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

Portugal

ChristieKate

Recommended Posts

ChristieKate Rookie
ChristieKate
Posted

I'm traveling in June to Portugal. Mostly I'll be in Figueria Da Foz but I'll also spend a day of two in Lisbon. Of course, if the volcano decides to act up I might be spending a few days at Heathrow too!

I cannot find any info on gluten-free/Celiac for Portugal. I've only been diagnosed since April, so this is all new to me too. Has anyone here travelled to Portugal? Any advice?

I also can't eat fish and I gather that's the big food item there. I might be hungry by the time I get home!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


tgrahek Newbie
tgrahek
Posted

I traveled to Portugal with my 2 Celiac kids in 2008. We stayed the whole time in Lisbon. I don't speak any Portuguese and I couldn't find any gluten free info before we left so I was very nervous. It really was no problem. I said as best I could in English and/or Spanish "my daughters have Celiac disease/ mis hijas tienen celiaca" and every waiter understood me and pointed to things on the menu that they could eat. Even at the buffet breakfast at the hotel, the cook made the girls special eggs and showed us which meat they could have. They didn't always eat as well as the rest of the group but they were never hungry. They had plenty of eggs and hamburger patties, but often had very nice meals.

Good luck, I think you will be fine.

PS They seemed to prefer English to Spanish in Lisbon- I think they don't like people thinking Spanish and Portuguese are the same thing. :)

ChristieKate Rookie
ChristieKate
Posted
  • Author

I traveled to Portugal with my 2 Celiac kids in 2008. We stayed the whole time in Lisbon. I don't speak any Portuguese and I couldn't find any gluten free info before we left so I was very nervous. It really was no problem. I said as best I could in English and/or Spanish "my daughters have Celiac disease/ mis hijas tienen celiaca" and every waiter understood me and pointed to things on the menu that they could eat. Even at the buffet breakfast at the hotel, the cook made the girls special eggs and showed us which meat they could have. They didn't always eat as well as the rest of the group but they were never hungry. They had plenty of eggs and hamburger patties, but often had very nice meals.

Good luck, I think you will be fine.

PS They seemed to prefer English to Spanish in Lisbon- I think they don't like people thinking Spanish and Portuguese are the same thing. :)

Thank you. This is reassuring!

I live in Canada so I have NO spansih (except maybe a bit from Dora the Explorer!!). I might be able to say it in French but I'm pretty much english only. I have very serious peanut and nut allergies (since I was an infant) and when we travelled to Prague 2 years ago I was able to communicate pretty well with everyone just using my english. If the waiter couldn't understand he found someone who could. Considering with my nut allergies my life really is on line, I (and my husband) were quite pleased with how easy it was! Sounds like it is similar in Portugal.

primresp Rookie
primresp
Posted

ChristieKate,

No worries. I'll get you hooked up.

I'm half portuguese (my dad is from Portugal) and I speak Portuguese fluently. My written portuguese isn't so good, as I never had to write in p., so I'll contact my dad and have him type something up for you, so you can show it to waiters, etc.

It is helpful to know some Spanish, as Port. and spanish are similar, but vast majority of folks over there will have at least moderate English skills, so you should be fine.

Yes, fish (codfish--bacalhau) is basically our national dish!! Funny, though, I just found out I'm allergic to codfish! Ha!

It may take me a few days, but I'll get you something to hand to your waiters and such. I'll email it to you or post it on this thread.

Feel free to email me at any point if you need anything!

Bemvindo a portugal (welcome to portugal!)

ChristieKate Rookie
ChristieKate
Posted
  • Author

ChristieKate,

No worries. I'll get you hooked up.

I'm half portuguese (my dad is from Portugal) and I speak Portuguese fluently. My written portuguese isn't so good, as I never had to write in p., so I'll contact my dad and have him type something up for you, so you can show it to waiters, etc.

It is helpful to know some Spanish, as Port. and spanish are similar, but vast majority of folks over there will have at least moderate English skills, so you should be fine.

Yes, fish (codfish--bacalhau) is basically our national dish!! Funny, though, I just found out I'm allergic to codfish! Ha!

It may take me a few days, but I'll get you something to hand to your waiters and such. I'll email it to you or post it on this thread.

Feel free to email me at any point if you need anything!

Bemvindo a portugal (welcome to portugal!)

Wow!! Thanks so much! That's very kind of you.

(I can actually tolerate some cod and haddock but as I have developed allergies to all other fish, eventually over the last few years, I kind of avoid it now. I never know when I will suddenly not be able to eat it anymore. )

I am getting very excited about our trip! :)

primresp Rookie
primresp
Posted

ChristieKate, Ok, here's what my dad wrote for you. I've included the english, so YOU know what it says, and if you want anything changed or added let me know.

Also, my dad discovered a website

Open Original Shared Link click on International Zone link on left hand side of homepage. Has info for celiac tourists.

I hope all this helps! Let me know if you need anything else.

********

I have celiac disease, which is a severe allergy to gluten. I cannot eat any foods that contain wheat, oats, barley, or rye. If I eat any of these foods I will become very sick for several days. I am also allergic to fish.

Can you please tell me what foods I might be able to eat on your menu? Please note that the food that is prepared for me cannot have even touched wheat,oats, barley, or rye, and that many food products may contain gluten, such as beers, breading and coating, dressings, marinades, sauces, soy sauce and thickeners. Thank you.

**********

Eu sofro da doen

  • 3 weeks later...
ChristieKate Rookie
ChristieKate
Posted
  • Author

ChristieKate, Ok, here's what my dad wrote for you. I've included the english, so YOU know what it says, and if you want anything changed or added let me know.

Also, my dad discovered a website

Open Original Shared Link click on International Zone link on left hand side of homepage. Has info for celiac tourists.

I hope all this helps! Let me know if you need anything else.

********

I have celiac disease, which is a severe allergy to gluten. I cannot eat any foods that contain wheat, oats, barley, or rye. If I eat any of these foods I will become very sick for several days. I am also allergic to fish.

Can you please tell me what foods I might be able to eat on your menu? Please note that the food that is prepared for me cannot have even touched wheat,oats, barley, or rye, and that many food products may contain gluten, such as beers, breading and coating, dressings, marinades, sauces, soy sauce and thickeners. Thank you.

**********

Eu sofro da doen

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

That is totally awesome!!!

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,930
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Mhp
    Newest Member
    Mhp
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Wheatwacked
      Bitters for digestion?

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Definitely get vitamin D 25(OH)D.  Celiac Disease causes vitamin D deficiency and one of the functions of vitamin D is modulating the genes.  While we can survive with low vitamin D as an adaptation to living in a seasonal environment, the homeostasis is 200 nmol/L.  Vitamin D Receptors are found in nearly every cell with a nucleus,while the highest concentrations are in tissues like the intestine, kidney, parathyroid, and bone.  A cellular communication system, if you will. The vitamin D receptor: contemporary genomic approaches reveal new basic and translational insights  Possible Root Causes of Histamine Intolerance. "Low levels of certain nutrients like copper, Vitamins A, B6, and C can lead to histamine build up along with excess or deficient levels of iron. Iodine also plays a crucial role in histamine regulation."  
    • AnnaNZ
      Bitters for digestion?

      By AnnaNZ · Posted

      I forgot to mention my suspicion of the high amount of glyphosate allowed to be used on wheat in USA and NZ and Australia. My weight was 69kg mid-2023, I went down to 60kg in March 2024 and now hover around 63kg (just after winter here in NZ) - wheat-free and very low alcohol consumption.
    • AnnaNZ
      Bitters for digestion?

      By AnnaNZ · Posted

      Hi Jess Thanks so much for your response and apologies for the long delay in answering. I think I must have been waiting for something to happen before I replied and unfortunately it fell off the radar... I have had an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy in the meantime (which revealed 'minor' issues only). Yes I do think histamine intolerance is one of the problems. I have been lowering my histamine intake and feeling a lot better. And I do think it is the liver which is giving the pain. I am currently taking zinc (I have had three low zinc tests now), magnesium, B complex, vitamin E and a calcium/Vitamin C mix. I consciously think about getting vitamin D outside. (Maybe I should have my vitamin D re-tested now...) I am still 100% gluten-free. My current thoughts on the cause of the problems is some, if not all, of the following: Genetically low zinc uptake, lack of vitamin D, wine drinking (alcohol/sulphites), covid, immune depletion, gastroparesis, dysbiosis, leaky gut, inability to process certain foods I am so much better than late 2023 so feel very positive 🙂    
    • lehum
      4.5 years into diagnosis, eating gluten-free and still struggling: would love support, tips, & stories

      By lehum · Posted

      Hi and thank you very much for your detailed response! I am so glad that the protocol worked so well for you and helped you to get your health back on track. I've heard of it helping other people too. One question I have is how did you maintain your weight on this diet? I really rely on nuts and rice to keep me at a steady weight because I tend to lose weight quickly and am having a hard time envisioning how to make it work, especially when not being able to eat things like nuts and avocados. In case you have any input, woud be great to hear it! Friendly greetings.
    • Hmart
      Is this celiac?

      By Hmart · Posted

      I was not taking any medications previous to this. I was a healthy 49 yo with some mild stomach discomfort. I noticed the onset of tinnitus earlier this year and I had Covid at the end of June. My first ‘flare-up’ with these symptoms was in August and I was eating gluten like normal. I had another flare-up in September and then got an upper endo at the end of September that showed possible celiac. My blood test came a week later. While I didn’t stop eating gluten before I had the blood test, I had cut back on food and gluten both. I had a flare-up with this symptoms after one week of gluten free but wasn’t being crazy careful. Then I had another flare-up this week. I think it might have been caused by Trader Joe’s baked tofu which I didn’t realize had wheat. But I don’t know if these flare-ups are caused by gluten or if there’s something else going on. I am food journaling and tracking all symptoms. I have lost 7 pounds in the last 10 days. 
×
×
  • 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.