Sorry that you had to suffer. I know it may be because of ignorance. I have a friend who is very ill with CD. I try to be so careful if she comes to visit, but I had to learn to look for gf things I'd never think would be a problem like chicken broth. She was so careful that she'd bring her own potato-based vodka in case gluten survived the distilling process. One time she forgot and we decided that rum would be ok as it's not grain based at all. She has to be extremely careful.

basilcook, you need to rely on your own wits to avoid problems. The soy sauce versus its gluten free cousin tamari is one most gluten intolerant people know about. Most sushi restaurants have tamari, as an example, all you need to do is ask for it.

Too bad you learned about it the hard way. I have a family member who is very gluten and dairy intolerant and their attitude is - if I'm not absolutely certain, I won't eat it.

Having food intolerances is like having a calorie intolerance (ie, being overweight). You need to make permanent changes in how you eat and be wary. With that approach, you'll do fine. Raw fruits and veggies are something you can always turn to but watch out for dressings other than ones you prepare yourself.

Sorry lindsey, but many view Gundry as a media hound and a self-promoting quack. He's well known for making unsupported claims.

Thanks everybody. Posting this makes me feel better about this situation.

Iris: Thank you. It is very hard. Even if accidentally eating meat wouldn’t cause any health problems, I bet it wouldn’t be good if chicken broth or something else got snuck into the meal.

Chi: I agree. But with CD being such a serious disease, I probably shouldn’t have put that on them.

Blfenton: thanks! Your sons girlfriend is probably very happy that you make a delicious but gluten free meal!

Lindsey: I love the Plant Paradox. I haven’t read it for awhile though, so I probably will check it out again!

Annie: yes, we have to be very careful. It’s super hard, especially when I can’t eat things like brownies or cake.

Elmer, for about 10 years I have known that most soy sauce has gluten. I also know that Tamari is gluten free soy sauce. But the friend said she made a gluten free meal, because she has checked things before and made a meal for me with no gluten one time.

Lesson leaarned: don't trust anyone. CD is very complicated, and you should never expect anyone else to understand it. I've been thru nutritional class and support group )for someone else), and I'd never expect anyone unaffected to understand. Period.

I don’t want to be nosy and should probably just google it, but is this something that comes on suddenly? Like at any age? A friend of my daughter’s was just mildly allergic to peanuts as a kid, but once they hit puberty it suddenly turned serious.

Hi Iris! Celiac disease is when you can’t eat ANY gluten. One crumb of gluten can make me feel sick, puke-ish, and just plain awful. But, only about 3 million Americans have CD. It can come on suddenly, but most of the time you start feeling bad, you go to your doctor, and then they will probably tell you to try to go GF. I went GF on my own, because my doctor didn’t think I needed to go GF. It can happen at any age, whether your in your teen years or when your 60 or 70, you can get it. A lot of people have it because relatives have it.

I’m 38, and I got it when I was 37. I think I actually had it starting at age 34, because I felt awful for several years before I found out I had CD. But if you get it, it’s rare that your born with it.

Basil, I'm sorry for your experience. I know many people who say they are eating gluten free who are not diagnosed, I'm afraid I might take it too casually. My BIL actually gave up gluten for Lent one year, partly to see how difficult it was and what friends who eat gluten free experience finding meals. I wasn't very helpful with his experiment.

If truly diagnosed, I would almost be afraid to cook for you in my gluten kitchen. Worry of cross contamination. Worry of what I don't know. I wish you the best on your trip.

I'm GF, but haven't been tested for CD because I can't stand the thought of the 6-week eating-gluten-every-day thing. I definitely have a gluten sensitivity, and would ASSUME that CD isn't my case, because I can eat wheat (and other glutens) in countries other than the USA.

I do use Tamari, but so many people don't realize that soy sauce has gluten. I've become an avid label-reader, and eating out, as you say, is so very hard.

Basil, thank you for the information. Again, I am sorry to hear that. It must be really hard not to be able to grab something to eat just because you feel like it.

Basilcook, I'm sorry you had that experience. My best friend has suffered from CD for years, so whenever I'm having her as a guest, I make the whole meal GF. I even remove all gluten-containing products from the main part of the kitchen and wipe down everything with extra care to ensure there's no cross contamination.

"But if you get it, it’s rare that your born with it."

I think the opposite is true. I believe both celiac disease and other digestive system conditions aggravated by gluten can derive from inherited factors.

The people I know who have celiac disease also have other autoimmune problems. They appear to go hand in hand and there can be a heritable factor.

I have other autoimmune issues (scleroderma being the biggest). It's also an opinion that cancer (which I have) could also be an autoimmune thing.

I have Hoshimoto's and a couple other autoimmune diseases, too.

Elmer, too clarify I was saying you probably won't have it immediately when you are born. That means you may have it inside you from relatives, but you might not see the side affects immediately right when you are born. But this post wasn't suppost to become an argument, so I will stop here.

Another unexpected source of gluten can be in pills...vitamins and such sometimes contain gluten.

Im glad you are starting to feel better! I would never ever even think of cooking for someone with issues caused by food. I would feel awful to make someone sick!

Celiac hits home with me and I've learned a lot about it in the past years. My sister is celiac as I've mentioned before and I posted in another thread recently how she can still go to her favorite Asian restaurant but just gets their packets of soy sauce, which are gluten-free. The owner knows my sister well since she's been a longtime customer, so she looks out for her.

Many people make the mistake of thinking if it doesn't have wheat, it's automatically gluten-free. WRONG! This is where some people get in trouble. And some people get siclk.

To assume that soy sauce automatically has gluten is like assuming that all flour has gluten, or all bread has gluten or anything else. I just did a cursory search from what I saw, Tamari does NOT mean gluten-free so I certainly wouldn't substitute it without a warning and let the person with celiac decide. Tamari can have gluten just like some soy sauces can be gluten-free.

When you have dietary restrictions, you have to be careful. And you CANNOT assume. You need to read the label every time you buy something and check to see if it's still gluten-free.

Here's a list of some gluten-free soy sauces:

1. Kikkoman certified Gluten Free Soy Sauce
2. Little Soya Soy Sauce
3. San-J Soy Sauce (certified gf)
4. Eden Organic Soy Sauce

And my cursory research said La Choy Tamari IS NOT GLUTEN-FREE.

Elmer, you and I agree on a lot of things, disagree on some, but please don't spread rumors that can affect someone's health. Tamari is not always safe for celiacs.

My sister generally will just bring something for herself to get-togethers. It's a lot safer. People have good intentions but as you can see, if people make assumptions, you can wind up pukin'....

I buy the Kikkoman one.

cynic, I was making a general comment. A rumor, not hardly. As I said, I have a family member who's gluten intolerant. Asking for "gluten free soy sauce" in a sushi restaurant can result in a quizzical look. Asking for "gluten free Tamari" is the question that, in my area and also where this person lives, restaurant folk seem to be most accustomed to hearing and can usually accommodate immediately.

People who want/need to avoid any particular ingredient know to read labels on products before using or buying them. That's always the best practice. I wasn't offering dietary advice, only relating personal experiences.

Cynic, I also use the San-J Soy sauce. Love it! Plus I have never had issues with it. Other brands can sneak caramel coloring into soy sauce which is often not gluten free.

This disease was discovered in my family about 10 years ago. One sister and several nieces from two different family units were found positive. The soy sauce is a rookie mistake, cross contamination is another. Most people are not aware that gluten is an additive in A LOT of foods. I was unaware until a fated night at a chain Chinese restaurant, what cross over contamination can do. My sister didn't make it out of the parking lot without an emergency trip back to their bathroom. It stinks but the burden of education and being very specific with your questions when eating at other people's homes is on you. Same as a peanut allergy that won't allow you to eat a cookie made in a factory where the lines might have produced a peanut product the day before. It's your health and the rest of us are just not that into this.

You could come to my house and I could guarantee you a gluten free meal. :) When my husband and I eat Keto, NOTHING has gluten in it as it's not keto friendly. My son also had Celiac Disease so I know what to watch for. The average Joe doesn't understand. A co-worker came into work one day with her usual Tim Hortons coffee. She always drank it with a straw because the workers hands touched the breads and pastries. Even a crumb could do damage. She looked to be about 7 months pregnant one day. "OMG, What happened to you? Why are you so bloated?", I asked. She thinks the girl who prepared her coffee may have had a crumb on her finger when she made her coffee and it fell inside the cup. People just don't understand how sick you can make someone with Celiac. It's not a gluten intolerance. It's far more than that. It's like an allergy to gluten. You wouldn't give someone peanuts who is allergic to peanuts. But people who are Celiac are constantly having to prove they can't have wheat, rye oats or barley.

A friend of our who visited frequently while her daughter was in the local university didn't have Celiac Disease but she was highly allergic to wheat, so cooking for her was similar to what would have to be done for someone with CD. I think the level at which it would be a problem for her was higher than what debby_ab describes above, since she would be making cheese and crackers for us and her family while I was preparing dinner, and she be handling the crackers, and then pick up a piece of brie for herself using the same hand. But the consequences could be more immediately severe since she would have an anaphalyxis reaction

I learned a lot, especially that wheat/gluten can be found in many places, some of which you'd never guess.

Debby, I would love to come to your house ;) I hope that eventually Celiac Disease will raise more awareness one day. I no longer can go to Starbucks in fear that the lady may have not washed their hands before making my drink, in case they touched a gluten containing item.

The worse thing is, gluten free is basically morphing into a ‘fad.’ Have you noticed how many people go gluten free because they think it’s ‘cool’ and ‘new?’ It’s annoying, and that’s one thing that doesn’t help CD.

Bob, yes gluten can lurk in many places. I think some Bath and Bodyworks hand sanatizer has wheat in it. Now, I have to look extra carefully at everything I buy.

We went to a local restaurant while they were visiting, and they asked what was good on the menu. My wife suggested the meatloaf, saying "Its to die for." I immediately chimed in saying "Good suggestion, since that make it with breadcrumbs, and it would kill her." :-)

Again, I'll disagree with you basilcook. Imagine if 4 times as many people followed a gluten free diet as need to medically, how much added awareness and care that will lead to among the general public and in food establishments. That will make it much easier it will be for you and others to have greater flexibility and confidence when out in public.

I agree with you in part, there has been a proliferation of people following various diets out of choice rather than necessity. I think that's especially so in my fad-prone area. But that makes it so much easier for those who NEED to rely on the insights and practices of others.

Before the responding, my sincere best wishes (I do mean that) for good health and congratulations to you on your weight loss. I'm working on that myself.

lindsey, isn't his endorsement by Dr Oz enough of a red flag?

I'm sure at one time he was well qualified as a surgeon, but do recognize the institution he was at is probably the least well regarded medical school in California. Do credentials as a surgeon qualify him as a bio-nutritionist?

His nutrition "findings" aren't the result of research conducted at any recognized institution, aren't published (per my review of PubMed), and haven't been peer reviewed. That passes neither the normal standard of care for research nor the smell test. Here's a review of Gundry's book from The Atlantic, you should call this doc and argue with him. Not with me. There are many others like this one bouncing around.

One quote from the article (written by an MD) "This degree of conflicts of interest is, in science and journalism, the sort of thing that invalidates an expert opinion"

Review of Gundry book in The Atlantic

For anyone who wants to lose weight, go on the Elmer diet - eat regularly 4 days a week and eat only lettuce the other 3 days. Like Gundry, I just made that up. Should I write a book?

I think people forget that there is "things" in other food -- be it gluten or sugar or soy. So the MEAL was gluten free but they forgot to check the remade ingredients! So sorry for you. They just weren't thinking!

Basilcook, I am sorry this happened to you. It’s really a shame so many people are uneducated about celiac and the harm it can do to people when they eat the ‘wrong’ foods.

None of our family is affected, but we learned many years ago about our DGD’s friend and her older sister who both have celiac. They were quite young when it was found, so they both knew how to look out for foods. And their entire family ate GF as a result. Their mom even packed trunks of their own food to take to camp! She was a soccer teammate of DGD’s since first grade and one of her best friends (they are now college-bound), so we knew how to deal with it as a result. It was an education for us, for sure.

I've been diagnosed with Celiac for over 20 years now, so have been strictly gluten-free since then. I have never allowed anyone else to prepare or cook food for me except maybe once a YEAR (yep) I go to Swiss Chalet (here in Canada) that has a gluten-free menu. I still stress to them that my meal needs to be gluten-free and ensure that they have a complete understanding of what that means. I still have a hard time trusting anyone else to make a meal for me, though. It's an isolating disease in a lot of ways.

Bob, haha! Great sense of humor!

Lindsey, I agree with you. I also agree with Gundry and his book. I haven’t read it lately, but it’s a great book. Good luck with the diet. 30 pounds is a lot and I hope you lose many more :)

Here is MY opinion of CD: I don’t think that many people (or any) had celiac disease or gluten intolerances back in the 1800’s. Why? Because it was hand ground. No chemicals existed. Even in the 1950’s not many people had gluten allergies or intolerances. But once tractors started harvesting wheat and they used chemicals and machines to ground it, so many people started having intolerances. Now so many people have it because of those. The chemicals make it so CD people can’t digest the wheat. My parents or grandparents or great grandparents or uncles or aunts never had celiac disease. Probably because they where born when wheat wasn’t filled with chemicals.

Anyway, Lindsey, thank you for the comments. Along with OutsidePlaying and Martha Scott!

Elmer, I do kind of agree with Lindsey. But everything Lindsey said was correct.

Oh and I forgot to add....if you are ever down my way, there is a delicious little GF bakery and restaurant here in our town. A nice young couple started out with just as the bakery in a very small spot, and everyone wanted more. So they expanded and started a restaurant. They are doing great and have expanded their family as well.

Another sure sign of a con/quack:

Real experts don't have websites that sell supplements or other products. Honestly, they don't. Take yourself to the medical school or top university nearest you - yes, that's where real experts are- and inquire how many of the prominent docs in medicine or the health-related sciences there sell supplements or other products. I'll tell you in advance what the answer is - none of them do. None anywhere, not one.

Do the same thing at the best hospitals or large medical practices nearby. You'll find it's the same.

Quacks and cons through the ages have never had trouble finding victims to take advantage of. If all you do is buy a book, the damage is limited. But don't take it too seriously, the real experts don't view him as anything other than a quack offering unsupported, made-up pseudo science.

"Have you noticed how many people go gluten free because they think it’s ‘cool’ and ‘new?’ It’s annoying, and that’s one thing that doesn’t help CD."

I get what you're saying! I feel the same way about PTSD. Someone has a minor car accident and suddenly they're suffering from PTSD. Everywhere you turn someone has "PTSD"! There was a time when that disorder was reserved for people, mainly soldiers, who had witnessed or suffered from horrific situations. With so many running around with "PTSD" it seems diminishing to those who have really suffered.

On the bright side, the gluten-free fad has resulted in far more products. I don't remember seeing many gluten-free foods even 10 years ago and now they are everywhere due to the market demand. That usually results in better quality and variety of products.

Not too long ago I read (can't remember where) that coffee is not gluten free. Any truth to this?

Another thing what about butter/cream/milk from cows? Thanks I'm curious.

Gluten is a protein that is present in wheat and other often related grains. Excluding cross-contamination and assuming no addition of additional ingredients, gluten is not present in pure/unadulterated coffee or dairy products. It can be present in dairy products or anything else that's otherwise naturally gluten free if gluten-containing ingredients have been added but not otherwise.

A couple brands of coffee are certified GF. Others can be cross contaminated by using the same machines as wheat. Same as butter!

Gluten sensitivity is a funny thing. One study (Neurogastroentrology, 2018) gave people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity 2 muffins a day made either with or without gluten. All were on a GF diet. Only 20% were able to correctly identify when they were given the gluten. Other said their symptoms were worse on days they got the GF muffins.

There are those who think gluten sensitivity isn't about gluten at all, but the roundup they spray on the wheat to kill it before harvest as apparently it's easier to harvest dead wheat than live.

I don't agree that in that past there were no allergies or intolerances. I would think they existed, but no one knew what they were or what caused them. They just though Aunt Jane was "frail" or Cousin Leroy was "sickly". Or they just died, and their families grieved and said it was "God's will".

There's probably a 'range' for this problem, plus people who have self-diagnosed (rightly or wrongly). Perhaps some people have 'some sensitivity' to gluten, while others are much more severely affected. I was a teenager the first time I heard of celiac disease. As I recall, it was in regard to a one-year-old whose diet was largely bananas! (No, that was not the same child born with a vestigial 'tail' at the bottom of her spine -- surgically removed.)

Thank You for the explanation.

Great information here. I have a friend who is coming to visit. She has recently been diagnosed with CD. This thread has told me that I do not want to be responsible for any of her meals while she is visiting.

Gigi, yes, indeed. Just make sure not to use utensils that touched gluten or ingredients that are manufactured in a gluten environment!

Annie, I do agree. Personally I’m sensitive to gluten, but another person may think they are sensitive but they aren’t.

my niece has CD. diagnosed about 8 years ago.

when i cook for her, i do all her foods first, so all utensils/pots/pans are clean. then cook for the rest of us. this is for mostly desserts and pasta.

if we make meatballs or such we just use GF bread for all of us, no sense in making 2 things since we can't tell the difference.

its much easier now then when she was first diagnosed, so things are getting better. our foods stores have a GF aisle of foods and now see fresh baked goods. you just have to be very vigilant and read EVERYTHING!! basically if it doesn't say GF on the label, its not.

It's rare that someone with Celiac Disease, like myself, have just that one autoimmune disease. It usually goes hand-in-hand with another (or more than one) autoimmune disease. For instance, Hashimotos. (etc.)

Yes, my friend with CD also has sjogren's. I understand they commonly go together as well.

Thankfully, I do not have CD but do have Hashimoto’s Disease and am not supposed to eat gluten. I like to eat at HuHots and if I tell them that I need to eat gluten free, they scrub down the grill, put up partitions, get new utensils, and bring out GF soy sauce for me to use. I always eat the rice noodles (which they get from a new supply in case anyone has cross contaminated with the other noodles on the bar), fresh fruits, veggies and GF sweet and sour sauce, and get along very well.