Safely Traveling on a Gluten-Free or Paleo Diet EP036

Wanderlust.

It is human nature to want to explore, to experience a geography and culture different from our own. Travel can truly enrich our lives. Yet if you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, the prospect of being away from the familiar for an extended period can be intimidating. Will I be able to find a grocery store? How do I locate a gluten-free restaurant that I can trust? What do I need to bring with me to ensure that I am avoiding gluten? And what if, despite my best efforts, I am accidentally exposed to the gluten protein?

No one wants their trip ruined by an unexpected illness, but you shouldn't let the fear of gluten exposure keep you from going on an important business trip or taking that vacation you've always dreamed of. The Gluten Free RN has ten years of experience helping people discover that they can travel safely on a gluten-free or Paleo diet, and today she shares her recent travel experiences with you. Road trip with Nadine and learn how she locates safe restaurants, what she takes along to avoid inadvertent gluten exposure, and which apps and online resources offer the best advice for gluten-free travel!

What's Discussed:

The danger of living in a bubble

• Leads to isolation
• No way to live

Nadine's mission to teach people how to travel safely on gluten-free/Paleo diet

• Follow her travels on social
• Posts include pics of locations, food
• Various travel tips

How Nadine packed her cooler for a summer road trip to Boston

• Applegate deli meat
• Kite Hill cheese
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Mary's crackers
• Jilz Crackerz
• EPIC bars

The challenge of eating out on the road

• Lucky to live in Pacific Northwest
• 37 100% gluten-free restaurants in Portland
• Accommodating to food intolerance
• More difficult other places
• Stressful when unfamiliar with establishment

The fundamentals of a food desert

• Little/no access to fresh fruits, vegetables
• Most available food is highly processed

Nadine's advice around locating grocery stores, fresh foods when traveling

• Research local Whole Foods, Natural Grocers locations
• Look up local Farmer's Markets and Co-ops

Nadine's tips for locating safe restaurants

• Employ the Find Me Gluten Free app
• Read Yelp reviews, though can be deceptive
• Avoid restaurants that make pizza
• Flour stays in air for up to 72 hours
• Enormous risk of cross-contamination

The myth that heat breaks down the gluten protein

• Gluten protein is heat stable
• Very difficult to denature (even at temperatures of 1200°)
• Applies to woks, fryers and grills

How Nadine is able to go without a meal when necessary

• Nutrient 'gas tank' is full
• High levels of vitamin D, B6, B12 and magnesium
• Better to skip than be sick for days, weeks or months

Who to talk to when you are eating out

• Start with wait staff, chef
• Speak with manager, if necessary

Nadine's experience at a highly-rated restaurant in Boston

• Selected for positive Yelp reviews
• Friend used Nima sensor, daughter's meal contained gluten
• Notified wait staff, spoke to chef and manager
• Though establishment caters to gluten-free community, next four meals also tested positive for gluten
• Learned that pizza was also made in kitchen
• Stopped by grocery store on way back to hotel
• Made great, quick and easy dinner in room

Nadine's gluten-free travel supply packing list

• Bamboo utensils
• Pans
• Nima sensor or EZ Gluten strips
• Gluten Free Passport allergy cards
• Activated charcoal (to take with water after accidental exposure)
• Sense of humor

The best gluten-free online travel resources

• Gluten-Free Globetrotter
• Gluten Free Passport

Why you should avoid fast food/restaurant chains that claim to have gluten-free offerings

• Risk of cross-contamination too high
• May not truly understand what it means to be gluten-free
• Using gluten-free label as marketing tool

Nadine's upcoming River Cruise on the Danube

• Opportunity for safe travel
• Responsible, attentive chefs
• Nadine on hand to confirm food is gluten-free, Paleo

The food options available to the gluten-free population

• Meat, fish and eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Fruits and vegetables

Resources:

International Celiac Disease Symposium

Applegate

Kite Hill

Mary's Gone Crackers

Jilz Crackerz

EPIC bars

Gluten Free Portland Restaurant List

Amy Fothergill of the Warm Kitchen

Ground Breaker Brewing

Whole Foods

Natural Grocers

Find Me Gluten Free

Nima Sensor

EZ Gluten Test Strips

Gluten-Free Globetrotter

Gluten Free Passport

Melodies of the Danube Brochure

Connect with Nadine:

Instagram

Facebook

Contact via Email

'Your Skin on Gluten' on YouTube

Melodies of the Danube Gluten-Free Cruise with Nadine

Books by Nadine:

Dough Nation: A Nurse's Memoir of Celiac Disease from Missed Diagnosis to Food and Health Activism