I'm an allergic patient. I have to live on a strict diet.
The important thing is: I should eat no wheat, no rye, no oats, no barley, no spelt or kamut. The tolerance is lower than in the more common gluten-free diet for coeliac disease! The standard Gluten-Free food is absolutely not appropriate for me.
All I eat or drink should be wheat-free and it is of vital importantance that food and drinks should not even contain any traces of wheat. So no bread, biscuits, crackers, cookies, cakes, pastry, thickening agents, pastas, breadcrumbs...
Fortunately, there are gluten-free products, which are also wheat free.
Moreover the diet should not contain: E621 (= monosodium glutamate or Vetsin) or E210 to E219 (benzoic acid and benzoates), or alcohol (ethanol).
It is important to know that wheat can be hidden in ready-made or processed food products like stock cubes and soups, starch, bulgur, bran, couscous, farina, gluten, protein meal, fried meat and vegetables, coffee and cocoa-drinks, surimi, couscous, gravy, ice cream, processed meat (like sausages, hamburgers, hot dogs), milk shakes, herbs and spices like pepper, candy, chocolate bars, salad dressings, soy sauce, ketchup, mustard and other sauces.
When preparing a meal it is best to use pure products: potatoes, rice, corn/maize, buckwheat, millet, all kinds of vegetables, fruits, nuts, meat and fish (No ready-made or processed! No breadcrumbs!).
The cook should always check the ingredients statement and/or the allergy information. Fortunately, according to legislation (the Labeling Directive of the EU and list of Codex Alimentarius Commission for the compulsory labelling of packaged food) all products containing wheat or wheat-derived ingredients must be labelled.
But fortunately my experience is that nowadays there are many dietary products to be bought, specially made wheat free.
What could you serve me:
- The breakfast includes muesli based on corn/maize flakes, fresh fruit, yogurt, (fresh) fruit juices. Standard breakfast cereals are not appropriate.
- For lunch: buckwheat bread or corn/maize bread, cheese, milk, fruit.
- Dinner seems to be the easiest meal to prepare. But the danger is the additives to decorate the food like breadcrumbs or sauces with hidden traces of wheat. It definitely asks special attention of the cook.
I always have a small amount of appropriate food with me, just in case.
Concluding:
I realize that it is ultimately a matter of trust in the cooperation of the kitchen staff and the information given by the waiters. It certainly is of vital importantance to inform me if anything went wrong (contamination by unfortunate double use of knives, spoons, pans, plates, cutting boards, etc.). That's too bad and such procedures should be avoided, but it's better for me to know in order to calculate my risks of anaphylactic shock, which is a serious threat and can even end in death.
Please ask me for advice and give information: make me responsible for my own health.
I always carry medication with me, just in case.
You should realize that if I need urgent medical care: transportation to a hospital intensive care unit will be necessary in most situations.
But it's been long since I've had a serious attack, due to the careful way of preparing my meals. I would not want to experience it again, and neither would you. Therefore I seriously ask you: let us work on prevention.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Note: I am interested in contact with other patients WDEIA!
Please comment or email: hbotw2007 AT gmail.com
