Can Someone Please Talk Me Off The Ledge

[babysteps]

Thank you guys again! I will definately try these ideas. Thank you!

I emailed mary kay to see if their cream was gluten free. They emailed me back and told me to call. I called. They told me they can't say for sure if it contains gluten or not...

I had a beef jerky stick. I shouldn't have. On the label it said "flavorings, seasonings". I called. They told me they can't say for sure if it contains gluten or not...

Is that normal? How do you get to the bottom of something like that? Or, do you just avoid it?

It's typical, but not universal.

I agree with luvs2eat, if I don't know what's in a food, I don't eat it.

I just had a great experience with a food importer in Maine, I wanted to know if a Moroccan sauce (typically for cous cous or pasta, but who needs them!) was gluten-free. It had "spices" as an ingredient. They not only checked, they were able to tell me what the spices were (pepper, coriander and caraway seeds) and that the facility (in Morocco!) processes gluten products but not on the same equipment or in the same area. (I hesitate to tell you the product, not sure it's easy to find, but it's Teboursouk Sauce, imported by The Rogers Collection, www.therogerscollection.com .) So, not typical, but possible!

I do generally believe manufacturers who say "gluten free" but have 'spices' or 'natural flavors' in the ingredient list, so far that has been okay. But I have been cc'd from 'natural flavors' and otherwise no gluten in the ingredients, where it doesn't say "gluten-free" and where I didn't check. Better safe than sick!!!

[LuvMoosic4life]

Wegman's. You lucky thing, you. I wish Wegman's would expand out here to the west coast.

pele (formerly from Greece, NY)

well I do have to travel 45 mins to get there, but I'm not complaining! The Tops that is 20 mins from me doesnt have anything (well they do) but I like to buy some labeled gluten-free goodies once and while instead of just whole foods

[Lockheed]

I am just getting to the point where I insist that my employer accommodate me for this sort of thing, at least, when it is work-related. They accommodate vegetarians, which is a CHOICE. Even if it's just a salad plus separately packed sandwich innards, they can either attempt to do that for me, or they can arrange to not charge me for their food and let me know in advance so that I can bring my own food.

If it's not officially work-related (in other words, if I can choose not to be there), I send a note saying how sorry I am that I can't attend, but that I cannot eat anything containing gluten (and an explanation of gluten), and how frustrating it is for me to come to these events when I'm unable to eat anything, and yes, even a little can make me very sick.

Obviously, they wouldn't want me to get sick, because that would mean I'd miss work!

you poor guys! I always call in advance and ask who the caterer is and to tell them that I have a gluten intolerance (and black pepper and soy and orange and 10 million other things) And then I call the caterer and work out a substitution for me that will still fall into the same pricing as what the event coordinator has ordered. Then when I show up I tell a wait person "I'm you're weird food sensitivity order" and then I usually end up with some fresh prepared meal. My colleagues are jealous because my food looks better than their prepackaged junk half the time. But I didn't know I could *EVEN* consider doing that until I became an event coordinator and did it for another celiac. Don't ever hesitate to do that. I've only had one company (Ruby Tuesdays) that told me that if I had a food sensitivity I shouldn't eat their food at all. So I don't.

But yes, I spent the first year being gluten-free on Xanax because of anxiety and depression issues and I'm sure most of it was related to not having a good handle on being gluten free. But now, I know I eat better than those people that are telling me about their crappy burgers stuffed with junk and not even made from grade a Angus beef. Most people don't know what good food is. They just know convenience and cost. (and even saying this now my mouth waters at the concept of a burger from McD's.. how awful!)

[Guest tamedandfoxed]

You guys are absolutely genius. Thank you all for your help. I decided to venture out to Whole Foods today. I am lucky enough to live pretty closely. It was an interesting experience. I spent 70$ and left w/ 2 bags. I then went to a regular grocery store for milk and such and spent 70$ for about 10 bags of groceries...I guess Whole Foods will be a once in a while type of thing.

You guys made me realize too there probably is something I've over looked...I wonder, could it be my diet 7up? Could it be my mary kay night cream that I use as lip gloss? Could it be my ice tea? My cigarettes? My envelopes??? Could I also be lactose intolerant??

Today so far I ate a plum and gluten free mac and cheese (Amy's) and w/in 5 minutes I was in the bathroom.

Thank you guys for the advice. A food journal is a good idea and I'll start that too. I'll also check and recheck everything I thought was safe.

Oh yeah and I was super exicted about the losing weight thing at first. But now I've lost 15 pounds and I can barely recognize myself in the mirror anymore! It just doesn't seem right. I haven't been this size since, probably 10 years. I want my meat back!

It could have been the Dairy. Sometimes your intestines need more time to heal before they are able to tolerate Dairy after going gluten-free..

[donnal]

the food journal idea is going to be a big help for you. I didn't do that for quite a while ("too much work" "I feel paranoid enough") but finally did and it helped me realize I also have dairy and corn sensitivity, it seems. I stay free of everything for several days, then do one day of "testing" whichever I'm not sure of, eating as much of it as I can, and then journal carefully for the next several days--everything from how clear is my vision to what is my fatigue level to how are my emotions. The sensitivies can show up in any/all of those areas, not just the gut! So hang in there!