Gluten-Free Detective Agency

This post has been in the works for quite some time.  Over the last few months, I’ve been on a serious “gluten-free detective spree,” calling the customer care departments at dozens of food companies to determine the likelihood of their products being cross-contaminated with gluten.  I was diagnosed with celiac disease almost exactly a year ago (I wrote a heartfelt account of my diagnosis last August) and, since that first day, I have learned A LOT about the gluten-free lifestyle.

For me, the biggest challenge (and annoyance) has had to do with the fact that products (yes, all products), unless they sport a gluten-free stamp of approval, can not be trusted without some legwork.  Before consuming any packaged or processed food, it is important that I personally speak with a customer care representative and receive a satisfactory response about the risk of cross-contamination in their facilities.  Of course, as much as I love grooving to telephone-hold music, it is a huge help when companies post this information online (isn’t that what web sites are for?!).

As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s easy to sometimes get lazy and not follow through on verifying the “gluten status” of each and every item that comes home with me from the grocery store.  “Plain yogurt? That has to be safe!”  “This oil should be fine, right?”  No and no!  After getting ‘inexplicably’ sick too many times, I’ve been making a concerted effort to 1) purchase as many certified gluten-free products as possible, and 2) personally contact food companies if their product is not labelled “gluten-free.”

The following information is by no means comprehensive.  It is, however, a way for me to keep straight all the bits and pieces of information I’ve been spending my time gathering.  In posting this list here, I hope it will help somebody else.  And, if any of you have any suggestions about great gluten-free products I’d love to hear them!

One last thing: Please always keep in mind that ingredients, as well as processing and packaging facilities, can easily change.  That being said, the following information was true as of December 2009-February 2010.

SAFE PRODUCTS (GLUTEN-FREE)

Boursin cheeses? Gluten-free. Huzzah! (If you haven’t tried it, Boursin with Mary’s Crackers is absolutely heavenly.)

Canada Corn Starch is gluten-free.  It is made a dedicated area of the facility and the representative with whom I spoke assured me that there is no risk of cross-contamination with gluten-containing grains.

Crosby’s Fancy Molasses is gluten-free.  This is a good thing because I was loving these ginger cookies over the holidays.

E.D. Smith 100% Pure Pumpkin is gluten-free (not to be confused with E.D. Smith Pumpkin Pie Filling which contains wheat flour).  An E.D. Smith representative informed me over the phone that these two products are made in separate facilities and, therefore, the 100% Pure Pumpkin is trustworthy.

Most Island Farms products are gluten-free.  Despite this, the company “can not 100% guarantee that no cross-contamination occurs during ingredient storage.”  From my personal experience however, I have never gotten sick from Island Farms milk, sour cream, whipped cream or cottage cheese.  I have provided the Island Farms gluten-containing product list (various flavours of ice cream) below…on the subject of ice cream, I stick to Chapman’s since it’s got that lovely gluten-free symbol on its box.

I called Kraft Canada to ask about Baker’s Chocolate and was told that Kraft does not “hide” any ingredients in labelling.  Therefore, if a product contains (or may contain) wheat, barley, rye or oats, it will be listed on the label.

I was assured that all Olympic yogurt products are made in a gluten-free facility and are, therefore, safe.

Saugeen Country yogurt is also safe.

All Sun Rype products are gluten-free (which is great since I can’t travel without a plentiful supply of Fruit to Go).

Yoplait Source Stirred yogurt is gluten-free (and fat-free and sugar-free and aspartame-free).  Despite the fact that Yoplait also makes Yoplait Source Muesli (which is not gluten-free), a Yoplait representative informed me that there is no risk of cross-contamination.  They make their yogurt in a safe environment and, then, some of it is shipped to a different facility to be topped with its muesli dome.

NOT SAFE PRODUCTS (CONTAINING GLUTEN)

Astro Balkan Style Natural Yogurt is not safe.  I called the company and, while I wasn’t given a definitive answer about the presence of gluten in their facility, I was told that they recommend, “all persons with gluten allergies should avoid their products at the present time.”  Astro, Lactantia, Beatrice and Black Diamond are all owned by Parmalat.  Until I get around to calling Parmalat directly, I’m avoiding all four of these companies.

The following Island Farms Ice Cream flavours contain gluten:
-Bear Foot Brownie
-Brownies On The Moon
-Bubble Gum Burst
-Butter Pecan *(Country Cream brand)
-Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
-Cookies ‘n’ Cream
-Mixed Berry Trifle
-Nanaimo Bar
-Vanilla Plus Lemon Meringue
-Vanilla Plus Butter Tarte
-Gingerbread Cookie Dough

Liberté Créme Fraiche is not gluten-free (I found this out the hard way).  It is packaged on the same line as Liberté Six Grains yogurt (which contains oats, wheat, barely and rye).  I’m not sure about other Liberté products but I’ve avoided them all since learning about the créme fraiche.

Spectrum culinary and essential oils share common filler equipment with their wheat germ oil. (I could not, for the life of me, figure out why rice and veggies were making me sick every time we’d eat stir fry.  It was a major revelation when I realized it was the peanut oil we were using!)

Please, Do It Right.

It isn’t surprising that, with every week, the “gluten-free” epithet seems to be gaining in popularity.  According to Health Canada, “Celiac disease is now recognized as one of the most common chronic diseases in the world. It is estimated that it affects as many as 1 in every 100 – 200 people in North America. As many as 300,000 Canadians could have this disease; however, many remain undiagnosed.” And these numbers don’t even account for the increasing prevalence of wheat allergies or gluten intolerance.

It’s also not surprising that, as more and more people are switching to the gluten-free diet out of medical necessity, more and more companies and media outlets are taking notice. Grocery stores are devoting shelves to the cause; companies are reinventing their packaging to highlight the gluten-free nature of their foods; restaurants are promoting gluten-free menus; food magazines are featuring gluten-free dishes; even the sports community is having their say.  And, certain companies that have always been devoted providers of quality, certified, gluten-free products are expanding their gluten-free lines.  Clearly, there is a demand and, clearly, food providers are listening.

It might be easy to assume that, as an individual living with celiac disease, I find this shift exciting and progressive.  On one hand, I do feel that increased awareness about any cause or issue can be a very positive thing.  In the case of the gluten-free diet, more awareness means more products which, ultimately, means more choices for the gluten-free consumer.

On the other hand though, I am afraid of a rise in gluten-free visibility that lacks an accompanying rise in education.  Using the words “gluten-free” is fine and dandy but it is critical that the people using them are aware of the weight they carry.

For those of us with celiac disease, eating gluten-free is a serious matter. Our immune systems do not recognize the protein found in wheat, barley, rye or the derivatives of these grains.  I know from experience that the consumption of even a crumb of gluten-containing food will find me sick and exhausted (and, oftentimes, cranky and unproductive) for upwards of three days.

Last week, Amy Leger (from The Savvy Celiac) wrote a post imploring restaurants to not “do gluten-free” simply for the sake of it.  Going gluten-free is a serious commitment and it is critically important that every link of the food-to-table chain (be it food manufacturers, food packagers or restaurant staff) is well-informed and properly educated about the risks of hidden gluten and cross-contamination.  Your soft corn tacos are not gluten-free if they are prepared on a grill with wheat tortillas.  Your rice crust pizza is not gluten-free if it’s baked in an oven with a wheat calzone.

We are not demanding or picky eaters.  We are simply people, trying to lead full lives without compromising our well-being.

Restaurants that take the extra effort to inform their staff about food sensitivities and restrictions — or companies that go through the process of having their products certified gluten-free — gain my trust, have my support and provide me with a sense of comfort.

For many people, knowing exactly how their food has been handled or prepared is important, not only for their health but, also, for their quality of life.

If you want to do gluten-free, do it.  Just please, do it right.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

I recently got a new computer.  It’s shiny (“oooooh”).  It’s purdy (“ahhhhh”).  It’s a MacBook Pro (thunderous applause).  Because of this latest investment, much of my last week has been spent sifting through files on my old computer, trying to figure out what I should keep, what I should pitch and how on earth I’ve managed to amass nearly 5500 photographs on my hard drive!

In clicking through my old documents, I came across a little gem of a file called “11 WC.”

11 WC, what the heck does that mean?  11 Water Closets? 11 World Championships?  11 West Coasts?

Good tries.  But, no, no and no.  What this cryptic coding stands for is “Grade 11 Writer’s Craft” and the folder contains all of my assignments from what may have been my favourite class in high school.  I hadn’t looked at these assignments in years and had completely forgotten that they even existed.  But, I’m glad they decided to surface because these assignments are, quite frankly, hilarious.  Grade 11 Writer’s Craft was the class where I could throw all caution and censorship to the wind and be as creative or serious or silly as I pleased.  Our teacher encouraged us to push our boundaries and she came up with some great writing assignments to get our imaginations working: write an article for a trashy tabloid, write a chapter of a sci-fi novel, compare and contrast your actual self and how you imagine yourself…

In one of our assignments, we were asked to write a piece on our greatest fear (truthful or fictionalized).  I took the fictionalized route, writing a piece that would be funny in it’s absolute and utter ridiculousness.  Who on earth could be scared of frozen baked goods?!  Ha!  Little did I know, at the age of sixteen, that I was writing a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Reading this article now that I have celiac disease (and, therefore, an absolute passion to avoid all things gluten), I relate to this narrative on a level I could never have imagined when it was initially penned, ten long years ago.  And, for some reason, I find that amusing.

So, for all the blogosphere to see, here it is: the original, unedited, “Pillsbury Fear.”

“I have a problem; I am willing to accept this fact. I have a problem but I am stronger than my fear.” I hear these words a hundred times a day. Over and over I repeat them to myself in hopes of loosening the grip that the cold hands of fear hold on my psyche.

Throughout my life, I have had seven psychologists. I have spent countless hours, lying in offices, talking to these numerous therapists about my greatest fear. These professionals have tried to help me; they have tried to assure me that I am safe. They have told me that I have nothing to fear; that the root of my terror does not exist. Despite their counsel, I still possess a mind plagued with haunting thoughts of cookies and biscuits. Just the smell of baked goods sends shivers down my spine. It is difficult to explain, for even the thought of it – the thought of him and his everlasting smile – makes me edgy. I begin to sweat and shake. My thoughts become blurred as I slip into a tortured stupor…

Cookies and crescent rolls surround me. Piles of breads and biscuits tower above my head. Everywhere I look I am surrounded by refrigerated dough products. I am in some sort of Pillsbury heaven and I know that at any moment the ruler of this kingdom may arrive. My legs are weak and my mouth is dry as I think of that giggling spokescharacter. My mind is reeling with thoughts of his beady blue eyes and his chubby, round belly. My eyes widen with fear as a parade of pie crusts and frozen waffles go rolling past. Brownies and cinnamon rolls soon follow. I stifle a shriek as a large Crusty French Loaf rises into view. Dinner rolls go dancing by accompanied by stuffed nacho snacks. I watch cherry turnovers somersault past and I know that my greatest fear must be close at hand. Sweat drips down my back. The dough products seem to be moving in closer. Buttermilk pancakes advance from the left while blueberry strudels move in on my right. I turn away only to see cheddar garlic biscuits bounding towards me from behind. My head is throbbing. I am frozen where I stand, panic stricken. The dough products move ever closer, suffocating me in their relentless approach. I close my eyes to mask the view of these frightful, oven-baked products. I am standing, terrified, in this pastry paradise when I hear the sound that frightens me more than anything else…

Chills run up and down my spine and my legs give out beneath me. I lie in a snivelling heap, surrounded by refrigerated dough products, listening to the sound, the horrible sound, of the ever-famous yet ever-terrifying giggle of the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Editor’s Note: Who needs that creepy Doughboy anyway? Tomorrow’s post will focus on my recent success making a gluten-free apple pie (from scratch!).  Mmm, mmm, awesome.

How to be Gluten-Free

A few weeks ago, some dear friends told Daniel and I that they’d like to have us over for dinner.  They said that they would like to support me by making a gluten-free meal at their home…and they want to do it right.  Daniel and I said we would love to take them up on the offer and our conversation quickly turned into a question and answer period about the subtleties of celiac disease.  They asked questions about contamination and questions about safe grains.  They even offered to purchase a new (uncontaminated) cutting board just for the dinner party!  Before being diagnosed with celiac, I would never have believed that the mention of a new cutting board could evoke such a strong swell of emotion.  Now I know, it can.  In fact, the conversation brought tears to my eyes.

Living with chronic illness can sometimes make a person feel alone in the world (which is why the online community is such a wonderful thing).  Outside of my everyday support bubble, (where my amazing husband, Daniel, stars front and centre), it sometimes feels that there are very few people who actually understand – or have any desire to understand – more about these unbelievably important, yet invisible, threads of my life.  So, when these friends offered to invite Daniel and me into their home and to make their kitchen gluten-free and celiac-friendly for my benefit, thanking them hardly felt like enough.  But, in a matter-of-fact tone, my friend replied, “You are our friends.  We want to support you.  It’s really not a big deal.”  And, on one hand, I suppose she’s right.  Friends need to be there for each other.  Period.  On the other hand, their selflessness and desire to learn more about my celiac life is a huge deal to me – admirable, extremely appreciated and definitely worthy of a big, giant THANK YOU.

In preparation for our dinner party (which is taking place next weekend), I put together a handout for my friends’ benefit.  I wasn’t overly impressed with any of the handouts I had received from my dietitian after my diagnosis.  So, taking matters into my own hands, I spent one afternoon last week amassing information on celiac disease, safe and unsafe foods and cross-contamination.  The result is this PDF, aptly entitled, “A Little Bit About Celiac.” Please feel free to download it, use it and adapt it as you see fit.  I hope this will help others of you who may be new to the gluten-free life and would like a quick, concise and fairly comprehensive way to educate your family and friends.  Happy gluten-free dining!

**Editor’s Note: In the handout, I state that oats and blue cheeses are unsafe.  I did this for the sake of simplicity.  In truth, both of these items may be safe depending on where/how they were processed/packaged.  However, I feel that simply avoiding these food items at dinner parties is easier than debating about the purity of oats or the blue-cheese making process.  But that’s just my opinion.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Banana Muffins

Today’s favourite number?  Twelve.  As in one dozen scrumptious blueberry banana muffins…

I have always loved to bake.  Cakes for birthdays, crumbles as seasonal desserts, cookies at Christmas, and apple and pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving dinner…I have made a lot of baked goods in my lifetime and, while I don’t want to toot my own horn, I also don’t want to lie.  I am a hecky-darn good baker.  I started baking before I could even reach the counter.  In the recesses of my mind, I can vaguely remember standing on a kitchen chair with a tea towel tied across my front, serving as my apron.  I would wield a rolling pin too heavy for my small arms to lift and I would help my mother and grandmother roll out pastry dough.  However, despite this long history and love of baking, after my diagnosis with celiac disease, I stopped.  Why?  Gluten-free baking just seemed too daunting, too difficult and too different…

Never in my life had I ventured down the specialty baking aisle.  Never had I heard of xanthan gum.  Is that what robots chew to maintain fresh breath? Teff flour?  What’s that? Sorghum, garbanzo and tapioca flour?  Huh? Potato starch?  That’s kinda weird, isn’t it? In my pantry, it was wheat flour all the way (except for once a year, at Christmastime, when I would buy a single bag of white rice flour, a necessity for the proper re-creation of my mum’s famous shortbread).

However, after six long months without baking, I began to miss it.  I missed watching the raw ingredients morph into sinfully decadent and wonderful smelling, fresh-from-the-oven indulgences.  I missed sharing my creations with friends, family and co-workers.  And, on top of everything else, I really wanted a freshly baked cookie!  So, I decided to conquer the specialty baking aisle and I dove, headfirst, into the wide world of gluten-free baking.

After I began pouring over gluten-free baking recipes, I quickly realized how many amazing flours and exotic whole grains my wheat-centric pantry had been lacking all those years.  I made a long list and went on a specialty baking aisle shopping spree, stocking my barren pantry shelves with a vast array of gluten-free flours.  Teff? Yes. Sorghum, garbanzo and tapioca?  Of course. Sweet rice, brown rice, buckwheat and corn?  You bet!

On Friday, I made my first-ever batch of sorghum peanut butter cookies.  And, on Sunday morning, sitting around the breakfast table with Daniel and two of our friends, we slathered butter and homemade raspberry jam over freshly made (and gluten-free) warm blueberry banana muffins.  Being my first foray into gluten-free muffin making, I anxiously held my breath as everybody took their first bite…and, looking around the table, I saw nods of approval and heard exclamations of praise.  I let out a sigh of relief and I dug in.  The muffins were moist.  They were flavourful.  And they were mmm mmm good.  Crunchy, nutty flax seeds, fresh blueberries bursting with gooey sweetness, subtle banana flavour and overall muffiny goodness.  (And, as an added bonus, these muffins don’t make my blood sugar spike – always, always a good thing.)

So, for your gluten-free baking pleasure, here is my variation of the Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty Muffin recipe. Enjoy!

½ c. natural whole cane sugar
½ c. mashed, overripe banana (about 1½ bananas)
1½ c. milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. oil
1 c. white rice flour
½ c. tapioca flour
¼ c. potato starch
⅔ c. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal
¼ c. whole flax seeds
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. xanthan gum
125g fresh blueberries (about 3/4 c.)

Preheat oven to 350̊F.  Mix together sugar, banana, milk, vanilla and oil.  In different bowl, combine flours, potato starch, cereal, flax, baking powder and xanthan gum.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until almost blended.  Add blueberries.  Stir until just blended.  Do not over mix.  Oil muffin tins, fill ⅔ full and bake 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.  Approximately 40g carbohydrate each.

My Celiac Story

Part 1: Before the Diagnosis

I haven’t written much about celiac disease. I haven’t been avoiding it. I just don’t think that I’ve been ready. I was diagnosed six months ago and, until recently, I’ve been somewhat oblivious and somewhat in denial about what a huge impact having celiac disease has had on my life. But, this is changing. I’m discovering the freedom that comes with living gluten-free. I’m discovering energy I never knew I had. I’m discovering a passion for fresh, local fruits and vegetables and the pleasures of healthful, from-scratch cooking. I’m rediscovering life. And I’m enjoying every minute of it. This post is long. But it tells a story I needed to share. This is my celiac story…

Some days were worse than others. Usually, I would simply feel a constant, dull ache in my lower abdomen – an ache to which I had grown so accustomed, I hardly even noticed it or paid it any heed. Other days, I would lie on my bed, bloated and in pain, hand on my tummy, wondering if perhaps I shouldn’t have had that post-dinner coffee or that entire helping of fruit crumble. Little did I know that I shouldn’t have had that toast and cereal, those crackers, that sandwich or that dinner roll. I had no idea that the food I was eating on a regular basis was making me sick. I had no idea that I was malnourished and nutrient deficient. I had no idea that I was cranky and irritable because my body was rejecting gluten (the protein found in wheat, barley, rye and some other grains) and that my small intestine was being damaged in the process. I had no idea.

I never thought that anything was wrong with me. I never even considered that my stomach pains could be anything more than “normal” indigestion and, therefore, I never even considered going to the doctor. It sounds ridiculous but I honestly didn’t know that not everybody experienced pain after eating! I was often saying that I didn’t feel well or that my tummy hurt but it was always so easy to blame my discomfort on something else. Like stress from exams. Or stress from moving. Or diabetes. Or something I ate (if only I’d known…).

I was concerned about how tired I felt, but, once again, this was so easy to blame on other things, especially my diabetes. I would convince myself that my exhaustion was caused by my high blood sugar reading that morning or by last night’s 3am low. Looking back, I can hardly grasp how completely daft I was. Yes, roller-coastering blood sugars result in fatigue but not the kind of absolute weariness I was feeling every single day. Plus, my sugars weren’t that out of control. No, I was too tired. I was exhausted, worn out, tuckered and run down.

All. The. Time.

After dinner, I couldn’t even summon the energy to clear the table, wash the dishes or sweep the floor. I was too tired to do anything but lie down. It was all I could do to trudge from the table to the futon, flop down with a pile of blankets and pillows and settle in for a night of movie viewing. After months of exhaustion, this had become my routine. This had become my reality. But I still didn’t think anything was wrong with me. I had forgotten what it felt like to have energy. I had forgotten what it felt like to feel good. Daniel and I used to go for walks after dinner. We used to go out for coffee and dessert. We used to go to parties. We used to go on bike rides. We used to do more. More than this. At least, I think we did. Didn’t we?

To tell you the truth, I wasn’t sure. My symptoms had crept up on me so slowly that I’d forgotten what it felt like to feel healthy. The transition was slow. Gradually, over the past five or six years, my energy level had waned, my stomach discomfort had grown, my anxiety levels had increased and I had slipped into a nearly imperceptible state of depression. I wasn’t miserable. I knew I had a good life. I was grateful for my wonderful husband, my charming cat, my friends and my supportive family. But, despite this, I wasn’t particularly happy. I used to find pleasure in the world around me. The sunshine glinting through the windows, a bowl of freshly picked strawberries, the soft sound of rain on the cedars. But at some point, that had changed. Without me realizing it, a shift had taken place. I was different. I was living in a sort of fog. Too tired to drink in the world around me. Too tired to feel really happy. Too tired to really care.

Part 2: Couldn’t the Lab Have Made a Mistake?

When I was initially told that my bloodwork had come back positive, I was confused. I was upset. I hadn’t even realized that I had been tested for celiac (oddly enough, my doctor can’t even remember why he had me tested). So, when I went to my endocrinologist’s office for my tri-annual check up, I was absolutely not expecting to be casually informed that I might have, in addition to diabetes, another autoimmune disease.

“Autoimmune diseases tend to cluster,” my endocrinologist informed me. “You’ll need to have an endoscopy and small bowel biopsy to confirm diagnosis but your TTG levels were off the charts. A lot of people with diabetes also have celiac.”

I felt overwhelmed. I felt alone. One moment, I was perfectly content in my state of obliviousness. The next, I was fighting back tears and trying to wrap my mind around the fact that another chronic illness had crept its way into my life. I had no idea how to act or how to respond. Almost immediately, I entered a state of denial. This isn’t so bad. Not nearly as bad as diabetes. So, I can’t eat wheat. Big deal. This is going to be easy. I’ll read food labels a bit more closely. I’ll avoid gluten, I’ll forget about celiac and life will return to normal. Oh, how naive I was!

When I finally responded to my doctor, I tried to sound strong, nonchalant, as if I received this kind of news everyday. I asked, “Couldn’t the lab have made a mistake? Maybe I should have the bloodwork done again. I don’t want to have an endoscopy if it isn’t necessary. The lab could have made a mistake, couldn’t they?”

But I already knew the answer. And on my way home, I cried.

Part 3: Toward a Gluten-Free Life

Three weeks later, sedated and wearing a hospital gown, a friendly, bespectacled gastroenterologist eased a tube down my throat to take a tissue sample from my small intestine and to take some photographs of my GI tract.

When I try to remember the day of my endoscopy, faint snippets of memories come in and out of focus, enshrouded in a blurry fog…

…I remember the nurse trying five times before she successfully inserted my IV…I remember my blood sugar cooperating, hovering around 7mmol/L all day, even though I didn’t ingest anything for almost 24 hours…I remember a friendly old man waving to me from the hospital bed across the room, giving me a thumbs up as I was wheeled into the procedure room…I remember crying and gagging during the endoscopy when the sedative they’d given wasn’t strong enough…I remember feeling cold…I remember Daniel holding my hands and rubbing my feet, his voice washing over me as he read out loud from the pages of his book…I remember Daniel inserting test strips into my meter and helping me poke my finger…I remember Daniel calling my mum and holding the cell phone up to my ear so I could say a groggy hello…

I don’t remember being told that I should start on the gluten-free diet immediately or that I’d have a follow-up appointment with the gastroenterologist in about a week. I also don’t remember being told that I shouldn’t operate any heavy machinery or ride a horse. Daniel remembered those parts for me. And when we got home, Daniel made me a bed on the futon, gathered all my favourite movies and baked me some flourless peanut butter cookies. It’s important that you know that Daniel is not a baker. However, those flat, dilapidated cookies were some of the best I’ve ever eaten. I hugged him and I cried. Those cookies represented my first step toward a gluten-free life.

Part 4: What it Feels Like to Feel Good

How can a person live years without knowing what it feels like to feel good?

After six months of living gluten-free, I’m finally starting to feel like myself again. That girl who had been pushed aside, veiled by years of malnourishment, discomfort, irritability and depression, has finally reemerged. I feel better than I have in ages. I feel capable and strong and inspired. Before my diagnosis, a single trip to the grocery store would sap my energy for the day. I would dread weekend visits from family or friends, not because I didn’t want to see them, but because it would exhaust me and the whole next week would be spent recovering. Before my diagnosis, I would ration my activities, planning only one “big” outing a day. Thankfully, things have changed.

Now, I fill my days with the things I love. I do my work writing, editing and researching at the local library or at cafés downtown. I go for bike rides and visit farmers markets, purchasing beautiful fresh, local produce. I cook with my husband. I browse book stores and go to the movies and busk on street corners, joyfully singing for anyone who will listen. After dinner, I clear the table and do dishes and sweep. I go for evening walks and drives and bike rides. And Daniel and I go out for coffee and dessert. Of course, at the end of the day, I am tired. But this tired is different from the tired of undiagnosed celiac – the tired I experienced for so many months. This tired is a pleasant sort of tired. An accomplished sort of tired. A kind of tired I haven’t felt for years. This is a kind of tired that makes me want to curl up in bed with a good book and a cup of tea and look forward to all the wonderful plans I’ve made for tomorrow. Plans I know I can accomplish with my new level of energy and new outlook on life.

When I tell people that I can’t have gluten, their first response is often one of pity or sympathy. Let me just say, I do not need sympathy. I don’t mind that I had to give away my baking sheets and wooden spoons, my bags of wheat flour, cans of soup and my boxes of over-processed cereal. I really don’t mind that these items have been replaced with new, uncontaminated kitchenware, bags of teff and almond and sorghum and rice flour, containers full of homemade soup made with local vegetables and a big bag of organic, whole grain puffed brown rice cereal. I really don’t mind. Eating gluten-free is making me healthy. My body is healing. I am finally getting the nutrients I need from the food I’m consuming. I’ve never eaten so many fresh vegetables and fruits and gluten-free whole grains in my life. I’ve never found so much pleasure in food. Daniel and I are trying recipes we would have never considered before going gluten-free. Each week we try something new. Coconut vegetable curry, homemade arepas with local, field tomato salsa, mushroom risotto, chickpea and spinach soup, quinoa salad, homemade raspberry jam with homemade sorghum bread. There are so many things to try and taste and enjoy! As I said before, I feel as though I’m rediscovering life. I feel capable and strong and inspired. Yes, it’s a lot of work to read food labels for hidden sources of gluten, call companies to ask about cross-contamination and drive to four different markets to get all the gluten-free flours and products that I use. But, it is well worth it. I haven’t felt this good in years.

Let Them Eat Bread

About two weeks ago, I baked a gluten-free, chocolate birthday cake, slathered it with an excessive amount of whipped cream and piled it high with fresh, local strawberries.  It was Daniel’s birthday.  There were candles.  There was singing.  There were family and friends and pints at a local brewpub.  There was a lovely dinner out at our favourite restaurant with my brother-in-law and his soon-to-be wife.  There were presents for Daniel.  And, there was a present for me…

My mother-in-law arrived on our doorstep with a large box.  It was bigger than a breadbox (surprisingly enough) and it contained a brand new Black & Decker All-In-One Pro Automatic Breadmaker!

Since my diagnosis with celiac, I have tried a number of gluten-free breads.  Some are palatable (but usually only when toasted and smeared with peanut butter).  Others aren’t so great.  A lot of them aren’t particularly nutritious and, so far, none have had the irresistible appeal of fresh baked bread.  Plus, it’s hard to ignore the fact that, if wheat-based breads cost an arm, gluten-free breads definitely cost an arm and a leg.

Hence the brand new Black & Decker All-In-One Pro Automatic Breadmaker.  With this bad boy I’m baking bread that’s not only palatable but really gosh-darn tasty.  I’m baking bread that’s freakishly nutritious (7 grain and 3 seed loaf, anyone?) and, I’m saving some money in the process.  Clearly the pros outweigh the cons.

I made my first loaf from a recipe in Shelley Case’s “Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide” with brown rice flour, tapioca starch flour and buckwheat flour.

And it was a success!

My second loaf used a mix from Bob’s Red Mill and it was fantastic.  Bob, your products never cease to impress me.

I’m still extremely new to gluten-free bread baking and am looking forward to doing some experimentation with different flours and seeds and different types of dough.  My next challenge (per Daniel’s request) is going to be homemade, gluten-free bagels.  I’ll let you know how that goes.  In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for gluten-free baking (recipes or tips from your own personal experience), I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line and let’s get some recipe swapping started!

With. Wheat. Protein. or: Celiac Symptoms, Hair Cream and…Eureka!

With. Wheat. Protein.

Three. Simple. Words.

Three simple words and a whole lot of unpleasant symptoms.  Don’t worry.  I have no intention of describing these unpleasant symptoms in gratuitous detail.  I will, however, divulge that, for about 24 hours this weekend, I experienced approximately 70% of the common symptoms of celiac disease listed on the Canadian Celiac Association website.  And, to imbue this storyline with a bit of reader-influenced, “choose your own adventure” fun, I’m going to leave it up to you, the reader, to choose the 70% of symptoms you believe I suffered.  It may not be as fun as Diabetting but it’s fun nonetheless…no?

Living with celiac means I’ve gotten really gosh-darn good (if I do say so myself) at reading food labels, scouring ingredient lists for the words “wheat,” “barley,” “rye” and for sneakier words like “modified food starch,” “hydrolyzed plant protein” and all things “malt.”  I avoid food from bulk food bins (which pose an obvious risk of cross-contamination) and, to ward off the presence of gluten-containing crumbs in my spreadables, Daniel and I each have our own butter, jam and peanut butter.  For that same reason, I buy squeezable mustard, mayonnaise, relish and ketchup.  At restaurants, I’ve become confident asking servers to verify that a menu item is gluten-free and, at home, I have my own designated gluten-free toaster.  The imaginary sign that hangs from said toaster reads something like: “Buckwheat waffles and rice bread only.  No wheat allowed!”

In other words, in the short time I’ve been following the gluten-free diet, I’ve developed a firm understanding of the foods my immune system recognizes as foreign and Daniel and I have gotten pretty good at avoiding cross-contamination in our pint-sized kitchen.  BUT (and this is a big but…stifle those giggles people, this but is with one ‘t’ not two), despite all my gluten-free knowledge and effort it was those three simple (and obvious!) words that took me down…

With. Wheat. Protein.

Yes, I scour food labels BUT, until yesterday, I was not scouring any other kind of label (frizz-reducing hair cream included).  Despite the fact that I enjoy a nice haircut, I don’t usually think too much about my hair.  I’ve never been a primping or crimping kinda gal and I don’t even own a blow dryer.  However, those of you who knew me in my youth will know that my hair is capable of some serious frizzage.  Add a dash of humidity to the atmosphere and my bushy hair could rival that of Hermione Granger circa “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”  So, to cope, I apply frizz-reducing hair cream.

Having just gotten a new haircut and wanting to maintain at least some of its integrity, on Saturday I dug my frizz-reducing hair cream out of the bathroom cupboard and applied it liberally to my new ‘do.  Saturday night, I started to feel sick.  Sunday morning, still feeling unwell, I smoothed more cream onto my hair.  And then, I proceeded to feel sick…all. day. long.  But I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why.  I wracked my brain and Daniel wracked his brain and, when our brains were tired from all the wracking, I got downright annoyed.  Why don’t I feel well?!  I didn’t eat anything out of the ordinary!  I’ve checked and double-checked food labels…maybe there were some gluten-containing crumbs on the counter when we prepared dinner last night?  I just don’t know!!

And then, brushing my teeth before getting into bed, it suddenly hit me.  There, on the bathroom counter, was the tube of hair cream.  And there, emblazoned conspicuously on its label were three simple words: with. wheat. protein.  “Eureka!” I shouted as a lightbulb first flickered and then flashed brilliant above my head.  This had to be the source of my mysterious bout of celiac-related symptoms.  I touch my hair, I touch my food and I unintentionally ingest “with wheat protein.”  Of course!  Who doesn’t brush their hair out of their eyes or scratch their head or twirl a lock (of hair) when thinking?  Who then doesn’t do a blood test or eat a sandwich and lick blood or mustard (respectively) off their fingers?  And who then doesn’t feel sick from the accidental ingestion of  “with wheat protein?”  Let me just say…eureka.

So, I tossed the frizz-reducing hair cream in the garbage, leapt into the shower and washed any and all traces of “with wheat protein” out of my hair.  And now?  I’m feeling fine.  Eureka.

A Day in the Life (of a Patient)

Every once in a while, I’ll have a day that just drips with the fact that I live with a chronic disease (or two).  I’m not talking about the daily carb counting, finger poking, food label reading and insulin bolusing.  No, I’m talking about a day when every item on my To Do List has a medical bent.  Case in point?  Yesterday.

I woke at 6:45am so I could get to the hospital on time for my 8am dietitian appointment (a follow-up to my initial gluten-free diet education).  My dietitian and I talked gluten-free on a budget, avoiding cross-contamination, sources of hidden gluten and vitamin supplements.  And then we realized that I hadn’t yet been tested for every possible nutrient deficiency associated with celiac.  You mean the bloodwork and bone density scan I already had didn’t cover it?! So, after my appointment, I headed down the hallway to get some more bloodwork done (but first I ran back to the parking lot to put another $2 in the meter…I knew I should have gone with the $4 option when I arrived…but I’m stingy like that).  Upon my return to the hospital lab, I bared by left arm and, in two weeks time, should know the status of my iron and RBC folate levels.

Large needle of the day #1.

Driving home from the hospital, thinking about bloodwork, I realized I hadn’t yet done my A1c test for my endocrinologist appointment next week.  “What’s another large needle in my vein?” I thought as I headed off toward the lab that keeps the standing order from my endo.  This time (in addition to peeing in a cup), I bared my right arm and, in a week’s time, should know my A1c.  I’m really hoping it’ll be better than January’s 7.6.  I’ll keep you posted.

Large needle of the day #2.

Back at home, with a cotton swab and Bugs Bunny Band-Aid on one arm and a cotton swab and boring, white medical tape on the other, I put in a new infusion set…and it hurt like mad!  I’ve only been pumping for three weeks but I knew this definitely did not feel right.  The slightest amount of pressure caused shooting pain.  So, I took it off and tried another set at a different site; this time, with pain-free success.

Large needles of the day #3 and #4.

Although the large needle portion of my day was now complete, I certainly wasn’t done with my doctory, medically day.  I had yet to call in a prescription at the pharmacy, book an appointment with my family doctor (I need his signature to qualify for provincial drug coverage on another medication I take) and head over to the CDA store to buy lancets, alcohol swabs, infusion sets and reservoirs.  Aside from the fact that I didn’t get around to buying gluten-free bread and tortillas, that about sums up my yesterday.

Now that I’m caught up on my bloodwork and am stocked up on diabetes supplies, I should be good to go for another few days.  And today, I’m treating myself to a haircut (yes, with Gerard).  Don’t worry, this time I’ll check my blood glucose before sitting down in the stylist’s chair.

A quiet evening at home…

Question: Solve the following equation for x.

x = rainy evening + sore legs from “mountain” climbing + Woody Allen DVDs + gluten-free pizza + 40:60 combo bolus (to avoid crash-and-spike blood glucose response to pizza)

Answer: x = Movie Night!

Daniel and I love our movie nights.  Unfortunately, they took a bit of a downturn after my diagnosis with celiac.  Even more than the evening’s DVD of choice, Delissio Thin Crispy Crust Deluxe Pizza had always been the main feature.  On multiple daily injections, I had substituting my entire dinner for half a frozen pizza down to a science.  And no, we didn’t eat it frozen…I know how to heat up a pizza in the oven and convince the hungry masses that it’s not delivery, it’s Delissio!   However, since parting ways with gluten, Delissio Pizza has definitely been crossed off my movie night menu.

But…Daniel and I have discovered The Joint, a pizzeria offering gluten-free rice crust in downtown Victoria.   Score!  And, thanks to the combo bolus feature on my pump, last night I was able to keep my pre and post-pizza sugars right on target.  Huzzah!  Man, I love my pump, and pizza, and movies, and rainy evenings snuggling with the hubby and the Jack Cat on the futon…