pixiegirl

Please keep in mind that they have flour tortila's there so you really have to tell them everything has to be corn. Last time I was there I had the chicken fajita plate with corn chips. I think you can also have the taco's with corn tortilla's. If you google baja fresh gluten free I think you will find some more gluten-free suggestions for them there are actually quite a few things that can be done gluten-free and so far I've never had a problem there, but again I suggest that you go before or after the lunch rush.

Susan

You don't need your flack jacket for my response but..... (always a but!)......

I can't say if McDonalds knew what was in their oil or not; however, its amazing to me that a company as big as McDonalds didn't know and if they truly didn't its amazing to me that when they put information on their web site as to the ingredients in their products that someone in that company didn't say, "hey we buy flavored oil from xyz company maybe we need to see whats in that product". They are either liars or just stupid (or had an inkling that it might contain "something" and didn't ask xyz company intentionally), how can you post ingredients and/or allergy information and NOT ask suppliers whats in their supplied products?

Susan

I never really felt defeated or depressed when I first found out I had Celiac but it seemed like wheat was everywhere.... almost impossible to avoid. However I think when one is diagnosed with Celiac you should expect its going to take months, up to a year to really get it and get it all cleaned out of your house, etc.

I cut out the obvious forms of gluten right away (bead, pasta, cookies) but yes I found it was in shampoo and make up... I just looked at it (and still do) as a learning experience, when I find out that I'm using a product that has gluten in it, I just take it out of the mix and move on. If you plan in your head that its going to take a while and accept that, then when you do find a product you "thought" was ok and find it isn't, well I just move on. After a year and 7 months of Celiac I'm still learning.

Just don't beat yourself up, if you were trying something else new... golf, horseback riding, a new job, you'd never expect yourself to be perfect the first time out (or the first year out!) so give yourself the same leeway with Celiac. It really does get easier as you adjust.

Susan

I'm on Cape Cod and I have to drive to Hingham to hit the Whole foods there. I agree most Stop and Shops in MA have a fairly good gluten-free section but Whole Foods beats them by a mile. I use am up in Hingham every week to 10 days and the shopping center that the Whole Foods is in (Derby Street Shops) is great! Its got a ton of good stores from Kohls to a full Crate and Barrel and some nice clothing botiques too and there is a Baja Fresh there and I've eaten there twice now and have not been glutened (you have to choose carefully and I go early before its got the lunch crowd).

Welcome to Ma!

Susan

I understand that the list in all in fun, and I also understand that the 2 people that got a little testy apologized....... all really good things so....

I hate that on the internet you write something with one intention and people "jump" on it without even asking questions about it. I often have to do so much defending and explaining!

I don't hate much else.... after 11 years of being sick and finding out I have 2 illnesses to deal with I really made a huge effort to say "I love" more then I hate however with that in mind:

I hate that my boyfriend lives 800 miles away (so many frequent flyer miles however)

I hate the angst my 14 year old daughter goes thru so often.

That's it (for now!)

Susan

Keep in mind that not everybody "comes around". I usually say to people that I have Celiac and its like being severly allergic to wheat and gluten. I stress severly. Most people leave it at that. Obviously my friends and family know more about Celiac and some accept it, some don't. I honestly don't care if they do or not. I do and thats what counts. Its sad when people close to us don't seem to "get it" I can't explain why that is but it seems that most of us on this list know at least one or two (or 5 or 10) people just like that. I think we just have to assume the not getting it part is their problem. I'm still friends with the people I know that don't get it, but I manipulate situations so I don't have to worry about their not getting it. Either I choose where we eat or they come to my house for meals.

Susan

I've eaten at Braintree, Boston Copley Place, Boston prudential, Boston Park Square, Chestnut Hill and at Legal's in Palm Beach and I've never had a problem (all of them are a hike for me, I'm on the cape, but I travel for food!). I'm certainly going to avoid Peabody! Thanks for the heads up.

Susan

Well it is difficult to change life long eating habits, without a doubt. And quite honestly I don't know what will make it happen for you or easier. Everyone has their own levels of "addiction" I guess. I have 2 friends that still smake (well 1 now) and they have both smoked for over 20 years and using the same program 1 quit the very first try and the other just can't, she has tried everything. She doesn't have in herself the resolve. She has 2 beautiful young children to live for and just can't do it.

I personally lived with the runs and feeling terrible for such a long time that once I found out what was wrong with me, I changed how I eat overnight. And in a year and 7 months there has been no cheating. I just never want to feel so awful again.

I lived on sourdough and rye bread and pasta, the change was huge for me. However now I'm in Ursula's boat, I'm allergic to so many foods now and I have so many intollerences to various foods that there isn't a lot I can eat. And its made plain old Celiac look so easy!

I'm not knocking any of you that won't follow the diet... however its my understanding that following it 95% isn't going to help you, you will still have damaged intestines... its 100% or nothing. I wish I could send you a dose of my will power but all my willpower came from feeling normal again (believe me if I had willpower I would have this 10 lbs to lose, the same 10 lbs I've lost a bazillion times before)

Susan

I'm sorry, you're wrong I'm Anna's greatest fan ( ) I've not tried the yeast free one either.

Susan

I love Bonefish too, I've never had a problem them but I go over everything when I order and when the food is delivered. I agree that the staff there has been briefed on gluten issues, every time I've ever been in a Bonefish they have always known about gluten-free.

Susan

Will you please let us know how this turns out for you. I'm still amazed, since this thread started I've eaten at Legal 2 more times and ate the other day at a Baja Fresh and I was fine. Maybe I'm very lucky. I know I'm still a big reactor because about a week ago, don't ask me what I was thinking but I grabbed a goldfish cracker that my daughter was eating (I was helping with homework) and as usual I got sick as a dog.

I guess no matter how careful you are, if you go out, your taking a risk.

Susan

I have bought the Life stream mesa sunrise waffles before and have eaten them with no problems, they say gluten free on them and have no warning about cross contamination.

Last time I was in the store they also had buckwheat waffles that said Gluten free and non gluten ingredients. I just ate 2 of them and my belly is making a little noise (which isn't really unusual) so that made me get up and check and the Buckwheat ones say made in a factory with gluten ingredients.

Has anyone had these before? Was I glutened?

Susan

I use Arrowhead Mills, I think I've read that people have had problems with their products before and I'm not sure why, the company is owned by Hain, and they label really well. I use it often with no problems. This is a link to the Arrowhead Mills web site specifically the Corn meal product and it clearly says Gluten free.

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Best, Susan

I fly constantly... at least a few times per month... and here is my best advice on getting a gluten-free meal. Order one ahead of time by calling the airline however, bring a full ration of food, snack bars, nuts if you can have them, cheese (which actually stays fresh at room temp for quite a while especially if its indivicually wrapped like the laughing cow cheese) and if you get a gluten-free meal then save some of the food you brought with you for another flight.

I've had experiences with gluten-free meals that range from just totally wrong, to ok... and all on the same airline, its really hit or miss.

Best, Susan

In my opinion its impossible for me to say I will or I won't. I take a wait and see attitude with this, however I travel all the time, a few times a month at least and I'd welcome something that I could take occasionally when I'm forced to eat in restaurants I'm not sure of. There have been a few times I've gotten gluten this way and I'm sick for a long time, really badly for a week and a funky stomach for 2 weeks. So if it was safe and if it worked I might use it for a stop gap measure.

After reading about wheat and how much its changed over 1000's of years (it in no way resembles the plant it use to be) I honestly don't feel its good for anyone. I'm happy with my celiac diet I eat much healthier then I ever did before. But again, if I could use something here and there it would be nice.

I personally think that "soon" medical researchers will learn how to "turn off" our celiac gene. the advances being made in gene research has the potential to fix us. Now the question is: What does soon mean? I don't think it means next year or even 5 years from now, but I do believe its in my lifetime (I'm 51).

Best, Susan

If you live near a metro area you should be able to find an asian area, Boston has "chinatown" and its filled with Asian markets and restaurants (and a few sex shops, herbal places, etc). If your area has even a small asian population there is almost always a market somewhere that serves that population.

I've not had great luck at the markets however, yes I can get a few things like rice flour there cheaper (well sort of, I have to drive to Boston from Cape Cod first) but a lot of things did contain wheat and most of the store owners did not speak english. So I felt lost.

I love Whole Foods... yes its expensive but I drive to one place and am able to get almost everything I need, that really appeals to me. I know the meats there are good, all the beef sold in any Whole foods is grain fed, no drugs, hormones or antibiotics, same with the chicken, pork. They can track every single piece of beef by bar codes to a single cow (however because they are only grain fed there is little chance of something like mad cow). personally I'm willing to pay more for this sort of good stuff and for organic fruits and veggies. I feel blessed that right now I'm in a situation where I'm able to pay more.

Best, Susan

Excellent, thank you very much!!

Susan

I travel a lot and I tend to get behind in the posts. When I come back I'm often behind by 100's and 100's of messages and I really can't go back and read them all. So I want to mark the forum read, so when I log in it doesn't show that I have 700 messages to read. How can I do this.

So far it seems like unless I go to every single page (when I have 700 messages to read its like 18 pages) it won't mark them as read. Just visiting the forum isn't enough to start me back at zero, I have to visit each page, there must be an easier way, right?

For the record, I am signed in.

Susan

On top of gluten being out, I can't have tomatoes, peppers, green beans, squash or peanuts, I'm quite allergic to all of them. I have mild reactions to: lettuce, apple banana, beef, chicken, corn, egg, orange, potato, soy, tuna yeast, these I can eat infrequently and I will have a mild reaction.

Susan

Travel sized servings:

This page of the Gluten free pantry has Annie's dressings in travel size (at end of page)

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A lot of travel sizes, I heard they are going to carry gluten-free soy sauce soon. (I bought my Annie's salad dressings here but they are no longer on the web site... at least I couldn't find them)

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Hope this helps a little bit

Susan

I have not tried it but I eat artichokes like 4 times a week, I love them dipped in butter. I hope it counts that way!

Susan

Your 10 year old brother is a genius!

Like other dog crazy people my dogs have a web site. Have that adorable brother of yours look it!

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Susan

Well my travel tips are: check out the restaurants in the area you are staying BEFORE you get down there, you can find a lot of info on the internet and locate the chains near you that do gluten-free, have their addresses and phone numbers written down. I often call them or e-mail them prior to getting down there.

I buy small travel packages of gluten-free salad dressing so I can pretty much eat salad anywhere.

I always travel with a small carry on bag and pack in a few various gluten-free type power bars (like lara or whatever you like), cheese, a few gluten-free cookies. (bring enough of this for the return trip) Very little food at airports I consider safe, when I was traveling last month at least 2 of the airports i was in didn't even have a safe salad, they came with the crutons already on them!

I carry gluten-free soy sauce then I can eat sushi.

Have fun, Susan

Hi I'm in Marstons Mills!

Susan!

No

Cape Cod, USA