touches. Wipe your sink out with the sponge? Was there ever gluten in your sink? Sponge contaminated. I use paper towels or dish clothes with wide knit netting that go int he washing machine. 

More info can be found at Gluten and Dairy Free.

Stay safe, Stay gluten free! 

Possible Causes of IBS that Doctors Ignore

Way before I ever heard the word "Celiac" I was diagnosed with IBS or Irritable Bowel Disease. I thought that was the most ridicules thing I'd ever heard. I said to my doctor, "I know its irritated, now tell me why? Irritation is a symptom, not a disease." The doctor shrugged. I should have changed doctors then, but being raised a good Irish Catholic, I was taught to respect people in authority and doctors fell into that category. Or at least, they used to. Now I know different. I've heard, in med school, Doctors spend very little time studying Celiac Disease and I'm betting even less time on other causes of IBS.

Since then I've changed doctors and discovered a few things that can cause this most embarrassing and uncomfortable condition. We already know that Celiac Disease's main symptom, along with migraines, joint pain, and skin problems is constipation or diarrhea (aka IBS), but I always felt there was something else.

B-12
This little vitamin is a water soluble vitamin that rules the nervous symptom. One of its main symptoms is IBS. It also has a wide range of other symptoms. A B-12 deficiency is also known as Pernicious Anemia. B-12 is found in meat and other animal products. Vegans are often deficient in this vitamin, but if you're missing the intrinsic factor you won't absorb it no matter how you eat. I had my B-12 levels checked after watching a show called Medical Mysteries and they were bottomed out. I now go for B-12 shots every two weeks. I was a meat eater but for some reason my body was not absorbing the B-12. Since getting the shots I've been so much better! I get my levels checked on a regular basis and it took a while to figure out what dosage/time span was best for me, but it was worth it. For more information on Pernicious Anemia and B-12 deficiency go here; PAS Pernicious Anemia Society

Food Allergies or Sensitivities
I often wondered where this idea came from. I was always of the mind set that man was meant to eat the bounty from the earth. It was the natural way. However, when we really think about it, we have to admit few of us eat food in it's most natural state. Most days everyone eats a processed or prepackaged food. Even bread is processed and packaged. When was the last time you made bread from scratch? And if you did, was the flour used bleached and processed? When you read an ingredient label, can you identify each ingredient as a natural food?
Then we have to look at GMO's. Are we eating good food or something made in a lab? Do we know what process it went through to become food? What was added? Subtracted? Can we really trust it to give our body what it needs and can our body naturally process this chemical experiment? Or would the body reject it in the form of IBS?
Does it surprise anyone that since the evolution of GMO food in the 70's, the rise in food allergies, IBS, and Fibromyalgia  has tripled. Gee, I think I see a pattern here. More GMO, more gasto/nervous symptom problems. Wait! Do I need to get a rocket scientist for this issue?
There are allergies or sensitivities to real/natural/non-GMO food. You can get allergy tests and do an elimination diet to figure this out. It's a slow process but would be worth it if you got answers.

Food Dyes
Are made from coal tar. Yum! That same black gunk that is used to pave our streets. Who was the brainiac that thought we should eat this crap?
Red dye has been linked to hyperactivity in children. Red dye is in everything. Read labels and if it has a food dye in it, toss it back on the shelf.
In Europe most food dyes are outlawed. However, the USA is owned by the almighty $$$ and years behind in food safety.

Artificial Sweeteners
All artificial sweeteners are linked to incontinence in women. Anyone notice the surge in Depends commercials with the increased use of Splenda, Sweet n Low, and Equal? These things irritate the bladder (and who knows what else?) and should never be put into the body. Check it out here. Also on the subject of Artificial Sweeteners look here. Just google Incontinence women and artificial sweeteners, scary.

The only other thing I think people need to do is not give up. If your doctor can't give you answers, go to a different doctor. I changed doctors 3 times until I found one who would listen to me and not blow off my symptoms to generic diseases.

Never, never, never give up. The truth is out there. . .

Vacation Weight Gain? Hahahahaha!

I lose weight on vacation; said no one ever...

Except maybe the Celiac. 

Just got back from two weeks in Florida and I'm down 5 lbs. We stayed in a condo in John's Pass, a quaint little area just below Clearwater. I lost five pounds. Every vacation, because I fear eating out, I lose a little bit. It seems everyone's idea of a vacation is eating out all the time. 

Don't get me wrong, I have a very understanding family. One daughter (in her twenties) is also Celiac and just as sensitive as I am. She takes more risks in eating out than makes me comfortable. 

In John's Pass we ate at Bubba Gumps and Hooters. It was limited but we did okay. I'm also vegetarian so it's more limiting for me. Most places serve a chicken or fish dish that's gluten free. If you're GF (Gluten Free) Bubba Gumps got a pretty good menu here. 

Hooters can do great salads for vegetarians. I couldn't access their GF menu online but found this from the Urban Tastebuds site; http://glutenfreeguidehq.com/hooters-gluten-free-menu/

We stopped at the Frog Pond for Breakfast and I had tea and fruit. My reasoning here was they didn't have a GF menu and the place is fairly small. I've worked in kitchens/waitressing and believe a small kitchen has limited ability to guard against cross contamination. However the Frog Pond serves massive breakfasts. The plates were piled high with six egg omelets filled with all kinds of goodies. My daughter ate a mushroom cheese omelet and was fine. 

We always stay in a place with a microwave or kitchen due to the Celiac issue. Sometimes I wish I could just relax my guard but I've gotten sick before and it takes 3 days to recover. So my choice is be ooooober careful or take a chance and get sick on vacation. I enjoy my vacations in other ways than eating. I enjoy the sightseeing, trying new things, shopping, spending time with the ones I love. Food isn't everything and if I want something and I have a kitchen, I'll make it myself and know that my vacation won't be ruined by a Celiac-attack. 

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