Help With Family Over Holidays

[tgrand]

Hey guys,

I have been gluten free for almost two weeks and feeling great. I was wondering if anyone could point me to any info or articles online that I can give to my family. The holidays are coming up and I'm pretty anxious about traveling. I don't think my family really gets the whole cross contamination thing. Does a little gluten really do that much damage? Yes, apparently! So, I thought it would be helpful to me if I could find some sort of hand out to give them, that I did not personally type, which clearly expresses the importance of being strict and preventing CC.

Any other tips, sites, articles would be helpful too. Still have a lot to learn!

Blessings,

T Grand

[missy'smom]

I don't know how much it addresses the issue of CC but the Celiac Sprue Association will send out free info. Go to their website and click on About CSA and then Forms and there will be an 800 number or you can download an order form. You can request celiac disease, the Basics or New Patient Packet. I had one set to my sis when I was trying to convince her that she should get tested and she said it was very helpful.

[Guest j_mommy]

I have handed this list out to my family so they can check ingredients on things!

https://www.celiac.com/articles/182/1/Unsaf...ents/Page1.html

[JNBunnie1]

Hey guys,

I have been gluten free for almost two weeks and feeling great. I was wondering if anyone could point me to any info or articles online that I can give to my family. The holidays are coming up and I'm pretty anxious about traveling. I don't think my family really gets the whole cross contamination thing. Does a little gluten really do that much damage? Yes, apparently! So, I thought it would be helpful to me if I could find some sort of hand out to give them, that I did not personally type, which clearly expresses the importance of being strict and preventing CC.

Any other tips, sites, articles would be helpful too. Still have a lot to learn!

Blessings,

T Grand

Maybe the Triumph dining cards like you would give to a restaurant would be a good idea.

[gfgypsyqueen]

Newsweek had an article...I think September. My family told me about it, so it must help coming from a main stream source. I have had Celiacs for almost 5 yrs and this is the first time they told me about an article. I would research other main stream magazines and news papers. FYI be sure to read the article first and only send the ones that give the right message. Some sound a little to lax to me.

Otherwise, I am sorry to say, your family will probably never get it. Or it will take a few years. Find out what the local grocery store carries for you. Just plan to take over some areas to keep yourself safe and healthy. Make a trukey breast the night before for you. Request that certain herbs and seasoning be exchanged for safe ones so you can eat the rest of the meal. Keep a separate container of your meal in the kitchen so you don't have to try to enforce no double dipping and no touching the spoon to your plate... If you don't see a label, don't eat it even when grandma insists...it is just easier at first to do it this way. At least that is what I found.

Good luck

[melmak5]

I am planning on bringing all of my own food. My family "gets it" but they do not have any gluten-free utensils. My mom loves to bake, so I would rather not risk flour getting into/onto my things.

You could bring the NYT article about gluten free pizza/restaurants that ran a month or two ago. It has a basic description of celiac disease and is engaging. You could also use one of the celiac center's websites and print out the guidelines they suggest. (Maybe if it "comes from a doctor" it could be more compelling)

[kbtoyssni]

Another thing to consider is even if you give them information, are they really going to be able to cook safe food for you? You might have a very supportive family, but there's a huge learning curve here and gluten is in all sorts of things they might not realize. There are very few people I trust to cook for me even if they are supportive and understand the diet on a high level. I have friends who are good at reading labels and can buy packaged food that I can eat, but might not understand all the pitfalls in their kitchen (wooden spoons, flour stuck to the corners of baking pans, condiments that have been double-dipped etc). So you might want to consider bringing some of your own food anyways.

[JNBunnie1]

Another thing to consider is even if you give them information, are they really going to be able to cook safe food for you? You might have a very supportive family, but there's a huge learning curve here and gluten is in all sorts of things they might not realize. There are very few people I trust to cook for me even if they are supportive and understand the diet on a high level. I have friends who are good at reading labels and can buy packaged food that I can eat, but might not understand all the pitfalls in their kitchen (wooden spoons, flour stuck to the corners of baking pans, condiments that have been double-dipped etc). So you might want to consider bringing some of your own food anyways.

I agree, bringing your own food is probably safer and less stressful for both you and your host.

[EBsMom]

You might have a very supportive family, but there's a huge learning curve here and gluten is in all sorts of things they might not realize. There are very few people I trust to cook for me even if they are supportive and understand the diet on a high level.

So true. I have been glutened by well-meaning people. I'm going to cook for myself and my two kids this year....we're gluten-free/cf/sf. My bro-in-law, who owns a restaurant and is a fabulous chef, is going to cook, but I don't think that he *could* adapt his recipes to our needs, even if he wanted to. I don't want my kids to feel deprived (nor do I want to feel deprived) so I'm going to cook it here and transport it there.

As far as family "getting it"....some of them do get it, some of them don't. I've spend a lot of mental anguish worrying about the ones who don't and truthfully, it's a waste. I've decided to stop worrying and just do my (our) thing. If anyone else doesn't get it, it's *their* problem.

Rho

[happygirl]

See this site for some great info:

Open Original Shared Link

www.celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu

www.celiaccenter.org

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

and of course, the wonderful parent site to this forum, www.celiac.com

[gfpaperdoll]

This may not work for everyone, but I suggest cooking a Thanksgiving dinner a week or two ahead - turkey is really very economical meal. Freeze some meals to take with you. I would just freeze them in a glass pie plate so it can be microwaved. top with saran wrap then wrap the whole thing in foil. Gee, I love foil!! of course when you go to heat it up unwrap & either cover with a clean glass plate or a couple of paper towels.

If you are not going far, maybe volunteer to bring the fruit salad, & put some in a container for yourself. Because if you do not the first thing someone will do is dip the cake server in it or something...