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

Er, Gluten-free France

gfprof

By gfprof
in Gluten-Free Restaurants

Recommended Posts

gfprof Newbie
gfprof
Posted

I'm a new celiac off to France for 2 weeks, Rennes and Paris. Can anyone recommend restaurants where they've had good gluten-free experiences? (cooperative servers, etc.) I'm especially concerned about Rennes...

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


slmprofesseur Apprentice
slmprofesseur
Posted

I was curious as to how to say gluten free or celiac after I read your post. I lived in France pre-gluten awareness. I went to Voila.fr to do some searching. It was interesting. Celiac is called maladie celiac.

Can you imagine explaining to the waiter:"J'ai maladie celiac." Do you speak fluent French? That will help considerably. I was scared going to France with a shellfish allergy (lucky enough I got out fruits de mer...) and they got me an epi-pen! I guess la salade would be the way to go. They don't do any dressing besides vinaigre and oil. Cheese is also a good choice and le vin... Ahh....

I did find the French Assoc. of Gluten Intolerants...www.afdiag.org They have a list of products allowed/not allowed. I didn't see a list of restaurants. One site called celiac the "orphan disease!" There's also a forum to join and ask...From the website Routard...I gather that it's difficult.

One restaurant I did frequent was called Hippopotamus.fr It's the French version of the burger chains (i.e. Ruby Tuesday). Their menu is online. As for breakfast, there's the fruit stands. I also checked Casino.fr (grocery store chain.) All their items are labeled clearly for allergens. So that might be a though. Monoprix is another one. I was a student so none of these places are expensive. You can type in the arrondissement or code postal and it will list nearby stores.

Hope this helps!

jnclelland Contributor
jnclelland
Posted

I was in Strasbourg last year, and I didn't think I'd have much luck explaining gluten. On the other hand, I was hopeful that rye and barley wouldn't be much of an issue, so I went with, "Je ne peut pas manger du ble (wheat, pronounced "blay"), farine (flour), pain (bread)," and that seemed to suffice. At least, I didn't get sick, so I assume it sufficed. :)

Have a great trip!

Jeanne

gfprof Newbie
gfprof
Posted
  • Author

Thank you both! I'm not fluent in French, but I can conjure a few simple sentences (especially now that I know how to pronounce 'ble' -- thanks, Jeanne!) -- I can also read it well. I'm printing the celiac cards too :) Cheese, fruit, and wine is not a bad diet for a week or two. I'll try the Hippopotamus.fr too.

Orphan disease??? aie.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,684
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Betty Siebert
    Newest Member
    Betty Siebert
    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

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • 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.