Jump to content

  • 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):

Newbie Adjusting The Changes In Socializing

Wheatie NOT

By Wheatie NOT
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Wheatie NOT Newbie
Wheatie NOT
Posted

Hello,

 

I was just diagnosed with celiac.  Does anyone have suggestions about how to cope with dinner invitations or requests to dine out?  People will tell me that a given resteraunt advertises a gluten free menu, but should I trust that?  How do I know it is really gluten free?

 

Also, how do you handle dinner invitations to somebody's house?  I started to say "thank you, I will be happy to come and share a beverage, but please don't be offended if I don't eat anything, as I was just diagnosed with celiac and can't have wheat."  As I also have another rare allergic condition, my diet is pretty darned restricted and I find that I feel "left out" at parties or work functions where everybody else is sitting there eating and there is nothing for me to eat.  It makes me feel really "different" like I don't fit in anymore.

 

Any advice on how to cope with that uncomfortable situation?

 

Thanks so much!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Marilyn R Community Regular
Marilyn R
Posted

It is uncomfortable at first, and that's exactly when you need to really be on top of your food game, because you're trying to heal.  Here's a couple of thing's I've done for dinner parties, probably from advice on the forum. 

 

You can ask if you can bring a salad.  Package your own portion separately, toss it on a plate and eat while everybody is eating.

 

Eat ahead of time and say you aren't hungry, or bring a portion of something you can eat so that you can join everybody at the dinner table.  I usually take a little cooler I can carry over my shoulder and slip into the kitchen to make my own plate.

 

Bring your own food and if anybody questions it, just mention that you have dietary restrictions or severe food allergies, then change the subject if you're uncomfortable discussing it.  I think the hostess is more uncomfortable if you don't eat at all, it generally works out better to eat something while everybody is eating.  Everybody makes a bigger deal out of it if you don't eat. 

 

I personally have had bad experiences with supposed gluten-free restaurant menus with the exception of one seafood restaurant, one Cuban restaurant and an Indian restaurant.  I generally decline on invitations to go out to eat, because the whole drill just exhausts me, and I don't like being the grand inquisitor at dinner.  You can call ahead of time, but you still need to rely on the wait & kitchen staff not to poison you.

gilligan Enthusiast
gilligan
Posted

I'm new at this also, but I think I'm going to find out what they are serving and bring my own.  You can always transfer it to one of their plates.

NoGlutenCooties Contributor
NoGlutenCooties
Posted

I'm new at the gluten free diet too - just passed the one month mark.  I went out to a restaurant for the first time since my diagnosis this last Friday night - it was a Halloween party and they had a buffet.  The wait staff could not have been nicer.  I spoke to one of the waitresses on the side, told her I was gluten intolerant (people seem to be more familiar with that than Celiac Disease - and assume they're the same thing) - anyhow... she actually knew what that was and quizzed the chef about what had been thickened with flour, etc.  She even brought me out the jar of BBQ sauce they had put on the ribs so I could read the label and make sure I could eat it.  I had gone prepared with some of my own food in case there wasn't anything there that I could eat but my point in all of this is that it IS possible to have a decent experience at a restaurant.

 

As far as social occasions at friends' houses, so far my friends have been very supportive.  If they weren't... I probably wouldn't consider them to be real friends.  But I agee with the other suggestions - take some food with you - eat what they have that you know is safe and add your own food to it.  If you're sensitive to cross-contamination, then only eat your own food.  Don't feel self-conscious about it - you're doing the right thing for you and your health.  I have found that most people wish they had the will-power to eat as healthy as I do.

GF Lover Rising Star
GF Lover
Posted

I won't go within 50 feet of a buffet...just sayin. 

 

Colleen 

Marilyn R Community Regular
Marilyn R
Posted

I won't go within 50 feet of a buffet...just sayin. 

 

Colleen 

I concur...just sayin.

M

Wheatie NOT Newbie
Wheatie NOT
Posted
  • Author

Thanks so much everybody, I really appreciate your input.  Actually, two of my friends also have celiac or gluten intolerance, and luckily, they are the one's who give the most dinner parties!

 

Ironically, there are only four people at my worksite that have it, and three of them are in my workgroup.  So when I bring cookies to meetings or things for holidays, all the "no wheaties" get a little bag from me.

 

Might as well have fun with it I say!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Carebear Apprentice
Carebear
Posted

I'm new at the gluten free diet too - just passed the one month mark.  I went out to a restaurant for the first time since my diagnosis this last Friday night - it was a Halloween party and they had a buffet.  The wait staff could not have been nicer.  I spoke to one of the waitresses on the side, told her I was gluten intolerant (people seem to be more familiar with that than Celiac Disease - and assume they're the same thing) - anyhow... she actually knew what that was and quizzed the chef about what had been thickened with flour, etc.  She even brought me out the jar of BBQ sauce they had put on the ribs so I could read the label and make sure I could eat it.  I had gone prepared with some of my own food in case there wasn't anything there that I could eat but my point in all of this is that it IS possible to have a decent experience at a restaurant.

 

 

 

 

A friendly warning - when I was at the one month mark, I could handle all kinds of CC and gluten traces.  As my diet became cleaner, however, I became much more sensitive.  Please be careful!

NoGlutenCooties Contributor
NoGlutenCooties
Posted

 

A friendly warning - when I was at the one month mark, I could handle all kinds of CC and gluten traces.  As my diet became cleaner, however, I became much more sensitive.  Please be careful!

 

 

I hear you.  I really do.  My uncle is extremely sensitive to cross-contamination issues, so I know exactly what you're talking about.  I'm taking it one step at a time.  I know I don't get any gluten at all at home - I live alone and cook for myself.  Very few, if any processed foods, etc.  I only eat out a couple times a month.  So while I'm being very careful not to eat anything with purposeful gluten in it, I have not had to be too concerned with the accidental CC issues.  At least not yet.  I know it can - and often - happens (meaning getting worse over time).  I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

 

I also go back in about 5 months to get my bloodwork checked again - the doc. says that will also be an indication as to whether or not I need to worry about CC issues.

 

All that said... I do appreciate the head's up and the reminder.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      134,082
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      10,442
    Joe B
    Newest Member
    Joe B
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.7k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      Sigh. I posted this yesterday based on the Safeway website. I went back again today to their website to double check. On the page where they are selling Vanilla Bean flavor, it has a distinct Certified Gluten Free label. Other flavors on the Safeway website didn't have the gluten-free statement. Today I went into the store. None of the flavors I looked at, including Vanilla Bean, have a Gluten Free statement. Is it safe? Who knows. The ingredients are either safe or nearly safe (some have "natural flavor"). There are warnings about "contains milk and soy" but not about wheat - this implies they are safe, but again, who knows. On the other hand, every flavor I checked of their Slow Churn line of ice creams has wheat as an ingredient. 100% not safe.
    • knitty kitty
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Do keep in mind that many of the newly diagnosed have lactose intolerance.  This is because the villi lining the intestinal tract are damaged, and can no longer make the enzyme lactAse which breaks down the milk sugar lactOse.  When the villi grow back (six months to two years), they can again produce the enzyme lactAse, and lactose intolerance is resolved.  However, some people (both those with and without Celiac Disease) are genetically programmed to stop producing lactase as they age.   Do be aware that many processed foods, including ice cream, use Microbial Transglutaminase, a food additive commonly called "meat glue," used to enhance texture and flavor.  This microbial transglutaminase has the same immunogenicity as tissue transglutaminase which the body produces in response to gluten in people with Celiac Disease.  Tissue Transglutaminase (tTg IgA) is measured to diagnose Celiac Disease in blood tests.  Microbial Transglutaminase acts the same as Tissue Transglutaminase, causing increased intestinal permeability and inflammation.   New findings show that microbial transglutaminase may be able to trigger Celiac Disease and other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.   Microbial Transglutaminase is not required to be listed on ingredients labels as it's considered a processing aid, not an ingredient in the U.S.  Microbial Transglutaminase has been GRAS for many years, but that GRAS standing is being questioned more and more as the immunogenicity of microbial transglutaminase is being discovered. Interesting Reading:  Microbial Transglutaminase Is a Very Frequently Used Food Additive and Is a Potential Inducer of Autoimmune/Neurodegenerative Diseases https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8537092/
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      There is a 10 year old post in this forum on Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream. The information is somewhat outdated and the thread is closed to further comment, so here is a new one. Edy's And Dreyer's Grand Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - 1.5 Quart is labeled "Gluten Free". This is a different answer than years gone by. I don't know the answer for any other flavor at this moment. On 1 May, 2026, Edy's website says: "As a general rule, the gluten in Edy's and Dreyer's® frozen dessert products is present only in the added bakery products, such as cookies, cake or brownies. We always label the eight major food allergens on our package by their common name. We recommend to always check the label for the most current information before purchasing and/or consuming a product. The exception to this rule is our Slow Churned French Silk frozen dairy dessert, which contains gluten in the natural flavors." https://www.icecream.com/us/en/brands/edys-and-dreyers/faq It seems that Edy's and Dreyer's are more celiac-friendly than they were 10 years ago. Once I found enough information to make today's buying decision, I stopped researching.
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      EDG 3 years ago fine, now it shows focal villous blunting,

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      probably not your situation @Mimiof2, but allow me to add one more to @trents list of celiac-mimics: "olmesartan-induced sprue-like enteropathy"  
    • knitty kitty
      Terrible Neurological Symptoms

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      My dad had an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.  Fortunately, it was discovered during an exam.  The doctor could feel my dad's heart beating in his stomach/abdomen.  The aneurysm burst when the doctor first touched it in surgery.  Since he was already hooked up to the bypass machine, my dad survived ten more years.  Close call! Triple A's can press on the nerves in the spinal cord causing leg pain.  I'm wondering if bowing the head might have increased the pressure on an aneurysm and then the nerves.   https://gulfcoastsurgeons.com/understanding-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-symptoms-and-causes/ Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Presenting as a Claudication https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4040638/
×
×
  • Create New...