The Gluten-Free Way: My Way. William Maltese

zero asthma attacks since her dog and she have—doggone it!—joined the GF Way.

      WILLIAM MALTESE MOMENT #4

      Reading, Writing, and GF

      While maintaining a Gluten-Free environment on the home front is one thing, it isn’t going to happen at school where most children spend even more time than they do at home.

      While my niece and her husband have solved that problem by home-schooling all of their children, not all parents can go that route, or choose to do so, making it extremely important that gluten-intolerant children are pre-prepared for spending so much of their lives in surroundings abounding with something that can be so potentially dangerous to them.

      It’s genuinely difficult for a child not to want to partake of the same foods and snacks, from school vending machines and from school lunch rooms, which are eaten by fellow classmates. It’s very difficult for a gluten-intolerant child to face down the stares and curious glances when someone’s mother sends freshly baked cookies and the gluten-intolerant kid is the only one in the classroom who doesn’t partake.

      Who hasn’t read accounts of truly malicious children who know full well the dietary restrictions of their fellows and take full advantage? While the stories that usually make the newspapers are accounts of kids with peanut allergies having fatal reactions to being purposely slipped tainted foodstuff, I’ve had more than one parent tell me that the same sort of mischievousness has been played out between gluten-intolerant children and some unscrupulous classmates. Unfortunately, the gluten-related incidents can be perceived by authoritative figures as far less serious than the peanut-related ones in that the short-term results of the former don’t see the victimized child dropping dead on the spot.

      It’s up to every parent to make sure his gluten-intolerant child is equipped with all of the knowledge needed in order for that child to cope at school; including daily brown-bagging of the proper Gluten-Free foods for school lunches to keep temptation for gluten-laden substitutes at a minimum.

      Teachers and classmates should be made aware of any gluten-intolerant child among them so as better to monitor situations, in the absence of parents, and/or to recognize gluten-allergy reactions when they occur. While some parents have the tendency to listen to the pleadings of their child to not do anything that sets him apart as “being different” from his peers, a child should be reassured that he’ll come across as decidedly less different if his condition is explained and understood. Thinking little gluten-intolerant Charlie is suddenly a bully and uncaring terror is less preferable than recognizing his body is merely reacting to gluten-poisoning.

      Even later in life, with years of indoctrination and trial and error which should provide anyone the firm basis on which to resist temptation, there are always pitfalls with which to deal. Fraternity and sorority venues often include keg parties; yes, beer, more often than not, contains gluten. Such get-togethers can provide all sorts of grain-based gluten-filled alcoholic beverages, too. Peer pressure, and a desire to “fit in,” can constantly make it genuinely difficult, if not impossible, for a gluten-intolerant anyone—man, woman, or child—to resist being “one of the group” by indulging in just one gluten-saturated beer, cocktail, Ding Dong®, or cookie.

      No matter how well-intentioned and determined any one, or any one family, is to be 100% Gluten-Free 100% of the time, it’s simply not going to happen, as my niece and any member of her family can tell you. You can only do your very best to educate yourself and your gluten-intolerant loved ones on the subject to provide all the reassurances necessary to bolster die-hard determination to stay on the Gluten-Free Way. When any of you slip, inadvertently or with full knowledge, you simply have to recognize the resulting consequences to your well-being as the result of your misstep, and do your best to get back on the straight and narrow as quickly as possible.

      No one is perfect; nor should anyone, not even you, expect you to be.

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      Restraint: Avoiding the Poison

      “What is food to one, is to others bitter poison.”

      —Lucretius (96-55 BC)

      De Rerum Natura

      Avoiding gluten is not always easy. We would never pretend that it is.

      There are constant temptations to cheat. There are countless items that most of us, including us authors, are shocked to learn contain gluten.

      Gluten is in almost every aspect of life: from food, to office, to daycare....

      Here’s a list of possibly gluten-contaminated things you might want to avoid:

      For those who love BBQ sauces, be on the lookout for BBQ sauces made with beer, unless it’s GF beer. Yes, GF beer is made in the U.S. and Canada by several breweries. Regular beer is made from wheat, barley, or rye. So are a lot of liquors that should, likewise, be avoided.

      Vanilla extract is usually made with grain alcohol. Does the gluten remain after the vanilla is distilled? Is the grain alcohol safe? Same question should be asked about vinegar.

      Imitation crab is nine times out of ten made with wheat flour.

      Some cheeses have gluten fillers.

      Some lunch meats have fillers or injections of gluten-rich broth.

      Delis, buffets, and potlucks can provide lots of chances for cross-contamination as utensils are switched quickly between different foods and dishes. One minute, a serving spoon is in GF potatoes; next minute, it’s deep in gluten-saturated macaroni.

      Bakeries and pizza parlors have wheat-flour dust that can remain in the air for twenty-four hours or more.

      Glue on envelopes can have gluten. So can the adhesive on stickers and postage stamps.

      Play dough is more often than not made with wheat flour.

      Dentists give out toothpastes that may contain gluten—be sure to ask.

      Some medications use gluten as a binding agent or filler.

      Some candy is dusted with wheat flour to keep it from sticking when packaged.

      Some seasonings contain wheat flour/gluten to help eliminate clumping.

      Some cosmetics, lotions, creams contain wheat/flour gluten, too—be sure to check their labels.

      CHAPTER NINE

      Medical Research and Staying Up-to-Date

      Do what we do:

      Sign up on a GF email group as many members are likely even more on top of things than you are.

      Type in various search words into Google®, Swagbucks®, or your favorite search engine for more information. Try using search words such as: Celiac Disease, Celiac Sprue, gluten-allergy, Gluten-Free, gluten intolerance, wheat allergy, gluten sensitivity, rye, barley, oats, wheat, and spelt. Search out, as well, doctors and clinics that specialize in CELIAC DISEASE research.

      Go to the Mayo Clinic® website at:

       www.mayoclinic.com

      and read what they have on CELIAC DISEASE.

      Read up on the University of Maryland’s Celiac Disease Research Center and what they’re studying.

      Check out books from the library.

      Buy those books that you want to have immediately at hand for reference other than just for the length available during a book’s library check-out time.

      Create a wish list on Amazon.com for GF books and for GF foods that you’d like to have; so others know what foods they can get for you.

      Search out support groups and classes that may have more information.

      Read our blog and visit our web-sites:

      http://www.theglutenfreewaymyway.com

      and