Two special shout-outs today before I get to my blog:

1. To everyone who currently serves or who has ever served for our country. I don’t get too caught up in the whole patriotic thing, because sometimes I think it divides the world rather than unites it, but your sacrifice is something I just cannot comprehend. Thank you.

2. To my dad, who would have been 77 today. Happy Birthday. I miss you.

Ok…on to today’s post.

Mrs. Dude’s cousins came in for the weekend from the DC area. It’s always a blast to have them in town. One of them, Aaron, surprised me by writing a blog post for me about what celiac disease is like from a guest’s perspective. Very, very cool and much appreciated.

One thing you should know about Aaron. He runs marathons. Like a lot of them. And whenever he finishes a new marathon, he gets a tattoo representing the marathon. Also very cool.

Here we go….

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I am Gluten Dude’s cousin. Ok, technically Mrs. Dude is my cousin but for all intensive purposes we are family. All the nieces and nephews call him “Uncle Dude” and that’s how it’s always been.

My Cousin Aaron

Anyway, we’re fortunate that we live close enough that pretty much as long as no one has major plans you could pack your car and be at someone’s house in about three hours. Dude is as gracious a host as you can find. We visited over the Memorial Weekend and his house was busy with his kids, my sister and her boys and yours truly.

On the counter in the kitchen there are signs for food to point out to everyone what is gluten free and what isn’t. Dude’s section of the kitchen and refrigerator are known to all and luckily the youngsters are smart enough to ask which drawers in the kitchen are “ok.”

Sadly, one has to answer that question not for the sake of the children but for Dude because we don’t want anything to happen to him.

I am amazed and impressed at his ability to focus on the smallest details of the ingredients on food, to quickly look online if he is unsure, and to just skip it if he knows he can’t have it. Our first day at the “Dude Ranch” Mrs. Dude had food and snacks out on the kitchen counter for everyone………well, not everyone. I sat there and snacked on and off all day as did many of us, yet here was Dude walking past it and dare I say ignoring it. It has become routine or habit for him and he can not deter from these habits.

I watched him grab his morning coffee and his pre-packaged snack/breakfast. I wondered how everyone could share the same coffee machine…..as you can see, I am completely naïve to the nature of what Dude can and can’t do. But I try to follow, listen, and ask a lot of questions.

When I think about how some days an ankle hurts or my back is out of whack, I try to keep it all in perspective knowing how careful Dude has to be every day. I read his posts when I can and if something happens I know it is much worse than anything I have endured. I hope companies, stores and restaurants are more vigilant in supporting all the Dudes out there.

I’m trying to do my part by paying attention…….and hopefully the bottle of Gentleman Jack didn’t hurt either.

Cousin Aaron

Since my celiac diagnosis, I’ve always struggled with the fact that pretty much the entire focus of celiac disease is on food.

When I went to the Celiac Awareness Tour in Philly last month, it was pretty much all about the food.

It was just vendor after vendor trying to get my business.

Where was the “Celiac Awareness” part?

But I’ve come to realize that perhaps this is the way it needs to be.

There is no cure for celiac disease. It’s a life-long affliction.

And gluten-free food is our drug. It keeps us alive. And because of that, I get it.

But you would think that because of this focus, we could avoid incidents like the following (from a comment on yesterday’s post):

Six months ago I was with my family at a Red Robin in Charlotte, NC, and was ordering from the gluten-free selections. I quizzed the waiter who obviously knew nothing about gluten or cross-contamination so I asked to speak to the manager. The manager answered the questions right, indicated that they were trained in safety, and told me hamburger was cooked on a separate area. She aso added that their GF hamburger buns were the tastiest she had ever had.

My burger came out and before I took a bite I happened to notice that my bun had little sesame seeds and looked just like everyone elses. I called her back to question it and sure enough I had the regular bun. I then had to go into a LENGTHY description of why they could not take that burger and merely switch buns. She seemed annoyed. Ultimately my trust was blown so I watched my husband, our daughters/spouses, and my granddaughter eat while I held the four-month-old granddaughter and ate nothing..

They felt bad, I felt bad, and after a fun day our evening ended on a sad note. Even worse we only chose Red Robin because my loved ones were searching for a place where I could eat safely. They wanted to eat at a different restaurant..

I want to tell the “celebrities” who adopt this as fad diet and food preparers/servers who think this is a “celebrity fad diet” that THIS is our life..Our problem doesn’t just affect us, it affects everyone who is in our lives. Thankfully I noticed it before I took a bite. If I had been the only one getting a burger, I would have never known to even question the bun after the manager’s glowing description.

I know…mistakes happen. But we simply cannot afford to have these mistakes. We can’t.

When we eat at your restaurant, you are like a pharmacist filling our prescription.

You must fill that prescription exactly as required or your “patient” gets sick.

Do restaurants want this responsibility? Probably not.

What’s the solution, besides celiacs never eating out? I don’t know.

Do you?

According to a recent NFCA study, here is something that should scare the crap out of you if you have celiac disease:

“Chefs and restaurateurs lack a fundamental understanding of gluten-free protocols, and it’s a threat to those with gluten-related disorders.”

Yikes!

Earlier this month, the NFCA quizzed chefs and restaurateurs on the floor of the National Restaurant Association Show, an international gathering of professionals in the food service industry, and the results were alarming. Many of the chefs and restaurateurs said they have gluten-free options at their restaurants, yet less than four percent of them responded correctly to four questions regarding gluten.

That’s right…4%.

Double Yikes!!

Less than 50% of chefs could name a gluten-containing grain other than wheat.

Do I hear a triple yikes??

Here are the four survey questions the NFCA asked the chefs:

Question 1:
Celiac disease is a genetic, auto-immune disease that is triggered by glucose. 
True or False?

Question 2:
Gluten is a protein found in what 3 common grains? Can you name all 3?

Question 3:
What kind of oats can be used in a gluten-free dish?
a. Steel-cut
b. Irish
c. Organic
d. All of the Above
e. None of the above

Question 4:
Look at the following list of pantry items. You have read the labels, but some ingredients might contain gluten. Find the trio that most likely needs verification by the manufacturer or distributor.
a. Cornstarch, Romano tomatoes, lentils
b. Olive oil, oregano, walnuts, apple cider vinegar
c. Rice vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, curry paste
d. Canned pears, basmati rice, tomato juice

Confession time: I’m not sure I know the answers to the last two questions.

But you know what? I’m not a chef.

And people aren’t putting their health in my hands.

But you would think more “professionals” would know their gluten ABC’s.

As I said, every time a celiac leaves the house, they put their health at risk.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

(Cue the scary music…)

OK…we’ve covered lots of great topics this month.

We’ve discussed Domino’s, PF Changs and Chevys.

We’ve talked Kardashians and the NFCA.

Mrs. Dude, my Dudette and even a friend of Dude have piped in.

Good gracious…we’ve even done a Celiac Haiku.

So what topic haven’t we covered yet?

I’ll give you a hint. Oh, hell, no I won’t.

It’s ME!

I’ve always said this blog is not about me; it’s about US. But besides that small blurb to the right beside my mugshot, I’ve never really told my story before.

So for the three of you who might care, this post is for you.

A quick setup: I was honored to be the Feature of the Month on the blog I am J the Blog. J is a phenomenal, passionate gluten-free blogger who is an awesome voice in our community. If you haven’t been to her site, you should seriously check it out.

She did a full interview with me for the Feature, which can be found here. Below is the somewhat abridged version.

Self-promotion is so ugly, isn’t it?

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Gluten Dude Interview with I am J the Blog

Tell me about your experiences before being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. How did you deal with your symptoms?

First of all, thanks for the kind words above. I appreciate the sentiments and the opportunity to be your Feature of the Month. I’m touched and honored.

When it comes to symptoms, I was one of the lucky ones. My symptoms were not as bad as many in the celiac community. I did not grow up feeling “sick” like so many others did. I had my issues which I have talked about in my blog. But for the most part, I was pretty normal (though my parents may seriously beg to differ!)

My main symptoms started about six years ago and consisted mostly of constant stomach pains. Every night, I’d lie in bed complaining that my stomach hurt. And every night, Mrs. Dude would implore me to go to the doctor. And every night, I’d say “Oh…I’m fine”. But after about a year of this, and losing 15 pounds on an already pretty slim frame, I decided to go to a recommended GI in Princeton, NJ.

Being the organized soul that I am, I kept a food journal for a week before my appointment. What did it consist of? A bagel here and there; a few bowls of pasta; a few beers. I thought I was being pretty healthy. The doctor took one look at my journal and my symptoms and asked me if I had ever heard of Celiac disease. I had not. He said that I need to get tested ASAP.

The blood work came back first and he said they were the highest numbers he’d ever seen (I wish they said that about my SAT scores!!). He told me this as I was on the table about to get my endoscopy. So before I was put under, I pretty much knew. When I awoke, he said the villi in my intestine were pretty much gone and I indeed had Celiac disease…quite badly.

And so my journey began…

How did you feel once you were diagnosed with Celiac Disease? Tell me about your experiences of implementing a gluten free lifestyle.

How did I feel? Angry, mad, pissed, upset. Pick a strong adjective and that was me. Six months earlier, I got a diagnosis of bladder cancer and now I had to deal with THIS?

All I could think about was the food that I could no longer have. My focus was not on my health, but on what I would miss out on. Not the best attitude I admit, but at the time, that’s what I felt (and still do once in a while by the way).

I still remember going to Wegmans (our grocery store) for the first time after my diagnosis and just going up and down every aisle saying “I can’t have that. I can’t have that. I can’t have that.” It was so bizarre to me that all of the sudden there were so many foods that I could never eat again.

From there, Mrs. Dude and I immersed ourselves in all things celiac. We knew we had to be our own biggest advocates so we read and we read and we read some more. We brought all new kitchen cookware and utensils just for me. We made one shelf in the fridge and one in the freezer just for me. We made the pantry just for me. We made one of our kitchen counters off limits to everyone but me. I was my own island.

There is no way in h*ll I could have made the transition without the amazing support of Mrs. Dude. She was, and continues to be, incredible in her support and in trying her best to make me feel “normal”.

It was a tough transition though, accentuated by the fact that I was 100% gluten-free (never cheated, never will) but I was not feeling better. Going gluten free became easier but it took two years before I could feel myself begin to heal. And coincidentally, that was about the same time I stopped buying the gluten-free processed crap and focused on more natural foods.

It’s a real mindset to give up some of those foods. You buy Amy’s Pizza so you can still have pizza. You buy Pamela’s chocolate chip cookies so you can still have cookies. And I’m not knocking these companies. I’m thankful for them. But it wasn’t allowing me to heal. It’s now very rare where I’ll have something processed.

Do I miss it? Yep. But do I mourn my old lifestyle? I do not.

Do you have any tips for those new to the gluten free lifestyle, Celiac Disease?

I get this question a lot on my blog. And my answer is almost always the same: Patience. Lots and lots of patience. You will not adapt to your new life right away. Give yourself time to get mad, to mourn the loss of what was.

But during this time, DO NOT CHEAT. Not even once. You are done having gluten. Forever. The sooner you can accept it, the better.

You don’t have to love the idea. I don’t know one celiac who does. But you do need to accept it and embrace it because you have no choice.

What seems almost impossible when you are first diagnosed becomes difficult; moves up to bearable and eventually it becomes manageable. It never quite becomes easy but it does become something you can manage on a day to day basis.

And one big tip to celiac newbies: If in doubt, do without. It’s my new mantra. Don’t take chances if you’re not sure about something. That one minute of eating pleasure isn’t worth the days/weeks/months of pain you will endure afterwards.

Oh…and one last piece of advice. Don’t expect to feel better right away after going gluten free. Some celiacs do. Some don’t. I certainly didn’t. But be diligent, eat healthy, exercise regularly and eventually your body will begin to heal.

I love one of your earlier posts called “The bright side of having celiac disease (according to the Gluten Dude’s children)” because it’s very positive and I love #6 You’re not alone. How has Celiac Disease affected your family life?

Now that’s a good question. My kids actually gave up gluten just for me.

Oh, wait a minute…no they didn’t

I actually once ordered a gluten-free pizza from a local Italian restaurant while one of my girls got regular pizza. She asked if she could have a bite of mine. After taking a small bite, she simply asked “Does all of your food taste like this?” Gotta love it.

Look…I’m blessed with an awesome family. Mrs. Dude is the best support system a guy can ask for and my kids are acutely aware of my disease, are very concerned about my health, are supportive of me and are as careful with their food as two teen girls can be.

As much as I wish it wasn’t, celiac is our life. We can’t separate the two because it’s part of every meal we eat and every place we go.

And the fact that I don’t feel well much of the time has an effect on them to. As Mrs. Dude frequently says, “When you get sick, it affects ALL of us.”

So it’s real important not to get pigeon-holed into thinking the disease is just about you. It’s not.

Let’s talk about your honesty and outspokenness. Where does this awesome passion come from?

I’m pretty passionate about a lot of things; annoyingly so at times I’m sure. Perhaps it comes from being deathly shy as a kid and making up for all the things I wanted to say back then but never did.

I’m very passionate about our disease and the misconceptions of it in a lot of the public eye. And the only way to get my message across is to be strong about it. Not obnoxious, but strong. Yes…it’s a fine line I walk and sometimes cross over, but I know I’m reaching people and that’s all that matters to me.

How irritating are the following: celebrities, media, and folks (family, friends, other people) who don’t do their research about Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance, Sensitivity? I personally believe that some people are not proactive in researching anything and talk out of their butts. It’s irritating to me because I believe in educating yourself. How crucial is it to advocate and educate others about CD, GF lifestyle?

Well…I wouldn’t lump all of those people together in one category so I’ll see if I can break it down for you.

Celebrities fall into one of a few categories.

You’ve got the Zooey Deschanels, who have some type of gluten-sensitivity but are pretty classy and quiet about it. Annoyance scale: 0 out of 10.

You’ve got the Gwyneth Paltrows, who don’t have celiac disease but still believe you can be ultra-healthy by going gluten-free; and are very public about it. Annoyance scale: 4 out of 10.

You’ve got the Kim Kardashians, who are clueless and think it’s a weight-loss tool. Annoyance scale: 8 out of 10.

And you’ve got the Dean McDermotts, who actually have celiac disease and could be a great advocate for us, yet still eat gluten and are public about it. Annoyance scale: 10 out of 10. (But in all fairness, isn’t everybody on a reality show annoying??)

Don’t get me started on the media. They are always looking for a story and with all of the media outlets these days, there is high competition. So I expect nothing different from them then what they’ve always done: scrape the bottom of the barrel for a buck.

As far as friends are concerned, it would be nice if all of my friends were as knowledgeable about celiac disease as I was. But I certainly do not expect it. Why should I? They don’t have the disease…I do. Some of my friends get quite stressed having me over for dinner…understandably so. Not only do they need to worry about the food, but the cross-contamination as well. My message to them is this: I’m ok bringing my own food. Honestly. It’s not worth you stressing about. I’m there for the company. And the vodka.

At the end of the day, all I ask is that people be respectful of my disease. I’ve been lucky. The people in my life have been extraordinary to me. I hear much differently from a lot of other celiacs. It’s a real shame.

And as for family? They better be there for you 100%. It infuriates me when I hear otherwise.

Tell me about your blog. What is your goal with it? What new things will come to the Gluten Dude blog in the future?

I started my blog in October of 2011. Previous to my launch, I followed a lot of other gluten-free bloggers and I just felt there was a space that needed to be filled.

There were, and still are, many wonderful, talented bloggers in the celiac community. But many of them focus on the gluten-free diet aspect of the disease via recipes, etc. And like I said, these blogs are important.

But I wanted to be a voice that said “Hey, you know what…celiac really sucks…here’s all the crap we have to deal with…let’s share our stories…and make the journey together.”

And through this process, I sincerely hope to help people and be a strong advocate for those with celiac disease.

They say your blog isn’t a great blog unless you’re pissing off at least one person. I’m not sure I wholeheartedly agree with that, but I think people have an appreciation for honest, passionate writing and the response I’ve gotten in the past six months has been wonderful.

And kudos to the gluten-free community for opening their arms to me. Well, except the folks at celiac.com, but that’s a whole other story.

As for the future…who knows? I’ve always said I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives in some capacity; that I believe I’m here for a reason that goes beyond working and raising a family.

Perhaps my disease and my blog is part of this calling. We’ll see.

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Dude note: If you’ve gotten this far, I owe you one. Next drink is on me.

So what does a blogger do when they worked a 16 hour day and then watched hockey until midnight and didn’t plan anything for the next day’s blog?

Why they link to someone else’s work of course

The above video is called “The Truth About Gluten” and it’s by Joy Bauer, the resident nutrition expert for NBC’s Today show.

Finally…somebody in the media gets it.

She lays it out real straight and the video itself is pretty entertaining.

Of course, it would have been nice if SHE was interviewed about celiac disease on last week’s Today show instead of the other “doctor” who refuses to answer my emails and tweets, and then we could have avoided this disaster.

But I digress.

Some video highlights:

- Gluten has been in our food supply for thousands of years but going gluten free is a new trend.

- Gluten has some very good qualities.

- Many gluten free items are worse for you than their gluten-free counterparts.

- Unless you have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, there is really no reason to eliminate gluten from your diet.

- Don’t fall prey to the gluten free junk that’s pretty much everywhere these days.

Thanks Joy for telling the truth about gluten.

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE!

I swear…I feel like the “gluten police” all of the sudden.

But if companies would just do gluten-free right, they wouldn’t need to be policed.

We’ve already discussed the Domino’s debacle. And I’ve already touched upon the PF Changs peculiars.

And believe me…I get no sadistic pleasure out of taking these companies to task (I get my sadistic pleasures elsewhere )

I’d much rather sing the praises of large companies who do it right…if I could just find one.

Which brings me to the latest carnage in the gluten-free world: Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant.

A few days ago, Chevys’ PR company sent me a press release that included the following:

Chevys Fresh Mex launches an all-new gluten-free menu of its mouthwatering, made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine.  Suitable for those on a gluten-free diet, the menu features salads, corn tortilla-based entrees and more. As part of Chevys Fresh Mex pledge, the brand promises all products are made daily from scratch, with freshness as a theme in all dishes. The restaurant chain created its gluten-free guidelines and menus with guidance from Healthy Dining, and instituted a company-wide training to inform team members of proper food handling and accommodations for gluten-free guests. Where possible, Chevys can also modify additional menu items to accommodate guests’ specific dietary needs. Preparation facilities vary by location and all guests with gluten-related disorders should inform their server beforehand to ensure that preparation and ingredients align with dietary requirements. 

At first glance, I thought this would be a pretty cool option. Gluten-free tacos and margaritas? Bring it on!

But then I saw that last sentence (bolded for your viewing pleasure) and it gave me pause.

So I sent the following email back to them:

Can you share with me how Chevys prepares the the Gluten Free food? Do they use separate utensils and cookware? Do they have a separate location in the kitchen for their gluten free food? Does each staff member have a full understanding of celiac disease and the danger gluten poses? The more info you send me, the better. And I’d be happy to share the info on my blog.

I received a response yesterday…and I think you can see where this is going:

Chevys’ gluten-free menu features entrees that naturally do not contain gluten, or have been modified to omit the ingredients flour, soy and beer. The restaurant cannot guarantee dedicated gluten-free cooking surfaces, spaces, utensils and cookware at every location.  Chevys has taken several steps to safeguard against cross-contamination, including excluding all fried items from their Gluten-free menus, and executing detailed training of all team members earlier this month.  This company-wide training educated all staff members about how to identify which ingredients contain gluten, how to prevent cross-contamination and the dangers that gluten poses to those with Celiac Disease and other gluten-related disorders. All guests with dietary restrictions should inform their server before ordering to ensure their needs are met.

Where do I even start??

How about we start with the ingredients they are omitting to make the items gluten-free: flour, soy and beer.

WTF??

First of all, soy does not contain gluten. Soy sauce does. Perhaps that is what they meant. Secondly, do they include beer in a lot of their food? This would seem to be a strange item to highlight. Thirdly, there are 1000 other ingredients that could contain gluten. Shouldn’t they have said that they are omitting wheat, barley, rye, etc?

Seriously…this really confuses me.

Then they say that some locations do not use separate cooking utensils, cooking surfaces, etc. Which really means that none of the locations do.

And they also seem to think that we can avoid cross-contamination by not eating fried food??? [shaking my head]

And lastly, they sent along their gluten-free menu. And on the bottom of the menu, it has this gem: Many of our meats and foods are cooked on the same mesquite-grill, which is not dedicated for gluten-free. Our management and service team members are not trained on the intricacies of Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance and cannot be expected to provide recommendations or other advice on this issue.

This is actually as bad, if not worse, than Domino’s.

So to you Chevys, you get a total swing and a miss and I can only assume you are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon without a care in the world for the people who really NEED to be gluten-free.

Considering this is Celiac Awareness Month, it has been the most bizarre month in the celiac community.

I’m so proud of all of the advocates who have raised their voices and raised awareness, but the large companies who could really help raise awareness just don’t seem to get it.

Fyi…I’ll forward this blog post to Chevys’ PR company and ask them to comment below. Perhaps we can show them the light.

Let’s put our legal hats on today, shall we, and ponder the following question:

At what point in time does an establishment’s “rule” cross the line and turn into “discrimination” against celiacs?

(A quick Dude note…this is not about lawsuits or suing anybody for damages…just about trying to figure out what’s right.)

(Oh…and a second quick Dude note to anybody new here…when I use the term “celiacs”, I am referring to ALL people with gluten-related health issues.)

Consider the above question as you read an email I received yesterday:

I went to an ALL day concert event yesterday. I made sure I ate a BIG breakfast and packed my bars and sunflower seeds in my backpack. I left my cooler in my car as you are not allowed to bring them in the stadium. I had all the food I needed for the long day. When it came time for dinner, after I ate my bar and seeds for lunch, I went to go out to my car and eat. The people said I couldn’t go out and if I did, I was leaving for the day. I had my daughter and friends at the show and there was another five hours left to go. SO I had to starve. Not one thing in the place was safe to eat. I was so upset, so hungry, and so frustrated that anyone with Celiac or Gluten Sensitivity could not eat there! Either let me bring my food or provide me with some. I am so tired of feeling afraid to go places and enjoy things because I’m afraid I will starve or be sick!! 

So here’s the question: Was she discriminated against?

People NEED food as a basic necessity.

Celiacs NEED gluten-free food to avoid getting very sick.

If you are telling me that I cannot bring food to your establishment for a 12 hour event, should you have to provide food that is safe for me to eat?

There was another case recently where a woman brought her 2 year old son to a Pizza Hut as part of a school event. Her son has celiac disease. So she “stopped at McDonald’s first to get him a hamburger without the bun, and some french fries, which is safe for him to eat.”

(I know, I know…but I’ll stay on topic.)

But when she arrived at Pizza Hut, even though the party she was with ordered pizza, the waitress told the woman and son that they could not eat the McDonald’s food in Pizza Hut and they had to leave.

(Fine…I’ll ask. Seriously? He has celiac disease and you went to McDonald’s??)

The woman said the actions of the Pizza Hut manager violated her son’s rights as a person living with a disability. She claims food allergies that interfere with “major life activities” are considered disabilities.

Marca Bristo, who helped craft the original Americans with Disabilities Act during the 1980s, said “…if a food allergy affects life activities, it’s got to be considered a disability and should fall under the act.”

So it’s very possible that while the two circumstance above are quite different, in both cases celiacs were discriminated against. And perhaps the policies need to change to help protect us better.

My question to you is simple: Do you agree?

And a follow up question: Have you ever felt discriminated against?

Ok…we’re coming down the homestretch of Celiac Awareness Month.

I’ve managed to write 19 of the 21 blog posts on my own thus far. The only exceptions were a post from one of my Dudettes (My Daddy Has Celiac Disease) and one from Mrs. Dude (I Never Thought).

So we’ve covered celiac disease from a child’s perspective. And we’ve covered it from a spouse’s perspective.

What’s left?

Well, let me introduce you to David Z, a very good friend of mine. We had him and his wife over for drinks a few nights ago, and he said it would be interesting to view celiac disease from a friend’s perspective.

I thought it was brilliant and he had the below post in my inbox by 6 the next morning. And I swear to you, I did not pay him for his services.

Enjoy…

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How To Survive Being a Friend of a Celiac Sufferer

The above title of this blog post is not accurate.  I know, strange way to open a blog entry, but it’s true.  Allow to me explain.

Being a friend of Gluten Dude I remember quite distinctly the first time we engaged socially after he was diagnosed. Dude had let us know that he would like us to come over for drinks and snacks and after a few he regaled us with his journey through celiac. I was both mesmerized and a bit sad. My friend of all these years was afflicted with this insidious disease that could attack at any moment, brought on by a mere crumb or fallen morsel.

As he educated us, my mind interpreted his restrictions as a confinement of the pleasures of life and I left that night being both bonded with my friend but simultaneously pitying him.

As good friends, we wanted to reciprocate the invite so we invited Dude and Mrs. Dude over to our house for drinks and snacks. My wife took great pains to try to purchase foods that were marked gluten free and laid out a spread.

Unfortunately more than 70% of the food we put out was too questionable for Gluten Dude to partake in so all night he ate carrots and rice crackers, which to me tasted like packing peanuts. More pity for my friend, and a feeling of hopelessness that we would never be able to break Dude from the confines of his “house imprisonment”  and his world of gluten free that he had created under his own roof.

But over the next few months, and the more we ‘hung’ with Gluten Dude, something interesting happened.

We consciously or subconsciously, not sure which, stopped trying so hard. We stopped trying to OVER-research foods and restaurants that would be appropriate for Dude.  We stopped agonizing over which house we would be going over to or how Dude might feel if all he had to eat was carrots.

But most of all, I stopped thinking of Dude as my friend with Celiac and instead went back to thinking of him as my friend…someone that makes our lives better for knowing.

I also realized that although Celiac is an important cause for him, it didn’t define who the Dude was.  HE defined himself.

With that relaxed state of mind we invited The Dudes over for our annual Halloween Party. Quite casually we set up a Gluten free station with the foods we knew the Dude could enjoy.

In doing so we created an environment where Dude could sit back and enjoy the party and put Celiac worries on hold for a night.  It was special for us.  Special because our good friend could be our good friend, and not the man I originally pitied.

As I write this I fondly think back to just last night where we partook of Friday night drinks and snacks at the Dude’s house. It was the usual fair of crazy drinks and snacks, generously passed out by G. Dude.

But they have long ago ceased to be Gluten Free snacks and have just become snacks…just as my good friend ceased to be a Celiac sufferer and has just become my friend.

Being a friend of a someone with celiac is not about surviving the friendship, it is about thriving and celebrating who the person is and the value they create in your life.

POWER…TO…THE…PEOPLE

The NFCA announced two days ago that it was suspending the use of its Amber Designation. If you are not sure what this is, read this article and then come on back.

Basically, the celiac community was up in arms over their Amber Designation and their recent partnership with Domino’s pizza. We rightfully felt these were two huge steps backwards for a company that does a lot of good.

And to the NFCA’s full credit, they listened to us.

Many thanks to all of the celiac advocates out there who contacted the NFCA and made your voices heard.

You simply rock!

Here is the NFCA’s official statement:

NFCA to Conduct Further Study on Amber Designation

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) launched its Tiered Credentialing system in April 2012 in response to a growing concern in the restaurant industry around cross-contamination. While the NFCA recognizes the importance of alerting consumers to cross-contamination risks, the community response has prompted NFCA to reconsider the Amber Designation and related product labeling as an effective method to communicate these risks.

Given the public response and recent developments in this field, NFCA is suspending the use of “Amber” designation to describe a restaurant or foodservices establishment. We will conduct a review to determine the most effective and clearest way to warn the community of the risk of cross-contamination and the use of the phrase “Gluten Free.”

While we regret that confusion may have occurred in relation to the Amber Designation, we do welcome and appreciate the attention this important issue of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease has received through this dialogue. We note that the education of the public, healthcare providers, the restaurant and foodservice industry, and those who are affected by gluten-related disorders has been enhanced by this recent media coverage concerning these designation and labeling issues, as have the interests of those maintaining a medically necessary gluten-free diet.

Today’s post (my 100th post by the way…who woulda thunk it??) is a simple shout-out to Giant Food Stores.

The label above is now going on all of their gluten-free items in their stores.

Wegmans does this and it is such a huge help when we go food shopping. And when I say “we” I really mean Mrs. Dude.

Not only are they including the label, but the literature we received from them shows me that they “get it”.  I’ve scanned the pamphlet and I’ll show it below.

But I’ll point out one section titled “Who should follow a gluten-free diet?”

And within this section, they have this little nugget: Following a strict gluten-free diet when not medically prescribed poses a significant risk for intolerant intake of folic acid, B vitamins, iron, calcium, vitamin D and fiber.

YES!!

And on their website, they have a gluten-free shopping list, gluten foods to avoid and a resources page with recipes, etc.

So kudos to you Giant. We’re getting there.

Here’s the pamphlet.