Gluten Free

You know you have a Gluten Allergy if....

1. You cried when you found out that Chex is now gluten free--and comes in flavors like chocolate, cinnamon, and honey nut!

2. You have driven an hour to go to a grocery store because you have heard they have good GF brownies.

3. You take 2 hours to go grocery shopping because you have to read the labels on everything.

4. You periodically read labels on things that are not GF in hopes that they have suddenly become GF.

5. BC and AC stand for before celiac and after celiac.

6. You know that buckwheat actually contains NO wheat.

7.You tell people that eating is actually "a waste of precious time".

8. You have to have your friends go to restaurants that offer food that you can eat.

9. You shock your friends with the information that most corn flakes contain wheat.

10. You are the center of attention for the first half of dinner parties, with people asking you what you can and cannot eat, such as "can you eat crackers, what about cookies, how about corn flakes, you mean there can be wheat in drinks?"

11. You make sure to grab things first at parties before people have a chance to "contaminate" them with other wheat containing foods.

12. You refuse to eat anything that is not labeled.

13. You describe foods in terms of "safe" or "unsafe".

14. You drink a lot of wine--because it is "safe"

15. You exist some days on coffee and chocolate.

16. Your friends buy you gluten free food as gifts.

17. You reminisce about wheat containing foods, "Remember Hostess cupcakes, remember pizza, etc"

18. You have gone to MILWAUKEE because you heard they have an all GF grocery store.

19. You make family or friends lick envelopes because there is gluten in the glue.

20. You thanked the people at Chase bank when they started not requiring envelopes for deposits because of #19.

21. You have described your food as tasting like "dust", and felt good about it because you then were sure it was "safe"

22. You make your friends try said "dust", and ask them to agree that it tastes like "dust".

23. You know there is such a thing as amaranth flour.

24. You think that gluten free oats must be a trick and are scared to eat them.

25. You hold your hands over your mouth when your nephew tries to share his food with you.

26. Your friend's children can identify gluten and gluten free foods.

27. You have still read the ingredients on foods labeled gluten free "just in case".

28. You read the ingredient list on cheese.

29. You make sure to only look straight ahead when you accidentally go down the cookie aisle in the grocery store

30. Your friends call you with excitement when they have found something GF that you have not had before.