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

Easy To Eat Healthy In Costa Rica


sick&tired

Recommended Posts

sick&tired Newbie

I just returned from a 12 day trip to Costa Rica. It was a fabulous trip and best of all, I never had an issue with food. First of all, the typical Costa Ricans don't eat a lot of food with wheat and they do eat a lot of fresh foods. A typical meal would be a meat, rice, beans, fried plantains (bananas), or yucca, and a cabbage salad with a couple of fresh corn tortillas. Lots of fruit is served at breakfast and breakfast is usually included with hotel stays. I did have a card I made up myself stating I had Celiac and what I could and couldn't eat. I laminated about 5 of them but only pulled them out a couple of times.

I knew where we would be staying during our travels and emailed all the hotels ahead of time. I can't say enough good things about one of the places we stayed, Bosque del Cabo. It is at the tip of the Osa Peninsula, a gorgeous setting 500 feet above the Pacific and Golfo Dulce. Every evening was a gourmet buffet and the cook made sure everything on that bufffet was GLUTEN FREE!!!. I have never been treated so nice anywhere before. Turns out the owner's best friend is a Celiac so she knows all about it. I was so tickled to eat all the same food as everyone else. She would make me my own special fruit deserts.

I encourage anyone with Celiac Disease to travel throughout Costa Rica with not many worries. I didn't see any breaded fried food but that doesn't mean it's not there. Also, all the tortillas I came across were corn. Didn't see any wheat tortillas.

-Bobbi


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Carriefaith Enthusiast

That sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing. So Bosque del Cabo caters to people with celiac disease?

Rusla Enthusiast

This sounds like a place to add to my Caribbean vacation list.

sick&tired Newbie

That sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing. So Bosque del Cabo caters to people with celiac disease?

[/quote

No, it's more like they will do what ever they can to make anyone happy. You would have to let them know you were a celiac and then they would take the proper measures.

  • 2 weeks later...
em2005 Rookie

Ha! We were in Costa Rica at the same time! I just returned home from Costa Rica about a week earlier than you did. I travelled around there for 2 weeks, and I agree...not having to deal with a lot of food issues was GREAT!! I loved eating rice & beans everyday..and those frescos (tropical fruit blended with water or milk) were divine...and so inexpensive, too! Also, we travelled all around the country and weren't staying at a resort, and I still didn't have much trouble eating anything on the menu at restaurants. However, we did eat out at a mexican restaurant by the Arenal volcano, and I am pretty sure my fahitas had wheat wraps and not corn, so i just didn't eat the tortillas.

Other than that, no problems!

em

  • 4 years later...
jessicaljensen Newbie

Is there any way you could post the information you had on your card? I'm new to all of this and especially to traveling over seas with it.

psawyer Proficient

Is there any way you could post the information you had on your card? I'm new to all of this and especially to traveling over seas with it.

This is a very old topic, and the original poster has not been online here in almost five years. Maybe someone else will have some info for you.


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



etta694 Explorer

One way I did it... don't know how accurate it is.. was to type it onto google and then ask for a translation in the language of choice. Perhaps it isn't the best but it went with my friend to Mexico. They had a wonderful gluten free time.

Archived

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


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,901
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    tessycork47
    Newest Member
    tessycork47
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @Judy M! Yes, he definitely needs to continue eating gluten until the day of the endoscopy. Not sure why the GI doc advised otherwise but it was a bum steer.  Celiac disease has a genetic component but also an "epigenetic" component. Let me explain. There are two main genes that have been identified as providing the "potential" to develop "active" celiac disease. We know them as HLA-DQ 2.5 (aka, HLA-DQ 2) and HLA-DQ8. Without one or both of these genes it is highly unlikely that a person will develop celiac disease at some point in their life. About 40% of the general population carry one or both of these two genes but only about 1% of the population develops active celiac disease. Thus, possessing the genetic potential for celiac disease is far less than deterministic. Most who have the potential never develop the disease. In order for the potential to develop celiac disease to turn into active celiac disease, some triggering stress event or events must "turn on" the latent genes. This triggering stress event can be a viral infection, some other medical event, or even prolonged psychological/emotional trauma. This part of the equation is difficult to quantify but this is the epigenetic dimension of the disease. Epigenetics has to do with the influence that environmental factors and things not coded into the DNA itself have to do in "turning on" susceptible genes. And this is why celiac disease can develop at any stage of life. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition (not a food allergy) that causes inflammation in the lining of the small bowel. The ingestion of gluten causes the body to attack the cells of this lining which, over time, damages and destroys them, impairing the body's ability to absorb nutrients since this is the part of the intestinal track responsible for nutrient absorption and also causing numerous other food sensitivities such as dairy/lactose intolerance. There is another gluten-related disorder known as NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or just, "gluten sensitivity") that is not autoimmune in nature and which does not damage the small bowel lining. However, NCGS shares many of the same symptoms with celiac disease such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea. It is also much more common than celiac disease. There is no test for NCGS so, because they share common symptoms, celiac disease must first be ruled out through formal testing for celiac disease. This is where your husband is right now. It should also be said that some experts believe NCGS can transition into celiac disease. I hope this helps.
    • Judy M
      My husband has had lactose intolerance for his entire life (he's 68 yo).  So, he's used to gastro issues. But for the past year he's been experiencing bouts of diarrhea that last for hours.  He finally went to his gastroenterologist ... several blood tests ruled out other maladies, but his celiac results are suspect.  He is scheduled for an endoscopy and colonoscopy in 2 weeks.  He was told to eat "gluten free" until the tests!!!  I, and he know nothing about this "diet" much less how to navigate his in daily life!! The more I read, the more my head is spinning.  So I guess I have 2 questions.  First, I read on this website that prior to testing, eat gluten so as not to compromise the testing!  Is that true? His primary care doctor told him to eat gluten free prior to testing!  I'm so confused.  Second, I read that celiac disease is genetic or caused by other ways such as surgery.  No family history but Gall bladder removal 7 years ago, maybe?  But how in God's name does something like this crop up and now is so awful he can't go a day without worrying.  He still works in Manhattan and considers himself lucky if he gets there without incident!  Advice from those who know would be appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • Scott Adams
      You've done an excellent job of meticulously tracking the rash's unpredictable behavior, from its symmetrical spread and stubborn scabbing to the potential triggers you've identified, like the asthma medication and dietary changes. It's particularly telling that the rash seems to flare with wheat consumption, even though your initial blood test was negative—as you've noted, being off wheat before a test can sometimes lead to a false negative, and your description of the other symptoms—joint pain, brain fog, stomach issues—is very compelling. The symmetry of the rash is a crucial detail that often points toward an internal cause, such as an autoimmune response or a systemic reaction, rather than just an external irritant like a plant or mites. I hope your doctor tomorrow takes the time to listen carefully to all of this evidence you've gathered and works with you to find some real answers and effective relief. Don't be discouraged if the rash fluctuates; your detailed history is the most valuable tool you have for getting an accurate diagnosis.
    • Scott Adams
      In this case the beer is excellent, but for those who are super sensitive it is likely better to go the full gluten-free beer route. Lakefront Brewery (another sponsor!) has good gluten-free beer made without any gluten ingredients.
    • trents
      Welcome to the forum, @catsrlife! Celiac disease can be diagnosed without committing to a full-blown "gluten challenge" if you get a skin biopsy done during an active outbreak of dermatitis herpetiformis, assuming that is what is causing the rash. There is no other known cause for dermatitis herpetiformis so it is definitive for celiac disease. You would need to find a dermatologist who is familiar with doing the biopsy correctly, however. The samples need to be taken next to the pustules, not on them . . . a mistake many dermatologists make when biopsying for dermatitis herpetiformis. 
×
×
  • 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.