Warning for moms of GF dc

[Tiramisu]

just in case this kind of thinking is becoming widespread. Maybe I've just missed it.

 

The local news just did a segment on GF kids. I haven't seen it but my friend contacted me about it. It supposedly reported a doctor saying GF is only good for kids who have celiac and dangerous for other children. I'm paraphrasing what a friend told me. As a mom of dc with wheat allergies, I nearly went ballistic on my sweet friend.

 

(I've been touchy lately if you've noticed.) 

[bettyandbob]

Yes, it's dangerous to serve you dc roasted chicken, steamed broccoli, salad and baked potatoes.

 

 

 

Now, if the good doctor is talking about gf substitutes, a diet relying heavily on prepackaged, instant and snack foods is not good whether or not it's gf.

 

 

[mommymilkies]

Oh geez.  

[Ravin]

Yes, because there have never been healthy human populations anywhere that didn't eat lots of wheat???

[Peaceful Isle]

wow, just wow. 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

If people are feeding their kids rice flour and corn with extra vegetable oils (as some GF cooking baking amounts to, especially packaged mixes), and unaware of the need to either supplement with B complex vitamins or work very hard to make sure the diet supplies adequate B complex...if they are focusing on finding GF versions of their favorite SAD foods instead of seeking healthful, balanced meals that don't include gluten...then, yes. The diet can be more harmful than using fortified wheat versions of the same things. A casual attempt at a gluten-free diet can easily result in more chemicals, less nutrients, less fiber.

 

A gluten-free diet for anyone should not be about going through the market and placing all the frankenfoods labeled "GF" in one's cart and thinking that is healthy. But lots of people do that.

[Crimson Wife]

There's a LOT of misunderstanding that GF = low carb, which I agree is generally not a good idea for growing children (full-grown adults is a different story). I've had to educate a lot of people that fruits and starchy veggies are GF as are many whole grains. My little one gets plenty of healthy carbs in her diet despite being GF.

[Hikin' Mama]

Yet another example of how many doctors know nothing about nutrition. : /

[Spryte]

:huh:

 

Another mom of a kiddo with wheat allergies here.  Not Celiac.  Not an "intolerance."  Allergies, people.  IgE mediated.

 

It's reports like this that are actually dangerous for our kiddos, because suddenly all the educating and advocating we've done gets questioned.  And the chances that some well-meaning relative or friend will just slip our kiddo "a little bit" goes up.  When a kiddo has the potential for anaphylaxis, that's a serious issue.

 

I've been annoyed lately, too.  

 

 

[Caroline]

If people are feeding their kids rice flour and corn with extra vegetable oils (as some GF cooking baking amounts to, especially packaged mixes), and unaware of the need to either supplement with B complex vitamins or work very hard to make sure the diet supplies adequate B complex...if they are focusing on finding GF versions of their favorite SAD foods instead of seeking healthful, balanced meals that don't include gluten...then, yes. The diet can be more harmful than using fortified wheat versions of the same things. A casual attempt at a gluten-free diet can easily result in more chemicals, less nutrients, less fiber.

A gluten-free diet for anyone should not be about going through the market and placing all the frankenfoods labeled "GF" in one's cart and thinking that is healthy. But lots of people do that.

What Tibbie said.

[fraidycat]

Interestingly enough, my Celiac cousin with a celiac child was told the same thing by her doctor for her other non-celiac children.

I just rolled my eyes then, and I'm doing the same now. But, I'm guilty of rolling my eyes at a lot of doctor advice.

Packaged Frankenfoods have never been healthy. GF or not. We use them sometimes, but as a treat, and knowing full well they are not healthy.

[J-rap]

That is so dumb.  It's incomplete.  What they SHOULD be saying is that it's a fine diet, just make sure you make up for your nutritional needs in other ways then.  That's like saying that a vegetarian diet is unhealthy.  Well, as long as you get your needs met (protein, etc.) in other foods, you're okay.  It really is frustrating when they give an incomplete picture.

 

I have two children who have strong gluten reactions (one with asthma, the other with severe stomach pains), even though they have not been diagnosed with celiac disease.

[elegantlion]

Yes, it's dangerous to serve you dc roasted chicken, steamed broccoli, salad and baked potatoes.

 

 

 

Now, if the good doctor is talking about gf substitutes, a diet relying heavily on prepackaged, instant and snack foods is not good whether or not it's gf.

 

Yeah, technically you could feed your kid potato chips and M&Ms and call it a GF diet, not healthy but GF. 

[Unicorn.]

That's worse than the guy I saw on Rachael Ray a few months ago, that said unless people are celiac, they don't need to be GF, and it was just the latest fad diet.    I almost wrote her and to tell her she had an idiot on the show.  People have no clue that wheat and gluten cause all kinds of problems, that aren't celiac related. 

 

I really can't fathom how a gf diet could be unhealthy, unless they are living on gf mac and cheese and cookies.  Really, there isn't that much gf packaged stuff out there.  And mac and cheese and cookies isn't healthy even when using fortified wheat.  I have comments about the whole fortified thing too, but have to leave for an appt.

 

 

[Tiramisu]

:huh:

 

Another mom of a kiddo with wheat allergies here.  Not Celiac.  Not an "intolerance."  Allergies, people.  IgE mediated.

 

It's reports like this that are actually dangerous for our kiddos, because suddenly all the educating and advocating we've done gets questioned.  And the chances that some well-meaning relative or friend will just slip our kiddo "a little bit" goes up.  When a kiddo has the potential for anaphylaxis, that's a serious issue.

 

I've been annoyed lately, too.  

 

I definitely agree about the danger.

 

My dd with the wheat allergy was supposed to be very strictly wheat-free for at least a month to prevent the development of anaphylaxis. Her wheat and milk allergy started with hives out of the blue after having been sick frequently this winter. The doctor thinks she may have had a mild allergy all along that took off when her immune system was stressed with all the illness. He thinks she might be able to handle limited amounts in the future, but I've liked the changes in her so I'd rather continue.

 

She just told me she ate a tiny bit of a soft pretzel today and she was fine. She didn't put it together with the headache she's been complaining about since she came home from school. I don't remember her having a headache in the last month.

[Supertechmom]

yea big eye roll here.   All of my children are GF and only two are Celiac.  The other two are definitely not suffering from being GF and *GASP* Diary free too!!!!  No milk!  My God the horror!   The youngest has never had wheat and he has always been at the top of the charts.

 

I informed my ped when she raised the same crap questions that 1) their blood work showed excellent levels of everything including calcium ( with no milk! How in the world did that happen !!! :glare: ) 2) she sees my children a total of 6 times a year - one well visit per kid and two visits for allergy meds for the two with hay fever.      DId she have any wheat eaters with that record?

 

They can't seem to get off the train they were taught.

[Unicorn.]

My daughter's allergy is undiagnosed.  I don't need a doc to tell me how much healthier she is.  It shows!   Oh, the guy on RRay said that people lose weight when they go gf, because they are cutting out carbs/breads.  Umm, no.  I have made more cookies, muffins, and even doughnuts for the first time ever, after we went gf.  She lost all that weight while eating MORE carbs, actually. 

 

As supertechmom said, some people just can't get off that train.  And until they see it printed in a medical journal.. most docs won't. 

[lifesadream83]

Not sure where the article is...will have to have hubby look tomorrow but there are actually only two gene combinations on one chromosome that will have zero sensitivity to wheat.... that means everyone else will have some sort of adverse effects from it... and for those critics of a gf diet for anyone check this celiac does not go diagnosed in most cases and lays dormant until onset by a stresssor in most cases... there is no cure and the only way to avoid and reverse its affects is to eat gf... grandmother=celiac diagnosed via villi byopsy...sister started swelling up like a balloon to the point hr skin was stretching took her off gluten swelling that lasted years was gone in a week, dropped nearly 60 lbs in 6 months (19) ... other sister has associated rash/skin issues self treated... myself- 4 miscarriages, inconclusive tests and surgeries later I took myself off gluten for gastro issues...2.5 years later (the longest suggested time to reverse the effects of gluten in a celiac) I got pregnant and carried to term for the first time in 8 years (recurrent miscarriage and infertility are caused by celiac) so if you think I am going to wait for doctors usming flow charts to pull their heads out of their rears or for the effects to damage my kiddos like me you are wrong....eat fruit, veggies, rice, nuts, corn, rice, gf oats eat FOOD and not krap and teach your kids to and everyone will be fine.....its not hard... the hard thing is trying to figure out why in the world you put gluten in the stuff they do!

[ChocolateReignRemix]

FTR, there is some legitimacy to the warning as *some* people are jumping into GF as a fad. If someone is not doing their research and simply purchasing GF products without any thought, it is possible they can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and they often lack vitamins and nutrients many people normally get from the products they are replacing.  That doesn't mean a GF diet is unhealthy, but someone approaching it without any thought (and be honest, those treating it as a fad tend to do that more than others) could easily be feeding their children an unhealthy diet while thinking they are doing a good thing for their kids.

[fraidycat]

FTR, there is some legitimacy to the warning as *some* people are jumping into GF as a fad. If someone is not doing their research and simply purchasing GF products without any thought, it is possible they can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and they often lack vitamins and nutrients many people normally get from the products they are replacing. That doesn't mean a GF diet is unhealthy, but someone approaching it without any thought (and be honest, those treating it as a fad tend to do that more than others) could easily be feeding their children an unhealthy diet while thinking they are doing a good thing for their kids.

For those of us who have done the research, we also know that saturated fat and cholesteral are giant red herrings in the nutrition debate too. They are not the killers they are made out to be if from REAL food sources.

So again, it's whole foods vs. packaged foods. Whole foods wins.

[sbgrace]

Gluten free using whole foods is absolutely healthy.

 

The only thing that I would caution is over-use of rice because of arsenic content.

 

I found it so much easier to do rice based sides, and  lot of recipes have rice. We never did much gluten free baking, but the flour mix recipes are heavy rice often it seems. I think the tree nut and buckwheat anaphylaxis complicates things here though, as does a very texture sensitive child.  Maybe I wouldn't find it so hard without those.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

For those of us who have done the research, we also know that saturated fat and cholesteral are giant red herrings in the nutrition debate too. They are not the killers they are made out to be if from REAL food sources.

So again, it's whole foods vs. packaged foods. Whole foods wins.

We will have to agree to disagree.

[Tiramisu]

Gluten free using whole foods is absolutely healthy.

 

The only thing that I would caution is over-use of rice because of arsenic content.

 

I found it so much easier to do rice based sides, and  lot of recipes have rice. We never did much gluten free baking, but the flour mix recipes are heavy rice often it seems. I think the tree nut and buckwheat anaphylaxis complicates things here though, as does a very texture sensitive child.  Maybe I wouldn't find it so hard without those.

 

I'm wondering if the arsenic rice issue is localized but I've never looked into it. Is it all rice or rice from some locales? We often buy short grained (Japanese style) rice from California. Do I need to worry?

[sbgrace]

I'm wondering if the arsenic rice issue is localized but I've never looked into it. Is it all rice or rice from some locales? We often buy short grained (Japanese style) rice from California. Do I need to worry?

 

White rice has less than other varieties.  We used to use Lundberg brown rice primarily. You can see their arsenic numbers here, if that's the brand you use. http://www.lundberg.com/info/Arsenic/productfaqs.aspx 

 

I just avoid when I can, without worrying about occasional use as needed. It's not a staple anymore here, though.

[JumpyTheFrog]

The problem with this thinking is that many people who actually celiac disease will test negative at first. It can take years or decades of damage before a biopsy will show celiac disease. Any doctor telling "non-celiac" patients to avoid going gluten-free will eventually tell someone with undiagnosed celiac disease to do the only thing that will help them get well.

 

This is aside from wheat allergies or people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, which I understand is being increasingly referenced in medical journals.

 

If you feel better being gluten free, ignore the doctors and continue to avoid gluten. If you want to know whether it's the gluten or something else in flour or processed food, avoid all gluten except wheat berries. If they make you feel yucky, you know it's the gluten and not some additive or other ingredient you avoid when you stay gluten-free. If you feel okay with wheat berries, then try the same experiment with plain barley, plain oats, and plain rye.

[BrookValley.]

FTR, there is some legitimacy to the warning as *some* people are jumping into GF as a fad. If someone is not doing their research and simply purchasing GF products without any thought, it is possible they can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and they often lack vitamins and nutrients many people normally get from the products they are replacing.  That doesn't mean a GF diet is unhealthy, but someone approaching it without any thought (and be honest, those treating it as a fad tend to do that more than others) could easily be feeding their children an unhealthy diet while thinking they are doing a good thing for their kids.

 

This. Not talking about celiac, not talking about those with wheat allergies, not talking about those with obvious intolerance, and definitely not talking about those who have done their homework and are choosing a diet of whole foods over packaged/processed foods. There are a LOT of people who have not done their research and assume that GF = healthy, or that it is some sort of miracle diet to cure all your ills. These are the people who simply buy a lot of pre-packaged, processed foods just because they say "gluten free." Many packaged GF products out there are not healthy--full of refined starches and sugar, for example--no different than any other packaged and overly processed foodstuffs, really.

 

I see this All. The. Time. (I have worked in a natural foods store for 15 years. I've seen it all. LOL) No, GF is not dangerous. Anyone, regardless of whether they are celiac (or allergic, or intolerant), can eat GF for the rest of their life and eat a very healthy diet. It's the people who don't understand what gluten free actually means and are simply jumping on board with the latest fad--that is dangerous. This also, IMO, is causing a lot of problems for those who truly have health issues related to gluten or wheat (celiac, allergy, etc.).

[KungFuPanda]

GF seems like too much of an inconvenience for anyone to do it for kicks. Is there really a widespread problem of people avoiding gluten who don't have to? WHY would anyone do that?

[ChocolateReignRemix]

GF seems like too much of an inconvenience for anyone to do it for kicks. Is there really a widespread problem of people avoiding gluten who don't have to? WHY would anyone do that?

 

They have convinced themselves it will cure whatever ails them without any thought behind it.  And yes, GF is a fad for *some* people just because they heard of it and decide that is their NEW THING.  I know a few people like this.  None have stuck with it which is the difference.

[KungFuPanda]

They have convinced themselves it will cure whatever ails them without any thought behind it.  And yes, GF is a fad for *some* people just because they heard of it and decide that is their NEW THING.  I know a few people like this.  None have stuck with it which is the difference.

It seems relatively new for everyone though. I knew one person who was gluten free 10-12 years ago when my kids were little. Today I could name twenty GF friends without thinking too hard . . . entire GF families with GF dogs. Potlucks have gotten trickier. You bring ANYTHING to a party and 5 people immediately ask if it's GF and are visibly disappointed when it's not.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

It seems relatively new for everyone though. I knew one person who was gluten free 10-12 years ago when my kids were little. Today I could name twenty GF friends without thinking too hard . . . entire GF families with GF dogs. Potlucks have gotten trickier. You bring ANYTHING to a party and 5 people immediately ask if it's GF and are visibly disappointed when it's not.

 

Which would frustrate me if I was GF for a reason, as that is the sure sign of a fad. 

[KungFuPanda]

Which would frustrate me if I was GF for a reason, as that is the sure sign of a fad.

A fad or a problem that's become much more prevalent in a decade's time? These people I know aren't flakes. They're busy moms who would prefer life were easier, but they're seeing differences that make GF worth the effort. It's very interesting to observe. I'm glad I don't have to participate.

[Χά�ων]

If people are feeding their kids rice flour and corn with extra vegetable oils (as some GF cooking baking amounts to, especially packaged mixes), and unaware of the need to either supplement with B complex vitamins or work very hard to make sure the diet supplies adequate B complex...if they are focusing on finding GF versions of their favorite SAD foods instead of seeking healthful, balanced meals that don't include gluten...then, yes. The diet can be more harmful than using fortified wheat versions of the same things. A casual attempt at a gluten-free diet can easily result in more chemicals, less nutrients, less fiber.

 

A gluten-free diet for anyone should not be about going through the market and placing all the frankenfoods labeled "GF" in one's cart and thinking that is healthy. But lots of people do that.

Some kids cannot have some fortified products. For example, too much calcium is dangerous for my son. It is really hard to find unfortified products. 

[ChocolateReignRemix]

A fad or a problem that's become much more prevalent in a decade's time? These people I know aren't flakes. They're busy moms who would prefer life were easier, but they're seeing differences that make GF worth the effort. It's very interesting to observe. I'm glad I don't have to participate.

 

Can't it be both?

[KungFuPanda]

Can't it be both?

No.

[Aspasia]

Interestingly enough, my Celiac cousin with a celiac child was told the same thing by her doctor for her other non-celiac children.
I just rolled my eyes then, and I'm doing the same now. But, I'm guilty of rolling my eyes at a lot of doctor advice.
Packaged Frankenfoods have never been healthy. GF or not. We use them sometimes, but as a treat, and knowing full well they are not healthy.

That's weird. My ds was just diagnosed with celiac a little over a month ago, and our doctor and dietician and pretty much everything I've read said it was up to the family whether or not to make the whole house gluten-free. The only harm in removing gluten from other family members' diets is that it would be difficult to diagnose celiac in them if they have it, since your body has to be reacting to the gluten in order to test positive. I solved that by having my girls screened (dh and I still eat gluten in other contexts).

It seems relatively new for everyone though. I knew one person who was gluten free 10-12 years ago when my kids were little. Today I could name twenty GF friends without thinking too hard . . . entire GF families with GF dogs. Potlucks have gotten trickier. You bring ANYTHING to a party and 5 people immediately ask if it's GF and are visibly disappointed when it's not.

In all honesty, I won't let my celiac ds eat anything at a potluck, even if the ingredients are all gluten-free. I can't expect everyone else to take the precautions necessary to avoid cross-contamination in their kitchens. I also can't know for sure if serving spoons have been in a dish that contains gluten. With celiac disease, minuscule amounts matter. I don't know much about wheat allergies or gluten sensitivity, but for celiac disease, it's just not worth the risk.

All I'm saying is that people with restrictive diets shouldn't expect to eat much at a potluck, so they shouldn't betray disappointment when they learn that something doesn't fit their diet. It just bugs me. I've been a vegetarian for almost 20 years and I go to potlucks with the knowledge that I won't be eating a good chunk of what is being served. I bring food I know I can/will eat and I eat whatever else fits. And I do so happily, with no disappointment on my face. I treat it like the social event that it is.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

No.

 

Oh it certainly can.

 

You can have an increase in the condition diagnosis, and then have a secondary group that hear about it and decide they want to try it/it applies to them.  The first group will tend to be more educated about GF and will obviously stick with it.  The second group will treat it like a fad.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Some kids cannot have some fortified products. For example, too much calcium is dangerous for my son. It is really hard to find unfortified products. 

But you're not the doctor's target audience, which is a parent unknowledgeable about the gluten-free diet. He was (I'm assuming) thinking of the uninitiated Mom who doesn't already have a homegrown PhD in this stuff as we all unfortunately do...for children who are thriving on a regular diet (at least evidently) and their mothers don't know of special dietary requirements for their health conditions, the fortified breads and cereals are not dangerous as they are for your son.

Whole foods for all kids (which is my preference and opinion) is another topic.

[Crimson Wife]

A fad or a problem that's become much more prevalent in a decade's time? These people I know aren't flakes. They're busy moms who would prefer life were easier, but they're seeing differences that make GF worth the effort. It's very interesting to observe. I'm glad I don't have to participate.

The autism epidemic is why a lot of families have their kids on a GF diet. Autism was the reason why we took my little one off gluten. It didn't help her ASD symptoms any but she had been off-the-charts small and experienced a dramatic "catch up" weight and height gain. She had previously tested negative twice for celiac (2nd time with the extended panel) and wheat allergy (again 2nd time with the extended panel) and had no obvious GI symptoms. All her doctors agree that she has some sort of non-celiac gluten intolerance that the current tests simply aren't able to pick up yet.

OTOH, it didn't seem to make any difference for the rest of us including my ADHD kid.

[kiwik]

I have been warned that making ds gf could cause gluten intolerance. It really does seem to help though but it is more extremely low gluten though.

I do think moving groups of food from the diet without thought is common. People often go vegetarian without adding another form of protein (one thought her kid could get by on bean sprouts) or remove things from the diet of an already limited range (if your kid doesn't eat vegetables or fruit going meat free is not a great idea).

[fraidycat]

I have been warned that making ds gf could cause gluten intolerance. It really does seem to help though but it is more extremely low gluten though.

This is actually the "danger" that my cousin's doctor warned her about for her non-celiac kids. Which speaks volumes to me. It doesn't CAUSE an intolerance, it REVEALS one that has been there all along. Cloaked under systemic constant inflammation because your body has been trying to fight it all along.

I mean. Come ON!!! Seriously!?!? Not eating something causes an intolerance?!?

Ugh!!! Not you. Doctors. Not all, but a large portion. Ugh.

Doctors are trained in disease and drugs. Medicine. Not Health. There are some truly wonderful ones out there, but you've got to dig deep to find them sometimes.

[kiwik]

It does sound improbable unless they do actually believe that gluten is something you need to develop a tolerance to. And that you can lose that tolerance. I don't know - ds4 was gf for a year when we started and it didn't make him intolerant to gluten as far as I can tell.

[BrookValley.]

Can't it be both?

 

 

No.

 

Yes. It is both a fad and a problem. I know it's anecdotal, but having worked in a health food store fore more than a decade, I absolutely see this. Ten years ago "celiac" was unheard of; no one knew what gluten was, unless they were a bread baker. Back then, we were the only place within an hour or more drive where one could get gluten-free foods (long-time celiacs will be familiar with Ener-g brand, and maybe Food for Life rice breads. That was about the extent of what we could get. lol. Times have changed). We had a couple of customers who were diagnosed with celiac, but for the most part, doctors weren't knowledgeable about the condition. Fast forward several years, more doctors are aware of the condition, testing is better, etc. Now we have a lot more customers who are actually diagnosed with celiac. We also have more customers who have diagnosed wheat allergies or gluten intolerance.

 

However, we also have a lot more customers who simply think "gluten free" is the new buzzword for "healthy." I talk to these people all the time. Many of them don't even know what gluten is. For them, it is simply some sort of signifier of a food that will magically make them lose their tummy, cure their digestive ills, clear their skin, etc. Yes, people can and do--often!--go through the trouble and expense of sticking to a rigid diet if they think it is going be effective. Isn't this true of most fad diets? It's no different.

[Χά�ων]

But you're not the doctor's target audience, which is a parent unknowledgeable about the gluten-free diet. He was (I'm assuming) thinking of the uninitiated Mom who doesn't already have a homegrown PhD in this stuff as we all unfortunately do...for children who are thriving on a regular diet (at least evidently) and their mothers don't know of special dietary requirements for their health conditions, the fortified breads and cereals are not dangerous as they are for your son.

Whole foods for all kids (which is my preference and opinion) is another topic.

Doesn't matter. It is because of the uninformed parents that everything is fortified. I cannot even buy milk for my son and even the GF options are starting to be fortified. 

 

It is a fad. As someone with a wheat allergy I am thrilled to have more options but disgusted with having to deal with the eye rolls because so many people have latched onto it as a way to cure behavior.

 

I cannot even buy milk or non dairy milk that is not fortified.

[fairfarmhand]

Perhaps the doctor went into that detail but the news broadcast cut it out.

[Mom-ninja.]

No.

Yes, it can. As others have posted, doctors are much more educated about celiac than just 10-20 years ago. Diagnostic tests are more accurate. So yes, there is a growing population of diagnosed celiac and other gluten intolerance.

 

GF is also a fad diet for many people who love to jump on the latest wagon.

 

In all honesty, I won't let my celiac ds eat anything at a potluck, even if the ingredients are all gluten-free. I can't expect everyone else to take the precautions necessary to avoid cross-contamination in their kitchens. I also can't know for sure if serving spoons have been in a dish that contains gluten. With celiac disease, minuscule amounts matter. I don't know much about wheat allergies or gluten sensitivity, but for celiac disease, it's just not worth the risk.

All I'm saying is that people with restrictive diets shouldn't expect to eat much at a potluck, so they shouldn't betray disappointment when they learn that something doesn't fit their diet. It just bugs me. I've been a vegetarian for almost 20 years and I go to potlucks with the knowledge that I won't be eating a good chunk of what is being served. I bring food I know I can/will eat and I eat whatever else fits. And I do so happily, with no disappointment on my face. I treat it like the social event that it is.

This. No way no how will I ever eat something at a potluck. Ever. EVER. People who show disappointment, imo, the people who are choosing a gf diet and not doing it for medical reasons.

[Spryte]

In all honesty, I won't let my celiac ds eat anything at a potluck, even if the ingredients are all gluten-free. I can't expect everyone else to take the precautions necessary to avoid cross-contamination in their kitchens. I also can't know for sure if serving spoons have been in a dish that contains gluten. With celiac disease, minuscule amounts matter. I don't know much about wheat allergies or gluten sensitivity, but for celiac disease, it's just not worth the risk.

 

 

You sound like me, in reverse.  :)  I don't know what a trace amount of wheat will do to a Celiac, but I know what it can do to my allergic son.  What does a trace amount do to a Celiac, will you share info if I do the same?

 

With IgE-mediated allergies, a trace amount can cause anaphylaxis.  Anaphylaxis can quickly head into a life threatening scenario -  extreme drop in blood pressure, loss of breathing, etc - thus the reason for epipens while waiting for a trip to the ER.  Without treatment, or with delayed treatment, people with allergies can - and do - die.  In fact, even with treatment, people die.  It's not a stomach ache, or a behavioral issue, though I'm not suggesting those aren't problems, too - of course, they are, just on a different level.  It's more of an immediate concern.

 

DS doesn't eat at potlucks.  He barely eats at a handful of restaurants that we've carefully vetted ahead of time, and question intensely upon arrival.  We screen any companies from whom we buy products.  He can eat at one grandparents' house, the others - no.  He has had airborne reactions from shopping at grocery stores where there are bulk bins so there is a trace amount in the air.  

 

As for fad or increasing problem, I tend to think it's both.  It's an increasing problem, awareness is growing, and there are many people who hope that this might be the answer to their problem, too.  The problem I see is when the fad people go on and off of wheat products/gluten... Which leads people who don't have this issue to think that people who are Celiac or allergic can do the same, that a "little bit won't hurt."  They take it less seriously - which is dangerous for those people who have a true need to be gluten free.

[fraidycat]

It does sound improbable unless they do actually believe that gluten is something you need to develop a tolerance to. And that you can lose that tolerance. I don't know - ds4 was gf for a year when we started and it didn't make him intolerant to gluten as far as I can tell.

The advice? That doesn't sound improbable.

What sounds downright alarming is that anybody believes we should have to "build a tolerance" to a FOOD. Most especially doctors who pass on this "advice" to others.

Food is your fuel. Let your food be your medicine, your medicine be your food.

[wapiti]

FWIW, I think it's possible that not eating a food for an extended period of time can sometimes be an issue with having enough enzymes to properly digest it.  In such cases, it might take time for the body to make the proper enzyme in sufficient amounts.  I don't know whether it's possible for this to be the case for wheat and/or gluten, but this was definitely the case for me with regard to dairy and eggs.  There was a time when I was nursing my dd that I stopped eating all 8 major food allergens due to a problem my dd was having.  I was only off the foods for a few months, but afterward, I had a really, really hard time going back to dairy (milk and cheese were the big problem, no problem with trace amounts or butter) and eggs (for a meal, not trace amounts).  It took a couple of years for me to be able to eat them again without major stomachaches/diahrrea.  So, I ate small amounts occasionally and eventually I was able to eat them again.  Now I have no problem whatsoever with them.

 

This didn't seem to be an issue when I took one of my kids off dairy and later off wheat, but that was only for a few weeks.  There didn't seem to be any digestive difficulty when he went back on.

[Χά�ων]

Let your food be your medicine, your medicine be your food.

This is dangerous. You have no idea how dangerous. This attitude is whay I get about DS illness. This type of mindset would result in his death or him being severely deformed in his hands.

Eating healthy is good but it is not a cure nor does it prevent everything.

[Snickerdoodle]

I find the best practice in this regard is to not worry about what other people eat or feed their kids.      I've also had to stay firm and polite that other people need not be concerned with the way we eat either.  Some people take it so personal if you don't eat something but frankly it has nothing to do with them.   It's just an unfortunate reality to  live with food allergies or intolerances.

 

Food is right up there with religion and politics.