Toaster, Cutting Board And Flavor

[cjones99]

I'm three weeks gluten free and thanks to a very supportive husband feel like this is something I can handle.

As background, I'm not the typical celiac, as I was recently diagnosed due to iron-def anemia, and (what I thought was random) other health issues...constipation, rheum arthritis, vit D deficiency. A biopsy confirmed celiac, which honestly I'm glad to know. I'm 34 and thought I was falling apart!

Since I don't have the typical side-effects, I'm wondering about the seriousness of cross contamination. (What I mean by this comment is that my body doesn't respond with bloating or irregularity due to the gluten.)

Specifically, do I really need gluten-free-dedicated toaster and cutting board. And I've learned that often on food labels that "flavors" can by a clue that there are small amounts of gluten. Will these small amounts prevent my body from healing?

I'm doing really well following the diet, but don't want to be over-the-top unless it's really necessary. My doctor just tells me that I need to be gluten-free, but offers no guidance on how to make this happen.

[happygirl]

These companies have clear labeling policies -if you don't see wheat, rye, barley, barley malt, or oats, it isn't hidden in "flavors" etc.

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[JNBunnie1]

I'm three weeks gluten free and thanks to a very supportive husband feel like this is something I can handle.

As background, I'm not the typical celiac, as I was recently diagnosed due to iron-def anemia, and (what I thought was random) other health issues...constipation, rheum arthritis, vit D deficiency. A biopsy confirmed celiac, which honestly I'm glad to know. I'm 34 and thought I was falling apart!

Since I don't have the typical side-effects, I'm wondering about the seriousness of cross contamination. (What I mean by this comment is that my body doesn't respond with bloating or irregularity due to the gluten.)

Specifically, do I really need gluten-free-dedicated toaster and cutting board. And I've learned that often on food labels that "flavors" can by a clue that there are small amounts of gluten. Will these small amounts prevent my body from healing?

I'm doing really well following the diet, but don't want to be over-the-top unless it's really necessary. My doctor just tells me that I need to be gluten-free, but offers no guidance on how to make this happen.

To answer your question: Yes, these small amounts can prevent your body from healing. There is no 'least' amount of gluten a Celiac can ingest without damage. Having a lack of digestive reactions doesn't mean you aren't doing damage. Basically, over the top is the only way to do this diet properly. If you have cross contamination from your toaster every morning, or cereal with barley malt, or mayonnaise on your gluten-free sandwich that your hubby dipped a gluteny-covered knife into, you're not going to heal.

Basically, the severity of your IMMEDIATE symptoms can be completely unrelated to the severity of the damage done. You were diagnosed due to iron-deficiency anemia and rheumatoid arthritis. You're only 34. Obviously, your EVENTUAL symptoms are pretty darn severe. Even though you don't get diarrhea.

[puddleglum]

I am also new to the whole celiac thing. Both my daughters and I have been recently diagnosed (long flukey story for another time), but our gastroenterologist sent us to a nutritionist who addressed this very issue straight off. She said that whether we have immediate reaction or not, cross-contamination is definitely an issue as what we are working toward in this first year is healing the intestines. Any little bit of gluten is going to set us back to day one, so we really have to be careful. Once the healing has happened, she said that occasional cross-contamination will not set us back to the beginning (although it may make us feel icky), but we can never be too careful that way. I hope this is helpful. This forum has been really helpful to me as I am trying to learn the ins and outs of going gluten free!

[mattathayde]

i would argue that an extremely minimal amount of cross contamination, will prevent any celiac from healing, i ate gluten light at first and got much much better, given eating truly gluten free i am even better but i dont think cross contamination is a huge issue for every celiac. if your using your toaster every day then i would probably get a new one or get a toaster oven and just always use foil with any thing you put in to prevent cross contamination. as to the cutting board if its a plastic one that can go in the dishwasher i personally wouldnt worry about it.

when i am home and use our toaster oven i always line it with foil, as to pots and pans, i dont worry about it, all of my pots and pans at school are not gluten free (they were not through their whole life but if anything is left on them at this point its not enough to hurt me). i dont think a well washed pan will cross contaminate and if some how there is enough there to cross contaminate you i would think walking by some one eating gluten or smelling baking bread would make the person sick.

as to the flavor, in the US i am pretty confident anything that is from here is gluten-free usually.

all this being said, if after you have cut out the gluten fully for a few months and have issues still/again then you should start looking at those things more in depth

-matt

[lizajane]

i am like you. i do bloat, but it is hard to tell if i am just full or actually puffed up sometimes. i was diagnosed after vomiting for two weeks. (the GI said i was on the edge for so long, i just finally "fell off.") he couldn't even tell me if i had true celiac or gluten intolerance. with an intolerance, i wouldn't panic about CC. but since i don't know...

for me, because my fatigue was so overwhelming and horrible for me and my family, i WANT to be sure i do not have CC. i got a new toaster for less than $15 and will use foil in the toaster oven when i want to melt cheese, etc. my cutting boards are plastic and i use the dishwasher. my pots and pans are stainless steel, and i use the dishwasher, i don't worry. plus, we don't cook with gluten anymore ever. my husband has only one box of cereal, one loaf of bread and one box of crackers.

as for natural flavors... i have weighed the risks a few times. like in a juice blend from whole foods, i am confident it is ok. a "lemonade" from wal-mart that is all artificial junk, no way!

[GottaSki]

As background, I'm not the typical celiac, as I was recently diagnosed due to iron-def anemia, and (what I thought was random) other health issues...constipation, rheum arthritis, vit D deficiency. A biopsy confirmed celiac, which honestly I'm glad to know. I'm 34 and thought I was falling apart!

I sound very similar to you...except that I wasn't diagnosed until this year at 43...my symptoms have worsened substantially over the past ten years...I was so happy to read your entry and see that perhaps Celiac is getting on some docs radar.

As for the cross cont issues...our home is taking moderate changes first...we don't share butter, pnut butter, etc. I do use the toaster, but wrap my bagel/bread with foil...loosely...horseshoe shape. Cutting Board and all else we prepare gluten-free things first then gluten items (which are becoming far fewer in our household) and always was everything well after using. I seem to have some healing after a month and half...we'll tighten things up along the way if needed.

Good Luck to you and congrats on the diagnosis.

-Lisa

[cjones99]

I sound very similar to you...except that I wasn't diagnosed until this year at 43...my symptoms have worsened substantially over the past ten years...I was so happy to read your entry and see that perhaps Celiac is getting on some docs radar.

Lisa -

Actually, it was a holistic doctor that finally put the pieces together (on our second visit). After years of GI doctors, Rheums, Internists and others -- it was a naturopath that figured it out. Of course, a GI doctor confimed it with the endoscopy.

Thanks for the advice on cross-contamination. That sounds really reasonable for me.

Good luck to you.

Carrie