If you’re diagnosed with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, you will then have to steer clear of gluten for life. Gluten is the protein in grain-related foods like rye, barley, and wheat. Gluten could bring about an autoimmune reaction which can incur damage in the villi found in the small intestines. If villi are destroyed, you will have a problem absorbing essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the food that you eat.
Eating is considered as a social activity by many, and it’s obviously a pain in the neck to not be able to dine out freely with your friends and loved ones just because you have a disease. At first, you are likely to yearn for your favorite foods. Vacations are particularly difficult since one of the fun parts in it is the gastronomic adventure.
If you happen to be highly sensitive to gluten, you should be extra careful of cross-contamination when you eat out. It can even take place in restaurants that have staff that are trained in preparing gluten-free foods. It’s suggested you call ahead and bring it up to the chef or manager so as to ensure that they accommodate your problem.
However, if you can’t work with anything in the menu, you can have the chef tailor fit your dish according to your specific need. Salads are a staple in menus, and they are a good choice if you can’t have anything else. You may want to bring your own dressing, as well. You can even bring rice or quinoa pasta into some Italian restaurants and you can ask for them to prepare it.
Traveling through airports is yet another challenge for people with gluten intolerance. Only a few airport restaurants offer gluten-free menu. Better yet, bring your own gluten-free snacks. You wouldn’t want to be sick while traveling, would you?
After a while, after you have learned to live by the gluten-free rules, life gets better. You might miss your favorite foods, but not as much. You will feel a lot better, and it will make your gluten-free lifestyle worthwhile.
