I'm a (new) blogger (noodlechips.co.uk) and have become part of a food allergy/ intolerance group on google plus after I was diagnosed with a lot of food intolerances (wheat, flour, gluten, sugar, yeast, some fruits, starch and dairy!)
I've just come across this article and thought fellow intolerance/ allergy suffers might be interested the link is mashable.com/2013/11/26/tel... it's a device that detects allergens, it's not due to be released until August 2014 but at least it's start!?
Hi
This has been discussed on the question page.
healthunlocked.com/glutenfr...
Could be useful, but it would be better if manufacturers didn't put cr*p in food.
Oops, sorry for the duplication. I think finding this forum has made me over enthusiastic! - you're right though, it would be better if the manufacturers were more responsible! 
I know what you mean by being over enthusiastic! Discovering this site has been a great help, I don't feel quite so much of a freak.
I agree Penel. Technology would be better off used at the source of the food producer to make sure no gluten went into it in the first place.
Its like developing a new bomb detector. Better to try to create a world where people don't need to make bombs.
Thats so true! I wonder if any companies will be brave enough to use these devices during the proceeding of foods and put honest labelling that shows a clear list of allergens/ intolerance (or even go as far as changing their produce to foods without the nasties) .. We can hope but it's highly unlikely!
Hi there, there is nothing wrong with being enthusiastic, in fact it should be encouraged.
I also agree with the other comments that this device looks promising but and there's a big but 'we' the consumer should KNOW exactly what we are eating and with processed foods this is far from the fact. In fact if we saw what went into many processed ready meals we probably wouldn't touch them with a barge pole regardless of gluten or whatever.
And I think that Penel's response of not feeling such a freak is so true for all of us as 'we' fear being made ill by food prepared by others and this is not neurosis it is self survival to me it is one of the worst aspects of being a coeliac or having a food intolerance.
On the brighter side being a coeliac has the advantage of having to be more aware of what we are eating and gives us the opportunity for a healthy balanced diet based on naturally gf foods prepared from scratch, tedious may be but what a healthy option.
As for Phil's comment on making bombs when I see the troops with prosthetic limbs, even tho' I marvel at the technology I also cringe that we as educated animals do this to each other.
I think what is very important is that coeliac can say how they really feel rather than putting on a brave face and some deal with the diet better than others. I feel that I deal with mine really well and have achieved good health but I still fear food and wish that I could eat anything without this fear and I think that this is important for others to know so that instead of feeling neurotic they accept they are a coeliac and have special dietary needs full stop.
None of my friends think that I am neurotic they all say aren't you lucky or it's alright for you and even tho' I'm a coeliac i agree with them as life is what 'we' make it.
Jerry
I feel awful writing this as I think I am being indulgent when so many others on this site have far more problems than me and are so positive. But I am so fed up. I am finding that I can eat less and less and feel more and more that people think I am neurotic. We went to stay with our friends at the weekend and after several emails and texts about what I can and can't eat our friends went to a great effort and prepared the most delicious food. Unfortunately during the early hours of the morning I had a reaction to something (not entirely sure what) and spent 4 hours in the bathroom. It was very embarrassing and I tried not to wake people up. I felt absolutely distraught and wanted to be home. Fortunately nobody woke up including my husband. I couldn't eat the lovely breakfast they had arranged and had to leave early. I didn't feel lucky. I felt that my friends had done such a lot to make me feel welcome and because they didn't know what I went through I thought they may have thought I was being dramatic. As the list of forbidden foods seems to grow I am beginning to think I will become very socially isolated. Much of our social life revolves around having meals together and staying for weekends with each other. I am beginning to dread saying I can't eat this and I can't eat that - because it is not just gluten that I can't eat. Obviously there is no problem when people come to our place. I couldn't bear to go through this experience again. Although nobody woke up the whole experience was mortifying and isolating. The only positive thing for me is that I now know the difference between being glutened and having a bug as this is the third time this has happened and the process takes the same course of action. Sorry about this rant especially as I am sure others have had the same or worse happen and have had this for longer. I am not usually negative.
Oh urban girl- don't feel bad for the rant- it's understandable.
I'm new to intolerance, but have had ME for 4 years now and that's why I understand exactly where you are coming from. I've always been a proud person and put a brave face on, hiding my symptoms and playing them down. As a result people often didn't realise how bad I was. I would worry about being a moaner and didn't want people to think I was being dramatic. As a result my health has suffered. It's taken me the last year to realise that I have to stop doing this and stop worrying about what people think. Friends will come and go. Good friends will stay and will be there for you, whatever you throw at them.
Once you realise that your health is the most important thing, it should get easier for you. Now if socialising is important to you, then you nene to find a way to keep doing it without it causing you stress. That may be finding a way to talk to your friends and family so that that they can understand where you are coming from. I know that may be hard- believe me, I've explained to friends in the past about my condition and they just don't get it, so you have to be brutal and accept that some friends won't get it and maybe it would be easier if you don't socialise with them, not until you have got a better grip on your intolerance. Socialise with the people who will make that extra effort - find a way even if it's staying home and inviting people round. I know that probably sounds harsh, but sometimes you have to be, to get your health right. Once you get to a point where you feel like you are in control more, you can slowly adapt things.
Whatever you do, don't feel down. There will be days when you feel frustrated and telling yourself that there are people out there with more problems than you won't make you feel any better! Yes, there are people out there who may have serious diseases or life threatening conditions - and yes that's terrible - but your cant compare your life or health condition to anyone else. It won't help or make you feel better. Just focus on the here and now and the 'you'. Take it step by step.
Another tip I would say to do is to plan. Forward planing is a must. If you go places or visit, take foods with you so you always have a supply. If you have to have a box in the boot of your car with your own cooking utensils (I've read that it's best to have separate cooking utensils for gluten intolerance - as one molecule of gluten can cause you problems) then do it. So what if it seems extreme, but good friends will understand. Make light of it and learn to laugh. If it means you get branded as a little crazy, but it stops you from suffering after rating then that's good right?
Key your chin up my lovely, and I hope you're feeling a bit more positive soon. Pull up you're big girl pants and get ready to take on the world
Noodlechips thank you for your time. You are very helpful. I agree with everything you say. But I suppose sometimes I just get overwhelmed, frustrated and feel out of control which I am not good at. Being sick the other evening was a case of this. I was stuck - I could not do anything until the episode had passed and I was in someone else's home. It was good to let off steam on here. However, some of the frustration is due to my increasing intolerances to different foods. I don't know what to do about this as I don't understand it. I have seen a dietician who supervised the FODMAPS diet. Although I had fibromyalgia until I stopped eating gluten I still have some muscle aches. So I guess I should go and see the doctor but I am not sure what to say, or what I want.
BTW a very old friend asked me yesterday if I was imagining my symptoms as she cannot understand why this is happening to me. I am also going away again this weekend. I have warned my hosts! They are medics but it still won't make me feel any better if I am ill.
Thank you!
Hi Urban girl, firstly please don't appologise for being honest about your feeling because through being honest about how we feel helps us to put things into perspective and helps us to deal with things with our best interests.
A few things to bear in mind; other peoples actions can affect us greatly but are out of our control and this causes frustration as we can only control our actions and words.
Many of us have been through what you've been through and can relate to what you are saying as we have been made ill by trying to live our lives like we used to before diagnosis. Now we take responsibility for what we eat and many coeliac don't risk eating out. I only eat gluten free cakes that are individually wrapped in squeaky clean cafe's avoiding the ones with bread crumbs everywhere.
Your friends unreasonable attitude is because they miss the old you and just don't understand your new needs and it is old friends that can be harder work than new friends who only know us with special dietary needs. And some people just don't get it, a friend of mine was told by another friend that i don't eat wheat, drink milk or alcohol and i said to her I'm a coeliac do you know what that is and she said yes, it's a religious cult!!!
Another thing that can make people feel neurotic is over explaining them selves or their needs and it is how 'we' come across to how others treat us. So if you are resolute and just say I have special dietary needs and it's a pain in the ... so no thanks i won't risk it others then want to know more.
So what you have to do in my opinion is adopt a ''I'm a coeliac and I'm alright attitude'' and learn how to protect your self and stand up for yourself and your needs. And focus on what you can do and can eat and if anyones got a problem with it then that's their problem and you're not going to let anyone make you ill.
Lastly many coeliac have other issues as well as gluten i get bouts of microscopic colitis so i avoid all alcohol and astringents and I find that people are far more interested in why i don't drink that me being a coeliac.
Many coeliac have issues with lactose fructose and artificial sugars derived from wheat. So maybe you should go on a simple diet and add foods gradually keeping a food diary the secret is to make sure that you are well nourished. When you feel better inside you will feel better about yourself and will deal with situations much better.
So good luck and chin up.
Jerry.
Thank you Jerry for this very helpful reply. Initially post-diagnosis I thought I had a straightforward NCGS and follow a gluten free diet and things will be fine. But as time has gone on (1 year) it seems there are more things that make me ill. And I seem to be more ill. Just as I get used to making recipes from the food I can eat another load bite the dust. It is difficult to keep up with this. Sometimes I just don't bother to eat all day as it is such a hassle to find something to eat. Also I get very confused with all the underlying and associated conditions. For example, thyroid influence. Understanding gluten intolerance is difficult enough for me. I have made an appointment to see my GP as I think some other things are going on. I am going to think about what to ask her and how to to present my symptoms. You and Noodlechips have been very reassuring. I am interested to know that others have followed this pattern. It is quite extraordinary how people react to us isn't it? Thank you for your time and help.
Hi urban girl,
You mention above that you have fibromyalgia and I wondered if you had ever heard of a doctor called Dctor Myhill. She's a private doctor but she has a website that is really useful. She is the doctor that I am seeing for my ME but she does have patients with fibromyalgia and other conditions. She began working with allergy and intollerance and has found that these are the roots to most conditions (including ME) anyway,she often tells people to follow a Paleo diet (like Jerry says- a really basic diet) it cuts out wheats, corns, starch and other things. It's basically the type of diet a cave man would have followed and the idea is that the body hasn't adapted to new age foods (processed foods, additives etc). Myhill also talks about fermenting gut and I woundered whether you would benefit from following this diet? It does limit the diet (I have to follow Paleo and fermenting gut diet) but it is achievable. It might help you work out what's causing you to suffer these horrible flare ups. I know it's a long shot and I could be wrong but take a look at Myhills website (there's a lot no ther) but you may find some useful stuff - drmyhill.co.uk.
Hopefully you will have a more successful weekend than before and being around medics, at least you will know that there's probably nothing that they haven't seen! I would guess they will be more understanding too
As for your friend suggesting it's 'all in your head' that's really shocking. I wouldnt let it phase you, because again like Jerry says, she obviously just want the old you back. If you have already talked and explained things to her and she's not understanding it, you may need to accept that there are some friends that just won't get it.
Finally I won't bore you any longer (haha) but before I sign off, if you want take a look at my blog it's noodlechips.co.uk Now I'm not trying to plug my blog here, I'm just telling you about it because like you, I do have periods where I get overwhelmed and I'm not always a big bag of positivity. Ive struggled for 4 years with ME but in the spring I decided to focus on my health and give it the attention I needed. As a result I came up with the idea of making a blog where I can express myself without it bring about my 'illness'. However after going to see doctor Myhill and being diagnosed with intolerances, it's turned into me posting about intolerance and finding recipes that I can eat that are allergy and intolerance free.
It's like an outlet. Ive found that through blogging, there are lots of people out there who understand and it's made me feel a lot more confident.
So, I'm signing off now (sorry, I'm rubbish at short replies!) hope you have a better weekend this time round xxxx
Noodlechips thanks for this info. I had not heard of Dr Myhill and have just briefly looked at her site. I have heard of the paleo diet and need to investigate this further. Will be seeing my doctor who I really like next week. I don't think I have fibromyalgia as I have tendonitis in my hip and shoulder which has maybe flared up. I do a lot of swimming and this is probably the cause. Fibromyalgia affected me differently. Will be visiting your blog very shortly and look forward to reading it. I can understand how good it must be to write about things. And yes friends are difficult. She is not the only one to say this either, another asked if my symptoms were psychological. When I have had to explain things to people like this I think I get defensive. Have a good day!
You're welcome urban girl. I just hope the Info has helped.
Don't let anyone make you think this is all in your head, it's not!
I hope you manage to improve soon xx
Thank you for the response Jerry. I agree about the knowing about whats in food- if we saw what went into meals it would put us off (especially sausages! Haha). I've had ME for 4 years and have suffered a lot with it, so am used to feeling like a 'freak' . I suppose I'm lucky because I'm a strong character and positive. But I do have days where I put a ' brave face on' and it can be tiring. I also find it frustrating- now I have found out about my intolerances, it makes meal times a struggle and going out for food impossible (I can't have anything with carbs, sugars, certain veg/ fruits, starch!).
That said, I'm still positive (but believe me there are days when I want to throw myself on the floor!) as I agree that life is what 'we' make it!
Hi Noodlechips, I will tell you something and that ALL coeliac feel/have felt. And that is it is unfair and why me. We also all fear being made ill by food and wish that we could eat anything regardless of how well we cope with our diets. All of us have put a brave face on at times and think here we go again and feel isolated.
You have many foods that you have to avoid so it is even harder for you but at least you know what makes you ill. So you are not alone and all coeliac feel empathy with other coeliac regardless of sensitivity or other issues.
I have been diagnosed for over 18 years so have felt many emotions because of being a coeliac and I feel that not enough attention is paid to the psychological aspect of being a coeliac. Hence my comment that if 'we' are open and honest about our feelings then we can help one another.
I now look at what I can eat and amazed at the foods from other cultures that are naturally gluten free and found that within walking distance of my home that I could buy freshly made falafels that are made separately and gluten free. I also have a Vietnamese supermarket near by that has the most amazing selection of rice noodles and tapioca ones, a much bigger selection than in any UK supermarket. I just wish that i could speak Vietnamese and ask about some of their other food.
So yeh being a coeliac is a bummer and sadly socialising seems based around eating and drinking but hey ho.
Thanks for the reply Jerry,
I must say, I really like the way that you write. You seem to have a great way of summing thing up really well. I guess that's partly because you have had coeliac for so many years.
I don't really know for sure what foods do and don't affect me as I'm still going through the elimination process - I've been told to avoid foods until I go back for my next consultation (which will be next year). I still get some symptoms and don't know what it is that effects me, but my symptoms are interwoven with my. ME symptoms so it's not always a gut response. I suffer headaches, sinus pain and cramps but can't work out what I have eat that I haven't had before and been ok with. On top of that I get a lot of viruses due to my poor immune system so it's working out if it's a cold/ virus or a response to something. I think I am lucky though that I don't suffer from diarrhea like a lot of people on here get. I do get cramps and stomach ache but I'm glad it's not worse than that.
I've found that there are Indian and Chinese shops that sell spices and ingredients that cost so much less than the supermarkets charge.
There is a woman on google plus who I think is Vietnamese. she did a video recently about about food and how you shouldnt be scared to go into Chinese shops and ask for things you want, it was really interesting, she was also explained how to pronounce some of the words. She keeps a blog. I can give you her blog address I think she would likely be more than happy for you to ask her the question of gluten free foods.
Emma x
Hi Emma and thanks, I think that considering what you are going through you are being amazingly positive and think that you have given Urbangirl some very good advice.
Firstly what interests me about your intolerances are, wheat/gluten, lactose, fructose and sucrose are all common allergens. And all caused by a deficiency in the intestines and interestingly they can also cause sinus issues.
As an example, lactate the enzyme that breaks down lactose is produced at the tips of our villi so many coeliac suffer from temporary lactose intolerance until their villi heal, so there is hope.
It might also be worth seeing a nutritionist about an elimination diet and keeping a food diary, as our bodies are very complex and when one part is out of kilter this often has a knock on effect.
Now your Chinese friend is quite right about going into a Chinese food shop and what concerns me is cross contamination during packaging especially of flours. But I would still be very interested in her blog.
Pearl brand of flours available in many Asian shops is not packaged separately so is not guaranteed gluten free.
I also feel that it could be very beneficial to those who are still struggling with their dietary needs if we had a 'my story' so others could see how we found the road to recovery and what others went through. But one thing is for sure being a coeliac or having a food intolerance is not neurosis so keep being enthusiastic and you'll get there you'll see.
Jerry.
Hi Jerry
Thanks for the reply, I do hope that I've given good advice to Urban Girl. I always try to help others I know it can feel lonely when you have an illness or condition. It can take a while to adjust and accept it, then there's the learning to cope!
I am very positive, well, most of the time haha- but believe me, there are times when I'm far from it. I think my obsession with being organized helps me to forward plan and keep focused.
Your definitely right about the nutritionist. My specialist has been great but because it's private treatment it's very expensive and I can't afford to speak with her regularly. I still don't know what my intolerance levels are so don't actually know what really effects me. I'm learning a lot from this website though (such as cross contamination, which I didn't know much about before).
The blog that I mentioned before is chezshinae.blogspot.co.uk. I hope it helps.
Emma xx
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