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Dining Out As A Celiac-From One Celiac To Another.

Having Celiac Disease is not easy, and one of the most challenging aspects of a Celiac's life, is dining out. As scary as it is to think about dining out, some restaurants have made some progress in catering to Celiac Disease sufferers, and Gluten Free foods. However, there is still a long way to go until we can be confident that we don't become "Glutened."
You will hear the term "Glutened" in the Celiac community. "Glutened" means that the food you ingested had some gluten in it, and it made you sick. Basically, the symptoms that led you to your diagnosis of Celiac Disease, comes back after ingesting Gluten. Even the smallest amount of gluten in your system, will damage your small intestine even further.

Back to dining out. If you want to make sure that you aren't glutened while dining out, you can call the restaurant ahead of time. Taking to the restaurant manager will give the staff, and the kitchen, ample time to cater to your dietary needs. Some restaurants are really good about this. If you are dining out at the last minute, it is important to choose your restaurant wisely. Do some research to see which restaurants provide a gluten free menu.

When you go to the restaurant, ask the wait staff for a gluten free menu. When you are ready to order, let your waiter/waitress know that you have Celiac Disease, and you need to be gluten free. A well-educated waitstaff will know what this means, and will alert the kitchen of your dietary needs. However, there are restaurants out there that have gluten free menus, but, the waitstaff has NO idea what Celiac, or gluten free means. I've had dining experiences where I would tell the waitstaff that I have Celiac and need to be gluten free, and the waitstaff will roll their eyes at me. The next day, I would be spending my time in the bathroom, and it would continue for several weeks.
When your small intestine is damaged from ingesting gluten, it will take up to several years to heal, depending on how badly the intestine is damaged. This is why it is imperative that while dining out, you proceed with caution.

Dating and Celiac
Just a heads up, you may find yourself, sort of, dis-invited from dining out with people. This has happened to me before. With some people, your dietary restrictions may seem to be too much drama for them. If you're Celiac, and single, it can be pretty challenging to dine out. Before I got together with my other half, guys would not go near me because of my disease. They felt that I was too much drama, and was high maintenance. If this happens to you, the person you are dating is not right for you. The right person will be supportive and will go out of their way to make sure you are safe. People like that are out there, trust me.

I have had bad reactions from some of the most popular restaurants in America. Olive Garden, and Chili's may have a gluten free menu, but, I have been "glutened" from both places. The staff is not knowledgeable about what gluten free means, and they will cross-contaminate food out of pure laziness. The safest restaurant, that I have had no problem with, is Outback Steakhouse. No matter which Outback Steakhouse that I go to, the staff is always friendly and accommodating to us Celiacs. Another good restaurant is Red Robin. The pickings on the gluten free menu are very few, but, they do accommodate you as well. I had a burger from there a few months ago, and instead of bread, I had the burger wrapped in lettuce, LOL. Not bad at all. Sushi bars are okay too, as long as you stay away from fried, or tempura foods. California Roll, Salmon, and Tuna Rolls are all safe. Do NOT use the Soy Sauce. Soy Sauce has wheat in it.
Always exercise extreme caution when dining out. If you have concerns about dining out, you can call ahead so the restaurant has enough time to accommodate you.

Just because we have Celiac Disease, it does not mean that we shouldn't dine out. As long as we are smart about where we go, we will be okay. I am hopeful that more restaurants will become educated about Celiac Disease and the importance of gluten free cooking. Hopefully they will also know the dangers of cross-contamination when it comes to us Celiacs. We shouldn't have to be confined to the home for food. We just want to be treated like normal people, and, I guess the only way that is going to happen is if we educate people about Celiac Disease.

(photo courtesy of: http://media-cache-ec3.pinimg.com/550x/cb/ca/07/cbca0747cb3cd5d2ddd2a2e827f14e04.jpg)

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