A few months ago, I read an article from the Huffington Post titled How to Get Flat Abs, Have Amazing Sex and Rule the World in 8 Easy Steps. I assumed it was an article similar to the ones you see on the cover of Cosmo (of which I haven't read in years), so I ignored it when my friends first started posting it on Facebook.
When multiple people posted it and started leaving comments alluding to their being more to it, I decided to break down and read it. I have this secret hatred of all things Huffington Post, and I'm not sure why. I think it has something to do with something I heard they stand for a long time ago, but I honestly have no idea what it was or if I should actually despise them. At this point, I'll occasionally read their articles, but I always keep in mind that they might be slanted or have misinformation or do something else that will tick me off.
I am incredibly grateful that I read it. Not because it was something I necessarily needed to hear because it is how I prefer to live my life anyway. (Did you break down and read it yet--if not, I encourage you to do so.)
If you were to apply these things directly to the gluten-free diet, you would have my outlook on it. Stop believing your BS that you can't do this. Stop with the crazy making: "Life is full of obstacles; we don't need to create extra ones." Stop making things so hard. Stop complaining for the sake of complaining. Stop thinking the waiter/waitress is going to hate you for asking a million questions. Stop assuming your family will hate you for bringing your own food/asking questions/doing whatever you need to do to get a safe meal at family gatherings and the holidays.
So tell me. How do you truly LIVE?
Monday, December 16, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Even I Panic Sometimes
Back in high school, I was on the Dance Team and I was editor of the our school paper. When the status of whether or not Dance Team was a sport came under fire, naturally, I wrote an editorial describing our position. I remember quoting a Shawn Mullins song where he said, "Ain't it a blessing to do what you wanna do." I just heard another Shawn Mullins song, but his voice always brings me back to that struggle.
It seemed so insignificant to others, but gaining the recognition and status of being a sport had huge implications. My high school was ahead of its time in giving the Dance Team the status of "sport" rather than "activity" right from the start. The football team confirmed we deserved that status when they were completely incapable of completing a full dance team practice after we breezed through one of their football practices.
Back to the quote. "Ain't it a blessing to do what you wanna do." One of the biggest struggles with Celiac Disease is simply not being able to do what you want to do unless you change your viewpoint. We can't just run to McDonalds for a quick meal or order delivery from any restaurant that delivers. We can't go to any gathering that includes food and eat whatever we want without asking a million questions, and even then, we often can't eat anything.
The other day was our 6 month wedding anniversary. We were both busy trying to get stuff done all day, and when it came to the end of the day and time to eat dinner, neither of us wanted to cook. We decided to order takeout from a local pizza place that is very good about avoiding cross contamination for their sandwiches that are served on gluten-free bread. I sighed with relief after we ordered because I was starving, and now I wasn't going to have to deal with it. 15 minutes later, they called us to let us know they were very sorry, but they were completely out of gluten-free bread.
At that point, I didn't care if we got a nice anniversary meal. I just wanted to eat, so I went to the kitchen to make the turkey my husband had said was in the refrigerator. It wasn't there. It was quickly located in the freezer--frozen solid. All of our meat was frozen, our cupboards were fairly bare (except for a million gluten-free baking mixes and flour), and we didn't even have lunch meat to make a sandwich. My pathetic back-up meal when I'm in a total pinch has become crackers, cheese, and possibly lunchmeat. We had no crackers.
Neither one of us was dressed to leave the house, but we decided we would order take-out from Outback and brave the cold temps to pick it up. Unfortunately, they closed at 9:00 and it was 9:05. Every other restaurant that had safe gluten-free takeout available also closed at 9pm.
At that point I wanted to cry. I was starving, I felt like I was going to pass out, and I had no idea what we were going to do. I knew things could be worse and we could have literally had no food or money to even get food if we wanted it, but I was in a hunger frenzy.
We ended up with frozen hot dogs that had been in our freezer since our rehearsal dinner. I'm pretty sure they had soy in them because they wound up making me sick (my soy reaction is brain fog, horrendous gas, etc), but I have no idea because we didn't have their original packaging and I hadn't originally planned on eating them. The leftover hot dogs were supposed to be for last minute meals for my step-son because what kid doesn't like hot dogs.
It's been two days so I can laugh at how much I overreacted, but it also taught me a lesson. I like to think I'm very good at staying positive about the gluten-free diet. I think a lot of people overreact far too often, but this situation brought me back down to earth. It's been a while since I was in a panic over what I was going to eat because I'm normally so well prepared. I was definitely humbled.
"Ain't it a blessing to do what you wanna do..." We can't always do what we want to do. BUT, we can choose to want to do those things that will keep us prepared. We can choose to arm ourselves with knowledge to make the best of the gluten-free diet so we don't get sick. We can choose to keep our own homes stocked with a minimum of food so there is at least something to eat unlike what I did ;)
It seemed so insignificant to others, but gaining the recognition and status of being a sport had huge implications. My high school was ahead of its time in giving the Dance Team the status of "sport" rather than "activity" right from the start. The football team confirmed we deserved that status when they were completely incapable of completing a full dance team practice after we breezed through one of their football practices.
Back to the quote. "Ain't it a blessing to do what you wanna do." One of the biggest struggles with Celiac Disease is simply not being able to do what you want to do unless you change your viewpoint. We can't just run to McDonalds for a quick meal or order delivery from any restaurant that delivers. We can't go to any gathering that includes food and eat whatever we want without asking a million questions, and even then, we often can't eat anything.
The other day was our 6 month wedding anniversary. We were both busy trying to get stuff done all day, and when it came to the end of the day and time to eat dinner, neither of us wanted to cook. We decided to order takeout from a local pizza place that is very good about avoiding cross contamination for their sandwiches that are served on gluten-free bread. I sighed with relief after we ordered because I was starving, and now I wasn't going to have to deal with it. 15 minutes later, they called us to let us know they were very sorry, but they were completely out of gluten-free bread.
At that point, I didn't care if we got a nice anniversary meal. I just wanted to eat, so I went to the kitchen to make the turkey my husband had said was in the refrigerator. It wasn't there. It was quickly located in the freezer--frozen solid. All of our meat was frozen, our cupboards were fairly bare (except for a million gluten-free baking mixes and flour), and we didn't even have lunch meat to make a sandwich. My pathetic back-up meal when I'm in a total pinch has become crackers, cheese, and possibly lunchmeat. We had no crackers.
Neither one of us was dressed to leave the house, but we decided we would order take-out from Outback and brave the cold temps to pick it up. Unfortunately, they closed at 9:00 and it was 9:05. Every other restaurant that had safe gluten-free takeout available also closed at 9pm.
At that point I wanted to cry. I was starving, I felt like I was going to pass out, and I had no idea what we were going to do. I knew things could be worse and we could have literally had no food or money to even get food if we wanted it, but I was in a hunger frenzy.
We ended up with frozen hot dogs that had been in our freezer since our rehearsal dinner. I'm pretty sure they had soy in them because they wound up making me sick (my soy reaction is brain fog, horrendous gas, etc), but I have no idea because we didn't have their original packaging and I hadn't originally planned on eating them. The leftover hot dogs were supposed to be for last minute meals for my step-son because what kid doesn't like hot dogs.
It's been two days so I can laugh at how much I overreacted, but it also taught me a lesson. I like to think I'm very good at staying positive about the gluten-free diet. I think a lot of people overreact far too often, but this situation brought me back down to earth. It's been a while since I was in a panic over what I was going to eat because I'm normally so well prepared. I was definitely humbled.
"Ain't it a blessing to do what you wanna do..." We can't always do what we want to do. BUT, we can choose to want to do those things that will keep us prepared. We can choose to arm ourselves with knowledge to make the best of the gluten-free diet so we don't get sick. We can choose to keep our own homes stocked with a minimum of food so there is at least something to eat unlike what I did ;)
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thankful on Thanksgiving 2013
For those of you who don't get sick and tired of people droning on and on about the things they have to be thankful for...
I'm thankful that I didn't really plan Thanksgiving this year. I have a turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes, frozen veggies and I guess I'm just going to wing the rest. I may become one of those crazies that winds up at the store Thanksgiving morning, but I'm thankful that I've come to a point in my gluten-free life that I don't have to plan everything.
I'm thankful for the year I was able to make Thanksgiving dinner for all 20+ members of my immediate and extended family. It may have meant packing up and transporting every single pot, pan, serving tray, stirring spoon, mixer, etc, etc, etc that I might possibly need to ensure I didn't cross contaminate the meal with my parents "gluteny" items, but it was worth it.
I'm thankful that I made the stupid decision to move 8 hours away from the closest person I knew 10 years ago for a guy I hardly knew (the move took place the day after Thanksgiving). I may have later regretted that choice more than any other choice I had made in my life, but that decision set everything in motion for me to meet my husband.
I'm thankful for my husband who has never once complained about the necessity of my gluten-free diet. He may tease me that he would have been perfectly fine eating gluten the rest of his life (he doesn't feel better off gluten, but he gets really sick if he eats it now), but he thinks I'm worth it.
I'm thankful for technology which has allowed me to feel closer to my family even when I can't spend the holidays with them. The ability to do video chats still amazes me.
I'm thankful that I've been so incredibly busy at work that I didn't have time to blog for the last two months. I'm also thankful that things have finally slowed down enough for me write almost as much as I want in the upcoming months.
Finally, although I'm thankful for a million other things, I'm thankful that I'm learning to be less wordy which makes it obvious I need to end this now with a big thank you to all of my readers!
What are you thankful for this year?
I'm thankful that I didn't really plan Thanksgiving this year. I have a turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes, frozen veggies and I guess I'm just going to wing the rest. I may become one of those crazies that winds up at the store Thanksgiving morning, but I'm thankful that I've come to a point in my gluten-free life that I don't have to plan everything.
I'm thankful for the year I was able to make Thanksgiving dinner for all 20+ members of my immediate and extended family. It may have meant packing up and transporting every single pot, pan, serving tray, stirring spoon, mixer, etc, etc, etc that I might possibly need to ensure I didn't cross contaminate the meal with my parents "gluteny" items, but it was worth it.
I'm thankful that I made the stupid decision to move 8 hours away from the closest person I knew 10 years ago for a guy I hardly knew (the move took place the day after Thanksgiving). I may have later regretted that choice more than any other choice I had made in my life, but that decision set everything in motion for me to meet my husband.
I'm thankful for my husband who has never once complained about the necessity of my gluten-free diet. He may tease me that he would have been perfectly fine eating gluten the rest of his life (he doesn't feel better off gluten, but he gets really sick if he eats it now), but he thinks I'm worth it.
I'm thankful for technology which has allowed me to feel closer to my family even when I can't spend the holidays with them. The ability to do video chats still amazes me.
I'm thankful that I've been so incredibly busy at work that I didn't have time to blog for the last two months. I'm also thankful that things have finally slowed down enough for me write almost as much as I want in the upcoming months.
Finally, although I'm thankful for a million other things, I'm thankful that I'm learning to be less wordy which makes it obvious I need to end this now with a big thank you to all of my readers!
What are you thankful for this year?
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Recipes I Need to Try
I'm constantly coming across recipes that I absolutely want to try, so I decided to start a post where I can keep a log of them. I plan to update this post with the date I found the recipe and then the date I tried the recipe (and hopefully wrote a post about it).
9/18/13
The first recipe I found is from Udi's facebook page. I would say Maple Glazed Banana Donuts sounds like an AMAZING way to test out the donut pans we got as a wedding gift. Would any of my readers like to try to beat me to the punch and try this recipe before I get around to it?
12/11/13
These cookies look absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to try them. Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies... the name of them speaks for itself. It's a regular recipe, but I plan on converting by using 1-2-3 Gluten Free Multi Purpose Flour Mix.
12/11/13
These cookies look absolutely amazing, and I cannot wait to try them. Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies... the name of them speaks for itself. It's a regular recipe, but I plan on converting by using 1-2-3 Gluten Free Multi Purpose Flour Mix.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
What if Celiac Disease Research Started Over...
Imagine everything we knew about Celiac Disease was erased. Imagine we were starting over fresh. All preconceived notions about the cause, the symptoms, etc, etc, etc were gone. Would we discover something new and manage to go further in research or would we come to the same conclusions as we currently have?
I recently heard that there is no study confirming that Celiac Disease is typically "triggered" by a traumatic event. I have no idea where I heard it originally or where the information keeps coming from, but I've always thought it was common knowledge that those with the gene for Celiac Disease have it triggered by a stressful/traumatic event such as a pregnancy, car accident, a time of extreme stress, etc. I was shocked to read that they were looking into this because I had always assumed that had already been done.
Another example of something I thought had been confirmed is the concept that those with untreated Celiac Disease are more at risk for intestinal lymphoma. I recall this seeming to be "common knowledge" when I was first diagnosed, but through the years it seemed to be something that less and less people knew about. Recently, this article was published that was shocking to the Celiac Disease community. Intestinal lymphoma is much more common in those with untreated Celiac Disease. When I first read the article, I assumed a bunch of idiots did the study because this should be common knowledge. As time went on, I discovered very few of those I know with Celiac Disease had any knowledge of this. So where did I hear this and why did I think it was common knowledge when no one else seemed to have a clue. Did I do a study in a past life? Doubtful.
I'd like to revisit this idea of starting research over, but I'd love to hear what you think to point me in the right direction of where I should go with it. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think we are being held back by our current knowledge or do you think our current knowledge is necessary to continue moving forward?
I recently heard that there is no study confirming that Celiac Disease is typically "triggered" by a traumatic event. I have no idea where I heard it originally or where the information keeps coming from, but I've always thought it was common knowledge that those with the gene for Celiac Disease have it triggered by a stressful/traumatic event such as a pregnancy, car accident, a time of extreme stress, etc. I was shocked to read that they were looking into this because I had always assumed that had already been done.
Another example of something I thought had been confirmed is the concept that those with untreated Celiac Disease are more at risk for intestinal lymphoma. I recall this seeming to be "common knowledge" when I was first diagnosed, but through the years it seemed to be something that less and less people knew about. Recently, this article was published that was shocking to the Celiac Disease community. Intestinal lymphoma is much more common in those with untreated Celiac Disease. When I first read the article, I assumed a bunch of idiots did the study because this should be common knowledge. As time went on, I discovered very few of those I know with Celiac Disease had any knowledge of this. So where did I hear this and why did I think it was common knowledge when no one else seemed to have a clue. Did I do a study in a past life? Doubtful.
I'd like to revisit this idea of starting research over, but I'd love to hear what you think to point me in the right direction of where I should go with it. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think we are being held back by our current knowledge or do you think our current knowledge is necessary to continue moving forward?
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Vices and Throwing Caution to the Wind
I have a problem. My problem is that I am thoroughly incapable of walking by cotton candy without purchasing it. The good news is that cotton candy is typically gluten-free. I appreciate this. I have no actual basis for this statement except that I've never seen cotton candy that contained gluten, but I'm gonna stick by that statement anyway.
So back to my problem. It's been a problem since I was an adult and could choose to purchase my own cotton candy whenever I damn well pleased. I have no idea if it comes from my parents saying no when I would ask for cotton candy when I was a child because I don't remember asking for it. I have no idea if I asked or if the answer was yes or no when/if I did ask. All I know is when I see cotton candy, I MUST HAVE IT.
I remember looking at the food stand with trepidation the first time I saw one of those glorious pink or blue bags in the window after I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I thought for sure they somehow threw wheat in there, but I was somewhat hopeful because I had worked at a cotton candy stand when I was in high school, and I was pretty sure it was just sugar and flavoring. I walked up to the window and tried to read the ingredients through the glass.
Success!!! Normally I look in my trusty Grocery Shopping Guide that is ALWAYS in my purse, and then proceed to call the manufacturer if it's one of the few items that is not listed, but I knew it wouldn't be in there because fair food isn't listed. I decided to throw caution to the wind and purchase it without confirming any information.
I of course finished the entire bag by myself within half an hour. Each time since that first, I've always read the ingredients through the window, and then bounced around in line like an excited little kid as I awaited that first bite of sugary goodness. My husband thinks it's hilarious and cute, but he appreciates that I am nice enough to actually share some with him considering I've never shared my precious cotton candy before.
Within the last year, I noticed one of these on the grocery store shelf:
This isn't the exact one, but I was ecstatic! Could I really purchase cotton candy whenever I wanted? That question was answered with a joyous "YES!" while on our honeymoon. That was when I found this on the convenience store shelf at the resort:
Part of me doesn't feel right buying this glorious treat in a package because it should be reserved for special events, but the other part pretty much says, "Who cares??? It's cotton candy!" My only issue with this pre-packaged stuff now is that I'm now seeing the prepackaged stuff at outdoor events rather than seeing the fresh bagged stuff. It's only been once so far, but I fear it will become the norm. The time I saw it pre-packaged was at the fireworks display this last 4th of July. I saw the food stands and told my husband I HAD to go check. Sure enough, they had cotton candy, but it was in a large tub. It made me a little sad that I wasn't getting fresh bagged cotton candy or better yet, cotton candy on a stick, but I was still getting cotton candy so I was ok.
So where does this seemingly meaningless topic come from? Yesterday, I was at Sam's Club getting company supplies when I saw this:
That's right! An 8-pack of cotton candy. (I apologize for the mess in the background, and I apologize for the fact that one tub is missing and another was empty--I gave one to my boss and I ate the other the second I got back to my office.)
I actually thought twice about this purchase because I would have to run two transactions at the register in order to keep business expenses separate from personal expenses, but I didn't care. I HAD TO HAVE IT. However, when I got back to my office, it occurred to me that I had never checked the ingredients. I quickly checked, and I'll even let you see for yourselves:
I would call "sugar, artificial and natural flavors, artificial colors (including FD&C red 40, blue 1)" a success except for those ever frustrating "flavors" which could possibly be derived from gluten.
Once again, I threw caution to the wind and dug in.
When I got home, my husband told me that he has the best wife ever. How many wives come home with an 8 pack of cotton candy? I suppose I am pretty cool.
So, to all my readers out there. Is there any product that causes you to throw caution to the wind? I've heard multiple accounts of people saying they flat out knowingly consume gluten for a lot of things, so is that the case for you, or are you like me and you don't put a certain product through the normal "process" of confirming it is gluten free prior to consuming it? I realize I'm not exactly being a big risk taker with cotton candy, but I find it interesting that there is anything that gets past my normal research process because I am so incredibly careful.
So back to my problem. It's been a problem since I was an adult and could choose to purchase my own cotton candy whenever I damn well pleased. I have no idea if it comes from my parents saying no when I would ask for cotton candy when I was a child because I don't remember asking for it. I have no idea if I asked or if the answer was yes or no when/if I did ask. All I know is when I see cotton candy, I MUST HAVE IT.
I remember looking at the food stand with trepidation the first time I saw one of those glorious pink or blue bags in the window after I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I thought for sure they somehow threw wheat in there, but I was somewhat hopeful because I had worked at a cotton candy stand when I was in high school, and I was pretty sure it was just sugar and flavoring. I walked up to the window and tried to read the ingredients through the glass.
Success!!! Normally I look in my trusty Grocery Shopping Guide that is ALWAYS in my purse, and then proceed to call the manufacturer if it's one of the few items that is not listed, but I knew it wouldn't be in there because fair food isn't listed. I decided to throw caution to the wind and purchase it without confirming any information.
I of course finished the entire bag by myself within half an hour. Each time since that first, I've always read the ingredients through the window, and then bounced around in line like an excited little kid as I awaited that first bite of sugary goodness. My husband thinks it's hilarious and cute, but he appreciates that I am nice enough to actually share some with him considering I've never shared my precious cotton candy before.
Within the last year, I noticed one of these on the grocery store shelf:
This isn't the exact one, but I was ecstatic! Could I really purchase cotton candy whenever I wanted? That question was answered with a joyous "YES!" while on our honeymoon. That was when I found this on the convenience store shelf at the resort:
Part of me doesn't feel right buying this glorious treat in a package because it should be reserved for special events, but the other part pretty much says, "Who cares??? It's cotton candy!" My only issue with this pre-packaged stuff now is that I'm now seeing the prepackaged stuff at outdoor events rather than seeing the fresh bagged stuff. It's only been once so far, but I fear it will become the norm. The time I saw it pre-packaged was at the fireworks display this last 4th of July. I saw the food stands and told my husband I HAD to go check. Sure enough, they had cotton candy, but it was in a large tub. It made me a little sad that I wasn't getting fresh bagged cotton candy or better yet, cotton candy on a stick, but I was still getting cotton candy so I was ok.
So where does this seemingly meaningless topic come from? Yesterday, I was at Sam's Club getting company supplies when I saw this:
That's right! An 8-pack of cotton candy. (I apologize for the mess in the background, and I apologize for the fact that one tub is missing and another was empty--I gave one to my boss and I ate the other the second I got back to my office.)
I actually thought twice about this purchase because I would have to run two transactions at the register in order to keep business expenses separate from personal expenses, but I didn't care. I HAD TO HAVE IT. However, when I got back to my office, it occurred to me that I had never checked the ingredients. I quickly checked, and I'll even let you see for yourselves:
I would call "sugar, artificial and natural flavors, artificial colors (including FD&C red 40, blue 1)" a success except for those ever frustrating "flavors" which could possibly be derived from gluten.
Once again, I threw caution to the wind and dug in.
When I got home, my husband told me that he has the best wife ever. How many wives come home with an 8 pack of cotton candy? I suppose I am pretty cool.
So, to all my readers out there. Is there any product that causes you to throw caution to the wind? I've heard multiple accounts of people saying they flat out knowingly consume gluten for a lot of things, so is that the case for you, or are you like me and you don't put a certain product through the normal "process" of confirming it is gluten free prior to consuming it? I realize I'm not exactly being a big risk taker with cotton candy, but I find it interesting that there is anything that gets past my normal research process because I am so incredibly careful.
Good Intentions Gone Wrong? Gluten-Removed Beer
A friend of mine shared this blog with me a while back. It's the story of a man who meets someone who is on a gluten-free diet, but has been unable to find a gluten-free beer that they can truly enjoy. He is a home brewer, so he sets out on a quest to make a great tasting gluten-free beer.
While I appreciate the extensive amount of research he did on how to use substitutions for barley and still create a great tasting product, but he made one VERY large mistake. He used malted oats. I would be perfectly fine with the use of certified gluten-free oats, but he doesn't once mention going to the trouble of finding them. This leads me to believe he incorrectly assumes that wheat, barley, and rye are the only gluten-containing products.
Why do I bring this up? There is currently a lot of controversy regarding various "gluten-removed" beers such as Omission. The largest issue at hand is whether or not they can label this type of beer as "gluten-free." My personal opinion is that I don't understand why they want the gluten-free label. What is wrong with using full disclosure and informing consumers that their product is made with gluten-containing grains and processed to remove the gluten? That is what the Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) currently requires. I understand that they will lose some customers who could possibly safely drink their beer, but the alternative is giving consumers the (possibly) false impression that the product is safe when it is not.
If you'd you like to read a thorough (and somewhat long) description about this issue, click here. The link gives a much clearer understanding of what effect the current FDA labeling law has on gluten-removed beers.
The issue at hand is that there is no scientifically proven method of testing a product that has been processed to remove gluten in the manner that gluten-removed beers are. The most common method of testing products for gluten is the ELISA R5 test. Unfortunately, this test is meant to test for the whole protein. The process of removing gluten from beer includes adding an enzyme that breaks the gluten protein down into fragments and these fragments are supposedly removed. The ELISA test is unable to detect gluten fragments that could cause a reaction. The way I see it, there could easily be enough "fragments" that go undetected to cause horrendous reactions for those sensitive to gluten.
I have not been successful in finding the article, but I once read an article describing the testing of multiple regular and gluten-free beers. In this test, a few of the regular beers tested as gluten-free. Why? Because the tests are unreliable when it comes to testing this type of product.
I realize that business owners main purpose is to make money. I would hope that the manufacturers of Omission truly believe this product is safe even if their desire to make more money is clouding their vision. Considering the long term repercussions of consuming gluten when you have Celiac Disease, I hope they will soon discover that they are doing the right thing by not labeling their product as gluten-free until a scientifically proven test proves one way or the other. (I highly doubt their product will test as gluten free considering the number of individuals who have gotten sick consuming their product.)
It seems that just as the home brewer I mentioned originally had good intentions, lack of knowledge and stubbornness can easily cause good intentions to go wrong.
What are your thoughts on gluten-removed beer?
While I appreciate the extensive amount of research he did on how to use substitutions for barley and still create a great tasting product, but he made one VERY large mistake. He used malted oats. I would be perfectly fine with the use of certified gluten-free oats, but he doesn't once mention going to the trouble of finding them. This leads me to believe he incorrectly assumes that wheat, barley, and rye are the only gluten-containing products.
Why do I bring this up? There is currently a lot of controversy regarding various "gluten-removed" beers such as Omission. The largest issue at hand is whether or not they can label this type of beer as "gluten-free." My personal opinion is that I don't understand why they want the gluten-free label. What is wrong with using full disclosure and informing consumers that their product is made with gluten-containing grains and processed to remove the gluten? That is what the Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) currently requires. I understand that they will lose some customers who could possibly safely drink their beer, but the alternative is giving consumers the (possibly) false impression that the product is safe when it is not.
If you'd you like to read a thorough (and somewhat long) description about this issue, click here. The link gives a much clearer understanding of what effect the current FDA labeling law has on gluten-removed beers.
The issue at hand is that there is no scientifically proven method of testing a product that has been processed to remove gluten in the manner that gluten-removed beers are. The most common method of testing products for gluten is the ELISA R5 test. Unfortunately, this test is meant to test for the whole protein. The process of removing gluten from beer includes adding an enzyme that breaks the gluten protein down into fragments and these fragments are supposedly removed. The ELISA test is unable to detect gluten fragments that could cause a reaction. The way I see it, there could easily be enough "fragments" that go undetected to cause horrendous reactions for those sensitive to gluten.
I have not been successful in finding the article, but I once read an article describing the testing of multiple regular and gluten-free beers. In this test, a few of the regular beers tested as gluten-free. Why? Because the tests are unreliable when it comes to testing this type of product.
I realize that business owners main purpose is to make money. I would hope that the manufacturers of Omission truly believe this product is safe even if their desire to make more money is clouding their vision. Considering the long term repercussions of consuming gluten when you have Celiac Disease, I hope they will soon discover that they are doing the right thing by not labeling their product as gluten-free until a scientifically proven test proves one way or the other. (I highly doubt their product will test as gluten free considering the number of individuals who have gotten sick consuming their product.)
It seems that just as the home brewer I mentioned originally had good intentions, lack of knowledge and stubbornness can easily cause good intentions to go wrong.
What are your thoughts on gluten-removed beer?
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