I didn't choose the GF lifestyle... the GF lifestyle chose me (unfortunately)
I posted this on my personal FB page, but it was suggested I also share it here to spread awareness. I wrote specifically from the POV of someone who is GF, but it can also apply to many different allergens. In the business world it can be tough for someone with food allergens to eat at business functions or holiday parties.
So lately I've had several people ask me about being gluten free (whether through allergy or celiac diagnosis). I find it incredibly heartening that more and more people are genuinely curious and seeking understanding with an open mind. I myself am INCREDIBLY lucky to have very supportive family, friends, and coworkers. There are several of us that have food allergies or restrictions due to religion. The other week I heard my little brother tell my youngest nephew we don't judge others based on their dietary restrictions or requirements. When I was diagnosed 10+ years ago it was quite common to see a ton of mockery towards people having to live the GF lifestyle and others not taking it entirely seriously with disastrous consequences for the GF person.
Since we are in the middle of the holiday season and this time of year it is more likely that someone will get inadvertently glutented, I thought I'd put this post out there to educate and answer some common questions. It's a bit long, but worth the read. This time of year can be tough, incredibly isolating, and mentally taxing for those of us with food allergies or restrictions due to religious requirements. Most of what I am listing below are SUPER easy things that anyone can do. I promise you that your GF/friends with other allergies will feel so loved and appreciated by any one of these.
First off, what is gluten and where is it found? Gluten is a protein structure found in Wheat, Barley, and Rye that gives structure to breads and is used as thickening agents in many other food items.
What is celiac? Celiac is an autoimmune disorder where the person’s immune system attacks the proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. Over time this can lead to damage of the person’s intestines and prevent absorption of nutrients. What is a gluten allergy? A gluten allergy is very similar to being celiac. The person will react negatively to the proteins but lacks some of the autoimmune markers of being celiac. (I myself grew an entire inch after I was diagnosed and gave up gluten…. Yes, my brother still made fun of me for being short)
Can't you just have a cheat day, my friend with lactose does it all the time? NO! While both are disorders that involve not being able to digest substances that is the only similarity they have. Lactose people lack the enzyme lactose to digest lactose. People with celiac or gluten allergies have bodies that will attack the protein in wheat, barley, and rye damaging their intestines. Also, as mentioned above celiac is an autoimmune disorder.
What reactions can people with celiac or a gluten allergy have? There are a number of reactions that can vary person to person and in severity. Reactions can include: gastric distress that leads to throwing up or diarrhea, bloating (Im talking extreme… think of a balloon blown up so much that it's about to pop), abdominal pain, extreme lethargy, dermatitis, brain fog, headaches or migraines, depression, joint pain, inflammation, anaemia, elevated liver enzymes, and an increased risk of cancer. These symptoms can come on in the matter of minutes and can take weeks (.... yes, weeks) to clear after being exposed to gluten (aka glutened).
What is cross contamination? The transfer of particles from one item to another (in this case, gluten). This can happen several ways. A few of the most common are by using tools (think knives, cutting boards, servings spoons) on an item that contains gluten and then using it on a gluten free item. By placing an item with gluten on the same serving tray that also has gluten free items. Preparing GF foods on a surface that has not been wiped down after preparing something that contains gluten (flour gets everywhere!). Dipping something that contains gluten in something that is GF (think dipping a cracker in a GF dip). If any of these accidentally happens please make your GF friend aware. Before you ask if they can just eat around it…. NO! A GF person can generally safely manage up to 20 ppm of gluten safely (for some people their safety level is as low as 10 ppm). A bread crumb alone contains 10% gluten or the equivalent of 100,000 ppm. So just no. I myself have had sooooo many incidents over the last several years that my anxiety level is at an all-time high at parties or functions outside my friend group. I'm seriously researching getting a gluten detection service dog in the future.
I have a friend that has celiac or a gluten allergy (or any other type of allergy), what can I do? Do they really expect me to alter my whole entire meal/party around them? The best thing you can do is talk to your friend. This is our condition to manage and most of us are used to making accommodations for ourselves whether that is eating something before coming to a party or bringing a GF dish. That being said, it will absolutely warm your friend’s heart that you take a few minutes to talk to them about how they can be included and how you can prevent cross contamination of GF items. And no one is going to expect you to alter your entire meal (they shouldn't anyway) around them.
Here are some common simple things you can do to accommodate a GF friend. This list is not exhaustive, there are many other things you can do. Again, most of these suggestions can be applied to any allergy:
- Communicate with your friend and set realistic expectations of what you can reasonably and comfortably do to accommodate them
- If you do not want to make a GF dish or two, do not feel comfortable making something GF, or do not want to buy a GF item or two, then ask your friend if they want to bring a GF dish or desert.
- If your friend wants to just bring their own meal, let them (bonus points if you let them use your microwave to heat it up)
- If you have GF items available to serve please make sure they are not on the same plate as items that contain gluten. This will lead to cross contamination and will likely gluten your friend
- Have separate serving spoons for items to prevent one serving spoon being used in multiple dishes and increasing the likelihood of cross contamination
- Put a sign out noting that an item is GF for awareness
- Educate your other guests so that they know not to accidentally cross contaminate something
- If you are going out to eat, check the menu with your GF friend to make sure there is something they can eat or be OK with your friend making a pit stop before or after to grab something separate
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What NOT to do:
- Some good natured ribbing between friends aside (My favourites include Oh no! The glutens are gona getcha or this item is extra glutenous), do NOT give your friend a hard time
- Do NOT assume something is GF, please check the labels for wheat, barley, rye, or malt. (This can be applied to any allergen. Recently a Disney influencer was at an event and spoke to the staff about her allergy to something and they assured her the food was free from said item. It was not. She was immediately ill, asked for medical assistance, but ultimately died).
- Do NOT test your friends to see if they are really GF or allergic to something. Knowingly tampering with someone's food is AGAINST THE LAW
Where can gluten commonly be found that you wouldn't think of:
- Seasonings (to prevent clumping)
- Frozen veg (to prevent clumping)
- Oil in fryers that are used for both GF and regular food items (same applies for grills)
- Hair products
- Medicines and cough drops
- Oats (not because the oats themselves contain gluten, but they are often grown besides fields of wheat or are processed in plants that also process wheat, barley, or rye)
- Alcohol (While in some liquors the gluten gets removed in the distillation process, mash is often added back in for colouring or flavour and re contaminates)
If you have any questions, thoughts, or are GF/Celiac and have any other helpful tips…. Please ask and comment.
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B2B Marketing Master @ events, branding, digital, strategy, awesome customer experiences, social and puns.
2 个月This is a great explanation. Thank you for sharing.