New To This

[MyOnlyHope4U]

Hello,

I am a teenager who is new to celiac disease. I feel soooo much better since going gluten-free, but I feel like I still may be missing something. About once a week I will feel sick and when I look back on what I ate, i find the culpirate or a potentional one. Im fine with the specialty gluten-free items- but the mainstream products seem to be problematic. I have a couple of questions-

* How do I make sure my kitchen is safe w/o cross contamination?

* How should I handle eating out (this is where most of the problems occur)

* How should I handle school and friends?

Thanks Again! We have had to research this all on our own since my dietition is booked until May

[blueeyedmanda]

Hi and Welcome to the board.

When dealing with your friends it can be very emotional, If you have a few close friends who you stick with on a daily basis, try to educate them on what you have and the foods you can no longer eat. If you have been sick for awhile, explain that by no longer eating those foods you will start feeling better and be back to hanging out like the good old days. It might take a few times for people to understand. You may encounter people who will never understand, but brush it off and focus on getting better.

I would try to no eat out until you get the diet down and you are feeling better. Places like Outback, Carrabras, Bone Fish Grill, PF CHangs, Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, and a few others have gluten free menus. I only have experience with Outback since the others are not in my area.

Getting the kitchen gluten free can be tricky especially if you have other family members who still eat wheat/gluten. If you eat toast, a seperate toaster is a must. I would buy your own pasta strainer, maybe a few seperate dishes, cups, etc just for yourself to use. I know this sounds like a lot of work. I would wash my own dishes. Maybe is there a way you can get your own cabinet for your dishes and food. This way all of your things can be in one spot.

I hope this helps you.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask. We will be here to help you. Good Luck!!

[Guhlia]

Welcome to the forum! Don't forget about the silly little stuff like hand/body lotion, makeup, shampoo, hair mousse, lip gloss/chap stick, old cutting boards, etc... Those are easy places to get glutened in addition to what Amanda said.

[Lisa]

Welcome again,

This site is your answers to most if not all of your questions. Any question can be answered here.

Wendy - www.wendy.com

Taco Bell - www.tacobell.com

Outback - www.outbacksteakhouse.com

Olive Garden - www.olivegarden.com

Noodles & Co. - www.noodles.com

McDonald's - www.mcdonalds.com (fries, are controversial)

Hard Rock - www.hardrockcafe.com

Don Pablo's - www. donpablos.com

Dairy Queen - www.dairyqueen.com

Chilie's - www.chilis.com

Chic-fil-A - www.chickfila.com

Chevy's Fresh Mex - www.chevy.com

Arby's - www.arbys.com

Check out these sites, maybe this can open up more options for you to hang with your friends and not feel so different.

[Guhlia]

Momma goose, I e-mailed Hard Rock Cafe about a month ago and they told me that they absolutely cannot cater to those choosing a gluten free diet. They were actually kind of rude I thought.

[Lisa]

Momma goose, I e-mailed Hard Rock Cafe about a month ago and they told me that they absolutely cannot cater to those choosing a gluten free diet. They were actually kind of rude I thought.

Rude and cannot cater....well the heck with them!

[blueeyedmanda]

Rude and cannot cater....well the heck with them!

LOL....well, they are just missing out on some great guests!