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Seems Almost Impossible To Stay Gluten Free

bluebonnet

By bluebonnet
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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sandsurfgirl Collaborator
sandsurfgirl
Posted

I never assume others understand what celiac disease or gluten intolerance is. At our homeschooling group a few weeks ago, the kids were making cat and dog treats, and catnip pillows, for the local humane society. The mom in charge asked me to help the kids with the treats; I asked to see the recipe, and it called for flour. I told her I had celiac disease and shouldn't be near the flour, since wheat makes me sick. She said, "Oh, this is white flour, not wheat." I said, "if it's all-purpose flour, it's made of wheat." She said, "Really?!" Oh. My. Gosh. So I stationed myself at the catnip pillows table. :)

So I never assume a waitress will understand what I mean when I say, "I can't eat wheat." The waitress may have thought there's no way the soup had flour in it, and that as long as the croutons weren't on it, you were okay with it. Panera is such a bread-filled place, I don't eat there anymore because cross-contamination is so likely.

And about shampoos and lotions. For a looong time I thought i didn't need to worry about them. But I've had a bad rash on my forehead now for about two months, ever since I started using a new shampoo...and I just now read the label and it has wheat protein in it. I stopped using it, switched to a gluten-free shampoo and facial cleanser, and already my skin is getting better. It is possible for the wheat to irritate one's skin, or to cause an allergic reaction, if you have celiac. But it's not hard to find gluten-free products! Really. Dove will always list wheat, and Shikai makes nice shampoos and conditioners that are gluten free.

Lots of people don't know that white bread is made of wheat. A few days ago the In N Out manager was assuring me that there was no wheat in their buns. Oops.

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eliogabalo Newbie
eliogabalo
Posted

Lots of people don't know that white bread is made of wheat. A few days ago the In N Out manager was assuring me that there was no wheat in their buns. Oops.

Sometimes I get people trying to convince me that there no wheat in brown bread since it's supposed to be healthy. I feel that there is simply not enough education on the topic. When I was in Italy almost all restaurants had facilities for celiac people. A guy also told me that if you're celiac the government pays for your gluten free food which is available in all pharmacies!!

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Feel my groove

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Reba32 Rookie
Reba32
Posted

Perhaps we should all move to either Italy or Ireland! :) Both are extremely celiac disease friendly apparently.

DownWithGluten Explorer
DownWithGluten
Posted

Sometimes I get people trying to convince me that there no wheat in brown bread since it's supposed to be healthy. I feel that there is simply not enough education on the topic. When I was in Italy almost all restaurants had facilities for celiac people. A guy also told me that if you're celiac the government pays for your gluten free food which is available in all pharmacies!!

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Feel my groove

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Right. Whole wheat bread has no wheat. :mellow: Sorry but that's just ignorance.

kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I emailed Panera & got a list of gluten free foods. However, at the end of the email, the guy said (in corporate talk) that he didn't think it was a good idea for me to even go into the restuarant as flour & bread crumbs are everywhere & could even get into a coffee cup. I loved Panera & appreciated the honesty. My glutenfull family will still go there.

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      I am new here but celiac disease is not new to me. I was diagnosed with it at age 60. At the time I weighed a whopping 89 pounds. I was so ignorant to celiac so I buried myself in learning all about it and looking for food I could eat. I lost so much weight and stayed sick all the time. So to combat the sickness I was give all sorts of meds for loose bowels and vomiting. All that just made me sicker. Eventually I chucked it all and went back to eating like I had all my life. Now I am from the south and biscuits and gravy are a big part of our food, as are breaded foods, pasta, and sandwich bread. Through the years I would try to do the gluten free thing again and am doing it now. It has not helped any. Within and hour of eating I have to run to the bathroom. I am now 75 and am wondering if I should just forget it and eat what I like, take Immodium and live the best I can. I cannot eat before going anywhere for fear of embarrassing myself. Family and church dinners are out of the question unless I eat and run straight home. I am so frustrated I just want to sit down and cry or throw something. Does everyone go through all this?
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