“Gluten?…oh there’s no sugar in this”
Seriously.
I don’t expect everyone in the entire world to know and understand what gluten is. But, being as it is one of the top food intolerances out there, you’d like to hope/think that not everybody is living under a rock.
Levi, my husband, has Celiac Disease. He also has a secondary gluten-intolerance condition (a form of Celiac Disease) called Dermatitis Herpetiformis. He has had these conditions his entire life. As an adult he was properly diagnosed and after a while he made the decision to stick to a gluten-free diet seriously.
Gluten-free living is a challenge. I won’t deny that. But I have to be honest I have really embraced the idea of living a healthful, gluten-free life and keeping a gluten-free home. I like to think – self-centeredly – that I make it easy for Levi to live gluten-free. He may or may not agree with you. 🙂
You’ll notice that from time to time I will talk about gluten, gluten-free products, gluten-free recipes, eating out gluten-free, etc. This is not a gluten-free blog. There’s enough awesome ones out there that I don’t even need to bother. But I will add my own perspective, and Levi’s too, where I feel like it.
The quote I used as the title of this blog post might sound outrageous but it actually happens more than you might think.
“Is there gluten in this frogurt (frozen yogurt)?” “Ummm, well we do have a sugar-free one.”
“Is there gluten in this sauce?” “It’s a savory sauce, not sweet at all.”
“Can you let me know if you have a gluten-free menu?” “Oh are you diabetic?”
Literally. Seriously.
At first I used to get so annoyed. Like how could these people be so obtuse. Now it just makes me laugh. Just because I knew what gluten was before Levi was diagnosed doesn’t mean that the average population must, or that they even care about whether or not he has an intolerance to the stuff.
And just for everyone who thinks eating on a gluten-free diet is nasty and boring and tasteless…you’re so wrong. Otherwise I wouldn’t be posting about gluten-free on the TastyFoodBlog, now would I?
The Tasty Food Blog 
speakrelief replied:
The worst one I ever had was:
“I’m allergic to gluten… you know, flour…?”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘flour’?”
Maybe he thought I meant “flower” and wondered what that had to do with not being able to eat different foods, but still… pretty sad.
February 2, 2009 at 10:20 am. Permalink.
bookwyrm replied:
My favorite comment: “There’s flour in cake?”
May 16, 2009 at 7:17 am. Permalink.
millie replied:
I was diagnosed w/ interstital cystitus about 15 years ago. Because of that I had to eliminate all fruits except honey dew, watermelon, blueberries and pears. I cannot have any acidic or spicy foods or any alcoholic beverages. Dairy products are also a problem because of lactose intolerance.
Now I find out I also have a problem w/ glutens and need to be on a gluten free diet. Any help w/ gluten free life style would be GREATLY appreciated!
May 18, 2009 at 12:44 pm. Permalink.
tastyfoodblog replied:
@millie – There is a ton of gluten-free resources on the internet available. One great source of information that has helped my husband and I is the Celiac.com forums found here: http://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/
The forum I mentioned above will provide basic to detailed information about living gluten-free, gluten intolerance, and also product information. I am sure you’ll find it a great resource.
In addition, you may be able to find some great recipes that are gluten-free (altho may not be suitable for your lactose intolerance or other dietary restrictions) on my other blog here: http://somersizeandglutenfree.blogspot.com/
Best wishes.
May 19, 2009 at 11:44 am. Permalink.