MrsVJW

Bambora is a brand out of Australia, and it's made from grapes, not grain. And it's not as expensive as potato vodka usually is.

I've been glutened so many times by TJ's "no gluten ingredients used" products I've stopped shopping there. The problem is that they have to re-package all the food into the TJ-specific packaging... something may not have gluten in it, but something they packaged right before that may have had gluten in it.

I know a lot of pizza places are starting to offer gluten-free crusts, but I'm careful and I usually e-mail or talk with them before ordering, and usually left uneasy enough I won't order a pizza from them (my favorite response to all my questions - "Our gluten-free pizza is gluten-free"). I was happy to see that my former local pizza place - Pizza Bella...

Buns grilled on the same grill... it may not have even been a dirty grill, it may have just been breadcrumbs flyin' around. (Grilled and toasted bread usually means it makes even more crumbs) A couple months back the husband and I were in Vegas and we went to Fatburger - I ordered a bunless burger and it came, of course, on a bun (I have eaten safely...

Even natural sugars can mess you up... I started having blood sugar drops a couple months back, and I suspect the Larabars I was using at the time to try and make sure I was eating enough food did not help things. Yes, they are all natural and gluten-free, but are still pretty high in sugar. Beans and nuts have been my friends the past two months. A...

I've had minor reactions to Five Guys before (I have skin allergy and digestive reactions to minuscule amounts of gluten) and I've noticed it usually tends to be when I have my burger loaded up with other toppings. No "all the way" for me... either plain burger or plain cheeseburger - our Five Guys is close so I usually bring it home and load up my own sauces...

If the place has a gluten-free menu, always, always, always ask to see it, even if you know it by heart. When ordering, I usually also tend to throw the phrase "gluten-free" around - "I'll take the gluten free XXX..." and if there are instructions about how to order (order without the bun, order without the bread, etc.) I'll repeat those to the server too...

I've been doing better by making sure that I focus on "good carbs"... for me, that has been a lot beans, veggies, etc. Avoiding the "white" grains - even white rice is really not my friend. And yes, making sure every meal has a good balance of fat/protein/carbs. I do keep some fresh squeezed/no sugar added OJ by the bed for nighttime crashes - but I am...

I know everything I've read describes a "crash" as down to 70... I get down to the mid 80s and I feel terrible. Last night, it was at 80 when I measured, and I was having trouble just trying to get to the kitchen to get myself some food (snacks will be carried upstairs tonight!). Going to try an Extend low-carb bar as my pre-bedtime eats tonight, see if...

So.... been dealing with episodes of regular hypoglycemia and reactive hypoglycemia for about a month - it started when I went off all grains/refined carbs. I have tried adding some back to see if that made any difference, it really does not. Thankfully, I have a good doc who was willing to hook me up with a glucose meter and told me to test and take notes...

If it's an allergy reaction, you may also have issues with oats. My issues are allergy-related, and I have problems with even the certified gluten-free oats and oat flours. However, if it is a gluten-free facility that also produces oats and oat flours, it's not as big of a deal for me.

The cupcakes thing would make me a little angry. That's why most places I've seen that offer gluten-free items buy them from a dedicated gluten-free bakery. I do understand that some places don't have the space to have a special area for just gluten-free food prep, but as long as the place is usually clean and they do other things right (change gloves...

One reason they may not understand... wheat is not as big of a part of the Indian diet. Yes, they use it for some things, but it's also not a cooking culture that uses wheat flour as a thickener in sauces, etc. Usually the only time I *can* participate in work functions is when we are doing Indian food. That said, wheat flour can sometimes sneak in due...

I've got problems with oats, so I've always had reactions to Lundberg's products. I used to not react to RiceSelect products... but that has changed recently and I now have them on the "no-no" list for myself. I really find I have far fewer issues with non-US products a lot of times... my current brands of rice are the JFC Internation/Dynasty brands...

Amy's does also make a gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free frozen mac & cheese that is pretty good (well, as good as something missing all that can be!). Not cheap, but it does the trick for times when you just want some mac & cheese and don't want to make it yourself.