Yet Another Rant About Gluten Free Colleagues Eating Wheat...

[Marz]

So in the last few weeks of going gluten free, I've found out a few people from work are also "gluten-intolerant".

The one was reported by someone else as "gluten free, but she sometimes eat wheat". The other was happily scoffing scones and muffins at our work function this week, and telling me the next day he feels pretty crap (Before eating another muffin).

I mean, what is wrong with people? It's annoying because it makes me feel like I can cheat (Which I don't), and it makes other people take the condition less seriously (You can eat wheat occasionally right??).

Anyway, I'm sure everyone knows people like this, I can't understand how they keep abusing themselves like that though

[kwylee]

I am wondering if these people have been tested or if they just decide they want to drop gluten from their diets.

I explained to someone at work recently that I wasn't eating any birthday cake for a co-worker because I could not eat gluten, and she replied, "Oh yeah! That's the latest craze, huh?" And that made me think. Truth is, I have only been gluten/casein free for a couple months. Before then, I knew that eating bread (especially) made me feel terrible, but until I actually got a positive genetic test, did I find it easy to eliminate it from my diet. I really didn't take it seriously until then. Before now, if I wanted to give up carbs, for instance, I'd have to give myself a week to 'splurge before the big deprival'. Then I'd stick to it for two days and fall off the wagon. Seeing those positive results in black and white turned a light on in my brain and shifted my paradigm. And then there was the dizziness and brain fog I was experiencing all the time, that was 99% gone in a few short weeks.

I guess it's all about what motivates them to make it a lifestyle. In my case, I am just so grateful that I found out what was causing the dizziness.

[sb2178]

well, slightly off-topic, but here's rant about stores that separate their wheat bread from the gluten free bread, but then add a row of organic WHEAT bread over the separate gluten free section. Bah. Humbug. Went and accidentally bought wheat rolls. Because I was tired and not reading labels. Brought it home, and THEN read the label. Whoops.

On the other hand, there are still people who take you seriously. I had a waiter last night who remembered my no-gluten status statement from the beginning of the meal and came back to my table to inform me that there were generally crackers on the cheese plate; he then kindly had them put in a separate bowl for the person I was eating with. This was after he had the chef make me a no-bulgar version of tabouli, too.

[K8ling]

  On 8/6/2010 at 5:39 PM, Marz said:

So in the last few weeks of going gluten free, I've found out a few people from work are also "gluten-intolerant".

The one was reported by someone else as "gluten free, but she sometimes eat wheat". The other was happily scoffing scones and muffins at our work function this week, and telling me the next day he feels pretty crap (Before eating another muffin).

I mean, what is wrong with people? It's annoying because it makes me feel like I can cheat (Which I don't), and it makes other people take the condition less seriously (You can eat wheat occasionally right??).

Anyway, I'm sure everyone knows people like this, I can't understand how they keep abusing themselves like that though

That is crazy. I wouldn't be able to keep my moth shut around them. I can guarantee you I would have said "Really? You feel like crap? And you're still eating that? If you want to torture your body go ahead but don't complain to me about how you feel like crap afterwards."

[Marz]

  On 8/6/2010 at 6:02 PM, kwylee said:

I am wondering if these people have been tested or if they just decide they want to drop gluten from their diets.

Not sure if either have been tested. The one who was chowing down on cookies says he gets flu-like symptoms after eating wheat, and if he really pigs out his stomach will get upset. Obviously not serious enough symptoms to stop himself Not sure about the other person, haven't spoken to her about it. I should try and encourage both to get tested rather than half-heartedly follow the diet

[Aphreal]

SB- I JUST noticed this the other day. HEB has all their gluten-free all over the place but their unfrozen gluten-free bread is right next to my alltime fav, orowheat Jewish Rye. It just sits there teasing me.

None the less...Marz, I guess it depends on how important it is to the person. I have a lady friend at church who went on a gluten-free *kick* because her DH demanded he needed to be gluten-free. She got tired of him eating her gluten-free prepared food then eating stuff like couscous and bagels. So she slowly stopped gluten-free cooking and he didn't even NOTICE! it makes me mad because I do this so I don't have to be sick every day with migraines, pain and running to the bathroom. Not fair that some ppl think it's some health kick that is a choice.

Now Im frumpy!!!

[StephanieGF]

Well, how much do you know about these people's individual conditions.

Remember not everyone who is gluten sensitive is a celiac! Celiacs can not eat any gluten, ever. But I've read that there is a large portion of the population that could benefit from a reduced gluten or gluten free diet, but that may or may not mean they must avoid it 100%. Just like some people can be lactose intolerant but can handle small amounts of dairy, I imagine that some people are just eating too much wheat, but feel better if they cut it way back and only eat wheat or gluten sometimes. Again, if they are celiac then there is no excuse, but their are a wide variety of conditions where someone might avoid gluten.

[anabananakins]

  On 8/6/2010 at 9:24 PM, StephanieGF said:

Well, how much do you know about these people's individual conditions.

Remember not everyone who is gluten sensitive is a celiac! Celiacs can not eat any gluten, ever. But I've read that there is a large portion of the population that could benefit from a reduced gluten or gluten free diet, but that may or may not mean they must avoid it 100%. Just like some people can be lactose intolerant but can handle small amounts of dairy, I imagine that some people are just eating too much wheat, but feel better if they cut it way back and only eat wheat or gluten sometimes. Again, if they are celiac then there is no excuse, but their are a wide variety of conditions where someone might avoid gluten.

That's a good point. My doctor supported me going gluten free but said not to stress out if I got cross contaminated, I don't have an autoimmune disease and it won't do me long term damage. But I don't know that I entirely agree with her since one of my big concerns was the weird balance problems I had and I'd done a lot of research that inicated that while going gluten free helped with some types of ataxia, people with that problem didn't necessarily test positive to celiac. I have noticed significant improvements which makes me very excited. I also can't move past the idea I picked up here that gluten is poison and likening it to eating 'just a little bit' of arsenic. That helped me so much.

I have always sucked at dieting and could always be persuaded to have a little bit of cake or icecream or another drink or whatever. So I understand that people who don't have celiac can be tempted to slip and eat gluten and once you fall off that wagon it's so hard to get back on. I feel very sorry for them because the battle I go through to avoid sugar or fatty foods is exhausting. I'm just very grateful that something clicked in my brain and I was able to relatively easily go 100% gluten free withtout wanting to kick and scream. I also want to be taken seriously about this. I feel, as someone who is overweight, that my going gluten free could have been seen as a fad weight loss method and it is so nothing to do with that. So I respect myself and stay 100% and so far I've been lucky, people have been really good about it.

[kaki-clam]

Two weeks after I told people at work about my Celiac, a supervisor approaches me and tells me she has been diagnosed with an allergy to wheat/gluten, dairy, corn, and soy. I was like OMG, that's terrible. I had few resources to offer her being newly diagnosed myself, but I did tell her about this website and a few cookbooks I had picked up. Now, I don't particularly like this woman, and pretty much avoid her at all costs....now 9 months later I see her eating a piece of breakfast pizza from the store down the road (let's see, wheat/gluten, dairy, probably soy) I was like what??? I asked another co-worker what was going on, and come to find out all of this was diagnosed by her chiropractor who then prescribed her a pro-biotic and now she isn't allergic to anything anymore.....REALLY????

[bittykitty]

  On 8/6/2010 at 11:02 PM, kaki_clam said:

Two weeks after I told people at work about my Celiac, a supervisor approaches me and tells me she has been diagnosed with an allergy to wheat/gluten, dairy, corn, and soy. I was like OMG, that's terrible. I had few resources to offer her being newly diagnosed myself, but I did tell her about this website and a few cookbooks I had picked up. Now, I don't particularly like this woman, and pretty much avoid her at all costs....now 9 months later I see her eating a piece of breakfast pizza from the store down the road (let's see, wheat/gluten, dairy, probably soy) I was like what??? I asked another co-worker what was going on, and come to find out all of this was diagnosed by her chiropractor who then prescribed her a pro-biotic and now she isn't allergic to anything anymore.....REALLY????

Yeah I got the pro biotic talk from a customer at work today..she SWEARS it cures "food allergies", and heals everything in 6 months.I just nodded my head and smiled..I know she's just trying to help..

[Coinkey]

  On 8/6/2010 at 6:14 PM, sb2178 said:

well, slightly off-topic, but here's rant about stores that separate their wheat bread from the gluten free bread, but then add a row of organic WHEAT bread over the separate gluten free section. Bah. Humbug. Went and accidentally bought wheat rolls. Because I was tired and not reading labels. Brought it home, and THEN read the label. Whoops.

My grocery store has a health food section where I can find the gluten free labeled goods. Including some gluten free pasta. However, right beside the pasta is bags of organic wheat flour, wheat gluten and everything else under the sun we can't be having. The bag of VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN actually has the "benefits" of wheat gluten on the label. So do not trust the "gluten free" items on the same shelf as that bag of horrors.

[StephanieGF]

  On 8/6/2010 at 10:51 PM, anabananakins said:

That's a good point. My doctor supported me going gluten free but said not to stress out if I got cross contaminated, I don't have an autoimmune disease and it won't do me long term damage. But I don't know that I entirely agree with her since one of my big concerns was the weird balance problems I had and I'd done a lot of research that inicated that while going gluten free helped with some types of ataxia, people with that problem didn't necessarily test positive to celiac. I have noticed significant improvements which makes me very excited. I also can't move past the idea I picked up here that gluten is poison and likening it to eating 'just a little bit' of arsenic. That helped me so much.

Yeah, I had unbelievable dizzy-like problems before going gluten free. IT is the reason I tried eliminating so many things from my diet. I can not eat any gluten, just the slightest CC gives me intestinal problems and the ataxia. I am surprised by how few doctors know gluten can cause such problems. You are very lucky to find someone who did.

[bittykitty]

  On 8/7/2010 at 3:30 AM, Coinkey said:

My grocery store has a health food section where I can find the gluten free labeled goods. Including some gluten free pasta. However, right beside the pasta is bags of organic wheat flour, wheat gluten and everything else under the sun we can't be having. The bag of VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN actually has the "benefits" of wheat gluten on the label. So do not trust the "gluten free" items on the same shelf as that bag of horrors.

I'm still recovering from an incident that involved Rustic Crust..their gluten free and non gluten free packages look very similar,especially when you are in a hurry.My local health food store switched the position of the hanger racks,and I grabbed the wrong one.Got several bites out of it,realized it tasted funny, and looked at the package.D'oh!(This was also the week I found out Kroger had started corn starching/corn sugaring their shredded cheese..so had that reaction on top of it..not a good time.)

[Marz]

Like I said in a recent post, I really think these people taking chances have not seen the ugly side of gluten. They probably don't have neurological problems (That would freak the hell out of me), extreme stomach problems or food intolerances. On the other hand, gluten frankly scares me. I have a very healthy fear of the poison, from what it's done to me already, and from what other problems can develop from reading others' problems on this forum.

Unfortunately it's usually too late before you realise the dangers... I hope that they never get to that stage.