Being annoyed with people who give up gluten 'because it makes them feel better'

[runningdoll]

I have Coeliac disease, I have been diagnosed fairly recently, in a way it has been a positive or me because since discovering which foods I must avoid I finally feel like I am in the road to recovery.

I've joined FB groups for advice. On these groups there is quite a lot of anger toward people who give up gluten 'because it makes them feel better'. Unless one of these people steals the last GF cake from a person who cannot eat gluten for medical reasons, then is there a problem?

Or is the issue that food providers think that we're all on a bandwagon, and therefore don't take it as seriously a larger problem than I realise?

A few people have told me I am cruel to not feed my 1 year old eggs and wheat as 'eggs are healthy and pasta and bread are great for weaning'. Yh thanks I know that, I also know that she will shit blood and mucous and scream for a week solid and her tongue swells up. So fuck off. I'm doing the right thing.

It's easier as I police her food which is stressful as she has quite a few allergies but as she's only 1, I can make sure only me and her dad feed her.

My sister is intolerant to anything bovine and a number of other things and the amount of people that think it is a choice and add butter and cream to things or beef stock and she is then in horrible pain.

I do think people doing it as a fad do remove the seriousness for people it actually harms. But saying that, I am not intolerant or allergic to anything food related and I do find that I do feel heavy and sluggish and just off after having white bread or white pasta or pizza. But that is probably due to being wheat free for 10 months when breastfeeding and it not settling well with me when I stopped breastfeeding.

I'm dreading her coeliac testing when she's older 😕

No, not offended at all! I guess that you may have come straight from the AIBU board.

I've place-marked the Sheffield institute for gluten related disorders so I can read more later. A quick quote from thier website for the time-being caught my eye though: Currently one in 100 people are affected by coeliac disease – but for every one patient diagnosed because of bowel symptoms, eight remain undiagnosed.

I'm dreading her coeliac testing when she's older The Coeliac society told me when I called their helpline that work is currently being carried out to create a test eliminates the need to eat gluten prior to being tested, fingers crossed for your DD that they manage to do this in time for her. I have also been reading the Paleo diet, the author of the book that I am reading would argue that we are not designed to eat grains anyway (hence why you feel better for not eating wheat).

It makes me wonder what will have been discovered in 10 or 20 years time.

Yes to the inconsistency being frustrating! especially if you have gone to the effort of cooking something different, that is really off.

Oh good lord that gives me such relief. Her paediatrician said to not consider any form of test until she is older as it can be so painful for them. So the fact they might have a new test that requires no exposure fills me with relief.

There's a real struggle as she is also allergic to eggs which makes any sort of gluten free baking nigh on impossible. Luckily I'm a bloody good cook and continue to experiment and she doesn't know any different from the gummy sand pancakes I make 😂

There is apparently research being done in Australia into a vaccine for coeliac disease too, so that's also encouraging.

I tested negative for coeliac but have another genetic condition which is associated with a leaky gut and allergies. I can't have any gluten at all. I can even taste it if DH has eaten a sandwich half an hour earlier and then kisses me. It annoys me if someone says 'well you're not coeliac so you can have gluten'. I am very suspicious eating out and would be even more so at relative's houses who have expressed this view. I think the real villans are part time 'gluten free' people. Say you don't like to have much, or you find bread too stodgy but don't say you are gluten free or if you do say it - e.g. ordering when you don't know what is going to be served, then stick to the gluten free and don't dip in and out. Especially don't cross-contaminate the gluten free food.

I completely agree. I do not have any allergies, just a sluggish uncomfortable feeling after bread and pasta, and just say 'I'm trying to cut down on bread and pasta' and people get that, because 'diets' are respected more than allergies apparently!

I do not have any allergies, just a sluggish uncomfortable feeling after bread and pasta, and just say 'I'm trying to cut down on bread and pasta' and people get that, because 'diets' are respected more than allergies apparently
That's not diets being more respected than allergies. It's people respecting honesty over hyperchondria and people misusing labels to make thr world cater to their fussy eating

One of my friends is trying to cut her meat down so is trying to eat largely vegetarian and vegan. We respect that and support that, but we'd be a bit if she told us she couldn't eat meat/dairy but then every now and then did.

@shouldwestay totally agree with your comment of Especially don't cross-contaminate the gluten free food. this is the reason I don't eat out any more.

I have coeliac and don’t get annoyed by non-coeliacs eating gf, but what does annoy me is people (and I know quite a few) who are eating gf out of choice and not necessity who make a massive song and dance when out for a meal about having no gluten and then get stuck into a gluten full chocolate brownie, they are the reason I am so often asked in restaurants whether I actually need a gf menu or whether it’s a preference.

Also, a PP referenced articles re GF diets not actually being good if they aren’t necessary, I have read quite a few similar article, it particularly focused on heart health and how the gluten protein is now thought to be really good for the heart and shouldn’t be given up unless medically necessary

To be fair my dh stopped eating gluten a couple of years ago and it changed his life dramatically. He can’t eat it at all now but obv can’t have the tests because you have to be back on it for 6 weeks. I have also been told by a doctor to give gluten free a try and if you’re doing it you may as well do it properly.