Lifestyle
Are Nuts Safe For Celiacs?
May
17
Naturally gluten free but do they contain 'traces of gluten'?
Are nuts safe for celiacs? Some of you may be reading this and thinking, seriously? Is this gluten free traveller chick really trying to tell me that I can’t eat nuts now? She’s already made me uncertain about my morning coffee and I KNOW that nuts are gluten free. In theory, YES. Nuts themselves are of course naturally gluten free but in my experience it’s extremely difficult to find any which are free from the threat of cross contamination. And if you’re celiac then this is a real concern.
Here’s what led me to write this post..
Celiacs! Stop Making Excuses For Cheating
May
15
Any gluten at all equals 
“I can’t find anything gluten free”, “Gluten free food tastes awful”, “Being gluten free is too expensive”, “Nothing happens when I just eat a tiny but of gluten.” Have you said any of these things? Have you had heard someone say any of these things? Read on.. (more…)
How To Cope With Being Glutened
May
10
Tea and sunshine helps a little...
As celiacs we are all (hopefully!) on a strict gluten free diet but even when we are as careful as we can be sometimes we make mistakes.
Not all celiacs feel the same way when they are accidentally glutened. Some feel like they’re dying, others basically just like crap and some, nothing at all. Whether loud or silent, accidentally eating gluten isn’t good. As a follow on from yesterday’s So You Accidentally Ate Gluten Post I thought it would be interesting to see how you deal with one of the most horrible parts of being celiac, being glutened (or glutenated as I prefer to call it). (more…)
So You Accidentally Ate Gluten..
May
08
Ladies/Gents/Scotsmen
…and now you feel like crap! If you’re feeling stupid for making a mistake, please don’t be hard on yourself. It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault at all. We all make mistakes and this gluten filled world in which we live doesn’t make it easy sometimes. (more…)
Celiac Disease & Tooth Enamel Loss
Apr
18
Enamel problems related to celiac?
Over the past few years I’ve noticed that I seem to be losing some of the enamel from my teeth. I’m not sure when this began but it makes me sad because I spend a lot of time and effort caring for my teeth and it doesn’t seem to make any difference. (more…)
Cross Reaction: Should Celiacs Drink Coffee?
Apr
12
Can coffee be mistaken for gluten?
Cross reaction is a term that many celiacs may be familiar with, especially if you haven’t completely healed on your strict gluten free diet. Perhaps you were diagnosed as celiac and started to feel a little better but you still have a bunch of symptoms and still don’t feel like yourself. It’s possible you have developed further food intolerances but what if the cause is a result of cross reaction? What if your immune system thinks that some non-gluten things ARE gluten? Then you would still have a gluten response, still get symptoms and still feel like crap!
The idea of cross reaction in relation to celiacs not completely healing seems to be coming up more and more in recent months and has intensified in the last few day as the gluten free community has been throwing around the idea that celiacs possibly shouldn’t be drinking coffee. Don’t be ridiculous, you may be thinking. Coffee can’t possibly contain gluten! This was my first reaction too and we’re right of course, coffee doesn’t contain gluten but if you’re celiac then you’re body may mistakenly think that it does! (more…)
Gluten Free Labelling Around The World
Apr
02
Gluten free labelling in Argentina
Gluten free travelling and wondering what kind of gluten free labelling legislation the country you’re visiting has? You’ve come to the right place. Gluten free labelling differs hugely depending on where you are in the world so it’s important to know what you’re dealing with before you go somewhere. When you’re celiac you can’t simply rely on looking for products labelled as ‘gluten free’. You must first find out what that means where you are. In some countries there is legislation to prevent companies labelling their products as gluten free unless they fulfill high safety standards. Other countries however are free to label products with ‘gluten free’ without fulfilling any standard at all. (more…)
What Was Your Last (Glutenous) Meal?
Mar
27
Pre-celiac cereal
Guatemala, a few months before diagnosis
Can you remember the last gluten filled meal that you ate before gluten became your most loathed enemy? Did you know at the time that it was going to be your last? (more…)
Tips For Gluten Free Road Tripping
Mar
20
The northernmost tip of mainland Europe
Road tripping can be a lot of fun and a lot of that fun can be not knowing what you will discover and where you will end up. These things are a little more difficult when you are travelling gluten free but not impossible. To ensure our gluten free road trip turns out to be both safe and successful we need to be organised, plan ahead and over pack the gluten free goodies. The best road trip I’ve ever done was a gluten free one. John and I drove 4000 miles in a car we bought for £100. It took us through 9 countries in 10 days. If you’re anxious about your first or next road trip have a read at my simple tips for gluten free road tripping. (more…)
Keep Your City Break Gluten Free
Mar
13
Philadelphia
Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Planning a city break or a long weekend somewhere new? Gluten free travelling to a location you haven’t yet explored can be stressful if you’re aren’t ready for it. Where will I eat? What will I eat? What if I get sick? What if I don’t speak the language?
I’ve been on many gluten free city breaks and long weekends throughout Europe, the States and South America. I always have a great time and I’m always pleasantly surprised at the gluten free goodies I find. You will be too, but just incase you don’t believe me, have a read at my Gluten Free Tips For A Successful Gluten Free City Break! (more…)