Roomates & Friends

[ehrin]

I just recently bought a house with a friend of mine and another friend of ours is renting a room. We used to each prepare a few meals and go on with our lives...but now I either have to run down their ingredient list or make my own meals. I'm only on day 3 of being gluten-free free and am having a hard time driving the point home to my friends.

Do you have any suggestions on how to help them understand that one iota of gluten can not touch anything that will go into my mouth?

I am going to create a "safe" cabinet of foods that I can eat...and I will get my own utensils and mark them gluten-free - but I fear they think I'm being neurotic and just don't understand how sensitive the issue is.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you,

Ehrin

[Noelle126]

I live with my boyfriend and I think him reading this site has helped...since I think I just snapped one day and was like "ok I'm 100% doing this!" and I think he got a better understanding with reading the message boards but also it is a learning process, we are trying to eat more meals that are naturally gluten-free instead of substituting...it seems to be working more and I have made a shelf in the pantry all gluten-free and he has his shelf of all the stuff I can't eat. We are eating more fruits and veggies than we were before...which is healthier anyway.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Like Noelle126 said, there are naturally glutenfree meals. If you have a safe cabinet and they are doing the meal they should only use the safe foods, bowls, and such. Having them read the message board would help, yes. Just let them know that gluten destroys your villi! It just doesn't make you sick! They are your friends and if they do not understand, well, you will just have to not participate with them. You need to take care of yourself first. You can make your meal and they can make theirs but I do think they will understand since you are friends and are living together. Good luck!

[aikiducky]

This might sound a bit extreme but... my experience has been, and I've noticed many other people's here as well, that people you live with will REALLY get it once you've been thoroughly sick from glutening once. I'm not suggesting that you purposefully eat something with gluten, but it's just hard to understand for other people, until they see the results with their own eyes. Then suddenly they get it! So whatever you do, IF you get glutened and feel sick, don't put a brave face on and hide your symptoms. Preferably throw up noisily where your housemates can hear you...

Pauliina

only slightly tongue in cheek

[Lisa]

I live with my husband and college age daughter.

I have green round "dots" that I put on things that are mine to use and not to cross cantaminate. They know that those with the stickies are mine and they should not use them. I have also bought squeese jellies and mayo that will not touch the bread.

Put dots on your things and they will know that it is special just for you.

Maybe this will help.

[nettiebeads]

I just recently bought a house with a friend of mine and another friend of ours is renting a room.  We used to each prepare a few meals and go on with our lives...but now I either have to run down their ingredient list or make my own meals.  I'm only on day 3 of being gluten-free free and am having a hard time driving the point home to my friends. 

Do you have any suggestions on how to help them understand that one iota of gluten can not touch anything that will go into my mouth?

I am going to create a "safe" cabinet of foods that I can eat...and I will get my own utensils and mark them gluten-free - but I fear they think I'm being neurotic and just don't understand how sensitive the issue is.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you,

Ehrin

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My dh isn't celiac disease, and eats nongf foods. He tries to be careful and clean regularly, but I decided that I'd rather be paranoid and prepare my foods on paper plates, paper towels, whatever it takes to keep any hidden crumbs from cross contaminating my foods. Okay, so what if they think you are over reacting. Have them read up on what gluten does to those with celiac. And how if you don't go gluten-free, you'll have a higher chance of all kinds of problems - neurological, physical, cancers.... KatieUSA (I think) mentioned putting cleanser on a piece of pizza, rinsing it off and then handing it to her non-gluten-free friends to eat. They refused and then finally got the message that gluten is poison to us special people.

[ehrin]

Thank you all very much.

They seem to be understanding, but just don't get that it's like poison.

I suspect I've had celiac disease for a few years now, so they're used to my gas and bloating as well as belly aches - it's me being healthy they're not used to.

I think being a diabetic, nearly my whole life, and being raised not able to eat processed foods is helping me immensley. Meaning, I already read labels due to being T1 and I don't eat many things with "crap" in them because I took the mentality from my parents that it's not worth eating if it's full of chemicals.

Thankfully I also love to cook, and have been cooking for myself, and friends, for years now - it'll just be a bit different now!

One of my roomates made shepherd's pie last night and ran the ingredient list by me first...so perhaps I should give them more credit!

thanks again...