Re: how many of you/us?

[Guest guest]

I will never take the smallest risk with gluten. Aside from the effect it might have on me, I'm very conscious of the possible effects on my family. Would I want to put them through taking care of someone with broken bones, decreased mental ability, weakness from anemia, stroke, etc.? When I avoid gluten risk, I'm doing it for those around me as well as for myself.

And if you truly have CD, even the smallest amount of gluten affects your body.

Harper

n a message dated 5/25/05 11:57:09 AM, jill@... writes:

>I am curious about how many of us on this list start eating wheat

>again thinking "we can take it" and then find out the hard way that

>we can't.

[Guest guest]

Never! I would never go back to even attempting to eat anything with gluten after knowing how it makes me feel. It truly was one of the hardest things to give up but I would never go back. Thats just me though. -----Original Message-----From: Jangchub Pelmo <jangchubpelmo@...> Sent: Wed, 25 May 2005 10:14:15 -0700 (PDT)Subject: [ ] How many of you/Us?

I am curious about how many of us on this list start eating wheat again thinking "we can take it" and then find out the hard way that we can't.

My cousins and I have been struggling with this for years.

Much love

[Guest guest]

>I am curious about how many of us on this list start eating wheat

>again thinking " we can take it " and then find out the hard way that

>we can't.

Speaking just for myself, never. This isn't some kind of virtue

thing; it's just that my whole mind body and soul have redefined

wheat as not being food. I have no desire for it whatsoever, and

a strong aversion to the very idea of eating it.

The only exception I can think of is that now that I've been living in

Ireland for a while I still feel sad that I'll never taste Guinness,

since I used to love dark beers. A couple of times I've considered

having a tiny tiny taste of it, maybe about a shot glass worth. But

I haven't done it, because I can imagine the abdominal cramps and

lethargy too vividly.

I was talking a week or so ago with a diagnosed celiac (which I am not)

about our feelings about wheat and such. Her reaction is even stronger

than mine -- I like sniffing when I go by a bakery. I find the smells

pleasurable, like the smell of cut grass, though I don't eat grass or

non-GF baked goods. She, on the other hand, finds the smell of a bakery

revolting, almost nauseating. I thought that was interesting. Makes

sense, too. She has internalized the sense of wheat as poison.

I wonder if part of what is going on with you and your family members

is the addiction thing? I've noticed that when I make a mistake and

eat something borderline and it has barely any gluten, I get weird

cravings until I've discovered and eliminated the offending food (and

then kicked myself for having slacked off on food investigation). If

it has more gluten, I get the pain and *then* cravings for a few days.

Maybe you have some covert gluten that is keeping you from getting

through the withdrawal phase?

Jill

[Guest guest]

, which countries do you find particularly difficult for eating GF? I'd like to know for my own use. Perhaps others could offer suggestions.

Harper

In a message dated 5/25/05 5:31:19 PM, jangchubpelmo@... writes:

For me the most difficult part is the travelling out of the country and keep my diet.

[Guest guest]

yes Jill, I think that the addiction to wheat part makes sense.

This is my third relapse eating wheat since I got diagnosed and I think that this time I really understood the lesson because the pain is super intense.

I am glad to see that no one here on this list has my problem.

For me the most difficult part is the travelling out of the country and keep my diet.

Thanks for your feedback.

Love

Jill Lundquist <jill@...> wrote:

>I am curious about how many of us on this list start eating wheat>again thinking "we can take it" and then find out the hard way that>we can't.Speaking just for myself, never. This isn't some kind of virtuething; it's just that my whole mind body and soul have redefinedwheat as not being food. I have no desire for it whatsoever, anda strong aversion to the very idea of eating it.The only exception I can think of is that now that I've been living inIreland for a while I still feel sad that I'll never taste Guinness,since I used to love dark beers. A couple of times I've considered having a tiny tiny taste of it, maybe about a shot glass worth. ButI haven't done it, because I can imagine the abdominal cramps andlethargy too vividly.I was talking a week or so ago with a diagnosed

celiac (which I am not)about our feelings about wheat and such. Her reaction is even strongerthan mine -- I like sniffing when I go by a bakery. I find the smellspleasurable, like the smell of cut grass, though I don't eat grass ornon-GF baked goods. She, on the other hand, finds the smell of a bakeryrevolting, almost nauseating. I thought that was interesting. Makessense, too. She has internalized the sense of wheat as poison.I wonder if part of what is going on with you and your family membersis the addiction thing? I've noticed that when I make a mistake andeat something borderline and it has barely any gluten, I get weirdcravings until I've discovered and eliminated the offending food (andthen kicked myself for having slacked off on food investigation). Ifit has more gluten, I get the pain and *then* cravings for a few days.Maybe you have some covert gluten that is keeping you

from gettingthrough the withdrawal phase? Jill__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I was traveling in Central America when I couldn't take the beans, rice and

tortillas anymore, and ate one dozen doughnuts. I thought I was going to die...

laura

From: Jangchub Pelmo [mailto: jangchubpelmo@...]

Date: Wed, 25 May 2005 10:14:15 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: [ ] How many of you/Us?

<html><body>

<DIV>

<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style= " PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px;

BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid " >

<P>I am curious about how many of us on this list start eating wheat again

thinking " we can take it " and then find out the hard way that we can't.</P>

<P>My cousins and I have been struggling with this for years.</P>

<P>Much love</P>

<P></P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><p>

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[Guest guest]

In one of the lists, I heard of someone who'd travelled to China without problems. I'd like to learn more about that trip. My husband goes there often on business, and I'd like to go along, if I could do so fairly safely.

The only place I've been since diagnosis is Italy, which was very easy -- except for the time we were tired and used the word "farina" (wheat) instead of "glutino". That was a disaster.

Harper

[Guest guest]

I can't dig it up until tomorrow, but there's a site with "waiter card" translations in many languages. I found it through Delphiforums.com's celiac group. I made up such a card but found I never needed it, as waiters and chefs in every restaurant seemed quite familiar with CD. (In Italy, children must be tested for it before starting school.) In one busy restaurant in Venice, at their Sunday rush hour, my husband began, in Italian, "My wife can eat no ---" and the headwaiter completed, in Italian, "Yes, yes, I know, no gluten for her!"

These also can be obtained by buying a book, Dangerous Grains, I think. However, the on-line version seems fine. I asked an Italian chef to check the translation of the ones I'd printed up.

In Italy, one can buy GF pasta and GF beer in pharmacies. Also, health food stores carry GF pasta and cereals. I really loved one brand of rice cereal commonly found there -- "cellophane" bags contain large, white puffy flakes of cereal.

The difficulty lies in finding food between meal times and in airports and train stations. The commonly sold snacks are are paninos (little sandwiches) or pizza. Obviously, this doesn't work for us. So, I always carried something with me so I wouldn't go hungry if a regular meal had to be skipped. (When I needed something compact to carry in a pocket, I had a stash of Whole Foods AlpSnack bars by Gertrude & Bronner -- bought in the U.S., of course. They taste much better than any other GF "energy bar" I found.)

I found it far, far easier to eat out well, very well indeed, in Italy than in the U.S. Contamination is always possible, of course, but finding good food prepared without gluten ingredients was not a problem at meal times in restaurants.

Best wishes

Harper

In a message dated 5/26/05 9:47:13 AM, LSBlondie@... writes:

 Hey there Harper,

 

I'm planning on going to Italy for my honeymoon. Any tips on surviving in the restaurants? I'm pretty fluent in Italian but not sure of the correct words referring to gluten free. Any help you can give would be fantastic!

[Guest guest]

It happened when I went to India, I arrived super GF, and then I started eating one piece of bread here and there and noticed that I wasn't getting sick, then when I came back to USA I got sick again.

Then I went to Argentina and all my cousins are celiac since birth, and they had stopped doing the diet and it was hard for me to find any GF foods so I gave in .

and now in Germany was the same.

I find it easy here to do the diet because it is "safe" and "controlled" but as soon as I get out in the world I "give in".

This time the stomach aches and all the symptoms got bad so I guess I need to hit my head on the wall many times to finally realized that yes I need to be GF.

I really really apreciate your input

Much love

flatcat9@... wrote:

, which countries do you find particularly difficult for eating GF? I'd like to know for my own use. Perhaps others could offer suggestions.HarperIn a message dated 5/25/05 5:31:19 PM, jangchubpelmo@... writes:

For me the most difficult part is the travelling out of the country and keep my diet.

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[Guest guest]

Hey there Harper,

I'm planning on going to Italy for my honeymoon. Any tips on surviving in the restaurants? I'm pretty fluent in Italian but not sure of the correct words referring to gluten free. Any help you can give would be fantastic! -----Original Message-----From: flatcat9@...To: Sent: Thu, 26 May 2005 12:31:07 EDTSubject: Re: [ ] How many of you/Us?

In one of the lists, I heard of someone who'd travelled to China without problems. I'd like to learn more about that trip. My husband goes there often on business, and I'd like to go along, if I could do so fairly safely. The only place I've been since diagnosis is Italy, which was very easy -- except for the time we were tired and used the word "farina" (wheat) instead of "glutino". That was a disaster.Harper

[Guest guest]

Dublin, Ireland is very easy, much easier than the USA. The level

of knowledge is high, so in many restaurants you can just say you're a

celiac and ask what's appropriate for you, and the waiter or waitress

will know or will get a manager who will know. In addition, labeling

laws for food are much more celiac-friendly than in the USA, so it's

much easier to tell what you can and cannot eat. There are prepared

soups sold in convenience stores that I can eat (and that are good).

I'm impressed at the ease of doing this. Breads and muffins and cakes

and tarts and such are easily found at Tesco, a supermarket chain. They

have a whole section for food-sensitive people.

It's possible that the more rural areas of Ireland are more difficult,

but Dublin is a dream.

Jill

[Guest guest]

>I was traveling in Central America when I

>couldn't take the beans, rice and tortillas

>anymore, and ate one dozen doughnuts. I

>thought I was going to die...

You ate a dozen donuts??? Ha ha ha ha ---I think that would have made

me sick even before I had the celiac disease. Maybe it was the grease

and not the wheat that made you sick.

As far as cheating goes, I HAVE cheated. My problem is that I'm a

" silent " celiac. I never had symptoms unless I ate a really big meal of

gluten, like macaroni and bread. I was never a big bread lover, always

favoring pita bread for sandwiches, etc. I would feel mildly bloated

after a big bread meal, but no real pain and no diarrhea. The only

reason I found out I have CD is because my sister got diagnosed, and so

I went to be tested.

The first year I was GF, I didn't cheat at all. Then, the second year,

I would have the very occasional donut (my weakness) or brownie or beer

(not together---ha ha) Geeze, I sound like Homer Simpson. I never had

any bad effects.

I'm into my fourth year now, and find that I don't have much craving

anymore. I LIKE beer, but I can't say I crave it. I haven't had any

donuts or solid gluten in at least a year.

Now with this rash, tho, I'm going to have to stop the beer. The rash

is FAR worse than any gastro symptoms I ever had, and reason enough

NEVER to touch the stuff again.

Lilly

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" I wrestled with reality for 36 years, and I'm happy to say that I

finally won out over it. "

---Elwood P. Dowd