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

Going To Visit Family - Tips Anyone?


CaliSparrow

Recommended Posts

CaliSparrow Collaborator

Hi everybody,

I'm going to visit family out of town. Does anyone have any tips on how to handle food? There's a health food store in their town. I've been gluten-free (for the second time) since the day after Thanksgiving and was glutened eating a gluten-free meal in a restaurant on Sunday. It's easy to forget how lousy this is when you feel good and I don't want to "cave" and end up sick while visiting family.

Any advice would be appreciated since my experience is beginner level. Do I have to worry about plates and utensils? Do you eat before going out to eat with everyone to avoid restaurant eating? I've eaten in two restaurants and was glutened once. I want to avoid any possibility of getting glutened.

Can anyone advise?

On a side note, how do you turn down food someone offers you? I'm seeing a lot of hurt expressions these days. People like to share their food with each other! So far the responses, "no thank you" and "does it have gluten in it?" elicit the hurt look... like their food isn't good enough. It's a drag.

Thank you!

Cali


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



NorthernElf Enthusiast

Bring food. I am taking a lot with me for Xmas. I will freeze meatballs, bring crackers & chips, some home baked goodies, rice, my breakfast and then rely on fruit & what not there.

I don't eat at restaurants much - I might bring some salad dressing & eat a salad there or just bring food to a restaurant & have a drink. Yep, I have done this - if I am with a bunch people I don't see why not. No one has given me trouble for this yet.

Don't worry about hurting someone's feelings accepting food - just don't. Why give yourself flu like symptoms etc. trying not to make someone feel bad ?? Or - accept it but 'save it for later' & give it away (my hubby gets food this way, he doesn't mind !). In fact yesterday I had a customer foisting donuts on me and I finally accepted them and my kids were very happy (I don't often bother with the whole celiac explanation to people I don't really know....takes too much time!).

Your best bet is to be consistent and eventually everyone will get it. I have been doing this for about 11 years and I hate being sick ! I travelled around England with crackers & tuna and what not - eating that in restaurants so I could enjoy my trip. It's easier at Christmas, at family's homes, because I can bring real cooked food that I know is safe !

LDJofDenver Apprentice

All good advice above. I always try to take as much of it into my own hands as possible, sometimes I will eat ahead of time - after all, it's really the company I'm interested in and not the food. I know what you mean about hurting feelings, and not get understanding on the other side (like your favorite auntie who says: "oh a little won't hurt you..." ! ).

Turning down food: I often just say I have a wheat allergy, then liken it to a peanut allergy where you can't even have trace amounts -- sometimes people "get it" more when you say the allergy word. Or, the old, "Thanks, I'll have some a little later." and no one really notices that I never did have any later.

Restaurants are tough. I've been known to have a few pieces of cheese and some gluten-free cashews, etc. in my purse and I nosh on those along with a drink, or cup of coffee, while at a restaurant with others.

CaliSparrow Collaborator

Thank you both for responding. It does take too much time to explain and I'm even boring myself now. I'll shop when I get there and will carry munchables with me. Will give my mother-in-law a call & explain so she doesn't make something special that I can't eat. My husband has joined me in solidarity and speaks for me when I'm weary. I'm ready to swear off gluten-free restaurant food, Oy.

Definitely want to enjoy the social gatherings and have read that social activity is helpful for those who suffer. I've been isolated for many years because of all the mysterious illnesses and just being constantly run down. It's difficult to maintain friendships when you don't show up. Amazing how the outlook on life changes when you feel better.

I'm going to need a bigger purse!

Many blessings,

Cali

GFinDC Veteran

You can call the restraunt ahead of time if possible and ask about gluten-free options. Sometimes it is safe to eat just vegetable side dishes. Sometimes restraunts will let you bring your own food if you are eating with a group. You could get a drink or something so they have some income from the seat. Bringing some fruit is easy, like bananas, or oranges, apples.

Takala Enthusiast

Do your research before you go on what sort of food is available, as in, you've already found the health food store, but also check out the grocery stores and their locations, as some are better than others. Also, do searches on local restaurants "gluten free name of town restaurant" to see if there are any in the area which could make you a meal, or give you a serving of something, in case you get dragged out to eat somewhere. You can always carry some proteins in your purse, in a baggie, such as chopped cheese, nuts, etc, and then use them to put on top of a salad at a restaurant, and then ask for an oil and vinegar dressing set - up as long as the vinegar is NOT malt vinegar, otherwise, ask for a wedge of lemon and use that and the oil on your salad. You can also check out if they have a plain baked potato, this is one of the things that dismays me, that one would THINK that a restaurant kitchen would have plain whole uncooked potatoes they could stick in the microwave for you, but they frequently do not. Restaurants really vary. I've had safe meals in places that you'd think would be a disaster, because the waiter "got it" and sent out the chef to ask me what I needed to avoid, and rarely, not very successful meals in places with a gluten free menu :o . I try not to eat out at really busy times right before a big holiday, because then the "c" team might be working ;) . And I don't assume any ingredient is gluten free or not cross contaminated - you may have to ask about it.

When you reach your destination, stop at the store before going to the home and just bring what you need to eat (including the roll of paper towels you're going to set down on the counter to act as a clean workspace) with you, so you will have food to eat, this saves the relatives from trying to foist off inappropriate food onto you.

Re: relative's cooking - just don't let them cook your stuff in teflon, or use things that are porous, like wooden spoons or dish stuff out of tupperware that has been used for regular food storage. You can always bring a ceramic bowl and mug, and do most of your stuff in the microwave, if you have to.

I always thank people for offering me food, but just say I have allergies and can't. This is true, even regular gluten free commercial food might and does sometimes have ingredients I can't handle anyway, so I just tell people I handle my own needs, so I can just not worry about it.

CaliSparrow Collaborator

Thank you everybody :)


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



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



Archived

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

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Donate

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Recent Activity

    1. - cristiana replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      16

      Ibuprofen

    2. - Mari replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      5

      New here

    3. - Colleen H replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      16

      Ibuprofen

    4. - Colleen H posted a topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      0

      Methylprednisone treatment for inflammation?

    5. - cristiana replied to Colleen H's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      16

      Ibuprofen


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,878
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Peta Dunn
    Newest Member
    Peta Dunn
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • cristiana
      Ferritin levels.  And see what your hemoglobin looks like too, that will tell you if you are anemic?  You can have 'low normal' levels that will not be flagged by blood tests.  I had 'low normal' levels, my lab reading was. c12, just over what was considered normal, but I had small benign lesion on my tongue, and sometimes a sore mouth, and a consultant maxillofacial ordered an iron infusion for me as he felt my levels were too low and if he  raised them to 40, it would help.   Because you are not feeling 100% it might be worth looking at your levels, then discussing with your doctor if they are low normal.  But I stress, don't supplement iron without your levels being monitored, too much is dangerous.
    • Mari
      Hi Katht -  I sympathize with your struggles in following a gluten-free diet and lifestyle. I found out that I had Celiac Disease a few months before I turned 70. I just turned 89 and it has taken me almost 20 years to attain a fairly normal intestinal  function. I also lost a lot of weight, down to 100 lb. down from about 140 lb. What Trents wrote you was very true for me. I am still elimination foods from my diet. One person suggested you keep a food diary and that is a good idea but it is probably best just to do an elimination diet. There are several ne and maybe one for celiacs. I used one for a while and started with plain rice and zucchini and then added back other foods to see if I reacted or not. That helped a great deal but what I did not realise that it would only very small amounts of some foods to cause inflammation in my intestine. Within the last few years I have stopped eating any trace amounts of hot peppers, corn and soy(mostly in supplements) and nuts, (the corn in Tylenol was giving me stomach aches and the nuts were causing foot pains). Starting an elimination diet with white rice is better than brown rice that has some natural toxins. In addition it is very important to drink sufficient plain water. You can find out how much to drink for your height and weight online. I do have difficulty drinking 48 ounces of water but just recently have found an electrolyte supplement that helps me stay well hydrated, Adding the water and electrolytes may reduce muscle cramps and gag spams you wrote about. . Also buy some anti-gluten enzyme capsules to take with meals. I use GliadinX advertised here. These are a lot of things to do at one time as they reflect my 20 years of experience. I hope you do what you can manage to do over time. Good luck and take care.
    • Colleen H
      Yes thyroid was tested.. negative  Iron ...I'm. Not sure ... Would that fall under red blood count?  If so I was ok  Thank you for the detailed response..☺️
    • Colleen H
      Hi all !! Did anyone ever get prescribed methylprednisone steroids for inflammation of stomach and intestines?  Did it work ??  Thank you !! 
    • cristiana
      Hi Colleen Are you supplementing B12/having injections? I have learned recently that sometimes when you start addressing a B12 deficiency, it can temporarily make your symptoms worse.  But it is important not to stop the treatment.  Regarding your problems with anxiety, again that is another symptom of a B12 deficiency.   I didn't know what anxiety was until it hit me like a train several months before gastrointestinal issues began, so I can certainly relate.   Two books which helped me hugely were At Last A Life by Paul David (there is a website you can look up) and The Depression Cure: The Six-Step Programme to Beat Depression Without Drugs by Dr Steve Llardi.  Although his book is aimed at people who have depression, following the principals he sets out was so helpful in lessening my anxiety.  Llardi suggests we need to focus on getting enough: - physical exercise - omega-3 fatty acids - natural sunlight exposure - restorative sleep - social connectedness - meaningful, engaging activity   ... and we should feel a lot better. That is not to stay you must stop taking medication for depression or anxiety if you have been prescribed it, but adopting the changes Dr Llardi sets out in the book should really help. Can I just ask two more questions:  1) you say that you are B12 deficient, did they test your iron levels too?  If not, you really ought to be checked for deficiency and, 2) did they check your thyroid function, as an overactive thyroid can be cause rapid heartbeat and a lot of coeliacs have thyroid issues? Cristiana        
×
×
  • 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.