NorthernElf

What gives ? The bag says gluten free but my intestinal tract says otherwise !

A few months ago I tried the (gluten free) BBQ flavor and next thing I knew I had headaches & gut cramps...ugh, just let me lie down & leave me alone.

So, I'm in Costco the other day and I see the baked plain Kettle chips and the bag says gluten free...so I think, well maybe it was something else or maybe it was the full fat chips. I so wanted to believe ! Anyway, I had a small bowl each of the last 3 nights and headaches and such resumed. Ok, so I'm a little slow, the reactions were mild enough but as I look back I see I wasn't good company the last 3 nights and my tummy has been grumpy...and I've taken a lot of Tylenol. This am it has hit me full force.

So...I'm thinking - either I'm really sensitive or the term "gluten free" is pretty loosely defined. Or Kettle chips just suck...

Anyone else have a similar experience with Kettle chips or other so called gluten-free products ? I know when I was in England last year I got hit by some of the "Free From" products...it was only after I was back home that I found out the level of tolerance (ppm of allowable gluten) was higher there.

I'm an older athlete...not sure I have any testimonials to include (diagnosed in my mid 30s). At any rate, I think one of the hardest things with dealing with celiacs is avoiding gluten everywhere. This may be especially hard for younger folks. I'm a lifeguard & I work with a lot of teens and people in their early 20s. I would imagine it would be hard to avoid gluten in social settings and pretty much just generally speaking. I bake a lot of my own stuff with gluten-free flours because I need energy and store bought stuff is even more expensive. I can't see many of those I work with doing so ! I would also imagine there could be some denial - or temptation to "just have a little bit".

Another good bit of info would be coping with glutening. What does an person do when they do make a mistake ??? What if they have an event or game and they have been glutened ? I know on the rare instances I get glutened and I have to go to work, I dose myself up with Pepto Bismol & tylenol or advil...helps a bit, makes it bearable. The athlete would also have to make sure they get some safe food (energy) and lots of fluids. I have a heck of a time eating after a glutening - anything dairy is offensive for a couple of days. I hate being nauseated AND hungry, but with all the activity I do, I still am hungry. Motivation would be an issue as well - glutening can wear you down.

On the bright side, lists of web sites and/or companies that provide gluten-free info and products would be helpful - general food and sports bars too (eg. Larabars or Mrs. May's nut bars). Portable food makes things easy - I would encourage any celiac to carry food with them everywhere to avoid the temptation to just grab a bite of something that "probably doesn't have gluten in it" simply because they are hungry. Of course food doesn't have to be premade and many foods are naturally gluten-free.