Hi everyone! Happy Friday.
I live across the country from my parents/sister (who all live in the town where I grew up). I typically would go and visit quite a bit, which I did last weekend for Easter. It was a disaster. I thought it would be okay if I did all of my own grocery shopping and cooked my own food, but it was way more difficult to avoid cross contamination than I had expected. I have been in a flare, and last weekend badly exacerbated my physical symptoms. I was also an emotional mess due to the stress of being sick, not knowing if what I was eating was safe, and dealing with my family (they want to help so much but just don't quite understand the nuances of keeping this strict of a diet).
My parents are really sad and afraid that this means I'll never want to come visit them. They really want to take steps to make sure I can eat safely when staying with them for holiday weekends like this in the future. I know this is difficult, as they are not gluten free, but I have come up with a few actions that can be taken that might make it safe(r) for me to be there. Interested in hearing your thoughts and in getting any advice on what I can do to safely travel to see my family in the future.
My plan so far:
-Get a set of pots/pans and utensils, cutting boards, etc. that my parents can keep in a sealed container and bring out to use when I am home (all would be designated gluten free)
-Have paper plates, forks and knives available for me to use when I am home (also kept sealed and separate from any possible source of contamination)
-Have my parents remove all gluten-containing food items (and toaster) from their kitchen before I come home, and only have GF stuff around while I am in town
-Have my parents wipe down all surfaces and corners in kitchen and refrigerator before I come in town
-I will not eat anything cooked on the grill (they grill stuff marinated in soy sauce and what not pretty regularly)
-I will do all grocery shopping and be responsible for cooked meals to ensure there is no chance of cross-contamination
-I will bring emergency dry GF snacks so that I have something to fall back on if needed
-I will not eat any food that has been prepared by anyone but me, no matter what
Is there anything that I am missing here? Any thoughts on if this would help/do the trick so that I can visit my family?
Thank you!
Sally
Maintaining diet while visiting my family (out of state)
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I can totally sympathize with your situation. Family and friends want to be helpful, but it is just so darn complicated. And when I visit I want to visit, not spend much of my time trying to grocery shop and cook.
So what I have found works for me is to make use of a meal delivery service that specializes in gluten free, paleo, etc. There are a number of them out there. These would be complete pre-made meals, usually frozen, not the box of ingredients for a meal that you put together. You can arrange to have however many meals you would like shipped to your relative's address waiting for you. It isn't cheap, but by the time you figure in all of the expense for separate gluten-free cookware, all the work your parents would have to do decontaminating (and still be worried about whether they did it good enough), and all the work and expense you would have cooking for yourself, it is money well spent. And you could relax and enjoy the visit. You could get three meals a day, or whatever combination of safe grocery items and meal delivery works for you. You might want to test a delivery service out first by ordering ahead of your trip to make sure you like the meals and the service.
I have also used the meal delivery when vacationing, as it takes the worry out of finding an OK restaurant. I get delivery right before I go, and then take meals with me in a cooler. Most motels have microwaves to warm up the meals.
The meal delivery services come and go, but Paleo on the Go has a menu that would probably work for you. And I have also included a web site that has a list of other meal delivery services that specialize in food sensitivities.
https://paleoonthego.com/
https://www.glutenfreeliving.com/gluten ... -services/
I hope this helps!
Rosie
So what I have found works for me is to make use of a meal delivery service that specializes in gluten free, paleo, etc. There are a number of them out there. These would be complete pre-made meals, usually frozen, not the box of ingredients for a meal that you put together. You can arrange to have however many meals you would like shipped to your relative's address waiting for you. It isn't cheap, but by the time you figure in all of the expense for separate gluten-free cookware, all the work your parents would have to do decontaminating (and still be worried about whether they did it good enough), and all the work and expense you would have cooking for yourself, it is money well spent. And you could relax and enjoy the visit. You could get three meals a day, or whatever combination of safe grocery items and meal delivery works for you. You might want to test a delivery service out first by ordering ahead of your trip to make sure you like the meals and the service.
I have also used the meal delivery when vacationing, as it takes the worry out of finding an OK restaurant. I get delivery right before I go, and then take meals with me in a cooler. Most motels have microwaves to warm up the meals.
The meal delivery services come and go, but Paleo on the Go has a menu that would probably work for you. And I have also included a web site that has a list of other meal delivery services that specialize in food sensitivities.
https://paleoonthego.com/
https://www.glutenfreeliving.com/gluten ... -services/
I hope this helps!
Rosie
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time………Thomas Edison
Hi Sally,
Sorry to hear that you're in a flare. The level of stress involved in such occasions probably plays a big role in whether or not we develop a flare, and/or how persistent the symptoms tend to become. IOW, when we go into a stressful situation worrying about the outcome, it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy, especially if something goes wrong right off the bat.
Rosie's suggestions sound like a great idea. Here are some additional thoughts:
If you decide to store dishes and utensils, it will take a good container to protect your them, because flour dust will seep into most cabinets and settle on virtually everything.
It's wheat flour, and utensils that are accidentally used after being used on gluten-containing foods that are the main hazzards in cross-contamination issues. For most of us, other's at a meal can eat wheat bread and other glutenous foods without contaminating our food, as long as they don't touch our food (or drop any crumbs on it), and we don't touch theirs.
You can use heavy foil under your food on the grill. Just be careful that you don't tear it or turn your food with the same tongs that touch the rest of the food or grill.
Emergency snacks are a good idea, but most of us are fine with things like Fritos and Lay's potato Chips, for example, as long as they're not cross-contaminated by someone's hands after they're opened.
Your parents will eventually learn by watching you, but initially, unless you use a food delivery service such as Rosie suggested, doing all your own cooking is definitely not only a good idea, but virtually mandatory for those of us who have a super-sensitive immune system.
Best of luck to you, and I hope the flare ends very soon.
Tex
Sorry to hear that you're in a flare. The level of stress involved in such occasions probably plays a big role in whether or not we develop a flare, and/or how persistent the symptoms tend to become. IOW, when we go into a stressful situation worrying about the outcome, it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy, especially if something goes wrong right off the bat.
Rosie's suggestions sound like a great idea. Here are some additional thoughts:
If you decide to store dishes and utensils, it will take a good container to protect your them, because flour dust will seep into most cabinets and settle on virtually everything.
It's wheat flour, and utensils that are accidentally used after being used on gluten-containing foods that are the main hazzards in cross-contamination issues. For most of us, other's at a meal can eat wheat bread and other glutenous foods without contaminating our food, as long as they don't touch our food (or drop any crumbs on it), and we don't touch theirs.
You can use heavy foil under your food on the grill. Just be careful that you don't tear it or turn your food with the same tongs that touch the rest of the food or grill.
Emergency snacks are a good idea, but most of us are fine with things like Fritos and Lay's potato Chips, for example, as long as they're not cross-contaminated by someone's hands after they're opened.
Your parents will eventually learn by watching you, but initially, unless you use a food delivery service such as Rosie suggested, doing all your own cooking is definitely not only a good idea, but virtually mandatory for those of us who have a super-sensitive immune system.
Best of luck to you, and I hope the flare ends very soon.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Hi, Sally. Also keep in mind that your meals don't have to take a lot of prep/effort when you're traveling. When Wal-Mart was the only option to pick up something for dinner one evening when I was traveling I had Adele's chicken sausage, a sweet potato made in the microwave & frozen zucchini steamed in a bag in the microwave. It was quick and easy and I was fine with it.
Marcia
------------
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style. - M. Angelou
------------
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style. - M. Angelou
Sally,
You have gotten some nice suggestions, but as we all know, we each have to find our own way of what works for us. You are already ahead since your parents have a great attitude and want to help. The way I see it, this is a gift, as so many people cannot relate to what we go through and think we're just being difficult. Your plan sounds thought out and workable to me. Once you get these safeguards in place, it should help decrease the stress each time you visit. Good luck to you - wishing you all the best.
Love,
Kari
You have gotten some nice suggestions, but as we all know, we each have to find our own way of what works for us. You are already ahead since your parents have a great attitude and want to help. The way I see it, this is a gift, as so many people cannot relate to what we go through and think we're just being difficult. Your plan sounds thought out and workable to me. Once you get these safeguards in place, it should help decrease the stress each time you visit. Good luck to you - wishing you all the best.
Love,
Kari
"My mouth waters whenever I pass a bakery shop and sniff the aroma of fresh bread, but I am also grateful simply to be alive and sniffing." Dr. Bernstein
Hi everyone, thank you so much for the kind words and helpful suggestions! I am especially excited to look into Rosie's suggestion of a meal delivery service. It really is a bummer to have to worry about grocery shopping and cooking while on vacation, so I think the delivery service would be a great option for me. Also good since it reduces the burden on my poor parents (they try so hard!).
Thanks again everyone- I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support from this forum. Truly a game changer!
Thanks again everyone- I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support from this forum. Truly a game changer!
Sally