Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Ireland - Tips Needed!


JosieToo

Recommended Posts

JosieToo Explorer

I'm traveling to Ireland in a couple of weeks on a press junket. Basically, we are carted around for four days to different hotels, restaurants and activities to report on them for our respective media outlets. To this end, there is very little flexibility in terms of where we are eating and no ability to "stop the tour" to buy my own gluten-free food. While I have mentioned my celiac disease, there's really not much they can do.

 

Obviously I will bring a lot of gluten-free food with me (always carry nuts, chips, etc. when traveling). I also try and limit exposure by having as many safe foods as possible (breakfast: hard boiled egg in shell, yogurt, fruit in skin, etc.). Any other tips for this type of trip?


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Gemini Experienced

Josie....don't even sweat this trip one bit!  I went to Ireland in the spring of 2011 and was thrilled to find out that everywhere I went to eat, every single person I spoke to knew all about Celiac.  Ireland has very high rates of it and they accommodate to an amazing degree.  On ordering my first breakfast there, after landing at the airport and driving to the hotel, they asked me right away...."Would you like Celiac bread with your breakfast"?  I blinked rapidly because I could not believe it.  Their Celiac bread is more like large rolls that are kept frozen and then heated before serving, so you get warm rolls.  They were very good too!  I was there 3 years ago and I hope things have not changed too much but this was my experience.

 

One thing to mention about bread......some of their bread may contain Codex wheat starch which is not allowed in American gluten-free diets.  It can contain up to 200ppm's of gluten. That was the information I got at the time.  I checked before I ate these rolls and they did not contain Codex because I would have declined them if it did.  Before eating any bread, just check to make sure.  Otherwise, it was very easy to eat gluten-free in Ireland and the people there are just so very friendly and accommodating, I didn't have to worry so much about food.  Bring snacks if you don't have time to shop for them but as far as meals go, it'll be easier than many places in the US. Make sure to try the salmon, if you like fish.  Best salmon I have ever eaten was in Ireland.

 

I am a very sensitive Celiac and it went pretty smoothly for me.  I hope you enjoy your limited time there!

IrishHeart Veteran

I agree with this totally:

 

Make sure to try the salmon, if you like fish.  Best salmon I have ever eaten was in Ireland.

 

 

and would add: no one on earth is more accomodating than the Irish, IMHO.

 

I would live there, if I could. 

 

Have a great trip--it's a beautiful country with generous and kind people and they "get Celiac". 

  • 2 weeks later...
Becks85 Rookie

Hi,

 

I may be writing too late for you, but thought I would post anyway. I currently live in Ireland, and have very rarely encountered a problem eating out, even in hotels. As the other posters mentioned, Ireland is one of the easiest places to travel gluten free. (Most of the problems I encounter eating out is finding gluten free food that is also vegetarian!)

 

Many restaurants have at least some understanding of celiac disease, and most can provide gluten free options. If you have a chance to purchase your own foods, most stores have gluten free sections, though smaller stores like Spar and Centra may have a limited enough selection. 

 

Also, it may be worth checking out the Irish Coeliac Society, if you haven't already left for your trip. Here's their website: Open Original Shared Link

 

Hope you have a great time in Ireland!

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - knitty kitty replied to pothosqueen's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      16

      Positive biopsy

    2. - knitty kitty replied to Jordan Carlson's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Fruits & Veggies

    3. - knitty kitty replied to pothosqueen's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      16

      Positive biopsy

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,031
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    theboys0103
    Newest Member
    theboys0103
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):
  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      In the study linked above, the little girl switched to a gluten free diet and gained enough weight that that fat pad was replenished and surgery was not needed.   Here's the full article link... Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome in a 6-Year-Old Girl with Final Diagnosis of Celiac Disease https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6476019/
    • knitty kitty
      Hello, @Jordan Carlson, So glad you're feeling better.   Tecta is a proton pump inhibitor.  PPI's also interfere with the production of the intrinsic factor needed to absorb Vitamin B12.  Increasing the amount of B12 you supplement has helped overcome the lack of intrinsic factor needed to absorb B12. Proton pump inhibitors also reduce the production of digestive juices (stomach acids).  This results in foods not being digested thoroughly.  If foods are not digested sufficiently, the vitamins and other nutrients aren't released from the food, and the body cannot absorb them.  This sets up a vicious cycle. Acid reflux and Gerd are actually symptoms of producing too little stomach acid.  Insufficient stomach acid production is seen with Thiamine and Niacin deficiencies.  PPI's like Tecta also block the transporters that pull Thiamine into cells, preventing absorption of thiamine.  Other symptoms of Thiamine deficiency are difficulty swallowing, gagging, problems with food texture, dysphagia. Other symptoms of Thiamine deficiency are symptoms of ADHD and anxiety.  Vyvanse also blocks thiamine transporters contributing further to Thiamine deficiency.  Pristiq has been shown to work better if thiamine is supplemented at the same time because thiamine is needed to make serotonin.  Doctors don't recognize anxiety and depression and adult onset ADHD as early symptoms of Thiamine deficiency. Stomach acid is needed to digest Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in fruits and vegetables.  Ascorbic acid left undigested can cause intestinal upsets, anxiety, and heart palpitations.   Yes, a child can be born with nutritional deficiencies if the parents were deficient.  Parents who are thiamine deficient have offspring with fewer thiamine transporters on cell surfaces, making thiamine deficiency easier to develop in the children.  A person can struggle along for years with subclinical vitamin deficiencies.  Been here, done this.  Please consider supplementing with Thiamine in the form TTFD (tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide) which helps immensely with dysphagia and neurological symptoms like anxiety, depression, and ADHD symptoms.  Benfotiamine helps with improving intestinal health.  A B Complex and NeuroMag (a magnesium supplement), and Vitamin D are needed also.
    • knitty kitty
      @pothosqueen, Welcome to the tribe! You'll want to get checked for nutritional deficiencies and start on supplementation of B vitamins, especially Thiamine Vitamin B 1.   There's some scientific evidence that the fat pad that buffers the aorta which disappears in SMA is caused by deficiency in Thiamine.   In Thiamine deficiency, the body burns its stored fat as a source of fuel.  That fat pad between the aorta and digestive system gets used as fuel, too. Ask for an Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test to look for thiamine deficiency.  Correction of thiamine deficiency can help restore that fat pad.   Best wishes for your recovery!   Interesting Reading: Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome in a 6-Year-Old Girl with Final Diagnosis of Celiac Disease https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31089433/#:~:text=Affiliations,tissue and results in SMAS.  
    • trents
      Wow! You're pretty young to have a diagnosis of SMA syndrome. But youth also has its advantages when it comes to healing, without a doubt. You might be surprised to find out how your health improves and how much better you feel once you eliminate gluten from your diet. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that, when gluten is consumed, triggers an attack on the villous lining of the small bowel. This is the section of the intestines where all our nutrition is absorbed. It is made up of billions of tiny finger-like projections that create a tremendous surface area for absorbing nutrients. For the person with celiac disease, unchecked gluten consumption generates inflammation that wears down these fingers and, over time, greatly reduces the nutrient absorbing efficiency of the small bowel lining. This can generate a whole host of other nutrient deficiency related medical problems. We also now know that the autoimmune reaction to gluten is not necessarily limited to the lining of the small bowel such that celiac disease can damage other body systems and organs such as the liver and the joints and cause neurological problems.  It can take around two years for the villous lining to completely heal but most people start feeling better well before then. It's also important to realize that celiac disease can cause intolerance to some other foods whose protein structures are similar to gluten. Chief among them are dairy and oats but also eggs, corn and soy. Just keep that in mind.
    • pothosqueen
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.