The Trials Of Eating In Cafes And Restaurants On A Gluten Free Diet

Being a celiac means living on a very strict gluten free diet.  Managing this at home is relatively straight forward however eating out is fraught with potential difficulty. This article shares a personal experience of eating out and the issue general ignorance about what food contains.

Eating out when you are on a restricted gluten free diet always has the potential for difficulty.  Only yesterday I was reminded of this when we went out for a late meal. As always, we had rung the restaurant to ensure they had a gluten free menu. In fact, it is one I have used before but it pays to check.  Gravy is the usual problem for a traditional Sunday roast dinner, however we were assured that the chef would produce a gluten free version. 

So far I have yet to find any catering establishment that produces a gluten free Yorkshire pudding which I miss so much.  If you know of one, please let us know so we can spread the work through my website and blog.

We had been putting a room straight after decorating all day, so were tired and more than ready for our meal.  All went well throughout the meal until we went to order the desert.Those who know me well know that I really enjoy the desert the best of all. Whilst I love fruit at home, I love choose something different when eating out.  I do get annoyed when restaurants offer fruit/ fruit salad as the only gluten free option as it shows so little imagination.

Back to our meal.  On the menu board there were two good gluten free desert options or so I thought initially. Eton mess, which is a mixture of broken meringue, raspberries and whipped cream and a lemon cream bruleé.  I ordered the Eton Mess but as always I asked the waiter to ensure it was gluten free.

Unfortunately, he came back and told me that the only option I could safely eat was strawberries and cream. Not the end of the world but somewhat irritating if you have got your mouth watering for something else. Such a disappointment!

Next of course there is the decision whether to challenge what is said or to go quietly.  My sister had the Eton Mess; in fact, they served it up in a biscuit basket, which was of course made with wheat and so was not gluten free as described on the menu.  As for the bruleé – who knows whether I could risk that being gluten free. Both deserts could very easily have been made gluten free if the chef had the right knowledge.

I think that in a society like ours, which is becoming ever more ready to sue when things go wrong, restaurants get very nervous and in the end make decisions based on ignorance.  People, including chefs and restaurant owners, simply do not know enough about what it means to be gluten free. I will be sending them my "Gluten Free Guide For Cafes And Restaurants", before I eat there again.

You would think that if offering a gluten free menu, café and restaurants owner would ensure that their staff are well trained. Especially since May 2015 is gluten free awareness month! Pass on the link to my book to as many café and restaurant owners as you can so that they have the opportunity of getting their gluten free menu right! http://ebook-cafes-restaurants.what-is-gluten-free.org/

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Jimmy Kimmel On Gluten - Gluten Free Is No Laughing Matter!!

I found this video by Jimmy Kimmel On Gluten Free

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJFE1sp4Fw

This video really reflects what I know to be true. People DO NOT know what gluten is or HOW to achieve a 100% gluten free diet!! That is why I have started to devote my life to teaching people. I have a daughter with celiac disease and owned for many years a cafe which specialized in gluten free.

I agree with the other 2 people who have commented here that it is no laughing matter and that people who are celiac or suffer from any of the other gluten-related illnesses are at serious risk from this blasé attitude.

For those of you who want to know what gluten is - read my post:

https://plus.google.com/u/2/communiti…/118071563057085907046

If you would like to join me in spreading the word about gluten and what it takes to be gluten free I have written books and training webinars which you could become an affiliate for. Contact me on coaching.glutenfreecooking@gmail.com

Thanks Mary

What is gluten and is gluten bad for us?

There is a lot of discussion about it, but actually, we should ask ourselves what is gluten and   is gluten bad for us? Well, the fact is gluten isn't necessarily bad, but some people are gluten intolerant, meaning their bodies produce an abnormal immune response when it breaks down gluten from wheat and related grains during digestion.

People who have this abnormal immune response have celiac disease. Others may be gluten intolerant or have a wheat allergy.  About 1-2 % of the world's population have celiac disease but this rate may vary from country to country. This group of people must not eat gluten, but for the rest of us, it is an important part of our diet.

To a person who is not gluten intolerant, gluten will do us no harm. In fact, gluten is good because worldwide, gluten is a source of protein, both in foods prepared directly from it (bread etc.)  and as an additive to foods which are low in protein. Glutens are an essential part of the modern food industry and part of the stable diet of many cultures.

Just look at the Italians with their pasta and pizzas and you know what I mean. If the world stopped producing products with gluten, thousands of people, especially in developing countries, would die of starvation.

Gluten comes from the Latin word gluten, meaning glue. Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture. Many products are made from gluten such as bread, cereals, pasta, cakes, biscuits and pizza.

 Wheat Eyres

  

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10 tips on how to implement a gluten free diet successfully 

Technically speaking, gluten is a protein complex found in related grasses within the tribe Triticeae which includes wheat and related grains, barley and rye. Like the fruit of most flowering plants, Triticeae have endosperms with stored protein to nourish embryonic plants during germination. Seed glutens of some of the on-Triticeae plants, such as oats, have similar properties to those produced by the tribe Triticeae. There are 2 genera which are known to produce gluten which has detrimental health effects for some:

• Triticum (found in wheat, rye, barley)
• Avena (found in oats)

  Triticum:             

The seed proteins produced by the tribe Triticeae can be divided into four groups:

                  1) albumin

                  2) globulin

                  3) prolamin

                  4) glutelin

All 4 of these proteins are involved in wheat allergies, however, it is only the prolamin and the glutelin which cause the damage in celiac patients. The proteins found in the Triticeae tribe of grains are involved in several human diseases:

                        1) In Celiac Disease and other Autoimmune Diseases  

                        2) Gluten Sensitivity/Intolerance 

                        3) Gluten Allergy in general

Avena:

Avenin found in oats is toxic to the intestinal mucosa of avenin-sensitive individuals, and can trigger a reaction in these celiacs.

Prolamin-Glutelin complexes

Prolamin and glutelin bond together to form Prolamin-Glutelin complexes which are defined as gluten. It is specifically the amino acid sequences in the prolamin, a component of gluten, that cause the reaction in celiacs.

Prolamins are slightly different in each type of grain:

•       In true wheat (Triticum) it is called gliadin - constitutes 40-50%, of total proteins in wheat grain

•       In food rye (Secale) it is called secalin -constitutes 30-50%, of the total protein in rye grain

•       In food barley (Hordeum) it is called hordein - constitutes 35-45% of the total protein in barley

•       Oats (Avena) also has prolamin called avenin which only constitutes 10-15% of the protein in oat grain

Glutelin is also different in each species:

•       In wheat; it is called glutenin

•       In barley; it is barley glutelin

•       In rye; it is rye glutelin

•       In oats; it is oat glutelin

Note: Gluten free grains such as teff, millet, rice, corn, buckwheat, and sorghum, also contain prolamins and glutelins. But in these products, the prolamins and glutelins are made up of different amino acid sequences that aren’t considered to be gluten which cause health problems. These grains don’t cause a reaction in gluten sensitive people.

So what is gluten? It is a vital protein which makes up a large proportion of the world's food source. Is gluten bad for us? Well only if you have been diagnosed with one of the gluten-related illnesses. Experts worry, however, that going on a gluten free diets without explicitly needing to could be detrimental to a person's health, as gluten free foods are often deficient in vital nutrients. For expert advice on how to avoid gluten click this link.

Should Cafes and Restaurants Charge More For Gluten Free Meals?

A California woman is suing an Arizona-based restaurant chain, P.F. Chang, over the extra charges it levies on gluten free meals. The suit against them contends that the extra $1 charged by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. for gluten free menu items infringes the Americans with Disabilities Act because most people who order a gluten free meal have a medical need to eat gluten free food due to celiac disease or gluten intolerance. The suit also says the additional charges are implemented even when the gluten free meal is by nature gluten-free ( e.g. meat and vegetables) and therefore incurs no cost.

The suit was initially filed in December 2014 in Santa Clara County Superior Court by Anna Marie Phillips. The suit has since been moved by the restaurant to the federal court in San Jose. As well as compensatory damages, the plaintiff is seeking class-action status, injunctive relief, restitution, civil penalties and punitive damages.

So the question "should cafes and restaurants charge more for gluten free meals" is open to debate and the decision made by the court could have far reaching ramifications.

My personal opinion coming from the point of view of a café owner who provided a gluten free menu, and as a mother of celiac daughter and now as a coach and mentor on the subject is yes they are fully within their right to do so because it certainly costs more to provide gluten free food, even if it is made from ingredients that are naturally gluten free.

For one thing, gluten free substitutes such as gluten free bread, gluten free cereals gluten free flours unquestionably cost more in the supermarkets. If this case succeeds, will these gluten free products also become subject to a class-action by celiac sufferers? Or are most celiac sufferers willing to pay that little bit more to get the range of products now available on the supermarket shelves which they know are safe to eat. Remember that most countries have laws regarding gluten free labeling which is an additional cost to production.

The other fact to take into consideration when a café or restaurant offers a gluten free menu is  that it is not just about serving food made from gluten free ingredients (including naturally gluten free products), It is more about the principals behind serving 100% gluten free food.

When preparing gluten free food it is imperative to prevent cross contamination and this is where the extra costs in production arises. Hospitality staff need to be taught how to prepare and serve the food so it remains 100% gluten free food. I think paying a little extra when you need 100% gluten free food is well worth it for the peace of mind it brings.  

The FDA's gluten-free rule also applies to pre-packaged foods sold in some retail and take away food service outlets The FDA also says that given the public health significance of gluten free label

ling, restaurants making a gluten free claim on their menus should be consistent with FDA's definition. Responsible cafes and restaurants take this legal obligation very seriously and this quality requirement costs to implement.

For more information on the how of 100% gluten free cooking contact me on coaching.glutenfreecooking@gmail.com or read my book aimed and cafes and restaurants : 

Gluten Free Guide for Cafés and Restaurants,  Safe Preparation and Serving of Gluten Free Foods

I would be interested also on hearing your views on the topic: Should Cafes and Restaurants Charge More For Gluten Free Meals?

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I am concerned that there is a general lack of understanding about what it means to be gluten free.

I am concerned that there is a general lack of understanding about what it means to be gluten free.

I visited a local café recently to buy my celiac daughter a gluten free cake as a treat. It was her birthday and I wanted to spoil her. The local café promoted its gluten free products particularly its delightful home cooked gluten free cakes and biscuits.

Are they really 100% gluten free?

The cakes were temptingly displayed but the first thing I observed which made me suspicious was that the gluten free cakes were displayed on a shelf under where a particularly crumby "gluten" cake was displayed. I selected my gluten free cakes together with some "gluten" cakes for the rest of my family.

To my dismay the young lass serving first picked up the "gluten" cake with her tongs and put them into a cake box, and then used the same tongs to pick up the gluten free cakes which she put into the same box as the "gluten" cake.

Horrors of horrors. These so called gluten free cakes were consequently not gluten free at all. Perhaps they never were. Who knows what safeguards were taken to stop them from being cross contaminated with gluten during the baking process.

This young girl had no idea what she was doing. She had not been trained properly about the responsibilities of providing gluten free food. She was rather taken aback when I informed her that the cakes she was serving me were not gluten free and that I no longer required them.

And so I embarked on my journey to teach as many people as I can about what it really means to be gluten free. To teach then the consequences of getting it wrong by not providing 100% gluten free food when you say it is.

I have written 2 e-books- one for the home and one for cafes and restaurants.  I have also written some training webinars and courses. I am in the process of rolling these training programmes out and I am looking for joint venture partners who may be interested in joining me to spread the word.

Contact me at coaching.glutenfreecooking@gmail.com for further information. Or click on the above if you simply want to buy the books and learn what it really means to be 100% gluten free

What is the difference between celiac disease and coeliac disease?

What is the difference between celiac disease and coeliac disease?

The answer is that there is NO difference - same disease, same symptoms but it is spelt differently depending on the country.

In America it is spelt celiac and in England and Australia it is spelt coeliac 

There are other spelling differences in medical terminology as well eg spirochete and spirochaete; diarrhea and diarrhoea; hemoglobin and haemogloblin. just be aware when reading artilcles and posts as different people will spell the terms differently

What is Wheat Allergy:

3. Wheat Intolerance

Wheat intolerance or wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to foods containing wheat. Wheat is one of the top eight food allergens in the USA. The law passed in 2004 requires all food packaging to clearly list whether they contained any of eight major food allergens (milk, egg, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, crustacean shellfish, soy and wheat).

If you have a wheat allergy, allergic reactions result from eating wheat or by inhaling wheat flour. Wheat can be found in many foods, including some products you might not suspect, such as beer, soy sauce and ketchup. When a person has an allergy to a specific product, they produce a specific allergy antibody to that product (allergen) known as IgE. This allergy antibody coats the surface of the histamine producing cells (Mast Cells) of the body. When the person is exposed to the allergen such as wheat the immune response triggers the histamine producing cells to release massive amounts of histamine and it is this chemical which causes the allergic response. That is why people take anti-histamines to control their allergies.

A child or adult with wheat allergy is likely to develop symptoms within minutes to hours after eating something containing wheat. Wheat allergy symptoms include:

• Swelling, itching or irritation of the mouth or throat
• Hives, itchy rash or swelling of the skin
• Nasal congestion
• Headache
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Difficulty breathing
• Cramps, nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Anaphylaxis
• Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis

Wheat allergy sometimes is confused with celiac disease, but these conditions differ in both cause and symptoms. A person with a wheat allergy produces an allergy-causing antibody (different from the antibodies produced in celiac) which reacts with certain proteins found in wheat resulting in sudden onset allergic reaction as described above. You can develop an allergy to any of the four classes of wheat proteins — albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. Avoiding wheat is the only way to prevent a wheat allergy reaction but medications may be necessary to manage allergic reactions if wheat is accidentally ingested or inhaled.

People with celiac disease have an auto immune response to a particular protein called gluten which is found in wheat and other grains. It is much easier to cater for wheat free diet rather than a strict gluten free one. But if you have a wheat allergy it is critical that you do not consume or inhale wheat products because you could have a very serious allergic reaction.

Note: A person with a wheat allergy may also be allergic to barley, oats and rye.

Find out more about how to achieve a gluten free diet - you can apply this advice to a diet required to manage your wheat allergy as well.

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Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity or Gluten Intolerance

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity otherwise known as  gluten intolerance is a common disease suffered by a large proportion of the population. Unlike celiac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity is not an auto immune disease and therefore it is not usually as severe as celiac disease. It is estimated about 1 in 20 people in the western world have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. But like celiac disease many of these sufferers are undiagnosed.  They notice that they feel better when they do not eat gluten but do not know why.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance occurs when you do not have any or enough of the right type of enzyme in the gut to break down gluten. In the gut digestive enzymes are produced to break down food molecules. These are specific for the type of nutrient which is ingested.

The breakdown of gluten in the gut needs enzymes known technically as DPPIV enzymes which are produced naturally by the digestive system.  If there is not enough enzyme, the digestive system cannot break down foods with gluten in them such as wheat, rye, oats and barley products. 

Consequently you have an adverse reaction to these products and this is known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance. The 7 most common symptoms of non-celiac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance are:

•       Digestive issues – abdominal discomfort & bloating

•       Fatigue

•       Dizziness

•       Headaches

•       Moodiness

•       Joint swelling & pain

•       Eczema

Symptoms can be mild to severe gastrointestinal symptoms. In mild cases, the symptoms are limited to abdominal discomfort and bloating, fatigue, and headaches. In severe cases it can lead to more serious bowel problems such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and severe diarrhoea.

Consult a doctor for a correct diagnosis It is important to determine the cause of your symptoms and to ensure that you do not have celiac disease. See my previous blog: celiac disease checklist

People with non-celiac gluten sensitivity also need to go on a gluten free diet to control the symptoms. However there are products available commercially such as which supplement the diet to provide the missing enzymes so the person can eat gluten.

Warning   - These enzymatic products  are NOT suitable for those people with celiac disease.

Remember DO NOT start on your gluten free diet until AFTER you have consulted your doctor and a diagnosis of celiac disease has be confirmed. 

If you need to go a gluten free diet because you have celiac disease here is a free report to help you get started: "Top Ten Tips to Follow a Gluten Free Diet Successfully"

Cafes and Restaurants Need to be Taught HOW to Achieve 100% Gluten Free Cooking

Hi, 

My name is Mary and as a food safety expert, cafe owner and mother of a daughter with celiac disease I have grave concern about the lack of knowledge out here about what it actually means to be gluten free, I mean 100% gluten free. So I have written some e-books and webinars teaching the HOW OF GLUTEN FREE COOKING. 

One of my e-books is aimed at CAFES and RESTAURANTS because dining out is one of the most feared experiences for a celiac. They loose control of what goes into their food and the risk being "glutened" due to improperly prepared gluten free cooking.

I believe that there is a critical need for education about gluten free cooking in the hospitality industry so I have embarked on a project to try and reach as many cafes and restaurants etc. as I can. If you would like to be part of this project please email me on coaching.glutenfreecooking@gmailcom and I will set up an affiliate link for you to share in the sales revenue.

I am excited about this project and spreading the word about how to achieve 100% gluten free cooking and would appreciate feedback

Thanks and regards 

Mary Laloli
Educator

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