Happy Celiac Awareness Month!

May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month and May 13-19 is National Food Allergy Awareness Week. I recommend celebrating the glutard(s) in your life by making them a safe treat this month. ...I'll be waiting for my next batch of brownie cookies!  


To kick off our month, the American Celiac Disease Alliance sent a letter to the government requesting one cohesive labeling policy that would cover goods overseen by both the FDA and the USDA. I would love to see this happen since I've been frustrated many times by unclear labeling... most annoyingly when I am sick. As someone who is quite sensitive to gluten, I'd also love to see more labeling pertaining to foods being processed on equipment shared with gluten. These steps would make it a lot easier for me to make decisions about what I do and do not purchase. 


For more information about food allergies in general, check out the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. 

Gluten-Free-Friendly Sick Food

I'm not going to lie: One of the pleasures of being sick in my past life was Campbell's Goldfish chicken noodle soup with an inappropriate number of saltines crushed into it. That was the ultimate comfort food: warm, salty, mild, slightly absurd, but adorable. 


Now that I'm a glutard, my sick foods of choice have changed a bit. Instead of buying a can of chicken noodle soup, I now make my own Beat-the-Bastard-Bug Broth. Bug-Beating Broth is very simple -- easy enough that you can make it even when a bunch of gnomes are pick-axing your head or when you discover that a snot Nile has sprung forth from your face. 


Bug-Beating Broth (a more detailed description of what I described here)
Step 1: Put some broth on the stove. Preferably in a saucepan, not directly on the stove. You can use actual broth or bouillon cubes to make broth. Whatever you have the capacity to do. 
Step 2: Add parsley, pepper, dried onion flakes, and garlic powder to taste.
Step 3: Toss some fun, fast cooking gluten-free noodles in. I like these because they soften in 4 minutes: Schar Anellini. I also like them because I imagine I'm eating a thousand tiny life saving floaty devices. (Note: boiling the noodles directly in the broth might make your soup milky from the starches that cook off. If you aren't so sick, cook your pasta in a separate pot of water and toss it in at the end for a min. If you're super sick, don't waste precious energy that could be spent overcoming illness.)
Alternate Step 3: Microwave some frozen green beans. Toss them into the broth instead of the noodles. It might sound weird, but it tastes fine. Plus, sometimes it is nice to have a vegetable. 
Step 4: Simmer until you're bored standing there looking at it.


Warning: New Content Below!
In addition to recycling a blog post that I just remembered that I already wrote because I am apparently obsessed with my hobo soup, lets also talk about what happens when you're digestively unwell. For most people, this calls for crackers and toast. In lieu of gluten-free versions of those things because they are prohibitively expensive, I've found that original Baked Lay's potato chips make a great stand-in for crackers. They're absorbant, slightly salty, and come in a giant bag so you can eat a lot of them. I'm also a huge fan of Trader Joe's Wheat Free Waffles. They're kind of dense compared to other g-free waffles, but they're also absorbant and mild. Plus, they're affordable since TJ's doesn't upcharge them for being g-free. And you can always have bananas and wash it all down with gatorade or powerade. 


I'm going to stop before I re-blog something else. I hope you stay healthy!

Slow Down and Think about Fast Food

In case you've been in a hurry lately, here are some tips for navigating fast food as a glutard: Gluten Free Fast Food Options (via CeliAct)

I second their recommendation for Wendy's and In-N-Out. Wendy's even has a list of gluten free offerings -- looks better that it is, though, because they include condiments and sodas. I tend to choose Wendy's over others because they went through the effort of making a list. ...Reinforce the behavior you want to see. Wendy's staff has also generally been able to answer my questions accurately and often have dedicated fryers for fries. I mean, what's the point of fast food if you can't eat the fries??? I'm jealous of anyone who lives in In-N-Out territory. Their food is simple so you don't have to worry too much about a bunch of crappy additives. I always hit them up as a fast food treat whenever I am in range. 


I second CeliAct's advice to stay away from Taco Bell. T-Bell is a ginormous disappointment for glutards. Spoiler alert: their "meat" contains a substantial amount of fillers, including oats. In addition, I haven't had any luck at Burger King (who is inferior to Wendy's in every way anyway). 


I want to add Chipotle to CeliAct's list of good options. Like Wendy's they also have a super clear allergen list. Plus, you can eat ALMOST anything here as a glutard. Just no flour tortillas. Chipotle has been so good to me (unlike Qdoba, which I have had varying luck with)! 


Wherever you end up going on the run, be sure to check any available allergen info available (it can change regularly) and don't be afraid to make requests to avoid cross-contamination. 


Happy Junkfood!

Tips For Building Your Bridge Over Troubled Water

This past week derailed my positivity train, but I am getting back on track. As I've mentioned before, sometimes living with a gluten allergy is fine and other times it isn't. This past week was one of those stretches when it wasn't. I had 3 dissatisfying meals last week outside my home, and by the time I finished eating the third "meal," I felt pretty stabby about the restaurant industry. I was, however, thankful that I navigated the week without getting gluten-poisoned. 


Not-so-quick frustrating meal recap:
(1) Gluten-free menu items often revolve around meat. Which is great if you're a carnivore, but if you're not, sometimes there isn't much to choose from. While I ended up having some really delicious food, I was somewhat frustrated from a lack of vegetarian options. It was an expensive meal, and I left really hungry. Typically I'm grateful for a gluten-free menu, period. But sometimes I want to see something other than meat and seafood on it. Get creative, people. 
(2) A company catered lunch at work. They assured the person coordinating the meal that there would be food for me to eat. Turns out their idea of a lunch and my idea of a lunch are not the same. They brought me baby spinach with sliced strawberries with some olive oil and balsalmic vinegar. For whatever reason, I couldn't even put the nuts on my salad. Yea, I guess this is a meal. But everyone else was eating sandwiches and meat and dairy and real vegetables, and little hors d'oeuvres, and a shitload of desserts. Hard not to feel cheated staring over my pile of leaves at mounds of hot food on everyone else's plates. What was most annoying is that this place has catered us before and brought gluten-free cupcakes. Why no cupcakes this time, a-holes?
(3) All-you-can eat, fill-your-own-bowl, Mongolian-style BBQ places are always tricky to navigate due to shared cooking space and the reliance on meat as the basis of the meal. On top of that, many bulk sauces come chock full o' fillers. They had special cooking surfaces in back for dealing with allergies (yay!), but my meal ended up being a pile of naked veggies and tofu since I don't like plain meat. I paid full price, but left hungry. I rage-walked all the way home. 


So what do you do to get out of a frustrated tailspin? Here are some tips for building bridges over the troubled waters of dining out with a food allergy:
(1) Always travel with a snack. Always. You can eat your snack on your way home. Or if you're desperate/angry, you can eat it in public. 
(2) Keep your house stocked with ingredients for one of your favorite meals. This is even better if your favorite meal is something easy to make. I always have stuff on hand for poor-itos and spaghetti. You can quickly make a meal that will fill you up before/after your disappointing dining experience. Then you will be full, which may not ease the rage/sadness/isolation, but at least you won't be hungry anymore. 
(3) Talk to the waitstaff or the managers. Just because one person may not be helpful doesn't mean that they all won't be. If a waiter isn't comfortable making a substitution, ask to talk to a manager about it. 
(4) Talk to your allies, or get allies if you don't have them. I am lucky that I can vent to my mom, who is also a glutard. While she can't bake me gluten-free cookies from 1200 miles away, sometimes it feels better to talk to someone who understands. Your allies don't have to be limited to other glutards. My boyfriend and Kathleen are not only supportive, but can also make food that I can and want to eat. After a bunch of frustrating dining experiences, having meals with people who will cook delicious, satisfying meals for you can go a long way to restoring your faith in humanity. 
(5) Read some gluten-free blogs. Reminding yourself that you're part of a growing community can help you to feel less isolated. 
(6) Write Yelp reviews to let others know about which places are good to you and which aren't. Talk to restaurant managers about what you'd like to see on a gluten-free menu. Talk talk talk. Get the word out. By increasing awareness, you increase the chances that people will improve menu offerings. 


I'm pretty busy, so you're getting this post a tad earlier than usual. I wish you all healthy and happy meals!

Get That Outta Here! More Tips on Avoiding Cross-Contamination

I still don't have anything nice to say, but I'll point you in the direction of a post that came across my Google Reader* this morning about tips for avoiding cross-contamination: http://www.celiact.com/blog/2011/12/12/73-gluten-free-kitchen-avoid-cross-contamination A lot of it overlaps with tips and tricks I've mentioned before, but you get the point. You can see that I'm not making this (sometimes inconvenient) sh*t up. 


If you don't subscribe to the CeliAct blog, it might be worth checking out. BEWARE that they are trying to sell you supplements. Supplements are a good idea when you're missing a major food group, but DON'T feel obligated to buy their formulas. I'm healthy as an asthmatic horse** and I only take whatever multivitamin is cheapest plus a B vitamin blend since many gluten-free grains aren't fortified like wheat flour is. But they aren't just selling products on their blog. I don't always find the blog useful, but I do like seeing their headlines, which often point me toward good things to know. Its nice to see what's going on in the glutard world and they write about things I wouldn't have thought to look up on my own. As long as I'm making recommendations, Celiac.com has some blog posts worth perusing, too. 


*Google Reader is how I subscribe to blogs. Even though the Almighty Google recently overhauled Reader and removed some of my favorite features, it is a great free service that has a user-friendly Android interface. 
**It's not like their supplements can cure asthma anyway. This should be obvious, but I am still feeling a little stabby, which makes me skeptical of everyone's intelligence, even my own. 

Going Gluten-Free at Sporting/Concert Venues

There's been a recent uptick in the number of concerts and sporting events I'm attending, which means I've spent more time than usual at arenas. Unfortunately, arenas are rarely good settings for gluten-free fare. 


As always, what you can eat depends on the willingness of the staff to accommodate you and your judgment of if you think said staff will be able to get it right. Be attentive. Don't be afraid to ask questions. But if you know you're going to have a lot of questions, I recommend waiting to search for food until lines die down. The last thing you need are a bunch of rabid sports fans upset with you because you stand between them and their beer and hot dog. 


So with the usual caveats about being careful, I recommend seeing if the concession stand can give you a 100% beef hotdog without a bun. No fillers = no problem! Explain that you have an allergy, aka that they can't just peel a lukewarm dog out of a bun -- it has to be a clean dog. They're usually able to wrap a naked dog in foil and send you on your way. If they don't have plastic forks and knives for you to use to devour with your dog, feel free to wander around to other stands. I've had to rely on spoons before from ice cream stands, but it isn't like I was cutting real meat. Or you could be manly and just eat the dog with your bare hands. I've done that before, too. Note that the "manly" option is not particularly attractive on dates. ...Unless you can eat a hotdog seductively in a stadium full of people? I dunno. Don't try it. Just eat your damn dog. 


Aside from the bunless-wonders, there isn't much for glutards to eat at typical arenas. Some arenas will offer higher-end concession options like salads, chicken sandwiches, or ice cream, which may or may not be glutard friendly or adaptable. If they have fries, you could ask if they're cooked in the same oil as chicken strips, onion rings, etc. You could also ask about the nachos, but be warned that nachos are a real heartbreaker. If the squirty nacho cheese is safe, then the chips will be unsafe; if the chips are safe, then further inspection will reveal that the cheese is not. Hopes raised; hopes dashed. Maybe you'll have better luck than I've had, though. Hopes raised! 


Otherwise you can drink a ton of soda and hope that fills you up. Spoiler alert: It probably won't. Or, and I am NOT advocating for this, you could try to stealthily sneak in a snack. This is probably against the rules, so don't do it unless you know the venue allows it. Or, even better, you could try to eat beforehand. Fill yourself up so you can sport out/rock out without having to worry about concession stand food. This last option gives you the extra advantage of not having to miss any of the game/concert waiting in line or reading ingredient lists. 


Game on!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just like every other day, I am thankful for the many wonderful people in my life and all of the amazing opportunities I've had thus far. But tomorrow I get to be thankful and share a meal with a subset of my favorite people. YUM! I have discretely sewn elastic into the waistband of my jeans, so I am ready. Bring on the food, family, and friends!


Here are some of my favorite alternatives to glutenous Thanksgiving dishes:
Quinoa Stuffing with Leeks, Walnuts, and Cherries. Quinoa is great, duh! Your traditional relatives may be suspicious, but encourage them to try it! Subbing in dried cranberries instead of cherries is a way to make this more consistent with the traditional cranberry-infused fare. Also, you can easily make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.


Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gluten Free Crumb Crust. Ok, so this simple recipe isn't gluten-free, but it is easily modifiable. To make it friendly for us, I recommend making your own crust using 1.5 cups of crumbled Kinnikinnick's gluten free graham crackers or Trader Joe's gluten free ginger snaps mixed with 6 tbsp butter. The filling should be gluten free anyway, but be sure to check your labels!


You can make a mean gravy by using corn starch instead of regular flour as a thickener. 


Leftover turkey? Make a mean open-faced turkey and gravy sandwich on some slices of Udi's gluten free bread. 


Many other sides are either gluten free by nature (e.g., mashed potatoes) or can be modified (e.g., green bean casserole), so I hope everyone has a holiday full of happy eating! And if you're feeling generous and are able, consider making a donation to a food pantry or homeless shelter this holiday season. Everyone deserves a warm meal! 

Dating Gluten-Free

Pretty much everyone I know who reads this blog is neither dating, nor a glutard, but I thought I'd throw two cents at this topic anyway. Dating can be particularly tricky since many dates involve food and you may or may not feel like talking to strangers about your dietary regimen. Remember, it is ALWAYS up to you if you want to tell others about your food allergy, and it is up to you if you trust other people to prepare food for you.


I usually tell dates about my gluten intolerance. This way they understand why I am so picky about restaurants and food. While this has generally worked well for me, I have encountered some guys who could not deal with it. One guy did not want to go on a second date with me because he did not want to be part of this lifestyle. Fine, I understand that it is both difficult and intimidating. A different guy asked me an inappropriate question that I won't repeat here. That was just weirdsies. Sometimes I just didn't feel like talking about it, so I didn't tell the guy and was just secretly vigilant about my food. Most guys just ask a lot of questions and look a little terrified. This is normal and shouldn't freak YOU out. ...After all, most guys exists on pizza and beer alone for the majority of their 20s. If nothing else, a gluten sensitivity gives you something to talk about and you can educate another person. The more people we educate, the more people may be equipped to feed us! 


If you don't want to disclose your food allergy but still want to eat, you have a few options: (1) Obviously, you could offer to pick the restaurant. I tend to do this, since I know more than novices do about gluten intolerance (and most things. I'm a Dr, you know :P). I've also been accidentally poisoned so many times that I am kind of a control freak about my food. (2) You could do some sleuthing in advance by calling a restaurant and asking them if they can accommodate you and what they recommend. Both strategies spare you some of the questioning that typically happens when trying a restaurant you know nothing about. (3) You could also do non-food stuff, like coffee, or bowling, or trampoline dodgeball (which is apparently a thing). (4) If you're feeling lucky (and I am not the type of person that is inclined to hit that Google button), you can arm your date with some info and let them choose. This is risky, but I've done this before and it has been okay. ...But usually after I've known someone for more than a date or two. 


Bottom line, because I have to rush to catch my bus: If anyone gives you shit about your allergy, they ain't worth your time. Find someone who is willing to learn and who'll learn to deal, because you're worth it. There are plenty of good guys (and gals!) out there. 

There's Nothing Scary About A Gluten-Free Halloween!

Well, well, well... Look who finally decided to show up. Yeah, it's me. The past two weeks have been jam-packed with laptop malfunctions, so my after-hours productivity has mostly ground to a screeching halt. The gabillionth trip to the Apple store has me feeling optimistic that it was the final trip. After all, we are running out of parts to replace. 

Let me take a moment to give MOUNDS OF PRAISE to the kind folks at the Apple Genius Bar. Unlike my customer service experiences with Windows products, the people at Apple have been nice and helpful and have been willing to try to solve my problems ASAP rather than routing me through a phone tree that leads to hell. They believe me when I tell them that I've already restarted my computer twice and it didn't fix things. They give me little troubleshooting tips so I can learn to fix things on my own. They've even tried to figure out what the problem is before checking to see if I'm still under warranty. It is great to see my customer service/repair person in person and watch them try to fix my compu-beast, and to see them bump me up to the front of the line because I've been there recently. But this isn't a post about my love for Apple. This isn't even a post about my love for apples, even though I've gone apple picking twice in the past three weeks. This is a post about the opposite of apples. Instead of keeping doctors away, today we're going to talk about keeping your dentist in business. 

Admittedly, holidays in which it is customary for other people to give me food make me nervous as a glutard. I can never REALLY be certain that the people (who always mean well) didn't do something to accidentally poison me. Halloween is great, though, because treats typically come packaged. While each individual snack-size piece of candy may not have ingredients on it, the treats tend to be easily Google-able. Clearly, glutards want to avoid anything like Kit-Kats, Twix, or Take5's, which clearly contain cookies/pretzels and therefore are unsafe. There are tons of great glutard-friendly candies, though, so you won't even miss the mess that Twix make if you happen to sit on one that you left on your chair. For your Halloween-candy-binge convenience, I am linking to this list of Gluten Free Halloween candies. As always, I make absolutely no promises about the accuracy of the contents of this list. And as always, I am going to implore you to check every label of every food before you put it in your candy-hole. So don't sue me. But this list is a great place to start if you're looking for ideas. My personal favorite Halloween treats include Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (although if the special pumpkin-shaped ones are anything like the heart-shaped ones, keep your eyes peeled for wheat flour ::shrugs in disgust::), Almond Joys, Swedish Fish, and Hot Tamales. If you have higher-end Halloween tastes, Ghiradelli chocolates tend to be glutard-friendly, but beware that Lindor Truffes and Godiva chocolates usually are not. If you're a health nut, fresh fruits and veggies are gluten-free but not particularly exciting. At least not as exciting as candy websites try to be. 

Happy Halloween!

Cross-contamination: The silent killer

Whoa. Apparently the lack of sleep has led me to take a sensationalist, 24-hour-news-station approach to this week's post title. Of course cross-contamination doesn't really kill many glutards (although some people can have an anaphylaxis-type reaction to wheat), it is a real issue. I've written a few times about how to navigate this at restaurants; today's post will be about minimizing cross-contamination in the home. This has become second nature for me, but after the sudden announcement from a roommate that he is moving, I decided it was time I think about what it means explicitly to minimize cross-contamination. I have roommates, but the same tips apply if you're living with a family or convicts or a pack of dogs or whoever. 


Depending on your level of sensitivity, you may not need to implement extreme versions of these tips. I like living XTREME, so I am vigilant about some of them (especially #2). 


1. Wipe food prep surfaces and wash dishes well. 
I like to wipe countertops before I begin cooking just in case a roommate accidentally left contaminants behind. If you're super sensitive, it might be a good idea to have separate rags, sponges, and towels for cleaning glutenous messes vs nonglutenous messes. I also like to visually check dishes before I use them to make sure there's no food remnants stuck to them. I had a roommate once who loved baking bread. She'd "wash" the dishes, but leave clumps of bread dough in the bowl. Disgusting, but also frustrating because I get sick from cross-contamination and there were gobs of dough our dishes. 


2. Store gluten-free food separate from glutenous food. 
I keep my flours, oatmeal, and treats in a location separate from the shared baking goods in my apartment. This helps ensure that my special stuff doesn't intermingle with wheat flour or regular oats or crumbly cookies and breads. This also dissuades roommates from helping themselves to my expensive gluten-free foods. I'm like sharing, but not when my food is easily 2-3 times the cost of their food. 


3. Separate tools for hard-to-clean surfaces.
I have my own cutting board that has never had bread sliced on it. Breadcrumbs get everywhere, and their favorite place to vacation is in the crevices that knives leave behind in cutting boards. Similarly, I don't bother using their bread knives for anything. I have a few other "special" dishes that I am sure have never marinated in soy sauce or had gluteny things in them. More than anything else, these other special dishes provide peace of mind if I do accidentally ingest gluten because I know that my special tools won't make me sicker than I already am. ...I like to feel in control :)


4. Communication.
Recurring theme, right? I know. Right. If people are slacking on the cleanliness front, remind them that your health is a cooperative effort. People have responded well when I have gently reminded them cleanliness isn't just an obsession for me (it is, though), but that it is vital to maintaining my health since I am very sensitive to gluten. People haven't responded well when I have accused them of trying to kill me with their gluten. I also find it is better to ask about ingredients used in foods left out to share than to assume that they're safe. The issue is not lack of trust, but rather the pervasiveness of gluten in the modern diet. 


Do you have other strategies for avoiding cross-contamination at home? If so, feel free to share them in the comments. But for now, I am off to bed. Gotta get me some ZZZ's, stat!

Thoughts-a about gluten-free pasta

Today's post was inspired by this post on glutenous vs gluten-free soba. It is a thorough comparison of the two, so if you're interested in learning more about soba, or just want to see an academic type apply precision to food comparisons, check it out!

I love pasta, but not all gluten-free pasta is lovable. There's some really good stuff out there, and the pasta you prefer may depend on the dish you're making. The great thing about gluten free pasta is that there is so much to experiment with! I'm no Martha Stewart, but here's what I've learned about gluten-free pasta based on my [limited] cooking experience.

1. Don't be surprised if your pasta tries some textural tricks. Some pastas might harden if you save leftovers. I don't know why, but you can cook pretty some gluten-free pasta within an inch of its life and it will re-harden in the fridge. Its a hard-knock life for g-free pasta. Either that, or g-free goes totally softy. Don't be surprised if other pasta goes in the complete other direction and absorbs every liquid around it, including those in other containers in the fridge. It may inflate and get soggy, which will leave you with some pasta-like mush. FYI: Gluten-free pasta is especially prone to bloat in soups. Play around with different types of pasta, like corn, quinoa, multigrain, and rice to figure out what works for you.

2. Some gluten-free pastas make the water milky as they boil. It doesn't really affect your enjoyment aside from having to look at an oozing pasta porridge during the preparation process, but it happens sometimes. Try not to overcook gluten-free pasta because that will make the disintegration worse. 

3. Cooking times vary quite a bit depending on the blend and the shape, so be sure to read the box. Some multigrain blends cook in as little as 5 minutes, other rice types can take as long as 18. Some boxes' directions are just lies, though, so be sure to check on your gluten free pasta a few times during cooking. Gluten-free pasta can be a finicky little beast, but it is worth the effort!

4. Rice pasta tends to be mushy. I don't mean Asian-type rice noodles, but rather noodles that are designed to be like Italian pasta. There are some notable exceptions to this rule, like Tinkyada, but in general if you're going to be baking or simmering in a sauce or soup, or doing some other extensive cooking, I wouldn't recommend pure rice pasta. 

5. Corn pastas tend to be rubbery. This works out great if you're making something like baked ziti or mac & cheese or soup, but can be a little chewy if you plan to make a cold pasta salad or just want buttered noodles. 

Here are some of my favorite pastas, which have been kitchen-tested for satisfying texture and taste.

For general use:

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Blends

Tinkyada Rice Pasta

For lasagna:

DeBoles No-Boil Rice Noodles

For your multigrain cravings:

Schar Multigrain Penne

For baked dishes:

Mrs. Lepper's Corn Elbows

Do you have pasta that you like or dislike? Do you have a favorite spaghetti or pasta that holds up well in soup? Any tips, tricks, or observations? If so, drop a comment at the bottom of this post! I'm always looking to improve my familiarity with the growing g-free options on the market!

Bonus Post: More Food Blogs to Check Out!

This week I am posting twice because there are two recipe blogs I want to bring to your attention.


The first is Yet Another Useless Food Blog, which is a new recipe blog started by one of my friends. Despite it's name, it is not actually useless. YAUFB contains satisfying vegetarian recipes, most of which are gluten free. 


The second is The Existential Chef, which is by another one of my friends. EC's posts are often chock full o' gluten, but look delectable. Non-glutards: enjoy! Glutards: enjoy the challenge of adapting these to fit the g-free diet. 


Both blogs offer clear directions, so you can easily recreate their masterpieces in your own home. 


PS: If you haven't checked it out yet, here's another link to The Perfect Recipe Project, a go-to for amazingly simple, yet healthy meals. You guessed it, PRP also belongs to one of my friends! I seem to be surrounding myself with people who like to cook delicious meals. I recommend that you do the same ;-)


Go forth in foodiness!

Backlash?

This week I am taking aim at people who take aim at gluten sensitivity.  This mama grizzly got you in her METAPHORICAL crosshairs... since I don't advocate actually shooting anything. Sorry, Dick Cheney. 


A recent article on Slate, Throwing Out The Wheat: Are We Being Too Tolerant Of Gluten-Intolerance?, focuses on the glutards of the world. The author suggests that we call shenanigans on this whole g-free thing, since more people adhere to a gluten free diet than just those with Celiac disease.


Here's the relatively innocuous passage that annoyed me most from this article:

"According to Alessio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland and a leading expert on the disease, almost half the people who show up at his clinic are on the gluten-free diet before they've even been tested for celiac. For every patient whose intestinal biopsy turns up positive, he says, nine or 10 more test clean but commit to going G-free all the same."

Here's a timeline for ya: In my experience, doctors generally suggest exclusion diets before they suggest biopsies. Exclusion diets = free; biopsies = $$$. After all, what is the point of doing a biopsy ($$$) if you try the exclusion diet (free) and it doesn't make any difference? At that point, you'd be testing for something that doesn't seem to be related to your presenting symptoms. People with great insurance can be tested for long shots; people with shitty insurance don't generally get that luxury. As for the biopsy procedure, you have to consume gluten in order for the test to be accurate. Its like a two-for-one! Risk getting sick AND get intestinal biopsy! 


The author goes on: 

"These patients are described as having "gluten intolerance," a nebulous condition that amounts to something like celiac-lite: They feel pain or discomfort after eating wheat, rye, or barley but lack the hallmark signs of intestinal deterioration. The notion that you can have the symptoms of celiac but not the full-blown disorder is based on the idea, first proposed in 1992, that a person's reaction to gluten can be plotted along a sensitivity spectrum—with celiac patients falling at the most vulnerable extreme. Since there's no way to "prove" a case of gluten-intolerance in the lab, the diagnostic criteria are rather lax. To qualify for the condition, you need only discover (with or without medical supervision) that going "G-free" makes you feel better—in body or mind or spirit." 

The author also suggests that some people on a g-free diet feel better simply due a placebo effect, that self-fulfilling prophecies might be involved, and that the g-free diet can actually be bad for people who are not Celiac. While I agree that the world of non-Celiac gluten sensitivity is a bit "nebulous," that doesn't mean that the sensitivity doesn't exist. Let me drop some more knowledge on ya: Lots of things occur on spectrums, like psychological disorders, and (gasp!) even other allergies, food or otherwise. Also, there aren't tests for every disorder. Some things, like Parkinson's disease, are diagnosed by trying out different treatments or by exclusion. 

No one seems to take issue with people with peanut or shellfish or soy or other food allergies. Why is the gluten free diet perceived as such a threat to people? 


Here's my theory:
1. Moreso than other any other food sensitivity I can think of (and I've spent 15 seconds thinking of other food sensitivities), as noted below, g-free is marketed as a lifestyle. Unlike shellfish or nut allergies, some people opt into the g-free diet in hopes of losing weight, relieving Autism, and a bunch of other reasons that don't relate to sensitivity. 

"The fact that "going G-free" means eating fewer cupcakes and less pasta suggests another source of relief. It is, after all, an elaborate diet—and so delivers all the psychological benefits of controlled eating and self-denial. "Once G-free, you are no longer simply robot-eating bag after bag of pretzels," writes Hasselbeck, in a chapter of her book titled "G-Free and Slim as Can Be!" Gluten intolerance may be a medical condition, but according to Hasselbeck, it's also an approach to eating—like South Beach or Skinny Bitch—that's supposed to make you lose weight and feel good about your body."

Lactards and eggtards (people with dairy and egg sensitivities, respectively), don't bear hatred because of feelings toward vegans, though. And yet glutards deal with anti-g-free sentiment. You may dislike the prominent people who choose this diet for themselves, but that is not a good reason to be rude to me or anyone else who falls along the gluten sensitivity  spectrum. 


2. Moreso than other any other food sensitivity I can think of, our diet is a pain in the ass. Staple foods and many favorites are out of the question for us. There's hidden gluten all over. It is effortful to truly live g-free. I get it. But we appreciate the effort. We really do.


I could go on and on, but let me end with this: Don't let a bad apple or two ruin the barrel. You may find Elisabeth Hasselbeck (see mention of The Drop technique in the article) and Jenny McCarthy annoying, but for plenty of us gluten sensitivity is a reality. I am personally enjoying the explosion of awareness and gluten free accommodations, and the opportunity to discuss all things g-free with you on the interwebs. As long as we try to be honest, patient, and considerate of each other, whether pertaining to diet issues or anything else, I think we can all get along fine.  

How I Knew

Here's the story

Of a lovely lady

Who was eating tons and tons of gluten treats;

Suddenly she got a rash,

Then felt shitty;

And it would not let up....

[This is the part where I spare you two more verses -- insert brief, bridging instrumental here]

That's the way that I become a Glu-u-tard

--

The signs and symptoms of gluten allergy/intolerance/sensitivity/Celiac's disease are wide-ranging, and two people with the same underlying issue can have totally different experiences. Some people are asymptomatic, others are hypersensitive, and the symptoms vary quite a bit regardless of sensitivity. Today I am going to tell you about how I discovered my gluten allergy.

I was at an advantage from the outset. As soon as things started to get wonky, my mom reminded me that when the doc diagnosed her with her gluten sensitivity, they mentioned that there was a possibility that her children would also develop a late-life gluten sensitivity. As such, I was able to skip a lot of the usual crap from doctors about it being anything else, as well as skipping a bunch of exclusion diets. I had a starting point, and I think it saved me a lot of wondering what was wrong with me and why. That's right, audience, I was not always like this. There were many years of cupcakes and pasta and bread and breaded cupcakes stuffed with pasta. 

But then I started developing little rashes. The little rashes became bigger as I ignored my body's signal and plowed through gluten like it was going out of style. I suspected that the rash was related to issues digesting gluten, since the rash was similar to what my mom experiences when she eats gluten. No rash was going to stop me. Once I suspected, I went on a mission to eat as many different things as I could. I figured that I'd get them all in right away so that I wouldn't feel like I was missing out on anything that I really wanted to try for the rest of my life. [This was probably a stupid plan in retrospect -- nothing quite like figuring out if you're allergic to bees by sticking your face in a hive for a couple of weeks.] Then the rash got itchy. Did I ever itch. I had eaten all of the things I could think to eat except chocolate croissants. I gave up the grain before I had a chance to try one.

It was really hard to walk away from gluten. My entire diet was built around bread and pasta and cookies. In the midst of being itchy and feeling miserable, I had to re-learn how to eat. I binged on fruits and vegetables and tortilla chips and rice cakes -- the only things that I initially knew were safe. I had strong cravings for my old diet. I was in grad school, so I couldn't afford gluten-free substitutes (and most of them were gross back then anyway); I just lived without most starchy carbs. Carb withdrawal was painful and miserable. My body hated me for suddenly changing everything about its fuel source. I was not psychologically prepared for trips to the grocery store, since now I had to read every label on everything that I purchased. It easily took me 3 times as long to find even the most basic things to eat. 

But the itchy rash went away almost immediately. After a few days/weeks, I felt like a completely different person. I hadn't realized it, but I had been fatigued and headache-y. It felt like a fog was lifted -- suddenly standard operating procedure was revealed to be sub-optimal. I had more energy, I had fewer headaches, I was able to focus and think more clearly. Being a scientist, I decided to re-introduce gluten into my diet to see if it brought back the symptoms. They came back in full force after a trip to a pizzeria, then went away when I went back on my exclusion diet. I don't remember being digestively unwell as my sensitivity developed, but I definitely noticed a crap-ton (ha!) of issues after my first gluten poisoning incident in a restaurant about a month into the g-free life. My body was sending its message loud and clear that it did NOT want me to go back to my old ways, and that is how I became a member of the Glutard Bunch.

Here's me being stubborn and a bad role model. Don't do what I did -- do what your doctor tells you to do. My doc and I started searching for what ailed me with exclusion diets, because there was no fighting with health insurance to get that covered. After knocking it out of the park with the first exclusion diet I tried, I never bothered getting tested. First, testing costs money and I had terrible insurance. Second, blood tests and biopsies don't really appeal to me, since the treatment is the same regardless of if you have Celiac or if you're sensitive/allergic/intolerant. BUT DON'T LISTEN TO ME. I'M NOT THE RIGHT KIND OF DOCTOR TO BE MAKING THOSE DECISIONS FOR ANYONE, NOT EVEN MYSELF. CONSULT A REAL MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE MAKING BIG HEALTH DECISIONS. 

To Tell or Not To Tell...

I'm back today with yesterday's post, and in true late submission form, I'm probably going to half-ass this thing so I can move on to the many other things that need my attention right now. 


...


I hadn't really given much thought to whether I should or should not tell people about my gluten allergy. I always figured that I could be the example that educated people, and that knowing about gluten allergies could potentially benefit me as someone who still needs and likes to eat. Knowledge is power! So I've been very open with family, friends, acquaintances, enemies, strangers, etc. And it has been good. I feel like I have done good by introducing a lot of people to gluten intolerance. 


Recently, I am starting to question my decision to tell. 


While it is great to raise awareness and teach people how to accommodate glutards, telling folks about my gluten allergy makes something about my health public knowledge. Instead of being that quietly fabulous/awkward person, I am suddenly transformed into the quietly fabulous/awkward person who clearly has something wrong with her because she can't digest a staple grain. Once this information is out there, it can be used or misused beyond my control. Normally, people just ask questions or make some comment on how unfortunate a gluten allergy must be. Sometimes, people use this information to provide accommodations for me so I can partake in eating, or at least warn me to come prepared with my own food so I am not left to watch everyone else eat their gluten-laden goodies. I don't mind questions or conversations about my gluten allergy, and I REALLY don't mind those folks who are motivated enough to attempt to feed me (wink wink). 


Lately, though, I've run into some reactions I wasn't expecting. Part of this is my fault for not thinking things through, part of it I am chalking up to shittiness. To some people, my gluten allergy defines me as a person. It has the been personal detail about me that is used to describe me during introductions. "This is Am. She is the one I was telling you about with the gluten allergy." I am a glutard, yes, but I am also so much more. My food allergy sets me apart from many people, but so does my PhD and my wit and a gazillion other things that are not related to my health. Maybe next time I am navigating dinner and my gluten allergy comes up in conversation, I will also mention that I recently finished my PhD and bought a car so clearly my allergy doesn't stop me from doing anything except eating some grains. 


This defining characteristic may be causing some problems for me. Knowing something about my health has primed some folks to assume other things about my health, like that I am sick or frail or weak or unable. In addition to my glutardedness, I do have some chronic conditions, but I tend to manage them pretty well. I have worked hard to come to terms with my health and to implement plans to maintain it. The criticisms of my health that my allergies have invited frustrate me because the implication tends to be that my life will somehow be less complete because I am missing out on gluten/cats/dogs/etc. Criticisms of my health also make me feel bad about myself, as if there was more I should have done to avoid being in this position. I don't know about you, but I don't like feeling bad about myself. It hadn't occurred to me that telling people about my gluten allergy would open the flood gates, clearing paths for conversations I don't care to have. 


At the end of the day, I still choose to talk about my allergy. The reception has been overwhelmingly kind and curious (aside from a handful of paste-eaters). I am happy to spread the word so that people may be more knowledgeable and accommodating to other people with food allergies they may meet. But it is my choice. It may not be the right choice for you, and that is okay. We each have individual needs. I'd rather tell people so that I can hopefully eat, but I've known many people who just don't bother, or who don't feel comfortable talking about it or asking for accommodations. There is no right or wrong way, as long as you are polite and patient. Thus far, the benefits of telling have vastly outweighed my unanticipated costs. But if the cost-benefit ratio shifts in the future, you better bet I'll be in the corner quietly sneaking my g-free snacks. 

A Brief Guide to Where To Eat Out

I just realized that I tend to post on Tuesdays. This blog is just like Tuesdays with Morrie except I am not dying (not in the immediate sense, at least), I don't give you important wisdom about life, and I no longer sit at the Morrie picnic table* for lunch on summer afternoons. Prepare for an amazing segue... 


Sometimes I didn't sit at the picnic table because I didn't feel like packing my own lunch. 


Not feeling like eating at home, and unable to be inspired even by the likes of http://whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com/? Then here's a quick and dirty guide to places where you (or the glutard you love) might be able to eat. 


Better bets:
-Thai (less ubiquitous soy sauce than Chinese places; curries are usually safe)
-American (assuming you like salads or you are not appalled by burgers sans buns)
-PF Chang's (they have a gluten-free menu and can offer g-free soy sauce -- SOY SAUCE!)
-Indian (just don't eat the damn naan)
-Ethiopian (usually the only wheat is mixed into the teff pancake-y thing)
-Mexican (corn tortillas, whazzup!)
-Places containing lots of hipsters (tend to be aware of allergens and flexible)
-BBQ (assuming you don't need bread to enjoy your meatpile)
-Mediterranean (just don't eat the damn pita)


Worse bets:
-Italian (pasta. bread. breaded pasta?)
-Chinese (ubiquitous soy sauce)
-Bakeries (cross-contamination risk is high)
-Places with lots of fried food (no, you can't have fried chicken and waffles)
-Sandwich shops (bread is the enemy)
-Pizzerias (crust is so crusty, and they tend to make unimpressive salads)
-French (bread, roux, blah, blah blah)
-German (unless you like stuffing your face with only a grip of sausage)
-Bars/pubs (limited menus, lots of fried or beer-infused foods)


Look at all of your options! Mind you, even some of the worse places can be better and some of the better places can be worse! Check menus in advance, look for gluten-free menus, and don't be afraid to call places to ask if they can accommodate. Now go ponder the meaning of life over a tasty meal you didn't have to cook. 


*It was a real thing, until a big piece of construction equipment backed over it. Now there's a replacement table at the Brandeezy. 

Traveling G-Free

This post is a bit of a misnomer, since I don't actually have anything smart to say about traveling gluten free. The topic, however, has been on my mind recently. I haven't ever really traveled much outside of academic conferences. Unfortunately for me, I have never had the opportunity to travel the world on someone else's dollar while I shamelessly promote myself. Okay, I am not good at shameless self-promotion. Mostly I stand around quietly and awkwardly because I don't tend to have smart or entertaining things to say. 


Well, now I have plans to bring the quiet and awkward across a border. This means I have to figure out how the hell I am going to navigate in a foreign land. A book I picked up early in my glutard experience has handy translations for gluten and gluten containing grains in a few different languages, but if foreigners are anything like Americans, those words alone won't mean much to them. Even in sentences and questions, those words sometimes don't mean much to folks. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to explain and re-explain what I meant to restaurant staff because they just didn't get it. Lucky for me, my international trip comes with training wheels, since I am just going to Montreal. This feels like a safe way to explore my ability to communicate, since even the Frenchiest of French Canadians probably know enough English for me to get by. 


I keep reminding myself of my tried-and-true tips for eating outside of my home, since they seem likely to apply elsewhere, too. 
(1) Don't be afraid to ask questions.
(2) Restaurant managers are your new best friends. These colonels of the restaurant ranks oversee everyone else and can pass along info and crack skulls if needed.
(3) Don't be afraid to walk away. If you get a bad vibe from a place or the staff doesn't seem to get it, leave. It is better to be safe than sick. 
(4) Bring snacks. Because you never know when you have to walk away or when people will be unable to accommodate you. Even when I travel to major metropolitan areas, I make sure to bring enough protein bars and nosh to potentially sustain me for 1-2 days. A bad experience outside Washington, D.C. left me in the middle of a developing area without any safe food except overpriced, bunless hotel hamburgers, bananas, and gin. Not a good combination for a budding professional at an academic conference.  


How about the rest of you, oh fine people on the 'net -- any tips to share for navigating a gluten (or other food) allergy in another language and culture? Feedback is appreciated. 

Smartphones = Awesome

I'm not very tech-savvy, nor did I particularly care about smartphones, but now that I have one, let me tell you about how much easier they make it to be a glutard!


One of the tricks I learned early in the g-free transition was to bring my phone with me shopping. It sucks to be sick, standing in the aisle at CVS, flabbergasted as to whether the cold medicines are gluten-free. It sucks more to have to go home to get your phone to call the numbers on the boxes to ask. But it sucks even more to get home, cold medicine in hand, snot dripping from your face, head pounding, and discover upon calling the company that the cold medicine actually contains gluten. SUCKFEST. I've been there and done that, and let me warn you that some pills contain gluten and some don't. Just like some fake cheese products contain gluten and some don't (lookin' at you salsa con quesos). OH AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT COMPANIES THAT CHANGE THEIR FORMULA WITH EACH BATCH. Having a smartphone makes this process way less shitty because you can google the product in question while you're standing in the aisle. If google can't answer your question, then you can call the company to find out what exactly their modified food starch or other mystery ingredient was made of. You can do the same thing with restaurants -- having the ability to do a quick search online or look up a phone number while you're making impromptu plans with friends gives you more power to ensure you'll be able to eat something satisfying for dinner. There are also apps out there for glutards, but I haven't bothered with any of them yet. 


So there you have it: The one and only time I will suggest that people throw money at their cell phone providers. In this instance, dealing with those greedy sadists is outweighed by the improvement in quality of life. 

Quinoa, Wondergrain

When I started my blog, I was worried that I wouldn't have anything to say. I sometimes talk a lot, but rarely do I actually have anything to say (see below). To help me determine if I would indeed have enough content to warrant a blog, I made a brief starter list of things I could post about. Today's post is drawn from the bag of starter ideas. The note I wrote to myself about today's topic was "Profess love to quinoa," so that is what I will do.


In case you are unaware, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is probably the most bitchin' grain out there. 


(1) Quinoa is high in protein and fiber, making it more filling that wheat or rice. A quarter cup of quinoa has 3 grams of fiber (that's 12%, folks!) and 5 grams of protein. It is also the only grain that is a complete protein. It has all the amino acids you need, so you don't need to worry about mixing and matching foods to ensure you're getting all of the building blocks you need (lookin' at you, rice and beans). 


(2) Quinoa is easy to prepare, cooking in about the time it takes to cook white rice (about 10-15 minutes). Add water. Simmer. Eat. Wash dishes. Done. 


(3) Quinoa is delicious. The flavor is slightly nutty, which provides a nice change of pace from the blandness of rice. Although it has a distinct flavor, the flavor is not so overpowering as to make quinoa not pair well with other foods. I have used quinoa instead of noodles for a spaghetti-kludge dinner when I didn't have any pasta in the house. (<-- WTF is that? Quinoa with pasta sauce, sundried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese) I have also used quinoa as a rice substitute for stir fries. There are even recipes for great quinoa-based stuffings and hot and cold salads. Sometimes when I am lazy, I just cook quinoa and eat it with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and parmesan cheese. If you want to enhance the flavor, cook it in veggie/chicken/beef broth instead of water. 


(4) Quinoa has a fun texture, similar to that of couscous. Some people don't like it, but I think the itty bitty grain-balls are great. Uncooked quinoa looks like pellets. Cooked quinoa puffs up and gets soft, but still has its tiny little germ/bran circle around the puffy pellets.... mmm, roughage. A forkful of quinoa feels fun in the mouth -- far more fun than rice -- and you also have a hint of residual crunchiness from the germ/bran/whatever.* 


(5) According to the company that sells their quinoa in the teal box (or Ancient Harvest, as they call themselves), quinoa is an ancient Incan grain. That sounds far more bad-ass as part of dinner conversation than "this is a staple grain in the American diet." You can maybe even make up a story about your trip through the Andes, where you first encountered quinoa while eating with an isolated tribe that is normally pretty hostile but was so enamored with you that they decided to let you in on the secret that is their mother grain. 


If your local grocery store doesn't carry quinoa and you don't have easy access to a Trader Joe's or a Whole Foods (sending out a big HELLOOOO to my rural readers!), you can find it on amazon.com. Quinoa itself is gluten free, but you might want to check labels to ensure that it hasn't been cross-contaminated with wheat, barley, rye, or oats. Ancient Harvest processes theirs in a gluten-free facility. 


*I realize that I talk a lot of shit about rice in this post, which is unfair. Rice is a great grain. It is very versatile, inexpensive, and I actually really like rice, especially the brown kind. ...You know what they say: once you go brown, you never go back. 

G-Free Resource for Children and Parents

While on my lunchtime lap around the internet, I came across a website with a nice introduction to the gluten-free diet that included a version aimed at teens, and a version aimed at parents. Knowledge is power, folks!