Funny question

Funny question, have you ever been stupid? Have you ever been not thinking of what you are eating? I am not just talking about being healthy; I am talking about being suckered, bushwhacked, duped, tricked, hoodwinked by being a victim of gluten pulling the wool over your eyes?

Ugh, how hard is it to keep a vigilant eye out for that mysterious unseen culprit they call gluten? It really is a 24/7 job, especially if you suffer from Celiac disease. The more I learn about people with Celiac's the more abhorrent I become about this condition. From the separate kitchen utensils to the non-labeling of gluten in foods, I don't know how people did it 15, even 10 years ago. Just being gluten intolerant is a chore. My family has done really well in changing our lifestyle. They don't really complain when bread isn't served; I found a brand of GF noodles that we all like and my daughter is willing to try the GF foods I get excited about.

I learned of one woman who couldn't even step foot anywhere near a bakery because gluten can hang in the air for up to 24 hours. Does that do anything to that part of your brain that says...well, if gluten can hang in the air, what else are we breathing?

Anyways, back to the subject at hand. Have you fixed something and eaten it only to come up with an "uh oh" while sublimely enjoying the last bite? There are all sorts of problems when it comes to eating out. Waitresses can give you the wrong information, chefs (and I use that term loosely) do not know what they are cooking, and the bottom line; they don't know what gluten is. I have eaten a flour tortilla, cake and even a sandwich and I am sure there are many other things. But they are SO good....what do you do after you have realized that you have eaten something that you will regret?

There are gluten enzyme pills that will help break down the gluten in your body. I carry these pills in my purse, so if we go out to eat I have them. It does help, but there still are symptoms. The bloating, etc...you know I don't need to go into details! The pain that it causes is just still so unbelievable to me. I guess the time it takes to recoup is amazing to me as well. If I eat something with gluten in it, it takes about 1-2 days for me to recover fully. Just the pain in my joints and muscles makes me exhausted. I don't want to eat, I just want to lay on the couch or in my nice warm cozy bed and watch television.

There are some products on the market that will help you detox your body. This might help with getting rid of some residual gluten in your body. If you just Google the words "gluten detox", thousands of hits come up. Remember, if you are starting a detox or any other medications, consult your physician. There also have been studies in Italy that are toying with the possibilities of treating the gluten before it is consumed by a gluten intolerant person.

The main focus is there is no cover up, no magic pill, no instant detox to get it all out of your system. The worst part for me is that I know it's coming; the question is when? When will it hit? It's almost like being in a car accident. Seeing that car come slowly towards you and all the while you are thinking...let's just get it over with! You see it coming, you just can't wait until it's over.

Whatever your reach back is to cover up being inherently duped about eating something you are not supposed to, more power to you! It just emphasizes the fact that we are human. You are not the only one with this condition. People are reading this and are empathetic with this plight. Reach out and get help, ask questions, get into a support group, join a blog, write a blog, or just simply Google 'gluten' and you will be overloaded with information. Meetup.com and www.gluten.net is a great start to find people in your area for a support group and other information. Go to expo's or google gluten events in your area. Get in touch with the people around you. You will be surprised at how much support you actually have around you. The one thing I have found is that the GF community works together to get information out to the public.

Happy Eating Everyone!

Product Reviews

This week will be about product reviews. I apologize for not getting my blog out on Monday. This week, I will review a couple of GF items.

The first being, as shown on my website www.4theglutenfreefamily.com, Kinnikinnick Foods Tapioca Rice Hamburger Buns.

Looking at the package, they look good. The calorie count is 230 for each bun. Don't know how I feel about that just yet. Took it out at the last minute to defrost. Well, it was too late, so I put it in the toaster oven. Thawed it out enough to slice open. At first glance they look like a biscuit. Who's complaining there?! Nicely browned on top too. Got it thawed out and ate it with a hamburger. It wasn't crumbly like most of the GF breads I have tried. It got crumbly towards the end, but bigger chunks. The consistency is light and airy, not dense at all. There is a nice flavor, not sweet like some other breads. I think they are worth the price....a good substitute for wheat buns!

 

The next item is Al Fresco Chicken Sausage with roasted red pepper and asiago. I saw these in the store and I had to have them! They are fully cooked, which is nice. I grilled them. Taking them out of the package, they are nice and firm with a nice casing on them. I overcooked them a little, which means they burst, but that was ok. They didn't lose a lot of juices. I also made sidedishes of steamed broccoli and baked potatoes. Time for dinner, we sat down and started to taste them. At first bite, it reminded me of andouille sausage. The skin is tough, so I ended up cutting the rest off. Didn't taste much of the red peppers or the asiago because the spices were a little overwhelming. My daughter did not like it because they were a little spicy. All in all, it is a good sausage if you would like something quick and easy.

 

Happy Eating Everyone!