Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Gluten Free-dom with Diana Brandmeyer

 

Today I'm welcoming the awesome Diana Brandmeyer to the blog. She's a writer and blogger, and also keeps a strict gluten-free lifestyle. Since I've been trying to keep to a no-grains regimen myself, I was curious about how she does it. We had a bit of a chat about dinner....


DB: Thank you for having me on your blog today. I thought it might be fun to do a little role playing. Why don't
you ask me for dinner, Liv?

LR: I think I can do that, as long as I don't have to cook. You can see on the sidebar here it says "behind every great blog is an unfed husband".

DB: We're role playing, remember? Think of a meal you love to serve to people and then ask me over.

LR: Okay, yeah. I think I'll serve barbeque chicken, roasted califlower and ice cream sundaes for desert.

DB: That sounds amazing. I haven't had that in awhile. You know I'm gluten free right? That if you aren't careful I will be sick for at least three days?

LR: Bummer! How sick?

DB: What's the worst flu you've ever had? You know the one where you run for the bathroom, your entire body aches, the headache is a killer?

LR: Oh yeah. That really sucks.

DB: Now you're beginning to understand.

LR: Beginning?

DB: Yep, there's more. Not only do I get that reaction I also get 'brain fog' making it hard to focus on anything. Typing is impossible because my brain doesn't connect to the right fingers--that's not scientific, just what happens to me. And then there is the irritaiton at everyone and every thing that comes near me--think PMS on steriods. When I've been glutened my husband tends to find other things to do that don't involve me.

LR: Well, we sure don't want that happening. How do we keep your sunny personality in place?  ;)

DB: Do you have something to write all this down with?

LR: Writer, remember? Give to me.

DB: The chicken can't have anything added to it. Check the package and see if there is a percentage of broth injected. They use a broth with wheat. I can't have that. Next, make sure the barbque sauce doesn't contain, wheat, rye, or barley. There are only a few kinds that are safe. Jack Daniels Original is a good one.

LR: I can do that.

DB: There's more.  The califlower will be fine but the ice cream sundaes might not be. Some ice creams have wheat so please check before you buy it, and the toppings sometimes are coated in wheat to keep them from sticking.

LR: Seriously?  That's crazy. Anything else?

DB: Do you have a dishwasher?

LR: Yes, but I don't make guests help with the dishes, unless they offer...

DB: I always offer, Liv. My mother taught me that. If you hand washed all your dishes I'd ask you to use paper plates.

LR: Paper plates? Why?

DB: Because you don't eat gluten free so your sink gets used to wash dishes with gluten on them. I usually get sick when I eat at my mom's and I think that's why. Oh, and please don't use a wooden spoon and make sure your pans are really clean. Even better, can you line them with aluminim foil?"

LR: How 'bout we just order Chinese?

DB: That would be yummy but they use soy sauce with wheat. I have an idea. Why don't you come to my house for dinner instead?

LR: Much better plan, but I'll need to bring something so I don't feel all guilty. Maybe I can find something at the grocery with a Gluten Free lable on it?

DB: Perfect! Pamela's Cookies for dessert would be good.
;)

Thanks for playing along with me, Liv. Being gluten free isn't a choice for a lot of people. Eating even a tiny crumb of bread can make those with celiac or gluten intolerance sick. The hardest part is getting friends and family to understand we don't want to be treated special, but it's necessary. Family gatherings, parties with friends, holidays and eating at a restaurant are always a challange.

If you need to make a meal for a gluten free person ask what they can have. Check the labels. Don't be afraid to ask them to bring something they can eat. It isn't rude. I consider it a sign of caring.

Eating gluten free is expensive so we don't expect a holiday dinner to be made gluten free just for one person. It's nice to feel comfortable knowing that by bringing your own meal your hostess won't be offended.

Thanks for having me as your guest today, Liv.

No problem, Diana. Thanks so much for the post! And for those of you reading along, leave a comment because Diana is offering a giveaway. You can choose either her wonderful non-fiction book about combining families, We're Not Blended We're Pureed, or her romantic novel, A Bride's Dilemma. They both look like great reads!
Peace,
Liv

21 comments:

  1. Liv,
    Thanks so much for having me today. I hope your blog readers have learned a bit about why GF people are so careful.
    Diana

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  2. Great post, ladies. I've thought of going GF. I don't have a problem with it like Diana. But I think it makes for a healthier lifestyle. I have a long way to go yet, but I have cut out all breads. Which was HUGE for me. Thanks for the advice on what to do when a friend has this issue.

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  3. Thanks for checking in, Rhonda, & thank you, too, Diana, for the post. It's good to get the word out there!

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  4. You had me at Gluten Free :) I'm gluten intolerant, as well, and eating anywhere but at home is ... well, dangerous, as my husband puts it.

    Everything from the seasonings on the steak to the sour cream on the baked potato can have a wheat-based ingredient. And then there's the fact I can never eat dessert. Sometimes I think that's the worst!

    I'm always touched when friends take the time to cook gluten free for me at potlucks, etc.

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  5. I didn't realize how many people struggled with this, Tam. I did the vegetarian thing for a lot of years, so I know how sneaky ingredients can be, but this is a whole new level. Thanks for checking in.
    ;)

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  6. Great post, ladies! I had no idea how wheat was in SO many things. I thought being a vegetarian was challenging. I have been cutting it out of my diet bit by bit as I think I am reactive to it, though nothing like what you described, Diana. It's hard to do, but I'm noticing that I'm feeling better overall.

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  7. Goodness, I had absolutely no idea that eating gluten could have such a horrible effect on certain people. Nor how difficult it must be to eat outside of the home (and I thought I had it hard as a vegetarian)

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  8. Rhonda,
    Cutting out bread is huge. It's been 3 years for me but now I don't even really want bread. Weird.
    Diana

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  9. Tam,
    Doesn't it just make you nuts when you go out to eat and they tell you the seasonings on the steak will make you sick? Even at the best steakhouses that has happened to me.

    I too, am so thankful when someone does bring something I can eat.
    Diana

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  10. Tami,
    It was hard to do. It took about 4 weeks to get it all out of my system and I was shocked at the changes in my attitude and how I felt.
    Diana

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  11. Melissa,
    Eating out is a huge challenge. Most of the time I get by with it and then there are the times that I wish I hadn't eaten at a restaurant. I seldom return to that same place.
    Diana

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  12. I'm so glad you suggested that it was OK to ask the friend to provide something - I've frequently wondered whether it was rude or not. But I guess a caring attitude is far more important than failing at being the "perfect hostess". Great post Liv and Diana - many thanks.

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  13. I have a friend who just recently had to go gluten free. We tried to have them over but realized it wouldn't work. So they cooked and we paid for the groceries...

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  14. Thanks for this! I'm grain-free as well, and while my wheat/gluten intolerance isn't quite as dramatic, I'll experience a lot of the same symptoms if my body reaches "critical mass." Awkward. I'm now an inveterate label-reader, because there are hidden grains in *everything*. But I'm a lot healthier and happier for it.

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  15. Margaret,
    Most GF people I know are happy to bring our own food. We want to visit and have a good time. Food is secondary.
    Diana

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  16. Marianne,
    That's really great that you found a solution that worked for both.
    Diana

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  17. Freewaydiva,
    When you start looking it can scare you. Even lipstick has wheat in it. And since I tend to chew my lip when I'm thinking I have to be careful about what I put on them. Glad you are feeling better.
    Diana

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  18. Wow! I had no idea gluten could have such extreme side effects. But I can totally relate. I get the fluishness and brain fog if I eat sugars and other extreme carbs. Maybe the gluten is part of all that? I certainly feel better when I don't eat breads, pastas, and the like. Thank you for this!

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  19. I have a gluten/dairy/nut/soy kid. It is extremely difficult to get people to understand that we aren't trying to be difficult and that we really would love to eat out but that it isn't safe. Our child will soon be dating age soon and we have been talking about what items will make him sick. It makes life a lot easier now that more people have gluten issues. 15 years ago no one had ever heard of gluten/grain allergies; it was extremely difficult trying to function with a child allergic to wheat, corn, barley, oats, and gluten. Add in his other allergies and it was a project attempting to feed him anywhere other than at home. We have become the snack family everywhere and all the other kids are now allergy friendly and attempt to fund things that are safe. It's interesting how hard the kids work to incorporate my child, but the adults really just spend their time complaining about how difficult it is to have a "special" kid in their midst.

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  20. Elizabethfias, I would do some research and see if you are intolerant of gluten. It sounds like you might be.
    Diana

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  21. Carla,
    It's amazing how many people don't 'get it.' That we aren't trying to be a problem we really do want to eat. Tell your son to find a gluten free girl friend, then you don't have to worry. :)
    Diana

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