Health Troubles

So, I am curious as to how others are doing in their journey of being Gluten Free.  It's been almost 3 years since I was diagnosed with Celiac disease and I have had my share of bad reactions in my attempt  to eat healthy and heal my intestines.

I've found that eating and preparing my food at home is best for me, but it gets pretty boring and I still want to be able to eat out with friends and family socially.  I have the best friends and family, though, always being so understanding in my need to select restaurants who have gluten free options.

Despite my best efforts, I have still found myself facing contamination in my meals.  My symptoms have worsened in the reactions.  My last major contamination was at a top Dallas area restaurant, one where we made reservations a week prior notifying them of my need to be gluten free and after ordering my meal off the gluten free menu!!!!  And, best of all, it was my birthday dinner!!  There was no visible bread crumb, crouton, piece of crust, or other glutenous crumble on the plates.  I was sick rather quickly, throwing up in the car during the 12 minute drive home.  Thankfully, I had a plastic Target bag in the car to purge into.  I spent the next two hours in pain, and expelling excrement from nearly every crevice of my body.  My temperature was high too, I had to soak in a cold tub for 1 hour to calm everything down and then I went to sleep.  Thank God my husband was there to help me travel from the toilet to the tub and keep me safe during the ordeal.  I love him!!!  I almost didn't go to work the next day but did not want to use a vacation day.  Luckily, it was a slow day at work so I had a little bit of rest and downtime.

The week after my "glutenized" dinner, I had an appointment with my new Primary doctor.  I went out for bloodwork and the results came back reflecting a low Vitamin B12, low Vitamin D, and low folic acid.  Malabsorption at it's best!  Of course this explained why I've been so tired!!  B12 is an essential vitamin and having Celiac disease prevents absorption of nutrients.  I requested to have B12 injections and my doc agreed to once a week injections for 4 weeks followed by labwork.  All I can say is I wish I could have B12 injections indefinitely!!!  I felt more energetic and actually lost a couple of pounds and inches.  It was glorious!  My bloodwork came  back fine, so now I'm taking oral B12 sublingual vitamins.  I miss my injections. :(

Recently, I tried another 30 days of following the Paleo diet.   I'm a big fan of it, although I miss gluten free junk food.  Overall, sticking to basic foods is best for me.  I've had reactions lately to rice, beans, and corn after being on Paleo.  I suspect my gut is still in need of healing and these foods can cross react like gluten.  I've also given up coffee after reading an article that states coffee can mimic gluten and cause a similar inflammatory cascade.  Since I've given up coffee, I have definitely noticed a decline in my abdominal bloating.

What health issues have you been facing?  What options have your doctors suggested?  Do you take supplements?  What's your favorite or most affordable (and gluten free--safe) vitamin brand?  Please share any health concerns you've had related to Celiac, DH, or other IBDs.

This pic is me before my reaction hit on my birthday dinner.  Note the flourless chocolate cake, flour less creme brûlée, and plain vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce (yes, I shared with my husband).

Gluten and Allergen Free Expo- Dallas 2012

Howdy!!  It has been a while since I've posted.  Life has been crazy and busy and my plans to be more up to date had been temporarily stalled.  I will post more often now that things have been calming down a bit.

A few highlights for 2012:

• I was married in May (gluten free wedding planning...will post on this later)
• We moved into a house in June
• Hubby and I are working like crazy trying to get established in our 2nd career.
• Maintaining a house and a household of precious feline children.

The list is short, but the tasks are way more taxing than they may appear.

Anyhow, enough with the excuses...

So, last weekend I volunteered to help at the Gluten and Allergen Free Expo in Dallas.  I attended the Expo last year and enjoyed the taste testing the various samples from the participating vendors.  This year I decided to hep out and am glad I did.  I was able to meet Jen Cafferty, who is the brainpower and energy behind the Expos as well as a well-known blogger (http://gfreelife.com) I follow and many other local gluten free patrons.  It is truly a chance to meet your Gluten Free Heroes, those who bake and distribute gluten free goodies that make life more palatable.  I definitely recommend everyone who needs to be gluten free attend an Expo near you.  There are several planned for the upcoming year, to include San Francisco, CA on Feb 9-10, 2013; Des Moise, IA on April 6-7; Chicago, IL April 20-21, 2013; Meadowlands, NJ, September 7-8, 2013; and again in Dallas, TX on October 26-27, 2013.  It's quite empowering to be around so many people who enjoy the same foods and share the same struggles of living gluten free.  It's great knowing you can eat just about ANYTHING there because it is safe to eat!!!

One suggestion is for you to pay a little extra to enter the Expo an hour earlier than the official start time.  The Expo gets BUSY and crowded, so having the vendors to yourself for a whole hour prior to the crowds helps you eat and chat with minimal stress and distraction.  Unfortunately, at the end of my volunteer shift, the crowds were massive.  I sampled a few things and left, I was overwhelmed by the droves of people.  I hope to enjoy some cooking classes next year and review them as well.

Here I am in the blue hoodie (on the right) collecting tickets at the entry "prepaid" line.

For more info about the G&AF Expo, see Gluten and Allergen Free Expo

Restaurant Review: Gripe

Today, I ordered from Greenhouse Restaurant and Bar in Denton, TX.  I ordered a gluten free meal, verbalized to the person taking my order that the meal was to be gluten free.  The side dish consists of tortilla chips and the woman taking my order advised me the chips were not gluten free. I opted for a baked potato w/everything, hold the sour cream.  She asked what salad dressing I would like and I picked the the kiwi mango.  I was advised the order would be ready in 20 minutes.  I have ordered from here a few times, and they usually get everything right.

Now, I work 8-5 in a clinic, so going out to pick up food is considered a luxury as my schedule is appointment based and if my patients need me between my 12-1 pm window of "lunch" I loose out on that coveted free time.  Today, I had an hour and change to enjoy.  So, I was very excited about delicious lunch.

I went to pick up the order and drove it to work.  Upon unpacking my meal, I found a side salad and flipped the lid to discover IT WAS SWIMMING IN CROUTONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thick chunks of fresh whole wheat bread, laden with glutenous poison engulfed the beautiful leaves of romaine lettuce and juicy-looking cherry tomatoes.  I was appalled!!!  I quickly called the restaurant to voice my complaints and concerns.  The lady I spoke to earlier answered the phone and after hearing my complaint, transferred me to the manager.  I spoke to the manager who quasi-apologized and offered to remedy  this by having me return for another side salad.  She said the salad maker put croutons on because that's "what they're used to doing."  I told her that maybe her staff needed a refresher on making gluten free food--- and even how to make sure gluten free food stays uncontaminated!!!  But, she stood her ground that if I wasn't able to come in now, she would put my name in that magical "manager's log" for a side salad to be ordered on a later date.  I appreciate the sentiment, but seriously???   This error deserved a free meal at least!

For a restaurant that advertises a gluten free menu and offers options in terms of substitutions, you would think they'd be more apologetic about making such a potentially damaging mistake.  I am so grateful they serve croutons the size of dominoes so that I refrained from eating it (as opposed to crumb-size croutons that aren't very visible at first glance).

I would not be so upset if I had not had a rather lengthy run of conversation with Rachel, who took my order, to discuss the gluten free sides.  Had I only ordered a side salad w/o croutons and sidelined the reason being that I have Celiac disease and cannot have gluten, would they have responded differently and told me, "well, you never said 'gluten free.'"

Having Celiac is so tough!!  This was one of the few fresh tasting, gluten free friendly restaurants I know of in this small town of Denton.  For the cost of the meal ($10.99 + tax + the $3.00 tip I left), I EXPECT my order to be just as I placed it.  I don't see myself going back there anymore.  I advise those who are gluten free in Denton pester the bejesus out of them when you go and repeatedly ask them to refrain from serving you anything that contains wheat, flour, bread, stock, gluten, batter, etc. and throw out the term "gluten free" and if you can, ask to watch how your food is prepared.   Oh, and my potato w/everything except sour cream, came without bacon (surprise...bacon probably costs more than the potato). 

Boo, Greenhouse.  I had so much hope for us.

Happy New Year!!!

I know I have been TERRIBLE at being timely and posting frequently.  I apologize wholeheartedly for not updating this blog with all the new knowledge of Gluten free recipes, restaurants, and other info.  I will resolve to post more this year.

I recently threw a Gluten Free New Year's Party.  Aside from my guests bringing their own snacks (gluten-filled crackers, beer, cupcakes, etc.), everything I cooked and baked was gluten-free and I got a few compliments and many couldn't tell items were gluten free!!!

I will be posting pictures and recipes in the next post.  You can use the ideas for your next gathering!

Until then, hope you had a safe and happy time ringing in the New Year!!!  May 2012 bring you much joy, peace, success, and health.

First Post!

Howdy!  My name is Jennifer and I started this blog a few months ago but haven't posted yet!!!  How shameful!!!  Actually, shortly after I purchased this site, I lost my job and have been a little pre-occupied getting my life together.  Things are crazy!!!!  I still am seeking a new job and hope to have one in the next month or so.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss gluten free living and how to live more healthily.  I want to know exactly what you have experienced: when were you diagnosed?  How long did it take to be diagnosed?  What were your symptoms?  How do you live gluten free?  What products do you prefer?  And, so on, and so forth.

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease almost 2 years ago and have been devoted to being gluten free ever since.  There have been some bad days---cross contamination, accidental gluten ingestion, and just lack of knowledge about what had gluten in it!  The truth is, gluten can be found EVERYwhere and in virtually any food product on the shelf and in many items served in a restaurant!

At first, and for the first 1.5 year, I was very, very scared of eating out.  I still fret, but have to do some research before going out to certain restaurants.  I'll write more about places to hit up and places to skip when dining gluten free.  I think my favorite way of eating is making my own food at home.  Unfortunately, I enjoy various cuisines and loved eating out.  I miss that greatly!!!  The spontaneity and ability to eat anything available at a restaurant is a once under appreciated luxury.  I think the healthiest way to approach this psychologically is to reflect upon the misery experienced by the pain of inflammation when I happen to ingest some gluten.  The recollection of that suffering reminds me why choosing and committing to living gluten free is the best solution, an absolute necessity, a way of loving my health, respecting my body, and the least I can do to heal from all the years of inflammatory damage.  A gluten-filled treat may be tasty short term, but it can send your body into an inflamed state for WEEKS!!!  How is gluten appealing at all????

So, stay tuned and keep me posted on your adventure in Gluten Free-dom!