Quick Facts about me and Gluten Free

Q. How long have you been gluten free?

A. Since early 2018

Q. Why are you gluten free?

A. I have severe gastrointestinal distress after consuming it, along with inflammation and puffiness.

Q. Do you have celiac disease?

A. Possibly. Unfortunately I eliminated gluten as part of a keto diet in 2018 and was not aware that the only way to test for celiac would be to consume it regularly again through a “gluten challenge”. I cannot put myself through that agony again. I do have other autoimmune disease though, so celiac is likely.

Q. Do you ever cheat on your gluten free diet?

A. Very, very rarely, and usually only small amounts. I’m such a foodie that when travelling, for example, I might take a single bite of some local cuisine containing gluten, but you’ll never find me eating an entire meal filled with gluten - I’d be a mess for days!

Q. What would you say the biggest challenge is with eating gluten free?

A. Dining out, especially in groups where people don’t understand I can’t just eat everything family style. Also having to research the menu online before agreeing to eat anywhere. While most places are accommodating, there are plenty of niche spots that are quite the opposite. This is fine, but why we can’t just agree to eat anywhere.

Q. What gluten containing food do you miss the most?

A. Without a doubt, when I first realized my longtime stomach issues were due to gluten, fried chicken is what I missed the most! I think that’s mostly because it’s something I so rarely ate before that it completely pained me to think I could never indulge in it again. Fortunately, I’ve discovered Portland has at least 5-6 places that serve gluten free fried chicken! I’m in GF heaven here! If you haven’t yet been, I highly recommend doing a food tour here using Gluten Free Plates as your guide!