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I spent 10 years getting misdiagnosed. Finally when I could no longer live like that I found someone who took me seriously. I could not run more than 30 minutes without using the bathroom. I could not eat within 6 hours of running races. Due to years of not knowing I had Celiac Disease, I now have some health problems like osteopenia (pre-cursor to osteoporosis). But after 3 years of being gluten-free, I started to see major changes in my health and body. For me, I started to feel better three weeks after going gluten-free. The bloating went down and I felt more comfortable. I get asked a lot about my carb sources. Even though I can’t have wheat, gluten, pasta, bread, etc there are still so many things I can eat. They include: brown rice, jasmine rice, quinoa, corn tortillas, sweet potatoes, squash, Gluten-free tortillas, rice noodles, and gluten-free noodles. I like all kinds of gluten-free noodles. My husband went gluten-free as well but he only likes the corn based noodles. I love spaghetti squash. It is my favorite substitute for spaghetti. For baking, I like to use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-free flours. Bob’s Red Mill also has GF oats and a GF hot cereal mix. They are a local Oregon company that I like to support. Gluten-free specialty foods are becoming easier to find. A lot of grocery stores are starting to mark the items on the shelves or even have a whole gluten-free section. In Portland, we have a great variety of local gluten-free companies and bakeries. I am excited to say that GF bread has really improved over the years. It has been fun to add “bread” back into my diet. My favorite gluten-free bread is Udi’s. They now have different varieties of bread, hamburger buns, hot dogs buns, cinnamon rolls, muffins, and pizza crusts. The buns are brand new this year and might be hard to find but well worth the effort! I loved having my first hamburger on a bun in 5 years. Grilling burgers and hot dogs will be so fun this summer! We also love make your own pizza night. Udi’s products have the best shelf life of all gluten-free breads. It can stay on the counter for 7 days or 21 days refrigerated. It can also be frozen for 6 months. The 7 day shelf life, without being refrigerated, makes it perfect for traveling. The texture of Udi’s bread is best I have eaten. Most gluten-free breads fall apart or need to be toasted but Udi’s can be eaten out of the bag. Udi’s has gone national and can be found in most Kroger stores. Typical Gluten-free Meals at home:
LUNCH:
DINNER:
SNACKS:
Airports are terrible places to find gluten-free food, when I travel my carry-on is full of food. My Favorite Travel Food: Udi’s – Bread, bagels, granola, muffins Generation UCAN Justin’s Nut butter – almond butter, chocolate almond butter packets that can be taken in carry-on in your “liquids” bag Glutenfreeda Instant Oatmeal Apples, oranges or other fruits Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts Mary’s Gone Crackers 505 Green Chili packets Quaker Rice Cakes Vegetables with hummus - at Costco I found Tribe Hummus in 2 ounce sizes, perfect to fit in your carry-on “liquids” bag Thai Kitchen noodle packets – I take these on long trips (foreign travel) with a hot pot
To try to guarantee that you get a GF meal on the road you have to be your own advocate. I usually talk with a manager and the waiter. I emphasis that I have a wheat and gluten allergy. This usually puts an alert on your order. If the restaurant does not have a gluten free menu then I ask questions about the prep. For example: Do you have a separate grill or griddle for proteins and bread? Do you warm the bread/buns on the grill? Do you cook the eggs on the same grill as the pancakes? Does the meat come pre-seasoned? A lot of chicken is pre-seasoned with soy sauce. Is the rice seasoned? There are quite a few places that put wheat in the rice. Can mine be made in a separate pan? Do you have a separate fryer or is everything shared? Don’t be afraid to send your food back if it is not right. I have had to send back a meal three times. I hate to waste food but I also hate to be sick and ruin a night or race. If you are shy and don’t feel like going over everything with the manager or wait staff then I would recommend buying the Triumph Dining Gluten-free Dining Cards. They have all the information a restaurant needs to make a gluten-free meal for you. The manager and kitchen staff just need to follow the directions on the card. The question I get the most is what I eat before races. I want to say that everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. It is important to try things until you find the items that work for you. Once you find the magic formula don’t change it. The night before the race I try to find a restaurant with a Gluten-Free menu. My first choice is PF Chang’s. They have a great GF menu and protocol to deal with cross-contamination. My second choice is Outback Steakhouse. If those two restaurants are not available I use the Triumph Dining “Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide” to find a restaurant with a GF menu in the area. If all else fails you can do Wendy’s chili and baked potato. The day of the race I use Generation UCAN, lemonade or pom-blue flavor before the race. If it is a night time race I try to use products that I brought on the trip or got at the store that I trust. Race day foods include: gluten-free cereals, soy milk, gluten-free instant oatmeal, rice cakes, bananas, almond butter, baked potatoes or rice. Right after the race, I use Generation UCAN chocolate or vanilla. I also love to have a banana with almond butter after a race. Getting diagnosed and going gluten-free is hard at first. You will spend a lot of time reading food labels and ingredient lists. I would suggest you get some things to help you. There are so many new gluten-free cookbooks to choose from, just go to the store and find one that fits your cooking style. There are also a lot of informative websites for Celiac information, eating and cooking gluten-free. This is just a short list to start with: Websites:
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