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.

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.