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At home
Since we are four people at home two with a gluten free diet and two on a normal diet, we developped different techniques or ways to store our food in order to avoir confusion. We present those here :
We have a pantry for which one side of if is reserved to gluten free food, and on the other side we put our regular food. In the center of the pantry, we have regrouped food which are used for both diets such as oils etc.
Alternative : If you cannot spare a whole side of your pantry, keep at least one shelf reserved for you food. It is very important to seperate your food from other to eliminate confusion for other members of the family.
We have two counter sections, one located left to the kitchen sink, and another to the right. The right sections is reserved to gluten free food manipulation, clean dishes and other itemswhich do not contain or has not been in contact with gluten. The other side of the counter is reserved fr normal diet manipulation or contaminated one, dirty dishes (when not put directly in the sink or in the dishwasher) and other.
Alternative : If you have very little counter and cannot do the split, get a large cutting board reserved for your food only. Take it large enough and place it on top of your counter work area and use it only to manipulate gluten free food, this way, you will avoid contaminations.
You certainly have guess that a shelf in the frig is reserved for gluten free food. Ingredients such as mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard are always doubled sin a way that we have one pot for gluten diet and another for normal diet. We identify the gluten free pot to eliminate confusion and to maintain to a minimum contaminations.
Alternative : If you do not have space, use a small colored mat or doily where your will put your gluten free food, and reserve this space only for you.
Since a strict gluten free diet is the best response to a gluten intolerence, it is necessairy to have your own toater. Bread crumbs left by normal bread contaminate your gluten free bread. Take one that is distinct from the normal diet one or put a particular sign on the gluten free one to avoid confusion.
Alternative : If you cannot get a toaster of your own you may use a small grilling frame that will be reserved only for you.
With a gluten free diet, dishes pills up since everytime a ustensil touches a gluten ingredient, we have to discard it in the dirty section. So we got ourself a euper dish washer. To celanup dishes that do not go ino dishwasher, we use one hard nylon brush to clean and scrub, we use another brush for dishes that have not been in contact with gluten. With dishes that have been in touch with gluten, we do a first wash and do a good rince and we do another wash with a non-contaminated brush.
Avec deux personnes avec une diète régulière à la maison, il arrive régulièrement que je doive manipuler de la farine régulière. Attention, la farine est volatile! Essayez de contenir la zone de travail pour éviter que la farine s'envole sur votre comptoir réservé aux aliments sans gluten. Si vous ne pouvez le faire convenablement, vous devez relaver votre surface réservée à la nourriture sans gluten. Aussi, je porte un masque quand je manipule de la farine avec gluten pour éviter de respirer la farine, car l'inhalation de gluten est toxique pour les personnes intolérantes au gluten.
Evidently, washing your hand is the only way to eliminate contaminations. After normal flour manipulation and before manipulating gluten free food, er wash our hands. We constantly wash our hands when we cook and it is necessary. So you will need a very good cream ( without essence, parfum and gluten!) and keep it close to the kitchen ;-)
Here in Quebec, summer comes with a lot of expectations, specialy for the most food lover. The BBQ is out on the first nice days, eyes opens wide and mouths as well. Mmmm some good gilled food. We only have one BBQ and it is strictly reserved for gluten free food! I created marinades that everyone loves so non need to contaminate the grill. But id we really need to cook gluten food we put aluminum paper on the grills. For regular BBQ (we have a wood BBQ), you could only get one grill reserved for gluten free food, but remember to clearly identify it!
Note : DO not forget inform members of your family and friends about your storage system et other habits. Nothing is better that good communication to avoid problems!
At a friend's house or relative's
Our firneds and family are well aware of our dietary difference or gluten intolerence even though they do not fully understand what it implies. So it is up to us to educate them! Most of the time, we bring our cooked meal the our family or friend's place and sometimes, we cook with some of them. We specifiy in advance that we will not eat any food that they would have previously cooked for us since we cannot take any risks, so they are not deceived when it is time for dinner. We explain that I cook at there home, we will need this or this ingredients and as for spices, we bring our own. Also, we ask them to get new, non-open butter or mayonnaise or margarine to avoid contamination. Otherwise we bring our own. Most of the time, they ask for us to re-wash the pots that we will use to cook. And most of the time, they will have bought a little gluten free treat that they saw in the supermarket. Thank you!
Since our daughter was diagnosed at only a year and a half, we invently many tricks in order to get some peace of mind at kindergarden, for everyone. We told the kindergarden that we would take care of alle the food, including snacks. We would follow as best as we could the kindergarden's menu so that she would not feel so different after all. The other kids knew about my dietary restrictions and were respectfull of the rules. We also established a color and tray system. All her food was served on her special tray so no contamination problem with the counter or table. Her tray was washed with her own brush and dried with her own cloth. Thus, she would have her own towel and face cloth All the cloth wouls have the same distinctive color, reserved just for her and nobody could use it except for her.!
Scepticle people amoung your friends or family? or people which would not respect you or understand?
We sometimes have to deal with negatve reactions from people, like refusal to understand or accept your new state, or simply rejection of you diet. Here is a possible response to such reaction.
"I probably alwasy had this intolerance, without us knowing it, but it is now that it's decided to show itself. I don't know why nor how but I know that if I do not pay attention, if I do not follow this diet, I will be more and more ill. I am convinced that you want what is best for me and that you do not wish me ill. We will have to change things but we will try to do them with little impact for you as possible. I am very sorry and a bit unassured, bu I know that I can go through this new event in my life, but I'm going to need your help, if you want to help me? Thank you."
Adapt the speech to your audience. Though we are no psychologist, we think that including or asking for help is something that the other can understand. It help change the point of view of the person and also it helps the other feeling less threatened, and that he or she can do something about it with you, for you.
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