It's Annoying!

[Lexi]

I get So annoyed when people eat Gluten Free when they don't have to. I guess it's kind of a Fad Diet thing right now. I get irritated because restaurants don't seem to take the "Real Celiac people" as serious now. Also, it's irritating to think that when I go to Whole Foods, and they are out of stock of my favorite food, it could be because of someone who doesn't really HAVE to eat it. I know it's crazy, but that's how I feel. I even get mad at my own family when they eat my food because they can eat ANYTHING in the whole pantry, and I have one little shelf. Gosh....I feel like an angry, selfish Celiac.....just venting! I feel better now.

[melikamaui]

Think of it this way. If you were the only one buying it, the stores would stop selling it. The more people that buy and eat gluten-free products all the better for us.

[Juliebove]

I often eat gluten-free because my daughter has to. I feel it is easier on her if I am eating the same. Yes I will sometimes order a sandwich or have something with gravy but often it will be a hamburger patty with no bun. I do have food allergies and I am diabetic so I do have to watch what I eat. Particularly the carbs. No it won't hurt me if my food gets cross contaminated with gluten. But I do have to be super careful about eggs because I am very allergic. So I feel regular pasta is not safe for me. So far all of the gluten-free pasta I've run across in a restaurant is egg free. So that is safe for me to eat. But a wheat pasta may not be. Even if it is not cross contaminated at the factory, they may have cooked an egg containing pasta in the same water.

At home our shared meals are always gluten-free. I do buy wheat bread for myself and use my own toaster. I do buy pretzels, sometimes tortillas and sometimes prepared food for myself that contains wheat. Sometimes I send her off to dance with her own meal. And then I will eat something at home that might contain gluten. Or it might not.

I do feel that the more people who demand gluten-free, the better for those who do need gluten-free. When my daughter was first diagnosed, there were few options in a restaurant. Now many places have a gluten-free menu.

[captaincrab55]

Think of it this way. If you were the only one buying it, the stores would stop selling it. The more people that buy and eat gluten-free products all the better for us.

melikamaui, Your so right about the need for more people eating gluten free.... I recently read an article that estimated 1 out of 10 people in the USA have or will develope some type of Gluten issue in their lifetime and most will never know it... If just half of that estimated group ate gluten free, our gluten free choices would start to become the Main Stream......

[Takala]

Meh. Whole Foods... try a different health food store. My local Whole Paycheck has the gluten free stuff scattershot all over the place, making it a slow experience, was out of several basic gluten-free grain items the last time I checked, and has a surprising lack of safe generic items because they're run thru a plant also manufacturing wheat.

Lots of people eat gluten free so they don't cross contaminate a family member. It also helps reinforce it in restaurants, it's the gluten free table, not just the one person.

Re family: You need to get them trained to purchase gluten free snacks/foods and replace what they're eating, or start thinking of it as "ours," not just "theirs" and "mine."

[GlutenDude]

I'm with you Lexi. If I see one more pseudo-celebrity preach a gluten free diet as a healthy lifestyle, I'm gonna lose it. Yes...it may mean more products for us on the shelves, but in the end, I think it hurts our cause.

[srall]

Well, seeing how I found out I was gluten intolerant because I did a cleanse I don't really see the harm in it. Eating gluten free is free and legal and we don't need anyone's permission. Since my daughter and I both tested negative for celiac, I get annoyed when people question my self diagnosis. I wish people would not worry about what I'm eating nor would they worry about what I'm feeding my daughter. We're doing great.

Also, my husband eats mostly gluten free, for the same reasons as a couple of other posters, and he's less gassy, and has lost a lot of weight. He said last night he knows that his mostly gluten free diet is keeping him slim.

If other people will quit worrying about what I'm eating, I won't worry about what they are eating.

[Jestgar]

I don't see it as an issue. If your religion forbade you pork, would you be thinking unkind thoughts towards people who don't eat it because they don't like it? If I refuse dairy because I don't like it, am I dissing the people who have a real issue with it?

[GlutenFreeManna]

I only get upset at the people that claim they are gluten free and then turn around and eat something with gluten. I don't care why they are gluten-free, I just want them to be serious about it/educated about it.

[lynnelise]

I only get upset at the people that claim they are gluten free and then turn around and eat something with gluten. I don't care why they are gluten-free, I just want them to be serious about it/educated about it.

I agree with this! I mean provided the person doesn't order off the gluten free menu and then order a gluteny dessert or a beer with it I think it's fine.

As for the grocery store, the more buyers the more likely they are to stock the product. I live in a fairly rural area and the selection of products at my local store has exploded! Just 2 years ago I was driving out state for bread! I know fad dieters probably played a role in the expansion of options but I couldn't be happier to have everything I need a mile from my house!

[Jestgar]

I agree with this! I mean provided the person doesn't order off the gluten free menu and then order a gluteny dessert or a beer with it I think it's fine.

Well, me too, but is it really all that different than the "pizza and a diet soda" mentality?

[GlutenFreeManna]

Well, me too, but is it really all that different than the "pizza and a diet soda" mentality?

I think that IS different. Ordering the diet soda with the pizza has some "advantages" in their mind. Whether there is an actual health advantage or not is a different question,but it does cut down on calories or sugar in their total meal. What is the so-called advantage of cutting back on gluten but not eliminating it? They should call it a low carb or low wheat diet instead of saying they are eating gluten free.

[Jestgar]

s cut down on calories or sugar in their total meal. What is the so-called advantage of cutting back on gluten but not eliminating it?

Yes, WE get that, but I don't think that's true for most people.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Yes, WE get that, but I don't think that's true for most people.

Right. I guess I should just say people that do things when they don't know the reasons behind doing the things they do bother me in general. They saw some celeb mention gluten-free and they decide to try it without even knowing what gluten-free means. I do think a lot of people confuse it with a low carb diet too and think it just means not eating bread.

[Jestgar]

I get your point now. I don't watch TV or read pop stuff, so it didn't even occur to me that people follow someone just because they've heard their name.

Yes, you're right, people do things just because someone else does, and doing it poorly will reflect on those who endeavor to do it properly.

Maybe it's up to us to clarify (every time) that we aren't trend followers - there are real consequences to disregarding our requests.

[tennisman]

I get So annoyed when people eat Gluten Free when they don't have to. I guess it's kind of a Fad Diet thing right now. I get irritated because restaurants don't seem to take the "Real Celiac people" as serious now. Also, it's irritating to think that when I go to Whole Foods, and they are out of stock of my favorite food, it could be because of someone who doesn't really HAVE to eat it. I know it's crazy, but that's how I feel. I even get mad at my own family when they eat my food because they can eat ANYTHING in the whole pantry, and I have one little shelf. Gosh....I feel like an angry, selfish Celiac.....just venting! I feel better now.

I agree 100 % it makes me very angry lol . Sure people can eat what they like but if they are so desperate to eat gluten free they can have my celiac disease and than be gluten free forever . I have had a friend go gluten free because they thought it may help and they just complained about it not tasting nice . The people that annoy me the most are the ones who see an athlete on a gluten free diet and start the gluten free diet thinking they are going to have the same results LOL . I think it's annoying because we are forced to go on the diet yet someone fading can easily quit it and most fad dieters are only 50 % gluten free probably . I think people without celiac disease eating gluten free for no reason make the disease look like a joke.

But I think of all the health problems I had since being a celiac and think the people who eat gluten free for no reason will pay for it with deficiencies and stuff so eventually it should catch up Than they will know they shouldn't mess with the gluten free diet

[sariesue]

I think that IS different. Ordering the diet soda with the pizza has some "advantages" in their mind. Whether there is an actual health advantage or not is a different question,but it does cut down on calories or sugar in their total meal. What is the so-called advantage of cutting back on gluten but not eliminating it? They should call it a low carb or low wheat diet instead of saying they are eating gluten free.

You have to consider people who have not fully made the connection to their health problems and gluten or those who are just developing symptoms. When I first was diagnosed as wheat intolerant with a barely allergy I was told that it was ok to eat small amounts of wheat as long as I wasn't having a reaction to it. So I went what I thought was gluten free since I was actively avoiding foods that had wheat as a main ingredient. However, I would still have things like soy sauce and salad dressings that contained wheat. It wasn't until I started to react to that small amount and I found this forum that I learned how strict a 100% gluten free diet is. That is why when I go out to eat I don't say I'm gluten free. I say that I have food allergies to wheat and barely and will get sick if I eat any amount of them. For a long time I would get away with eating small amounts of wheat like in salad dressings. But I thought that I was gluten free because that is what I was striving for and was actively doing. But since I didn't react I thought it was fine. Also for those who are on a gluten-free diet without a medical need, cheating can be seen as no different than cheating on any diet. Many people cheat on diets, some do it as a reward for sticking to that diet the rest of the time. My mom did the paleo diet for almost a year, however during that time she would cheat and have things that the diet didn't allow. Like dessert after a meal in a restaurant even though she stuck to her diet during the actual meal.

To the OP, have you talked to your family about how it hurts your feelings when they eat your gluten-free food? But, I have to ask who pays for the groceries in your house? If you are purchasing all your own gluten-free foods with your own money I can understand it bothering you. However, if you are not the one purchasing the food it is being purchased for you then they have a right to eat it since it was bought with their money. If that is the case and you want to stop them from eating the gluten-free products the best solution would be to buy them with your own money and keep them in your room.

[navigator]

My husband's not coeliac but he eats completely gluten free in the house to protect me from cross-contamination. My son-in-law does the same with my daughter. When they're out of their homes they both eat gluten. I think that people in the household of coeliac suffers are to be praised for doing this rather being annoyed with them for using up gluten free products. The more that these products are used, the more that a supermarket finds it viable to provide these goods.

[Meatballman]

I get So annoyed when people eat Gluten Free when they don't have to. I guess it's kind of a Fad Diet thing right now. I get irritated because restaurants don't seem to take the "Real Celiac people" as serious now. Also, it's irritating to think that when I go to Whole Foods, and they are out of stock of my favorite food, it could be because of someone who doesn't really HAVE to eat it. I know it's crazy, but that's how I feel. I even get mad at my own family when they eat my food because they can eat ANYTHING in the whole pantry, and I have one little shelf. Gosh....I feel like an angry, selfish Celiac.....just venting! I feel better now.

I agree with you.This burns my *** too.If one more friend or family member tells me they should go gluten free to lose weight I'm going to explode.I would not wish this sentence on anybody.

[Fairy Dancer]

I see nothing wrong with trying out a gluten free diet if that's what they want to do but they should be warned that it won't necessarily help them lose weight (it can still be high calorie, high fat and high carb).

I am not diagnosed as celiac but as I was getting various health problems and as celiac disease is in the family I decided to try a gluten free diet. I have had some improvement to my health but its only been about 3 months so I want to give it a bit longer. I do know the improvements reversed themselves the few times I tried to put grains/wheat/gluten back in.

I don't think eating gluten free lessens the impact of celiac disease on those who suffer from it and neither should it affect public opinion of celiac disease. I think they should make it clear though that they are only eating gluten free out of personal choice and not out of a medical need to do so as they are different things.

Personally I can see the allure to eating gluten free...Although I went gluten free for my health I was glad to see the back of bread. That stuff always did taste like cardboard to me, especially wholemeal. I only used to eat it cause it was 'supposed' to be healthy.

[Lexi]

Think of it this way. If you were the only one buying it, the stores would stop selling it. The more people that buy and eat gluten-free products all the better for us.

True! Good Point!!

[Lexi]

I felt a little guilty after reading some of the replies. My MAIN annoyance is when people say they are eating gluten free, and then turn around and eat something like a REAL cookie or piece of pizza because it was just too tempting for them. I have been gluten-free for over 5 years now, but I'm still in a little bit of denial about the whole thing. And, I have had numerous other problems since the whole thing started. I haven't felt like my old self in a LONG TIME. It was more venting than anything because life seems SO DIFFICULT and CONSUMING and OVERWHELMING Now (and I just wish it didn't have to be that way).

[srall]

I felt a little guilty after reading some of the replies. My MAIN annoyance is when people say they are eating gluten free, and then turn around and eat something like a REAL cookie or piece of pizza because it was just too tempting for them. I have been gluten-free for over 5 years now, but I'm still in a little bit of denial about the whole thing. And, I have had numerous other problems since the whole thing started. I haven't felt like my old self in a LONG TIME. It was more venting than anything because life seems SO DIFFICULT and CONSUMING and OVERWHELMING Now (and I just wish it didn't have to be that way).

Well, Lexi, in all fairness I do agree it's annoying and misleading for the general public when someone claims to be gluten free then eats a hamburger at a party. I have a friend like this who is celiac but still every once in awhile will eat what she wants...usually at a party that I'm at. She admits she pays dearly later, but then people wonder why I don't just let loose too.

My concern I guess is that I get so annoyed when people question my diet, and my daughter's because we never tested positive for anything, not even an allergy, but we were so sick. And I hate defending this to others. So, I feel like I shouldn't question another person's choices either...even if it's just skipping a glutenous meal now and then, which I honestly believe everyone could benefit from.

[GlutenFreeManna]

You have to consider people who have not fully made the connection to their health problems and gluten or those who are just developing symptoms. When I first was diagnosed as wheat intolerant with a barely allergy I was told that it was ok to eat small amounts of wheat as long as I wasn't having a reaction to it.

I wasn't talking about people trying it out because they thought gluten might be making them sick. Everyone does things imperfectly in the beginning because it takes time to learn some things like cross contamination. That's understandable. However you know NOW the people that told you small amounts of wheat now and then were okay were not really aware of what a gluten-free diet means, correct? (and before everyone jumps on me and says 20 PPM or less is okay. I'm assuming that sariesue is talking about having some croutons on her salad or a small bite of cake every once and a while--much more than 20 ppm--I dopn't even want to enter that debate.) It's the people that are spreading that mis-information by being inconsistent that bother me.

Someone else above mentioned family members eating gluten-free to support someone. Well my husband eats gluten-free with me at home and he often will eat gluten-free with me at restaurants too. However, he doesn't go around telling people he is on a gluten-free diet, because he's not really. He tells people he likes to eat gluten-free to support me, but he can have gluten whenever he wants. That's different than telling people, "oh I can't have that bread because I'm on a gluten-free diet," and then eating a (non-gluten-free) cookie for dessert. Or a tennis player that abstains from gluten in order to play well and then brags about having a gluten feast on purpose after his match is over. Those people send mixed messages to the general public about gluten free and are the reason (IMO) that some people may not think gluten is a serious health risk to anyone and is just a fad. Again, I don't care about people doing it for a fad so long as they admit they are doing it for a fad and that other people have serious health reasons for avoiding gluten. If fad gluten-free dieters want to have gltuen every now and then they shoudl not say they are on a gluten-free diet but should say they eat a "low gluten diet" or something else besides a gluten-free diet.

[Celtic Queen]

I can understand why it's annoying that this has become a trendy thing. But from the opposite perspective, these people may just be searching for answers to why they don't feel well. I'll use myself as a case in point.

For years I've had a series of minor health problems. They were never serious enough to seem like one big health issue to me and I had no idea they were related. But they would really affect how I felt on a daily basis. So I looked around at the options out there and tried a bunch of different diets to help me figure out what what wrong. I had an idea that it was related to food, so I tried the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet, the Candida Control Diet, Eat Right for Your Type, the Maker's Diet, etc. All of them helped to some extent, but it wasn't until I went truly 100% gluten free that I began to feel good, the best I've ever felt in my life.

And I finally had something specific to ask my doctor to test for. Now I'm in limbo land. I haven't been officially diagnosed as Celiac (positive blood test, negative biopsy, no genetic testing yet), but I'm 100% sure that I'm Gluten Intolerant. So I guess I hope the publicity might help other people discover that gluten might be the reason why they feel so bad.

But I really have to agree that the people who say they're gluten free and then go eat a slice of pizza are truly annoying