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Thanks For The Replies All!

@Adalaide You make a fantastic point about wiping down all areas of possible contamination and about keeping very specific tupperware for gluten free foods. The later had crossed my mind as the first cross contamination experience I had (before I realized cross contamination was even an issue) was from eating cereal out of a plastic bowl that my old roommate used to use for baking. Minutes later I felt like crap and went to google and was devastated when I realized my whole kitchen was a gluten bomb due to the excessive baking of my old roommate. Gave the stove, countertops, cabinet doors a good scrub. I'll probably look into getting some form of disposable handy wipes, to avoid possibly sharing a dish rag. I imagine someone even eating a few daily slices of wheat toast could leave crumbs/residue on frequently touched surfaces.

@Flowerqueen Thanks for the warning about salmonella. I'm totally clueless so its something for me to research. Generally I the only leftovers I have refrigerated (other than rice) are what I cooked the day before. Fish/Chicken/Turkey cooked for dinner eaten with breakfast and mixed vegetables cooked for dinner eaten with lunch.

For Clarification Grandma is 85, and Grandpa passed away at 86 less than a year ago. He grew quite senile and deteriorated over a period of time. Grandma was working overtime to take care of him, with help only two days out of the week. Not enough help to housekeep & look after herself. ie throw out aging food & keep the kitchen uncluttered/organized.

Convincing her to clean out the fridge + freezer might prove to be somewhat difficult. She hates wasting food. I realize that she's used to taking care of herself in her own way and that this is a routine that keeps her going. The last thing I want to do is to impose myself onto her. However, I REALLY want to be the one responsible for washing dishes, cooking, storing food, and cleaning up. I think it would be best for both of us.

Convincing her that the gluten free diet is more than just a fad diet is going to be hard. I printed her out some information for her to read through ASAP and she put it to the side to read later. She read the first page and then told me to get tested. Try again tomorrow. I'm here for the holidays and don't move in until February but every morning has been a tummy ache to varying degrees. I figure I'm not celiac+ or I'd be dead by now =P.

Here's to a Gluten Free new year!

Due to numerous circumstances I have been forced to start living with my grandmother.

I need to save the money, but more importantly, SHE NEEDS HELP.

Not only is only is her home in general disarray (a nightmare for the design major)

But I have become very concerned about the food she eats, how she prepares/cooks the food, and how she stores the leftovers. I'll get to how these things affect my IBS + Digestive issues later.

These things complicate and conflict with my gluten free diet, and ultimately I would like to try to convince her to make the switch.

I have been completely gluten free since september 2012, and had reduced my gluten intake since july 2012.

Since going gluten free I have found that I also am sensitive to many different foods.

Eggs and Peanut Butter make my stomach cramp and causes constipation,

Corn and Potato make my throat dry and causes brain fog/dizziness.

Foods containing processed ingredients are to be avoided for obvious reasons related to the above.

Milk and Butter don't seem to be a problem. But I still try to avoid

My Grandmothers children (and several of her grand children) each display symptoms of food sensitivity.

Her first daughter (my mother) has had kidney stones, a gallbladder attack, and emotional outbreaks.

Her second daughter has severe arthritis.

Her son has terrible acid reflux.

She, herself, remains more or less convinced that has no sensitivities and that her stomach can withstand nearly anything.

I'm unconvinced and very skeptical of this notion.

She has had a terrible cough since her mid/late 20's. A strange respiratory problem that has never ceased.

She complains about her arthritic knee.

Today when we finished with dinner she mentioned felt really tired. While she just finished getting over a fever that lasted a week, her dinner included breaded fried chicken, and she seemed to be full of energy before the meal.

She eats things that I can't eat.

She prepares food and I have to be extremely vigilant to avoid major cross contamination.

She cooks most vegetables to the point where they become discolored and slightly mushy.

Finally, this is the part that disturbs me & my intestines the most.

She stores leftovers in the refrigerator by either

A. Wrapping it up in tin foil or wax paper

B. Leaving it in an OPEN pot, bowl, or Tupperware

In addition…

Many of the items in the freezer suffer from severe freezer burn.

especially the red meat for which she uses to make stew.

MY QUESTIONS FOR THE FORUM:

A. What is your experience/opinion of dehydrated leftovers and freezer burned foods?

-- I refuse to eat leftovers after 2.5 days max provided they are in a sealed bag or plastic tub. Brown rice is an exception, 7 days max.

-- I do not eat freezer burned food.

B. How can I convince my grandma and my acid reflux uncle to go gluten free as a means of improving their overall health and well being?

-- Avoiding cross contamination seems next to impossible in a wheat eating household. While I don't think I'm a super sensitive celiac, I'm concerned about ANY trace amounts of gluten sneaking into my body. It is poisonous. I probably have to consider getting my own toaster oven or no longer eating gluten-free bread.

-- The Green Revolution took place in their lifetime. Mankind has lived for roughly 200,000 years and has only eaten from the monoculture for the past 60.

-- Any links to websites/resources explaining/summarizing the relationship between gluten, health problems, agricultural revolution, economy, politics, etc.

-- Anything that establishes context for the human/animal diet and its relationship to history + evolution.

-- Gluten horror stories are also great.

Thanks for reading and responding!