Have Celiac, Will Travel

In February of 2010, we took our first real trip as a family since our teen daughter had been diagnosed as a Celiac. She was apprehensive, but I assured her that we'd make sure she didn't starve. We packed various gluten free snack bars (as a back up plan) and boarded the plane bound for Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Being that it was a short trip over the mountains from Alberta to BC, there was no need to worry about an in flight gluten free friendly meal.

Arriving in Victoria that February, began a culinary adventure for my daughter that was full of pleasant unexpected surprises. The weather on top of it all was superb, with an early spring that had trees and bulbs in bloom. The whole trip was magical and has my teen daughter and preteen son begging to go back.
http://www.hellobc.com/en-CA/RegionsCities/Victoria.htm

The first couple of days we stayed locally in Victoria, soaking in museums and shops. Here my daughter discovered The Old Spaghetti Factory and The Joint.
http://www.victoriaentertainment.ca/business/Old%20Spaghetti%20Factory/326
http://www.eatatthejoint.com/html/
The Old Spaghetti Factory offers a gluten free menu that includes pasta dishes that my daughter was happy to devour. The Joint is a pizzeria that offers a gluten free crust that didn't scream gf in it's taste or texture- it was just good as my daughter put it. We soon became regulars at both restaurants though our stay was short.

Our next leg in our adventure on Vancouver Island was a drive to Botanical Beach. Well worth going! The mini hike from parking lot to the beach is a trek though a temperate coastal rain forest- simply breath taking. Once the beach is reached it is a treasure trove of nature- a new micro ecosystem in each of the tidal pools just awaits discovery... My children were constantly calling out- "Hey, come here- you have to see this!"
http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Botanical-Beach-Botany-Bay-Loop-Trail-near-Victoria-BC-647
Of course all this discovery works up an appetite. The nearest town, Port Renfrew, is small and quaint, but had my daughter worried about it's ability to feed her a gluten free meal. Because it was off season for tourism, there was only one restaurant open- this heightened her anxiety. The Coastal Kitchen Cafe was it. As soon as I mentioned that our daughter was a Celiac, they offered a dizzying array of choices that they could make for her. They knew all about being a Celiac- were very knowledgeable, and accommodating. When her meal came, my daughter was not disappointed. In fact, all the food was very good! http://www.discoverportrenfrew.com/activities-dining.htm

Next stop, was a ferry trip to Salt Spring Island. I visited this magical place as a child and it did not fail to wow me once again. My family too was counting the days when we could all go back again, by the end of our day trip to Salt Spring. http://saltspringtourism.com/ Though my daughter was by now feeling more confident that she could find gluten free food in remote places, she still had the nagging worry and a gf snack bar ready. We arrived at Fulford Harbor, investigated a bit, and made our way to The Fulford Inn for a bite of lunch. Again, upon the mention of the word Celiac, the staff were more than eager to accommodate my daughter's gf needs. They have a staff member who has Celiac Disease, so they were well versed in gf cooking. After giving her various options to consider, they came back shortly from the kitchen- and offered to make her fries... They had just cleaned the deep fryer that morning, and it had not yet been used. Of course my daughter jumped at the offer of fries, to go along with her pan fried chicken breast. She was pleased, and her meal was delicious.

The important thing to remember, is that though being a Celiac can be stressful when travelling, be prepared for pleasant surprises too. Sometimes even when a restaurant is out of the way, and/or not on any recommended Celiac lists, that they can be surprisingly accommodating and knowledgeable. Do your best to let the destination guide you and not the food. You will discover new places as well as new restaurants that would have remained unnoticed travelling as a Celiac versus being an explorer who is also a Celiac, wherever that may take you.

Note: Here is another resource we used while staying in Victoria. It is how we discovered The Joint. The Celiac Scene is a fabulous resource!http://www.theceliacscene.com/map5-British-Columbia-Victoria-and-Area-Inner-Harbour.html

Celiac Awareness- Fighting Against the Fad

It seems that there is more awareness of Celiac Disease these days. Along with this awareness, more people are becoming diagnosed. In turn, there are more companies producing gluten free products and many restaurants are willing to be acomodating. All terrific for someone living with Celiac Disease for years, or those new Celiac's with former mystery medical conditions. BUT...there is a dark beast looming in the shadows. 

Over this past week, I have come across two disturbing articles. In one instance, a prominent chef apparently disregarded requests for gluten free meals- knowingly feeding these patrons gluten. He supposedly stated this himself on his facebook account, saying that he thought that the whole gluten free thing was in people's heads. The second article is unfortunately a proven case. This particular gentleman thought he'd make money by selling bread to Celiac's telling them it was gluten free, when it was in fact NOT! He has been tried, and sentenced to a minimum of 9 years and a maximum of 11 years. While I think his sentence is a little excessive (since often rapists, pedophiles, and murderers get lighter sentencing than this), I believe it is the start to better regulation and accountability in the gluten free industry. 

So why would these individuals be so blatantly deceptive?... For one, though there is more awareness out there than ever before about Celiac Disease, it seems that the necessity of the Celiac gluten free diet has been hijacked by those who are following the latest health craze or diet fad. Don't get me wrong, I am not a health nut hater- I think it just has caused some confusion with needing to be gluten free and wanting to be gluten free. In either instance both parties have the right to eat a gluten free diet, and violating that right is wrong. But it seems that living gluten free by choice has begun to gloss over Celiac Disease- thus you have people out there that begin to believe being a Celiac is nonsense, and/or simply wanting to cash in on the latest health craze (since gf food tends to be expensive). Both of these ways of thinking are dangerous to a Celiac. Being that it is an autoimmune condition rather than an allergy, some may also leap to the conclusion that since a Celiac doesn't react immediately to gluten exposure that they must be one of these health nuts- they can charge more for their "gf" product, or simply be lazy and not go the extra mile to avoid gluten...that no harm will come to the individual ingesting gluten. Not eating gluten free does do damage to a Celiac's health!

So what is a Celiac to do?... Continue to speak out. Clarify. Specify. While I think the message is getting out there about eating a gluten free diet, I think it is important to explain to people what being a Celiac is when the opportunity presents itself. I recently informed a curious Dairy Queen employee and a customer who both asked me more about "what is Celiac Disease exactly?". Word of mouth is a powerful tool, so don't discount your mini campaign. It may also be helpful to encourage Celiac Associations become more involved in the community at large- speaking to restaurants and grocers; informing them, offering tips and/or training rather than solely focusing on the Celiac's themselves. Regulatory bodies may also jump on the band wagon of "correct" Celiac awareness too in the wake of the fraudulent bread conviction. But in the meantime, put your own voice to work. Speak out. Lobby for change where needed. Inform one person at a time.  

http://www.foodista.com/blog/2011/03/30/chef-admits-lying-to-gluten-free-diners/ 

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/12/1125084/durham-man-who-sold-fake-gluten.html

Update: April 21st, 2011
Here is an article related to the need to eat gluten free versus that want of eating gluten free. A positive explanation and discussion about the topic. Thought this link would give some balance to the two previous negative ones.