Getting 'Glutened'...Seriously annoying!

I recently (Thursday morning) went out to breakfast with my boss and co-workers. As I always do, I asked the waitress about gluten free and what/if anything they offer. I listened and made my choice upon her recommendations. Fast forward an hour and I've been eating and am certain that I got 'glutened'. Not sure if that's a real word, but it's my word for when gluten gets in the diet of someone with Celiac or on a GF diet. So, I got glutened and felt like I've had the flu for the next two days. I had an awful headache, stomach ache, other stomach/intestinal issues and my thoughts were very foggy. I had trouble putting words together and an even harder time trying to 'find' my words. If you listened to my show on Friday, you probably heard a lot of that. :)

One thing I've become aware of, gluten infractions don't get taken seriously by most restaurants and employees. I understand that my throat won't close up or that I'll need an Epipen, but getting glutened is a serious physical problem for those of us who can't eat gluten. This blog isn't meant as a rant as much as it is an awareness and learning experience for me and hopefully you. I believe that you can't force other people to change, but you can try and educate them and learn for yourself. What I learned is this:

1. Don't take a server's word on GF - TALK TO A MANAGER

2. Ask them to check the labels of food - Better - CHECK LABELS YOURSELF

3. IF they aren't 100% certain - DON'T eat it

4. Carry GF digestive enzymes with you at all times

5. Take GF enzymes with food when you're out - That way IF you get glutened your body will get some extra help in breaking down the infraction gluten

6. Be prepared to feel badly if you get glutened - If your child gets glutened be patient and prepared for crabby behavior

7. Don't be embarrassed to stand up for yourself or your child regarding asking for a GF food item. Also, don't be shy about stating the importance of making sure that NO gluten gets in the food.

My hope is that in the years to come that people with gluten allergies/sensitives/Celiac disease will be taken more seriously. Sometimes it seems like people think is a new diet I'm on or a fad way to eat. It's not. It's serious and has life altering consequences. To those of you working in the food industry who take it seriously... a big, hearty THANK YOU.

xo