Please don't jump on the gluten-free bandwagon til you know what it means to be gluten free!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas, Hannukah, Solstice, and early Kwanzaa. Santa was better to me than I deserved. So was the Hard Rock Cafe Casino today. But I digress.

Today's post is a cautionary tale fueled by three episodes in the last month (OK, since the day after Thanksgiving). It's a sign of the gluten-free times. And I'm in a bit of a tither about it.

As I write this, my head is throbbing with a migraine headache, and my stomach is bloated and aching. My wrists are creaking, my knees are swollen...I won't tell you about the gastric symptoms....

For tonight I was glutened by an item on a gluten-free menu at a restaurant that advertises its gluten-free menu. Yeah, yeah, I know. eating out is risky. And know what? It's getting worse.

I warn you. This isn't a nice post at all. The names have been held to protect the criminals involved -- trust me when I say I have contacted each one...

I've seen this coming for a while now. Someone famous wrote a book about celiac disease and made the term "gluten free" a status symbol. Suddenly, people all over the WORLD are going gluten free (or some alphabet-soup variation of it) and boasting about it because they're going to get back in bikini size by eating gluten free.

Yeah. Right. I find folks on Twitter all the time saying, "I'm starting my gluten free diet tomorrow....but first I'm going to finish this bag of Oreos." Right, snowflake.

IMHO there are four groups of people who need a gluten-free diet. 1. People with celiac disease. 2. People with ANY FORM of gluten or wheat intolerance or the symptoms that accompany this. 3. People who have anaphylactic responses to wheat and gluten. 4. People who believe it lessens the results of autism on a child.

Because these are the people who go on a gluten-free diet strictly and STICK TO IT AND DO NOT CHEAT.

It is not a fad, and dag-nabbit, society has started treating it that way.

OK, so here's my rant du jour. This interest in gluten-free eating has sparked a sea of restaurants and products labeling themselves gluten free WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. And for those of us who suffer from the symptoms of an accidental glutening (as I do, with a vengeance,) this is UNFAIR! And I want you to stop.

PLEASE DON'T JUMP ON THE GLUTEN-FREE BANDWAGON TIL YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GLUTEN FREE!

Situation one: Day after Thanksgiving, we lunch at a BBQ place in the south with a big sign up about a gluten-free menu. I am happy. I order off same menu stressing NO BREAD SHALL TOUCH THE MEAT IN ANY WAY! Plate comes out with bread, which, when I protest, is plucked from the plate by waitress and handed to me. I explain the problem with this removal. She returns to the kitchen, and I'm pretty sure some guy on the line rinses it off and dunks it in sauce. Within 20 minutes of leaving, symptoms begin. I email twice, only to be told, "We just can't figure out how to notify the folks in back that it's gluten free." WTF? 2

PLEASE DON'T JUMP ON THE GLUTEN-FREE BANDWAGON TIL YOU (AND YOUR DESK STAFF)KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GLUTEN FREE!

2. I am at a wholesale outlet with a table of a vendor selling holiday candy and treats. BIG SIGN says gluten free on it. I look at one stack of products and it appears to be chocolate covered cookies. I walk around table and find a large package of CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS in the mix. Are these all gluten free? I ask. Yes, said demure woman trying to sell stuff. It can't be, I say, there is WHEAT FLOUR in this product right here. WELL, says demure woman, now getting testy with me, They're gluten free because that's what the sign says. Do you know what gluten free means? I ask. No, she said, I'm just telling you what they told me. Fine, says I, what is the phone number. And to them I shout,

PLEASE DON'T JUMP ON THE GLUTEN-FREE BANDWAGON TIL YOU (AND YOUR SALESWOMEN) KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GLUTEN FREE!

Cuz unless those pretzels are home made by me and hand dipped, there's no way....

3. Tonight. Been to this lovely Tampa establishment before. Jeffrey does not want beans with his tacos, so I ask for them on the side. They are clearly listed on GF menu I was presented. I have asked a million questions, our lovely server (really, it wasn't her fault at all) brings me beans and I eat three big bites. I TASTE BEER! I ask, do these pinto beans have beer in them? She says yes and removes them and we get a manager. He is VERY polite and lovely, and he understands the whole thing. But someone on his food line in the back DOES NOT get it, and he is the person I want to hurt right now (or make him hurt like I do). And I tell the very kind manager,

PLEASE DON'T JUMP ON THE GLUTEN-FREE BANDWAGON TIL YOU (ALL of YOU) KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GLUTEN FREE!

OK, seriously. Most people like to start new diets around the first of the year. On Jan. 1, or maybe Jan. 2, I bet hundreds of folks will decide for one reason or another to start a gluten-free diet. Please caution them all,

PLEASE DON'T JUMP ON THE GLUTEN-FREE BANDWAGON TIL YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GLUTEN FREE! And I mean REALLY all the time, 24/7, no cheating, no testing, no I'll start this tomorrow....

This ain't a casual fad. Please stop treating it that way. I'll love a restaurant and product much more for being HONEST. And for goodness sake, let's all say it together...

PLEASE DON'T JUMP ON THE GLUTEN-FREE BANDWAGON TIL YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE GLUTEN FREE!


(stepping off soapbox).
Much love,
Ging

Guest Post: 10 Important Facts about Celiac Disease and a Gluten-Free Diet

I am proud to call Sandra Robins, The Gluten-Free Optimist, (aka @marylandceliac) my friend, even though we've only met through Twitter and our blogs. Sandra is also the D.C. Gluten-Free Examiner. It was she who gave me the tip about GF Food at Harrah's, Atlantic City.

Today, she wrote this post in response to the recent broadcast of the Dr. Oz Show that discussed Celiac Disease with a newly diagnosed celiac. At the end of the show. Dr. Oz made the statement that someone who suspects Celiac disease "should go on the diet for three weeks and see if it's better, then get tested."

Rightfully, a large portion of the Celiac community is upset with this comment, as well as certain opinions shared as facts by the additional guest. For the record, folks: Blue Cheese is gluten free in most instances -- when in doubt, READ THE LABEL or CALL THE COMPANY.

But I digress.

I asked permission to reprint this here to remind anyone who needs information the truth about celiac disease.

I reprint it verbatim. Thanks, Sandra, for all you do.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

By The Gluten-Free Optimist:

10 Important Facts about Celiac Disease and a Gluten-Free Diet

1. Do not start a gluten-free diet until you have been tested for celiac disease (celiac panel blood test and endoscopy if necessary). Testing will not be accurate if you are already eating gluten-free. An endoscopy is necessary to confirm a diagnosis of celiac disease and sometimes to help interpret the results of the celiac panel blood test, which is not always accurate.

2. Many people who test negative for celiac disease are gluten sensitive and find that symptoms improve on a gluten-free diet.

3. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, not an allergy. It is not part of food allergy testing. Eating gluten damages the villi of the small intestine, preventing nutrients from being properly absorbed. If left untreated, celiac can lead to osteoporosis and cancer, among other things.

4. The only treatment for celiac disease is a 100% gluten-free diet.

5. Symptoms of celiac disease vary greatly and some people have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, like migraines or fatigue. Symptoms are commonly misdiagnosed as other conditions and there is a lot of misinformation about celiac disease. In fact, 97% of people with celiac disease don’t know they have it, and it can take years and many doctors for people to be correctly diagnosed.

6. Celiac disease is genetic. If one family member has it, others should be tested.

7. Gene testing for celiac disease does not tell you if you have celiac disease. If you do not have any of the genes associated with celiac disease, then you can rule out celiac disease. If you do have some of genes, all it means is that you may develop celiac, but many people with the genes never develop it.

8. While there are countless great gluten-free foods and many restaurants have gluten-free menus, cross-contamination is the biggest challenge for most people with celiac disease. Gluten crumbs in a condiment jar, a cooking utensil or serving spoon that has been used on gluten, and even airborne wheat flour, can all cause a person with celiac disease to have a severe reaction, which can last for days.

9. Eating gluten-free is not a weight loss diet. Many gluten-free breads and other baked goods are not only expensive, but high in fat and calories. Many people with celiac disease gain weight on a gluten-free diet as the body heals and begins properly absorbing nutrients. Eating foods that are naturally gluten-free is cheaper and healthier than processed gluten-free foods.

10. While wheat is a top eight allergen required to be listed on food labels in the United States, gluten is not. Gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and contaminated oats) is found in many products and some products are unsafe for people with celiac disease as a result of cross-contamination. Only oats that are certified gluten-free may be consumed on a gluten-free diet and some people with celiac disease are unable to even tolerate oats that are certified gluten-free.

Much love, and thanks for the guest post, Sandra!
Ging