1. What are your favorite restaurants? Are these different than before you followed the diet?
I’ve always liked different ethnic foods so many of the same restaurants are fine (e.g., Indian, Mexican, Japanese, Thai). I now also go to steakhouses since they tend to have the fewest dishes with gluten.

2. Are food industry workers knowledgeable about Celiac disease?
Not very many are but I always ask for recommendations from the chef and often the chef will even come out to ask about my meal.

3. Do you trust that the food you receive from restaurants/friends/family members is gluten free?
I trust restaurants more than friends, simply because I expect that chefs will have some knowledge of ingredients and what is and is not gluten free (although in a recent restaurant experience, the chef told me a dish contained soy sauce but it was gluten free so I asked him to check the ingredients on the soy sauce and he was surprised to see it contained wheat).

4. What were some things you believed about Celiac disease that have proven false?
I can’t think of any at the moment.

5. What precautions do you take when eating at family and friends’ houses?
I always go over ingredients in dishes with friends and do not eat dishes which might be questionable. At my parents house, we always cook gluten free and my sister and I orchestrate the meals to be sure that they are gluten free.

6. What is the biggest difficulty with having Celiac Disease?
Eating out with friends and family.

7. What are the foods you missed the most?
Pretzels and beer, especially dark beer.

8. Does your significant other/friends eat gluten free with you?
My husband has been wonderful and he went mostly gluten free at home from day one. The one exception was bread; we needed to find a bread he would like since he eats most of the bread in our house. Once we did that, our house is now only gluten free.

9. If you initially did not follow the gluten free diet. What made you change your mind?
I have followed it since I was officially diagnosed with celiac and felt better within 2 weeks.

10. Has Celiac Disease affected aspects of your life other than your diet and health?
Yes, I dislike always having to explain to coworkers, friends and family about celiac and what I can and cannot have. I would just like to go out and order whatever I wanted and not think about the ingredients.

11. Why did you start your blog? What are your goals with the blog?*
I don’t blog but I do tweet! (Follow Debra on Twitter)

12. What are the most common topics on the blog?*
I tend to tweet about exercise and food!

What are your favorite restaurants? Are these different than before you followed the diet?

My favorite restaurants are ones that I know are very aware of the gluten-free diet.  I enjoy Maggiano’s because the chef always comes to your table and talks to you.  I also like P.F. Chang’s.

Are food industry workers knowledgeable about Celiac disease?

I think they are becoming more knowledgeable about the disease.  I always have questions regarding the menu when I go out to eat and it seems like more and more servers are aware of what items contain gluten, if they don’t know, they go and ask the chef.

Do you trust that the food you receive from restaurants/friends/family members is gluten free?

NO!  I can’t tell you how many times I have been out and have gotten sick from eating     food that was supposedly gluten-free.  My stomach is really sensitive to gluten so any little bit that I digest will affect me.

What were some things you believed about Celiac disease that have proven false?

The glue on envelopes contain gluten!  I still wonder about Modified Food Starch.  When I was first diagnosed with Celiac, I read that it does contain gluten, however now I understand that it does not.

What precautions do you take when eating at family and friends’ houses?

My friends and family do a great job accommodating my allergy.  I usually will call and find out what food will be served and if there is a lot that I can’t eat, then I will just bring my own food.

What is the biggest difficulty with having Celiac Disease?

This may sound silly but I get embarrassed a lot!  When we go out to eat with people I always get embarrassed when I have to question the serve about everything on the menu.   I also find traveling to be difficult.

What are the foods you missed the most?

Pizza and Bud Light
Does your significant other/friends eat gluten free with you?

My husband eats gluten-free at home.

If you initially did not follow the gluten free diet.  What made you change your mind?

I have always followed the diet!  I can’t live with the stomach pains!

Has Celiac Disease affected aspects of your life other than your diet and health?

Not really

Hi Mike,

I found your blog and the contest via Twitter. I really like your approach, and can appreciate the guts it takes to go GF when you don’t have terribly severe symptoms. Here is my interview entry for your contest!

What are your favorite restaurants?

Are these different than before you followed the diet? Back when I was only lactose-intolerant, Asian food was my standby since they use very little dairy. Now that soy sauce is a no-no, I’ve had to rethink my strategies. Big Bowl’s menu is mostly off-limits to me now, but they will make your Pad Thai with GF sauce if you ask.  I always love Panera, Qdoba, or Chipotle.

Are food industry workers knowledgeable about Celiac disease?

Usually not. The average waitstaff will not have a clue when you say “gluten” or “celiac.” Chefs, on the other hand, are more well-informed. When I asked about sauce ingredients at a Disney hotel a few years ago, the chef even brought me GF rolls!

What were some things you believed about Celiac disease that have proven false?
That the diet would be unbearable, or help me to lose weight.

What precautions do you take when eating at family and friends’ houses?

Ask about the menu beforehand. Be positive when you explain your diet. Eg. “I can’t have pasta, bread, etc, but I CAN eat rice, potatoes, corn, plain vegetables, etc.” Bring a GF side dish if appropriate. Don’t eat anything you aren’t sure of. Have a snack ready in case you leave hungry.

What is the biggest difficulty with having Celiac Disease?

The lack of convenience foods. Sandwiches and pizza are universal, but now useless to me. Eating requires way more awareness and planning ahead. I can’t just dive into whatever food is close at hand.

What are the foods you missed the most?

A big gooey pizza slice, or fluffy, crusty bread to dip in olive oil. I don’t miss them too much, and there are alternatives available for pretty much anything.

If you initially did not follow the gluten free diet.  What made you change your mind?

Crippling digestive pain and *ahem* problems that would attack for no apparent reason. I thought my lactose intolerance was under control, but I was still miserable. After a blood test, my doctor convinced me to try going full GF, not just “avoiding bread” like I thought it would entail. My symptoms stopped, and I’ve never looked back.

Why did you start your blog?  What are your goals with the blog?*

I started a blog (sojournstlouis.blogspot.com) to document my Americorps service year. Eating GF on a small volunteer stipend is an added challenge, so I blog about it occasionally. I’ve found celiac support in interesting places. One of my co-workers is an amazing GF baker.

Thanks,
Sarah LaVigne
St. Louis, MO

What are your favorite restaurants? Are these different than before you followed the diet?
We tend to eat at the same independent neighborhood eateries. I have avoided chains like the plague, but I am encouraged by the thought of GF menus in more “big name” places.

Are food industry workers knowledgeable about Celiac disease?
No. Nope, and just plain “not even close”. The staff at any restaurant turns over too fast for there to be any lasting impact on training. Lanuguage barriers are most often the problem.

Do you trust that the food you receive from restaurants/friends/family members is gluten free?
Not really, given that I have told them that I can’t have anything with “wheat” and they sub “spelt” noodles (which are wheat), or think by giving me white bread, it is then transformed from “wheat bread” … it’s all very disheartening. Making the gravy with “flour” doesn’t make it less of a wheat product for me.. it’s still just as toxic.

What were some things you believed about Celiac disease that have proven false?
That I can live day to day without gluten.

What precautions do you take when eating at family and friends’ houses?
Absolutely bring and prepare separate food. No question. Do not trust that they even begin to understand cross contact. Make or bring your own food. It’s not worth being sick just to be polite.

What is the biggest difficulty with having Celiac Disease?
Systemic reactions to wheat, rye, barley, oats or sorghum or any other grain product that was ever stored in the same grain bin as wheat or grown in rotation the year after wheat was grown in that field, or hauled in the same truck. It goes way beyond intolerance to wheat.
20PPM is still too much for me.

What are the foods you missed the most?
I have found my way to GF versions of everything.

Does your significant other/friends eat gluten free with you?
No. He insists on his daily ration of gluten. Why, I have no idea other than he thinks he is entitled to it in some way.

If you initially did not follow the gluten free diet.  What made you change your mind?
Initially I was told to eat “wheat free”… but not gluten free. I was sicker than ever.
Serious health consequences resulting from doctor lack of advice, knowledge, guidence in anything “gluten free”. They continue to tell me they know nothing about how to live gluten free… even prescribing medications that have wheat as an ingredient. They are clueless.

Has Celiac Disease affected aspects of your life other than your diet and health?
not really

What are your favorite restaurants? Are these different than before you followed the diet?

I never ate out much, I have always cooked.  I have had to adjust almost every recipe I use and it was very overwhelming at first.  I have finally gotten to the point that I feel like I can make all the things I used to make for my family but in a safe, gluten free way.  We eat at Chipotle when we go out ten times for every once we go to another restaurant.  They have safe food and have always been very accomodating with us.

Are food industry workers knowledgeable about Celiac disease?

We have had very good luck with this, seems every time we try a new place our server will either know a celiac or at least be familiar with gluten. Of course we have had the servers who say they understand and then bring the meal with a large slice of french bread on top or gravy over everything.  Generally speaking things seem to be improving in this area.
Do you trust that the food you receive from restaurants/friends/family members is gluten free?

I trust the food I get from friends the most.  They all seem to understand and really try hard, sometimes TOO hard, to help us out.   I am suspect in restaurants when I don’t know what is going on in the kitchen unless our server is knowledgeable.  When they come back and comment on something gluten related like having left off the croutons or whatever I am happy.  It lets me know they really do get it.  Family, sadly, I don’t trust at all.  I have watched them sabotage us.  I think they are offended we don’t eat their cookies or pies.  I have even had them lie to me that something didn’t have gluten when I clearly watched them add a gluten filled ingredient!  I think it is denial, they may have the problem, too, but don’t want to know.  They would rather be sick than have to take the trouble to be gluten free.
What were some things you believed about Celiac disease that have proven false?

I was depressed for at least 3 months thinking we would  have to give up so many of our favorites.  I have found that replacements are either available, or can be prepared, for almost every item.  OK, I still haven’t found good beer!  But otherwise I think the food we eat now is actually better than what we ate Pre-Celiac.
What precautions do you take when eating at family and friends’ houses?

We make sure they are aware of the situation so they understand why we don’t eat everything.  Where it is possible, like at a children’s party, I try to find out the menu ahead of time and replace the items they will serve that we can’t eat.  I keep cupcakes in the freezer for the kids to take to birthday parties, I also keep slices of baked pizza frozen so they can be microwaved.  Seems like every kids party has pizza!  Otherwise we just eat what we know is GF, enjoy the company of our friends, and if we leave hungry we eat again later!
What is the biggest difficulty with having Celiac Disease?

Travel.  We are pretty good at it now, but handling all of the meals when you may not even have access to a grocery store isn’t easy.  We have learned what types of foods are safe at what types of restaurants.  Sushi is always a good choice… we carry our own soy sauce.  Planning is the key.  We always make sure we have food with us unless we are sure we will be in an area that will have GF foods available.
What are the foods you missed the most?

Cookies.  It took me a while to get good at making them.  And pizza, of course.  Now that there are frozen crusts that are pretty good that is not such a problem even when we don’t have time to make one ourselves.  Beer is still a problem.  GF beer is just too sweet!
Does your significant other/friends eat gluten free with you?

I am actually the non-Celiac in my family.  I gave up gluten when everyone else had to.  It is easier to maintain a gluten free home than to worry if there is cross-contamination.  I don’t cheat, either!  Even when I go out alone or with friends I eat gluten-free.  I won’t make my family do something that I won’t do myself.
If you initially did not follow the gluten free diet.  What made you change your mind? n/a
Has Celiac Disease affected aspects of your life other than your diet and health?

It has changed the way I live in many ways.  I spent about the first three months on the computer trying to get the information I needed to get everyone healthy and follow the GF lifestyle.  And I find I am still on the computer at least a couple hours a day now.  Part of it is still research, some for recipes, but now part of it is sharing my information with others via blog responses and my own new recipe blog.  I have made friends through the GF community and I share online with them as well.  I am more outgoing with people.  I have had to be to make sure they understood what we were dealing with (like in restaurants.)

Why did you start your blog?  What are your goals with the blog?*

I started my blog  “Living(Gluten)Free.blogspot.com” to share my recipes with friends.  I got lots and lots of requests and rather than continue to send them via email or snail-mail, I decided I would add them to the blog.  I will continue to add recipes as I have time and I hope to put it all on a disk one day for my daughters to use when they are cooking for themselves.  All three of them have Celiac disease.
What are the most common topics on the blog?*

My blog is all recipes.  I occasionally add a short story if it is related to the recipe.  This is for my girls, sort of like scrapbooking!  I want to spend more time on it, make it a lot better, but right now time is limited so I just do what I can.