Newbie Here, Questions About Cross Contamination And Diarreah

[ahseya]

hi guys! im a canadian girl living in australia and have a lot of questions. i self diagnosed myself as gluten intolerant/celiac or something (had full body rash, bleeding gums, very bad stomach cramping for about four weeks, then cut out all gluten and all symptoms went away within days.) a month ago. things have been going great, but since i moved to australia last week i have had diarreah-ish bowel movements. like, very soft, but not diarreah to the point that im running to the toilet. i eat very healthy, mostly salads and smoothies and curries. im definitely getting enough fiber and water etc.

im starting to wonder if it is a cross contamination issue? i always had 'ideal' bowel movements before (lol), even when i had the other symptoms like rash etc. now it seems that this is my ONLY symptom. im very regular, first thing in the morning and maybe again later on.

is it possible that im more sensitive to cross contamination since ive totally cut gluten out? or should i be looking at something else in my diet? i live with my boyfriend and he eats bread, but i dont even eat gluten free bread so i dont use that toaster at all. but he does make things like chocolate malt(from barley) smoothies in our blender etc.

thanks so much!

[Jenniferxgfx]

You absolutely could be more sensitive. I found that to be my case, too. Now that im gluten-free (3+ months now) and having SO much relief, i can see the "classic" celiac reactions i get from gluten. And I'd bet that barley malt is the culprit. If you could get your own blender pitcher for the same blender you'd save some counter space and some misery.

[ahseya]

thanks so much for replying. im googling to try to find another pitcher but no luck so far, i may call the manufacturer and see. is there a way to extra clean the pitcher until i get another one? i have a smoothie everyday for breakfast and so does my man lol. i think i will get another cutting board as well

[mushroom]

thanks so much for replying. im googling to try to find another pitcher but no luck so far, i may call the manufacturer and see. is there a way to extra clean the pitcher until i get another one? i have a smoothie everyday for breakfast and so does my man lol. i think i will get another cutting board as well

Good idea!! Eliminate all chances of cross-contamination - wooden/plastic things epecially. Don't share jars of PB or spreads. And make him brush his teeth before smooching

[ahseya]

haha oh nooo... thats gunna be a toughie. we spend most nights sitting around the house, me with a glass of wine and him with a beer. so no kissing on movie night til he brushes his teeth? hahaha. but ive gotta do what ive gotta do. thanks for the response!

[Jenniferxgfx]

I wouldn't trust any amount of cleaning. Anything with nooks, crannies, or crevices can hold gluten and it's a sticky molecule that's hard to remove. If it's plastic, I don't know if it's even possible to clean it well enough.

Cutting boards need to be replaced! All those scratches will hold gluten. Same with wooden spoons, nonstick cookware that's scratched or has crevices, cast iron (needs reseasoning), collanders can all be sources of contamination. I didn't believe the cutting board thing till my husband forgot to use the new one i bought on advice here for some watermelon. I reacted!

Basically anything porous can't be cleaned, and anything that can be cleaned needs to be cleaned REALLY well and dedicated to gluten-free foods because one non-gluten-free use will contaminate it all over again.