Gluten Free Social Life

Living Gluten free can be lonely. Especially in the beginning as neither you nor your friends know what to do. What can you eat? Where to eat? People quit asking you out to lunch and you get left off more than one guest list during the holidays. I have been there. I have been trying to live gluten free since 2006. I owned an Italian restaurant at the time so it was very challenging!
The first step to getting your life back is knowing your disease. Are you gluten free because of an autoimmune illness, is this an allergy, or other issue. Going gluten free is not a good idea for weight loss… if that is the reason, it is not unusual for gluten free flours, cookies, cakes etc. to have a higher glycemic index. Most people initially gain weight going gluten free until we realize that it is best to limit gluten free substitutions and instead eat fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole muscle meats (as opposed to hotdogs, burgers, sausages…).

Next, know what gluten is. Gluten is a protein that is found in grains. It is in wheat, rye, barley, spelt and kamut. It can also be in Oats, purchase gluten free oats only. Just because it is not bread doesn’t mean it is safe. …

It is important to note that though you are gluten free, it is okay for those that are not bothered by gluten to eat it. You can pass on the rolls at dinner, but please do not get upset at those that do eat them. I have seen this several times and it makes the whole experience uncomfortable. My friends are nice enough to tell me how bad those beautiful, warm, fluffy rolls are… Just be careful, do not make your inability to eat gluten their problem and you are surely going to get invited to go out with them again. Unfortunately you will still lose friends along the way. Those that think it is just a fad or you are being difficult. That is okay. You can live healthier without that type of friend! This is difficult enough without people making you feel guilty, wrong or you are just wanting to be “special”.

Living gluten free is manageable with just a few steps I can have you on your way to enjoying life again!  These are the steps that we will cover this week.

1. Get educated. We will talk about what foods gluten is in. When you see malt… gluten for example. We will also talk about potential cross contamination. These are things that you should know so that when you ask questions, you know what the right answer is. I have come home from the hardware store with the wrong item. My husband would say “why did you get that” my response “that is what the guy said I needed, I did not know different”. That is a valid point when talking to managers, chefs and servers. Having even a basic understanding will help you know if they know what they are taking about.
2. Communicate concerns to the servers, managers and chefs.
3. Focus on ingredients. How to look at the menu and decide what items will be safe when dining at a restaurant that does not have a gluten free menu.
4. Make Special Requests and inquire about preparation methods.
5. Showing appreciation and gracefully saying “no thank you”.