Holiday Gluten Attack

During the holidays it's especially hard to avoid gluten. Last week at a party they were making some kind of martini looking drink with, what I thought was, sugar and cinnamon around the rim. I wasn't going to try it. I don't drink a lot and I never drink if I have to drive home. But I had worked a long day, had a lot on my mind and when someone walked up holding one of these yummy looking drinks and said, "Oh my God, these are so good. Take a sip."

I did. Put that pretty little drink to my lips and sipped. Then I realized it wasn't just sugar and cinnamon on the rim. So I asked.

"Crushed sugar cookies," they said.

My heart froze.

My gut clenched in anticipation of what was to come. . . . the theme from "JAWS" started in my head.

Over the years my gluten reaction has changed a bit. I guess, as my gut healed from years of  eating gluten (before diagnosis) it has more of a "defense?" But I did know i was going to get some kind of sick so I left the party. Behind me I hear the woman who offered me the drink say, "This gluten thing is so hard."

The heart burn came first as I was driving home. A slow burn getting worse with each minute. Stomach cramps, headache, & everything ache hit soon after. Blah.

My gluten remedy? Ginger tea with honey. (I've read honey helps but I don't know why) and probiotics. I also drink water to flush the gluten out. Not sure if any of this does much good, but I think it helps some.  I really believe only time can heal a gluten attack.

It wasn't the worst reaction I've had as I only had the crumbs from the rim, but it was a good reminder. Then I remember I didn't even check the liquor that was in it. There could have been gluten there, too.

Never let down your guard. Especially during the Holidays when gluten is everywhere! 

Anyone have a better gluten attack treatment? What helps when you've been hit?

Gluten Free Kitchen Safety

Staying gluten free and safe on a Celiac diet, isn't hard but takes practice. It's especially challenging when others in your home consume gluten. My husband is, what I like to call, a Glutenator. Someone who consumes gluten. When I was first diagnosed I told my husband it was okay that he eat gluten containing foods in front of me. I knew how much he loved bread and felt bad that he was giving these things up for me.   However, that didn't mean I wanted gluten spread all over my kitchen.

Step 1. Segregate the gluten! Designate a separate area for gluten containing food. My husband has the small counter space on the other side of the stove and the drawer beneath it for his snack food. I have a drawer on the my side of the kitchen for gluten free snacks. He prepares glutenous food only on his designated counter space.

Step 2. Bowls and dishes. Things like plastic ware and Teflon can hold onto gluten and release it back into the next food that's served from it. If you stored a bunch of bread in your Tupperware, washed it, and then thought it would be a good place to store your gluten free cereal, think again. Plastic ware, like Teflon, is porous and scratches you can't see can contaminate your food. Be safe, get separate plastic ware for your gluten free food. Wash and store plastic ware separately from gluten containing dishes. Use stainless steel cookware and glass or ceramic dishes.

Step 3. No plastic spatulas unless you can absolutely keep them separate from all gluten. Be sure they are never used for cooking or stirring anything containing gluten. The rule for plastic ware extends to utensils because they are just as porous and open to scratches that can catch gluten and contaminate the food.

Step 4. Buy a Sharpie marker. When we were first faced with condiments getting contaminated by a careless swipe of the knife or spoon we started marking them with a big "G". This way if hubby accidentally spreads the jelly on his toast and sticks the knife back in the butter and- CONTAMINATION! Now if he does this he whips out the Sharpie and smacks that big black "G" on it and I know not to eat it. Whew! Saved by a Sharpie!

Step 5. Get a new toaster! This was one of the last things I ever did and should have been one of the first. Putting a piece of glutenous bread into a toaster contaminates it. I got a pretty red toaster for my side of the kitchen and gave the old one to the hubby side of the kitchen. One last thing on the toaster? If you have overnight guests hide your Gluten Free toaster so they don't put gluten in it before you get up in the morning! This happened to me and I had to get a new toaster. It's impossible to clean gluten out of a toaster.

Those are the 5 big ones. I'm sure I'll think of more. I've been GF (gluten free) for 10 years so I'm sure there are things I'm doing but not realizing it. If there's anything I missed please feel free to leave a comment.
Be happy, be gluten free! I hope this helps. 

Gluten Free Review

The gluten free diet can be a challenge at times but companies like Glutino make it easier for Celiac's everywhere. Today I'd like to review a couple of their products.

Glutino's Gluten Free Crackers are a family favorite. These crackers are good alone or in soup. They've got enough of a crunch without being dry or hard.  They can be enjoyed straight out of the box or with a topping like peanut butter or humus. These gluten free crackers come in several flavors. My favorites are the Vegetable and Cheddar. I often take them as a snack to work, on airplanes or put them out with sliced cheese for company. There are two bags of crackers in each box, giving ample bang for your buck.

 I purchased Glutino's Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Pretzels when i need antlers for  my reindeer cupcakes this past Christmas and was pleasantly surprised. These crunchy little delights were the hit of the party. The chocolate covering is creamy, chocolatey, and ready to melt in your mouth. I ate my way through half the bag while decorating my reindeers and had to swat away my kitchen helpers from stealing them or my reindeers would have been antler-less.
Portion size for your dollar is good as gluten free products go.

Lately I've been finding both these products on the shelves at Stop & Shop, Shop Rite and Pathmark. I've seen them down south at Publix, too. You can find a store near you on Glutino's site. They also have coupons on the site!

We have a joke in our household that goes; Gluten free? Five dollars! Meaning almost every gluten free product is priced at five dollars. Considering some products I've come across don't seem worth what we pay for them, Glutino gives a fairly good portion compared to other gluten free companies. I give both these products 5 out of 5 stars and almost always have them stocked on my shelves. I just have to restrain myself around the Pretzels or I'll eat the whole bag in one sitting! Yum!

My Gluten Free Celiac Code

 I have a code I live by:

Love many

Trust few

Always paddle

Your own canoe

Basically it means I don't trust any product unless I've discovered for sure it's gluten free. When I eat gluten I'm sick for 3 days. It feels like I have a giant lump of cement in my gut. Every nerve ending feels like its moaning in commiseration with my tummy and all I want to do is lay down and suffer. However, in this dog eat dog world we know sometimes you just have to carry on. 

So this means if I don't see "Gluten Free" on the label I run the other way. I won't let it touch my lips until I can prove it's free of that nasty little protein in wheat, rye, barley, or (sometimes) oats: gluten. If its something I really want then I reach out to the people who make it.

Here is the response from Twinings Tea. I love flavored teas so I'm doing the happy dance!

Thank you for taking the time to contact Twinings.

All teas are inherently gluten free regardless of where the tea is sourced, our ingredient listing states “black tea” or “green tea” in additional to other ingredients a particular tea may contain.  None of these added ingredients contain gluten, so therefore our teas are gluten free.  Please note, however, that Twinings at this time does not utilize an outside agency to certify our teas as gluten free.

 Thank You,

Consumer Relations

 Twinings North America