Can you trust it?

Having celiac, trust is something I think about often.

Can I trust the local taqueria where I have eaten countless times, to get it right again?

Can I trust my friend who vowed they only used gluten-free ingredients?

Can I trust the gluten-free items sold at the local farmers market without a list of ingredients attached?

Can I trust the caterer who says he is knowledgeable in the gluten-free diet?

Hmm......this is a tough one.  After several years with celiac, I have decided the risk is not worth getting sick.  I will avoid most situations to avoid that horrible feeling that happens after I accidentally ingest gluten...or the vomit extravaganza that is sure to follow.  Not to mention the damage it is doing to my body.  Not worth it!

It can quickly become a sticky situation, because you don't want to offend people, yet your health has to come before other's feelings.  I am sure I have insulted friends and family who really tried to go out of their way for me, but at the end of the day.....I can deal with that. What I cannot deal with is getting sick, and then not being able to function for my family, or myself.

You may ask...."why would my friends be offended if they know I have celiac, they should be understanding, right?"  Yes, you would think this, and I really do hate to hurt someone's feelings or make them feel like their efforts were not worth it, but let's look at a few examples, and then you tell me how you would handle it...

1. Dinner at friend's house.  They talk to you beforehand about what you can/can't eat.  When you arrive, they tell you they researched it, and are so proud of the efforts they made so you could all eat the same thing.  You then ask the prerequisite questions about what ingredients were used down to the spices.  Unfortunately, you find out they missed one.  They used soy sauce.  They didn't know that was even a consideration for containing gluten.  You thank them profusely for trying, but politely decline the soy sauce laden item.  You know your friend feels awful, but what can you do?

2. Friend bakes special treat just for you.  You have a friend who is excited to try out the gluten-free diet themselves, so they start experimenting with new recipes and alternative flours.  They tell you they came up with this fabulous new treat, it only contains X flour.  It sounds safe.  But you also know this person handles a lot of gluten in their kitchen on a daily basis, and don't feel completely safe eating something made in that environment.  They are excited to try the gluten-free diet, but they won't suffer if they make a mistake. You will.  You are grateful for their effort, but again...what do you do?

3. Dinner party catered by a someone knowledgeable in allergies/gluten-free diet.  A close friend organizes a dinner party, and instead of cooking the food themselves, hires a caterer.  Friend knows there are various allergies and dietary needs, so feels this will be best solution  in handling that situation.  After arriving, you talk to caterer personally, and he tells you the ingredients in everything he made, and points out what is safe.  Seems to be knowledgable.  Then we get to desserts and caterer points out the gluten-free items...yet, they sit on the same plate as the gluten-filled items.  You try to just avoid the dessert area, but eventually the caterer brings them to you and asks you to try them. You tell caterer you don't feel comfortable about them being on the same plate.  Caterer tells you to take one from the middle of the gluten-free side.  You still don't feel comfortable.  If serving them was not handled properly, what else was not handled properly the kitchen when preparing them?  You continued to decline and the caterer was clearly annoyed.  What would you do?

I am sure the I could come up with endless examples, but these are some situations that stick out from recent months.

What sticky situations have you encountered?

Dunkin' Donuts gluten-free options, yay or nay?

Earlier this year Dunkin' Donuts announced it would be testing some gluten-free products in a few of it's stores, and now it looks as if by the end of the year, we can expect to see them nationwide at their stores.  They will be offering gluten-free cinnamon sugar donuts and gluten-free blueberry muffins that are baked in a dedicated facility and individually packaged to avoid cross-contamination.

After reading Gluten Dude's post this morning, I am in full agreement... I just don't see this as exciting, at least not to me personally. I get it, there are people out there jumping for joy, and I can see how it would be great for special occasions, or for children who are no longer told they can't eat anything there when other kids are able to indulge.  Or when your child is at a birthday party watching all of the other kids enjoying donuts.  Sure, the donuts may not be warm and freshly baked, but they are something.

But will you eat them?

I won't.

Maybe, when I was first diagnosed, I would have been in the excited club,  and ran over to Dunkin' Donuts to try one, but not now.  Mainly, I didn't go to Dunkin' Donuts before I was diagnosed with celiac, so why would I go now?  I don't need to be adding something packed with calories, and non-pronounceable ingredients which I wasn't eating in the first place.

And, let's talk a little bit about the calories.... gluten-free items are often higher in fat and sugar so that they can keep up with the gluten-filled counterparts in taste and texture, and this is definitely true with the Dunkin' Donuts offerings.  The cinnamon sugar donut will be packed full with 320 calories, which is more than their gluten-filled glazed donuts (260 calories)!  Their blueberry muffin will contain 400 calories!  I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a deal for me.  That's a meal's worth or non-nutritious calories.

I have read several announcements online about this new introduction to the gluten-free world, and what gets me, is when the media makes Dunkin' Donuts out to be offering healthier options.  This is misleading.  Call it what it is...yes, they are providing options for those who are gluten-free, and kudos for that!  But, this is not a healthier option.  These items are still packed full of sugar, fats and non-pronounceable ingredients, so they can stay "fresh" in their plastic packaging.

The most important thing to realize is that, yes, celebrities might be touting the gluten-free "diet" as a way to loose weight.  The new gluten-free donut and muffin at Dunkin' Donuts will not help you loose weight like a celebrity, or even a non-celebrity for that matter.

Is it nice to have a gluten-free alternative when everyone else at the office or a birthday party is able to dig into that warm, jelly-filled donut...sure it is!  I am not denying that one bit.  But, if you weren't going to eat it before, why would you eat it now.

What are your thoughts on Dunkin' Donuts new gluten-free menu items?  Yay, or nay?

Are the trendies giving gluten-free a bad name?

We all know how "gluten-free" is a buzz word now.  It seems it is easier than ever to find "gluten-free" labeled packaging at the local grocery store chain.  Restaurants are labeling more food "gf" to try and attract more customers.  But is this helping us?  Or is it making more people just roll their eyes?

I get so excited when I see places near me offering "gluten-free" donuts, or "gluten-free" fries, or "gluten-free" pizza, and when anything on their menu is specifically labeled gluten-free.  It gets me giddy with excitement, even if I wouldn't normally eat a donut, or fries.  I like to know if I want them, I can have them.    But then when it comes down to it, and I am at the restaurant and I ask if their menu items are really gluten-free, and fried in a dedicated fryer, I get a response that is more and more common lately: "No, we do not use a dedicated fryer.  Our gluten-free items are not appropriate for people who must be gluten-free, or who have celiac."  I want to say a big...What the F*&k!!??? Seriously??????!!!!

Yes, you heard that correctly...I am told, they are not for people who actually *need* to be gluten-free. Well, wow.  So, basically, these places are printing up these menus, putting efforts into social media and marketing for those that are gluten-free by choice, not those of us who are gluten-free because it is medically necessary.  And apparently, these restaurant owners don't mind.  So, when I go to a restaurant now and see the lovely "gf" or whatever symbol they are using to denote a dish is gluten-free, do I believe it?

I mean really, people who are gluten-free because it is the "in" thing, because they want to stay away from carbs....are they the ones who are really ordering donuts and fries?? I can't imagine someone who is gluten-free because it is trendy eating food like this. They would be ordering a salad, and grilled fish....gluten-free, maybe, but not ordering some item using replacement flours.

And because of so many people wanting to eat gluten-free, when I am ordering at a restaurant, how do I know people will take me seriously when I say I need to eat gluten-free.  Maybe they will roll their eyes and think I am like all the other people doing it for fun.  Now, I feel I must say I have an allergy, so it is taken seriously.  Do servers need to think we will go into shock when ingesting gluten to be taken seriously, and that we are not just following some fad because it is fashionable?

Is it fair that anyone can slap a gluten-free label on their menu?

When you see a menu item labeled as gluten-free, do you feel safe, or do you feel you need to investigate just a little bit more?

Do you think the gluten-free craze it helping to bring awareness, or do you think it is a hinderance on the people who really need to be gluten-free to be healthy?

Return to being meat-free?

(I am going to ask for comments at the end, so please be prepared to write something)

Yesterday was a very lazy Saturday, so lazy that I never got out of my pajamas or even put in my contacts.  Z was feeling blah, so it was an excuse to stay in, catch up on reading, work on some crafty fun, and watch some movies.

We watched the 80s classic, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, which Z got a real kick out of.  She loved the clothes and the hair.  And I will admit I loved it as much as I did when I saw it in the cinema in 1985, Z saw it as an old-fashioned version of the series Shake it Up!  After the fun 80s nostalgia, I decided to watch something a bit more "educational", and put on the documentary Vegucated, which promotes a vegan lifestyle.

Vegucated is like many other documentaries I have seen before on the benefits of being meat-free and the atrocious treatment of animals.  I assume it is kind of preaching to the choir, because die hard meat and potato eaters will probably not be swayed. I love it, but I am sure there are many who would not consider to watch it as they are flipping through Netflix.

I was a vegetarian for almost 5 years after I had my daughter, though I did eat fish once in a while, so technically, I guess you can say I was a pescatarian.  After I was diagnosed with celiac, I gradually started eating bits of meat here and there.  It started because I would be at parties and BBQs, and there was very little to eat unless I brought my own food, so I ate a bratwurst here, some smoked turkey there.  From then on out, I probably eat meat about once every two weeks.  So compared to people who can't fathom a meatless meal, it is still relatively little, but I am still eating it.  Z likes meat and sees it as a treat, so about once a month I will make pork carnitas, meatballs, tacos or chili.

I try to stay on the periphery of the grocery store, and try to limit the buying of processed food items.  When Z asks for a snack, I give her fresh cut fruit, or yogurt.  Though, she won't refuse cheddar bunnies (who would?)  I try to visit farmers markets as much as I can, and I buy my meat at Whole Foods, which makes me feel like I am getting "happy" meat, but really, how "happy" and humane is it?

In the documentary Vegucated, what stuck with me most was a a scene where someone called an organic meat company asking how the animals were treated, how the cows were castrated, what happened to animals who were sick, how they killed animals...and guess what??  It wasn't much different that conventional methods!!  Animals are not given painkillers, they are killed with metal rods through their brain, baby boy chicks are killed alive, because they are not needed, chickens beaks are burned down, and I could go on and on...but you get the point.

Many of us have seen something like this before, and we know in our subconscious what really happens, but we try and push it out of our minds, because hey...we like bacon, we like pot roast, we like our Thanksgiving turkey.  And I do too!  I am not trying to pretend I don't.

So, how do we know if a small, organic farm is actually small enough that they treat the animals humanely?

I don't think I could be completely vegan, I do love yogurt and eggs, and while I know these animals are also included in the group above, I am just not sure it is realistic for me to think I could cut out all animal-based foods.  But, I have cut out meat before, so I know I could do it.

I know if I could go completely gluten-free there is really no other eating habit I could not accomplish.  In the past couple of months, I have cut out many of the processed foods I was still holding onto. I have cut out pasta, bread, crackers, chips (of course I may have an occasional chip at a party), cut down on tofu to once a week, even rice, which I love!  I always say I could live on rice and cheese, risotto is my favorite all time food, but I have stayed away from rice since March. And just a side note..cutting out these foods, finally allowed me to shed some pounds! Whoo hoo!

I am still baking...but I am giving it away, and not eating it.  I realized, I just love the act of baking.  And I am holding onto our traditional of Sunday pancakes.

But the focus of this post is meat, and how I really want to cut it out.  I don't think I would have a problem with it if I know it is form a humane, local farm, but I don't want to eat it otherwise.  I feel I am already very conscious about the food I buy (I try not to buy conventional veggies from outside the US), but I am going to be even more so (and buy more organic veggies/fruit that are from Georgia and the Southeast).

Please don't think I wrote this post to be preachy, it is just really a stream of consciousness about my own thoughts about meat and cheese.  I feel I have lots of research I need to do, before I know what really is "happy" meat, and does it even exist outside of me hunting and killing it myself?

I am very curious to know the thoughts of others?  How do you feel about meat?  What is most important to you regarding what you eat?  Please post your honest comments.  Thanks!!

I guess this means I am an official Atlantan!

I have now been in the dirty South for three months and we love it! I must admit, I was a bit nervous moving down here...after living in Chicago for ten years and feeling at home there, it was a bit nerve-wracking thinking about how we would feel once we got here. So, why did we pick up and move when we lived in a fabulous city with an amazing lakefront and skyline? The bottom line is that I missed my family and the Arctic winters were getting old.

And we love it more than we ever imagined we would. We ended up in the most perfect neighborhood and it gets better everyday. Z's school is great, the scenery is beautiful and eating gluten-free is pretty fun and easy. We live right intown and while it seems we live in a nice green, quite pocket of the city, we are also very close distance to anything we want or need. I love that right at this very moment, I am looking out my window into the fall-colored woods that surround our house, and watching two squirrels chase each other around a tree. The squirrels rule our yard!

That is not say I don't miss Chicago, I do! I miss my friends, I miss the beautiful architecture, I miss the city streets, I miss my favorite gluten-free cupcakes...but we are ready for this new adventure, with our wonderful memories of Chicago intact.

As a result of this big life-changing move, it only seems right to transfer my Examiner writing gig from Chicago to Atlanta. My Chicago articles will remain as they are, but now I will be writing about all the fun things I find in Atlanta. My focus will be intown Atlanta and Decatur, as well as interviewing local Atlantans about living gluten-free. I would love to hear any feedback and suggestions.

There is a permanent link to my Examiner site on the right of this blog, but you can also follow this link. Along with writing for Examiner, I will also continue to write for Celiac-Disease.com and my own blog.

Thanks for reading!

Would the planet implode??

Do you ever have those moments you just want to take a bite....you have something that smells so good literally inches from your face, you just want to remember what the texture and the flavor is like? Would sirens suddenly sound, would the world look different, would Doctor Who come and save me with his Tardis and sonic screwdriver?

Obviously I know what would happen, I would feel like crap. I would be in the fetal position in my covers in bed in tears. And let me preface by saying, I would NEVER actually give in to it, but it doesn't mean I don't wonder. It is bizarre when you think about it, that we are told that we can never eat a certain type of food ever again. After almost 36 years of eating a certain way and BAM....it is banned, it is contraband, it is poison to my body. But I can have the occasional dream, can't I?

Yesterday as I was picking up Z from school, she had some homemade cookies given to her for someone's birthday. As I was buckling her in, she had one in her hand and was about to take a bite. It could not have been more than 2 inches from my nose...I could smell the cookie smell and see the texture that all gluten-free cookies strive for. Part of me wanted to snatch it in my mouth like a wild animal just to see if I could even remember what a wheat cookie tasted like.

But like a sitcom, I only imagined the wild animal part and then was brought back to my senses and reality. My daughter is such a good girl that she left her cookie in the car since she knows I do not like gluten items in the house. I am so lucky to have such a supportive husband and daughter. They sure help make this easier than it could be and for that I am eternally grateful.

And why is that people call gluten-based foods the "normal" food. Like "it tastes just like a real bagel!" or "I made pancakes that tasted like normal pancakes!" Who determines which ones are the normal and real ones? Is there a committee?? Can I be on it?? Maybe the "normal" or "real" food is what we eat and the gluten-filled foods are striving to be as good as our food.

I am going to go enjoy another Udi's blueberry muffin, because you know what...they are better than the "normal" ones!

Happy Earth Day!