16 replies to this topic

[Pegleg84]

There is no such thing as a "trendy" disease. I know some people who are trying out the gluten-free diet to see if it makes a difference in their health, but they usually drop it after a few weeks if nothing significant happens. But if you're going to do the gluten-free diet, you'd better go all the way. I was sitting in a coffee shop one day and a girl ordered a latte with almond milk, got a gluten-free muffin, and I thought, oh, she's just like me... until she also took a sample of a gluteny treat out on the counter (which either means a cheater, someone doing it "cause it's healthy", or maybe cause that gluten-free muffin looked really good...). I was this close to ragging her out...

yeah, a few weeks is a short time frame for recovery from Celiac/Gluten Intolerance, but I was thinking more of people who do it just to see if it makes a difference for other things.
If someone suspects they could have Celiac, they should get tested. Really, anyone with a family history should be screened.

I think we need to educate restarants. chefs, servers, etc on what Celiac and gluten-free really means, how to accomodate it, and that it's a serious illness, not a personal preference.

[JNBunnie1]

I totally understand the frustration that comes from dealing with the 'fad diet' attitude, both
from those who are participating in it as a fad diet, and the effect it has on those who serve
in restaurants and the like. I have lost count of the people who've said something along the
lines of 'Well, so-and-so doesn't have to be that careful.'

I have definitely gone into a number of places and been told that while a food that's advertised
as gluten free has 'no gluten ingredients', they have done nothing further to ensure it's safety.
For example, a bakery that uses gluten free recipes, but uses the same mixers, bakes in the
same room as gluten, and so on. I think of those as the 'Dominos' places. While it is my job to
make sure I stay safe, it's still frustrating to be met with this attitude so frequently. I religiously
patronize those places that do get it, and I tell them why, and I bring friends, and I leave as
many positive reviews as possible wherever possible.

If anything, as frustrating as being dismissed as having a 'trendy disease' is, it is nice that
there are so many products on the market now, so I just try to be thankful for that.