Check out my new blog: Gluten Free Health Quest

I have created a new blog that I would like to invite you to follow. The new blog address is http://glutenfreehealthquest.blogspot.com/

I wanted to expand the scope of my blog by changing the name. I felt like "Gluten Free in Panama City" was too limited, so I chose "Gluten Free Health Quest" because that name better describes what I'm doing. I will continue to post on this blog when it pertains to topics close to home in Panama City, but will probably more often post on the Gluten Free Health Quest site. Please be patient as I re-post some of the same information on the new blog that I've already posted here. I promise there will be new posts soon. Please follow me and invite others whom you think might be interested as well. Thank you all for your support and encouragement as I move forward on my quest toward optimal health.

~Michelle

Oven Roasted Eggplant (vegan and gluten free)

Oven Roasted Eggplant (vegan and gluten free)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons tamari sauce (gluten-free soy sauce)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch slices

I leave the skin on the eggplants for 2 reasons: 1. it's easier than taking the time to peel them and 2. the peel is high in fiber and anti-oxidants, helps prevent cancer and improves skins tone.

Mix together olive oil, tamari sauce, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss sliced eggplants in marinade and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and put eggplant slices on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 35-40 minutes turning them over half way through. Serve with remaining marinade.

So delicious!

10 things to eat everyday

If you have issues with gluten, then chances are you have absorption issues as well. If you are unable to absorb enough nutrients from your food, then the nutrient deficiencies you incur as a result are likely causing you trouble physically, cognitively and emotionally. And if you're eating a typical American diet, then your nutrient deficiencies could be pretty severe. The older we get the worse it gets. I know this is a problem for me, so I resolved recently to try to include 10 things (listed below) in my daily diet to make sure I get enough micro-nutrients to maintain my health as best I can. And I can definitely tell a difference in how I feel and function since beginning this about a week ago. It's easier than I thought it would be.

10 things I try to include in my diet everyday to make sure I'm getting enough micro-nutrients:

Beans

Berries, plus 2 additional fruits

Cilantro

Green vegetables

Garlic

Mushrooms

Nuts/seeds

Onions

Probiotics/Fermented food

Turmeric

It doesn't require a lot of each of these things to get what you need. A small serving of beans, berries, greens and nuts or seeds and a really small amount of cilantro, garlic, turmeric and onions is all you need. Just one small mushroom is enough, but I never eat just one -- I love mushrooms. And if you don't like fermented foods, which a lot of people don't, and I've had to force myself to acquire a taste for them, then just take a good probiotic supplement. For the fruit, I usually make one a citrus fruit for the vitamin C and the third one is often a banana or a glass of merlot. I don't know if I should count wine as a fruit or not, but it's easy for me to justify -- it's made from grapes and has antioxidants and resveratrol, so why not count it? Some nutrition specialists may agree with me and some may not. But until I decide otherwise, I'm counting it as good for me.

Scrambled eggs are a great place to add onions, mushrooms, garlic, turmeric and cilantro. I can get all that in with breakfast and take a probiotic capsule, and then all I have to worry about later are the beans, greens, fruit and seeds or nuts, and I have two more meals to get those into. Lunch could be a salad that includes sunflower seeds, berries and mandarin orange pieces with a side of beans or maybe just throw the beans on the salad. And dinner might include some sauerkraut, capers, pickles or olives. If I have a banana as an afternoon snack, I've got all 10 items on the list. 

Or I might make a bean soup that includes mushrooms, onions, garlic, kale, cilantro and turmeric and eat that for lunch all week at work, have berries and yogurt for breakfast and sauerkraut with link sausage for dinner with sesame or flax seeds on top of it. If I squeeze lemon or lime into the water I drink throughout the day and eat another piece of fruit as an afternoon snack, that's all 10. 

It's not always easy get all 10 into my diet every single day and some days I may not be able to do it. Life gets busy, and I don't always have time to make sure it happens. It requires planning and sometimes the plan goes out the window and that's ok. I just try again tomorrow. No big deal. But the better I do, the better I feel.

Gluten-intolerance and heat sensitivity -- is there a connection?

As I approached Atlanta on I-20 Thursday, about 4:45 p.m., on my way home from vacation, traffic suddenly came to a complete stop -- I know you're quite surprised -- traffic? in Atlanta? -- but yes, it's true. As I sat idle, in the Georgia heat -- here's another surprise -- that is hotter than 900 hells, my car started to over heat and the air conditioning started blowing warm air. So I pulled off the road, rolled down my windows and turned off the engine to let it cool off -- as impossible as that might be with a heat index of what they say was 108 degrees, but I think was actually much hotter.

After a few minutes, I noticed that my face was beet red. This has been a cause for concern most of my life, as it was the first indication that I was over heated and needed to be in a cool, air-conditioned place, if not a cold shower, as soon as possible. Very soon after my face turned red, I would get very sick and lethargic, I would throw up violently and then I would sometimes pass out, depending on how quickly I was able to cool off. This would happen in conditions that others found tolerable. I would get so hot so quickly that I am surprised I never died of heat stroke, but I usually got myself out of the heat as soon as I realized I was getting over heated.

This time, as I sat on the side of the road with traffic beside me standing still, I saw no way out of the heat. People were pulled over and blocking the shoulder, so there was no possibility of moving the car along the shoulder to the next exit. There was no where to go to get out of the heat either by foot or vehicle. Even if I called 911, an ambulance wouldn't be able to get through the traffic in time. But then I realized I didn't feel sick -- I just felt hot. Thank God I'm on a gluten-free diet. I have not had, what we used to call "sun sickness" since before I went on this diet over 5 years ago. And as I got hotter and hotter waiting for traffic to clear, I continued to not feel sick.

Serbian tennis champ Novak Djokorvic, who went on a gluten-free diet in January 2011, after his nutritionist discovered he was intolerant, suffered for years with heat exhaustion and trouble breathing during practices and games. His teammates thought he was (and called him) a big baby. But after going gluten free, he no longer gets over heated, and has since defeated Rafael Nadal four times, and had a 43-match winning streak, the third longest in Open history. Roger Federer even lost two matches against Djokovic in the last year. Who would have expected that in a million years? I wonder how Novak Djokovic was able to get as far as he did while still eating gluten. He was a Grand Slam champion and No. 3 in the world before going gluten free. He's obviously an amazing athlete despite the handicap gluten created until he gave it up.

Djokorvic and I can't be the only ones who suffered from heat exhaustion in conditions others found tolerable. I would love to hear from (or about) anyone who had similar experiences before going gluten free. Please share your comments below.

Gluten Withdrawal

Beginning a gluten-free diet can be physically challenging as you will experience withdrawal symptoms. Hopefully, the symptoms won't be too bad  and won't last long -- everybody is different and will experience different levels of discomfort. But be aware that whatever you go through is only temporary, and you will come out on the other end a healthier, happier person if you are able to stay on course. Plan your meals for that first week ahead of time so that it will be easier for you to stay gluten-free during that stressful withdrawal period.

When I came off of gluten five years ago, nobody warned me that I would feel like crap for a few days, but I could tell it was clearly withdrawal, and although I was tempted to eat something carby and sugary to feel better, I knew it would just prolong the process and I'd have to start all over. I suffered through and am so glad I did. The withdrawal symptoms only lasted about a week and included fatigue, irritability, upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea and a monstrous headache (if you take something for the headache, take Aleve rather than Advil -- Advil is not always GF. Aspirin is also GF but may upset your stomach even more). I didn't go totally carb-free, so that helped a little with my energy level. Rice and potatoes are naturally gluten-free, so I included both in that first week meal plan. 

Side note: if you want to feel really great, you should consider going totally grain-free and avoid rice and other grains as well as gluten. I haven't taken that step yet. I know I would feel even better if I cut out all grains, but I get so exhausted without carbs. So I'm still somewhat dependent on rice, although it  is only a small percentage of my diet.

Anyway, back to withdrawal...

The third day is the worst, so if you can plan it this way, start it on a Thursday (assuming you work a Monday through Friday schedule) so that the third and forth days land on a Saturday and Sunday. That way you can just stay in bed all weekend if you want. Remember, your body is protesting. It is addicted to a poison, like any other drug, and it is rebelling against your decision to deny it what it has become accustomed to receiving at regular intervals. This is normal, and it will pass in a few days, but you will be tempted to eat gluten during this withdrawal period, so be strong. You can do it.

Flawed biopsy-testing for Celiac Disease

http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-free-society-blog/biopsy-testing-for-celiac-disease-completely-flawed/

Detrimental health effects of gluten

When you are sensitive to or intolerant of gluten, your body reacts as if it is being poisoned when you ingest it. Different individuals have different levels of sensitivity, and not everyone has the same symptoms. Below is a list of possible symptoms that some who don't realize they are gluten intolerant might be experiencing. Those people usually feel better within a few weeks of going totally gluten free, but they will see these symptoms start to subside within only a few days. I was so swollen that I lost half a shoe size within 5 days of going gluten free and my face looked 10 to 15 years younger as the swelling went down -- that's pretty drastic! If you are experiencing any of these issues, you may want to try cutting gluten out of your diet for about four to six weeks and see if gluten is the cause. 

Intestinal discomfort/bloating/gas
Heartburn/acid reflux

Nausea/Vomiting

Irritable bowel

Leaky gut
Anemia
Severe vitamin deficiencies

Blood sugar issues

Joint pain/arthritis

Headaches/Migraines

Depression and other mental health issues
Neurological conditions

Moodiness/irritability

Anti-social and Impulsive behavior

Memory loss/possible brain damage

Confusion/lack of focus/ADD

Auto-immune issues/Lupus/Fibromyalgia/MS

Weight gain/weight loss

Inflammation/swollen face, nose, throat, feet, and internal organs including your brain

Skin problems -- acne, hives, psoriasis, rashes, eczema, dermatitis herpetiformis (aka skin celiac)

Asthma

Fatigue

Dizziness/trouble with balance

Anxiety
Osteoporosis/bone loss
Infertility
Cancer
Dental problems/gum disease

  

I'm sure this is not an exhaustive list. Generally speaking, gluten weakens your immune system and the inflammation damages every organ in your body if you are gluten intolerant. As the inflammation persists and your immune system weakens, you will start to suffer from chronic conditions. For me, going on a totally gluten-free diet diminished and/or reversed many of my symptoms. 

The wrong way to go gluten free

I believe a gluten free diet is a healthier way to live even for those who do not have any gluten intolerance issues. 


However, recent news reports have recommended that going on a gluten-free diet is, at worst, not healthy for those who don't need to and, at best, a waste of money. And if you don't go about it the right way, then yes, I agree, it is not good for you and it is a waste of money. 


Going about it the right way means eating healthy, fresh, unprocessed foods and avoiding anything that contains gluten, which is mostly processed food. 


The wrong way is simply substituting bread, pasta, cookies, brownies, etc. with the gluten-free version. This is what most people seem to think a gluten-free diet is, and that's what generated the need for those recent news reports. There is more fat, sugar and overall calories in the gluten-free version of anything than in the regular version. These are not healthy foods and you will not lose weight or feel better if that's all you're doing. So if you take that route -- what I call the wrong way to go gluten free -- you will not be doing yourself or your health any good.

Unexpected Reactions

I had the worst reaction to Amy's brand gluten-free pizza last Monday night. It made me question whether I suddenly have trouble with rice as well as wheat gluten. That would be terrible. I love rice. I would hate to have to give it up. Since I don't eat a lot of gluten-free pizza, pasta or bread (because it's not really good for you), I didn't have a lot of experiences to compare my reaction to. But I did remember that I'd had a reaction before to rice flour about a year ago when I'd used it to bread some chicken (because I miss fried chicken really badly!). So I'm not sure if rice flour is the problem or if these two instances are just cases of cross-contamination in the manufacturing process. I've eaten sushi since that Amy's pizza reaction and had no reaction what-so-ever, so I'd like to take that as evidence that rice is not a culprit. I'll have to try a different brand of GF pizza and see if maybe it's just a brand issue and I should just avoid Amy's -- but so far I haven't found another brand of frozen GF pizza to try in Panama City. There just aren't a lot of GF options here. Has anyone else had trouble with rice flour? Please share your experience, so that we can all learn from it. 


Update 6/3/12: I've since learned that there are lots of different varieties of rice with different types of gluten proteins, some of which you may react to and some that may cause no reaction in those with gluten sensitivity -- and there is no way to know what type of rice was used to make the flour that some gluten-free products are made from. So there you go, people. That's all I know.

Crab Cakes Recipe

In addition to pizza and fried chicken, one of my other favorites that I can never order out again since having to go on a gluten-free diet is crab cakes. So here is my attempt at gluten-free crab cakes.    

Ingredients
6 tablespoons coconut oil,* divided (virgin coconut oil will taste sweet, refined coconut oil will not -- your choice. I like it sweet!)
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 (6 ounce) cans of real crabmeat,** drained
1 egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon of paprika
4 tablespoons of crushed gluten-free crackers
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 tablespoons of chives, chopped
1 teaspoon of parsley (fresh or flakes)
a pinch of salt to taste
a pinch of ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
hot sauce, to taste
1 cup gluten-free panko-style bread crumbs (if you can't find panko-style, regular gf bread crumbs will be fine -- you can always make your own bread crumbs from crushed, toasted gf bread)
* Coconut oil is much better for you than other oils and has numerous health benefits.
**Do not use imitation crab. It is not gluten free.

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over high heat. Saute chopped onion briefly until tender; cool slightly.
Combine crabmeat, sauteed onions, egg, mayonnaise, dry mustard, paprika, crushed crackers, hot sauce, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne, salt and pepper. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties, no more than 2 inches in diameter.* Coat the patties with bread crumbs. Refrigerate patties for 1-2 hours, up to 24 hours, before frying.

Heat 4 tablespoons coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Fry patties until golden brown on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

* If you make the patties too big they will fall apart when you try to flip them. Remember gluten is what holds food together, so without it, there is really not much to keep it from falling apart.

For a simple sauce try mayonnaise and picante sauce. Or check out my shrimp sauce recipe in the previous blog.

Shrimp Sauce Recipe

I have made shrimp sauce! (Read that first line in the voice of Tom Hanks from "Cast Away" when he triumphantly announced "I have made fire")

I love that sauce they serve in Japanese restaurants, (sometimes they call it shrimp sauce and sometimes they call it yum yum sauce -- which is a perfect name for it). So I took a stab at creating the same sauce at home. What I came up with is pretty close. If I later tweak it and get it closer, I'll update the recipe.

1 and 1/4 cup of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
dash of cayenne
1/4 cup of water
10-15 splashes of hot sauce

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. It will not taste like shrimp sauce until the next day.

I plan to make gluten-free crab cakes tomorrow to eat with my shrimp sauce. I'll post the crab cakes recipe later this week.

Mozzarella-stuffed pizza meatballs

Mozzarella-stuffed pizza meatballs

Oh my God! Sometimes I blow my own mind! These meatballs are really good.

Since going on this gluten-free diet five years ago, I have really missed pizza more than anything else. And gluten-free pizza just isn't the same. But here is an alternative that might satisfy your pizza withdrawal symptoms.

2 lbs ground beef

1 10-oz. jar of Classico brand sun-dried tomato pesto

2 Tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)

garlic powder (about a teaspoon or to taste)

dried or fresh basil (about a teaspoon or to taste)

salt (about a teaspoon or to taste)

2-3 Tablespoons of grated parmesan

10-15 cubes of mozzarella (one per meatball)

Mix 2 pounds of raw hamburger in a bowl with a 8.1-oz. jar of Classico brand sun-dried tomato pesto. Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste if you like it more tomato-y and some garlic powder, salt, and basil to taste. Add about 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan. Mix with your hands and make 2-3 tablespoon-size meatballs. Use your finger to make a hole in each meatball and insert a mozzarella cube. Then close the meat tightly around the cheese. Brown the meatballs in a frying pan over medium heat, then put in the oven for about 10-15 minutes on 350 degrees. Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Potato Soup -- the perfect wintertime comfort food

Here's what I made for dinner last night. Potato Soup -- the perfect wintertime comfort food for those who can't eat macaroni and cheese.

Dietary disclaimer: this is NOT low-calorie diet food!


1 5 lb bag of gold potatoes, washed and quartered, unpeeled (you can peel them if you want, but I like to take the path of get-it-done-quicker)
2 cups of half and half
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or spoonful of minced garlic from a jar
a few scallions, sliced
1 Tb seasalt
1 ts white pepper

1 Tb parsley flakes

toppings:
chives
bacon bits
grated cheddar
sour cream

Saute onion, garlic and the white part of the scallions in 2 Tb of butter in large pot. Once onions are soft, add cut up potatoes to pot, cover with water and boil. Add salt and pepper. When potatoes are soft, add 2 cups of half and half, parsley flakes and the green part of the scallions. Cook on medium for 20 minutes and serve with choice of toppings. The left overs are even better the next day.

Gotta love the restaurants that cater to the gluten-free

Gotta love the restaurants that cater to the gluten-free. And in Panama City, Fla. where I live, that's a rarity.

I'm only listing restaurants I've had personal experience with. Please feel free to add to this list in the comments. This list will be updated as I find additional accommodating restuarants. Also, I will delete any listed restaurant that I have a subsequent unfavorable experience with. 

Restaurants with Gluten-Free Menus:

1. Atlantic Seafood Company (Atlanta, Ga.)

2. Bonefish Grill

3. Carrabbas Italian Grill

4. Chipotle Mexican Grill

5. Farm Burger (Decatur, Ga.)

6. Olive Garden

7. Outback Steakhouse

8. P.F. Chang's

9. Seasons 52  (Atlanta, Ga.)

10. Superior Grill (Birmingham, Ala.)

11. The Flying Biscuit Cafe (Atlanta, Ga.)

12. Wildfire (Atlanta, Ga.)

13. Yogurt Mountain (Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

Restaurants that do not have Gluten-Free Menus but are able to accommodate a gluten-intolerant diner:

1. Harpoon Harry's (Panama City Beach, Fla.)

2. Hunt's Oyster Bar (Panama City, Fla.)

3. C-Level Bar & Grill (Panama City Beach, Fla.) 

4. Five Guys Burgers and Fries

5. Pure Taqueria (Atlanta, Ga.)

6. Ruan Thai (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) 

7. Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe (Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

8. The Fish Market (Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, Ala.)

9. Zachery's American Bistro (Panama City, Fla.) --out of business Jan. 28, 2012

10. Zoe's Kitchen (Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
11. Chula's Mexican & Caribbean Restaurant (Panama City, Fla.)

Restaurants not to waste your time with:

1. Uncle Ernie's (Panama City, Fla.) -- they use a house seasoning, that is not gluten-free, on everything, including salads.

2. Applebee's (23rd Street in Panama City, Fla.) -- this manager recommended I not eat there -- don't hold this against other Applebee's locations. The Applebee's (one town over) in Callaway was very accommodating.

3. The Back Porch Seafood and Oyster House (Panama City Beach, Fla.) --  the manager recommended I not eat there. 

4. Margaritaville (Panama City Beach, Fla) -- although I LOVE Jimmy Buffet, I had a horrible experience from a meal that they assured me would be gluten free. 

5. Any Ethiopian restaurant, anywhere, anytime, no matter what -- I'm sorry Ethiopia, your diet just isn't compatible with gluten intolerance. (If I'm wrong, feel free to tell me, but I doubt you can convince me to eat at one again.)
6. The Shrimp Boat (Panama City, Fla.)

For starters

If you’re new to the gluten-free diet, there are some things to keep in mind that you may not have thought of yet. You will want to watch out for hidden sources of gluten and the possibility of cross-contamination. Those are the things people don’t think of. For example: mayonnaise is gluten free, but not if you’ve spread it on bread and put the knife back in the jar. Once you do that then the whole jar is contaminated and anyone who is gluten intolerant should not eat mayonnaise from that jar. This also goes for butter, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, etc. Anything that might be spread on bread or crackers or have bread, crackers, pretzels, etc. dipped in it.

When my daughter lived at home with me, we would use a Sharpie to write “GF” on items that had not been contaminated. If it got contaminated, she would draw a circle with a line through the “GF” to warn me not to eat it. This worked well for us.

Hidden sources of gluten include most processed foods, and gluten is rarely listed in the ingredients. I avoid processed meats, including sandwich meats, boloney (yes, I know it‘s supposed to be bologna but I‘m from the south and I don‘t say bologna, I say boloney), most types of sausage, hotdogs, etc.

Hormel often has gluten-free meats and they are labeled gluten-free. I buy Hormel bacon, ham and pepperoni -- all gluten free. Most Boar’s Head deli meats are gluten-free, but if they slice it on the same slicer as all the other meats then it’s contaminated. It’s stuff like that that you have to think about.

You can’t always trust a package that is labeled “gluten-free.” I usually go to a gluten-free forum and see what other GF folks have to say about a specific product. The FDA allows “gluten-free” labeling if the product has below a certain percentage of gluten, so it may not be totally gluten-free. Canned soups are not gluten-free so don’t make anything with cream of whatever soup or broth unless it is a specifically gluten-free brand and you know you can trust it. Campbell’s and Swanson are not safe. Pacific Natural Foods and Trader Joe’s both make gluten free soups.

You will also need to learn about ingredients that contain gluten. For example, modified food starch in the United States is usually made from corn, but in Europe is usually made from wheat. So you need to know the brand and know whether you can trust it. If you see Malt or Maltdextrin in the ingredients, it’s not gluten-free. But Maltodextrin is made from corn, so it’s ok. The difference is the o in the middle. Below is a link to a site that provides more information about hidden gluten in ingredients.

Good luck, it‘s not hard once you get used to it. ~Michelle

http://www.celiacsolution.com/hidden-gluten.html

Burger King New Fry Recipe Contains No Gluten

Reposted from Gluten Freeville: http://glutenfreeville.com/research/frie

Burger King New Fry Recipe Contains No Gluten

January 5, 2012 by Nancy  
Filed under News

3 Comments

A Facebook friend recently inquired about the gluten free status of Burger King’s new french fries.

After a bit of research and an email exchange with the company, their fries do not contain gluten ingredients.

Before ordering, you must confirm that the location you are visiting fries them in separate oil from the other fried items. Mixing the cooking of the fries that don’t contain gluten with breaded chicken or onion rings makes them NOT gluten free.

Found on their web site: “French Fries are cooked in a fryer designated for French Fries only. Frier oil contains: corn, canola, soy and or/cottonseed oils.”

French Fry Ingredient List: Potatoes, Soybean Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Rice Flour, Salt, Leavening (Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate), Dextrose, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate to Preserve Natural Color

http://www.bk.com/en/us/menu-nutrition/index.html

If you like steak...

Going out for a gluten free steak is an easy one. You just have to know that what they marinade it in or season it with is gluten free. You may also want to ask that they put a piece of aluminum foil under it while cooking so that it isn't cross contaminated by anything that might have been on the grill already. Below are some restaurants where I've enjoyed a steak without any adverse reactions. I will add to and modify this list as necessary.

The C-Level Bar and Grill (Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach) -- ask them not to use the steak sauce, which is sometimes GF and sometimes maybe not. The grouper, new potatoes, deviled eggs and salad without croutons are also safe.

Black Angus (Hwy 98, Panama City) -- the steaks, baked potatoes, salad without croutons are all fine for GF diners.

Los Antojitos (Hwy 98, Panama City) -- the steak is great. The house margaritas suck -- but, like all margaritas, are gluten-free.

Bonefish Grill, Outback Steak House, and Carrabba's Italian Grill are all owned by the same company and all have gluten-free menus -- and for the most part, their employees know about GF diets and how important it is to not cross-contaminate.

As always, let the server know that you are gluten intolerant so the kitchen folks know to be careful about cross contamination.

Places to shop for Gluten Free stuff

When ever I'm in Atlanta, I like to make a few stops for things I can't get in Panama City, like gluten-free panko-style bread crumbs and gluten-free frozen burritos and this list could go on and on and on. Anyway, places I like to shop include the following list:
Trader Joe's
Return to Eden
Natural Foods Warehouse
Costco


When I'm in Tuscaloosa, Ala., I like to shop at Manna Grocery. They have THE MOST  knowledgeable staff of anywhere I've ever shopped -- EVER! Manna Grocery is amazing and, in my experience, a one-of-a-kind health food store.

Winn Dixie brand kettle potato chips are gluten free. The jalapeno flavor are my favorite. If you are in the Panama City area, the Winn Dixie on Highway 231 at the corner of Transmitter Road usually carries frozen gf Garden Lite vegetable souffles that are really good and frozen gluten-free pepperoni pizza. But the last stop I made there, I didn't see the gluten-free pizza. I hope they haven't stopped carrying it. Maybe I was the only one buying it.

Publix also carries some good gluten free items but watch out for brands that can't be trusted. Some brands label their product(s) as "Gluten Free" even though they are not 100% gluten-free. I talked to the manager at the Publix on 23rd Street in Panama City about an item that was labeled "Gluten Free" that had wheat listed in the ingredients, and I was told by said manager that it is legal for them to label their product "Gluten Free" as long as it contains below a certain percentage of gluten -- therefore he would continue to sell that product. (I'll get the brand name of that product next time I stop by that Publix location).

Eating out in Panama City Beach

Good News!

Harpoon Harry's has a resident Celiac named Tina who can advise you on what to eat and not eat. Tina provided me with a lot of useful information about the menu -- most of which I cannot remember now, except I do recall she said "Do not eat the rice!" I remember that for sure.

I was there late one night and had already eaten dinner somewhere else earlier in the evening but wanted to ask about the menu for future reference. I always assume most places on the beach have nothing gluten free since most of it is fried and the stuff that isn't fried is, in one way or another, contaminated. But as I asked the bartender about the possibility of gluten-free items, she said, "You should talk to Tina. She has Celiac Disease and knows exactly what you can and cannot eat."

I was really excited to meet someone else in the same boat -- we seem to be such a rarity on the Florida panhandle. Tina was very helpful and informative. If you find yourself at Panama City Beach and in need of a meal, Harpoon Harry's is a good option. Ask to sit in Tina's section.

Restaurants in the area with a gluten-free menu:
Bonefish Grill
Carrabbas Italian Grill
PF Chang's
Outback Steakhouse
Jasmine Thai Restaurant

Restaurants in the area that do not have a gluten-free menu but can accommodate a gluten-intolerant diner:
Chula's Mexican and Caribbean Restaurant
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Harpoon Harry's
Hunt's Oyster Bar
Salty Sue's
Somethin's Cooking

Restaurants in the area not to waste your time with:
Uncle Ernie's -- they use a house seasoning, that in not gluten-free, on everything.
The Back Porch Seafood and Oyster House
Margaritaville
The Shrimp Boat

New Year's Eve in Atlanta

I love visiting Atlanta because I can eat out, easily and safely for the most part, and have so many options. There are so many places with gluten-free menus and most places are familiar enough with the issue to know not to cross-contaminate. I love eating out in Atlanta.Two of my favorite restaurants are Com, a Vietnamese restaurant on Buford Highway and Pure Taqueria in Alpharetta or the Inman Park area.

Pure Taquaria in Inman Park (and possibly their other locations, I just haven't asked yet) fries their corn chips in a designated gluten-free fryer, therefore they have my loyalty for life or until they discontinue the designated gluten-free fryer thing. So far, that's the only Mexican restaurant where I can eat the chips, which I LOVE.

Com is the best Vietnamese restaurant I've ever been to, but a word of warning: Do not order the spring rolls. They will tell you that the spring rolls are wrapped in a gluten-free wrapper made from only rice and no flour, but will neglect to mention that it contains, among the cabbage, carrots and pork, a big stick of fried wheat-flour dough, which is, of course, delicious but extremely poisonous to those of us who cannot eat it and take the time to have a discussion with the waiter about the wrapper to make sure that there is no gluten that could harm us. Ugh! But that's the only negative experience I've had there. I love that place. Just don't order the spring rolls.

The fragrant rice and rice noodle dishes at Com and the sauce that comes with it are all gluten free. The stuffed grape leaves are amazing and, of course, gluten free. I have never ordered or even asked about the soups because soups are rarely gluten free (even when your server tells you it is). Broths usually have gluten.