Sadly, I think I got "glutened" on Sunday and I'm still suffering the effects. To explain, getting "glutened" is what folks in the GF world call being exposed to gluten, something that is more severe for Celiacs, who need only a small bit of crumbs or wheat-based additives to feel a reaction. It can be hard to pin down exactly what causes your reaction, because for many people the effects of exposure can often take 12+ hours to show up and then can last days or weeks, depending on the severity.
On Sunday, I was stranded in the Delta Shuttle terminal of LaGuardia airport for 8 hours as the crew scrambled to find a missing part for the plane (hardly reassuring on its own...) The only food option was the Panini Grill, which offered only meaty salads and meaty sandwiches, so there was nothing I could eat. I watched as the estimated departure time rose from 2:55 pm to 3:25 pm and then to 4:45 pm and so on until the late evening (we didn't end up taking off until 10 pm). After about 8 hours without food and a long journey ahead if me, I caved in to my growling stomach and bought a yogurt with granola, a risky venture that I knew might lead to illness. But it was either that or eat meat, so I chose my morals over my health (a choice I'm still paying for today).
The problem with granola is that although oats do not contain wheat or rye or barley (or the other gluten-based flours), they are considered so contaminated with wheat that they can cause a gluten reaction. Oats are usually grown in the same fields as wheat and processed, packaged, and shipped with wheat, making it very likely that they contain traces of gluten (although certified GF Oats are available now). Different countries have different standards on classifying oats: the US is the strictest, while the UK lets up to a certain contamination level pass. Scientists and nutritionists are still debating this issue, but I think my body has reached its own conclusion.
So now I am paying for that precious meal--in the form of a migraine that woke me up at 3:45 this morning and kept me up until 5:00, a sore throat, exhaustion, the feeling that I'm getting sick, and terrible stomach pain--I won't make that gamble again. I haven't felt this rotten from exposure since I stopped eating gluten, but I think that could be the very reason I'm experiencing such a strong reaction: my body has had a chance to heal, but now it is faced with its enemy and is attacking full force (please stop!!)
The up-side is that I can completely prevent this from ever happening, as long as I'm diligent and have support from the friends and family who are sharing food with me, then I have the tools to keep myself healthy. If it means starving for 8 hours in LaGuardia, the temporary pain is worth it to avoid days of punishment, but in the future, I really need to plan ahead and pack my own GF snacks for just such a predicament.
Hopefully I'll be better shortly and can post some delicious things we made this past weekend. Until then, I'll be trying to recover while working this crazy schedule for another day (7:30 am till midnight tomorrow) and then I will try to rest. I have so much sympathy for people out there who have this kind of reaction to even the smallest exposure: a "contaminated" cutting board used to slice bread; a kiss from your honey after he or she took a sip of beer; using shampoo or lipstick containing gluten. Thankfully, I think I have been fine with these things so far. If only I was home, I would drink my miracle concoction of fresh juices which I believe can heal any ailment:
Soothing Apple-Lemon-Ginger Tonic
Makes one 12-16oz. juice
In a juicer, combine:
3 green apples
3 lemons
1/2 cup fresh ginger
Chill or add ice cubes to soothe your heart and tummy.
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