Gluten-Free Babe: My quest to live gluten-free for 30 days

Say it ain’t so! But I’ll tell you one thing: In this dwindling month of June, I’ve had three pimples. Three! That’s after years of NO zits. Nada. Zilch. Tonight, I’ve grown a nice, big, honkin’ zit, the kind I used to get in junior high. Come on people, I’m freakin’ 34 years old! This acne crap is supposed to be a thing of the past.

Never before would I have considered writing about acne in a blog, but I figure I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. So speak up: Does anyone out there think there’s a connection between going gluten-free and getting pimply? Hmm?

I had movie popcorn on Saturday night, and it’s one of my favorite guilty pleasures. But then I felt really guilty because I hadn’t totally researched it before eating it. Here are some of the things I found out; if you have some news, let me know!

When the subject of (pop)corn comes up among celiacs, the discussion can get looooong. Witness this thread; it starts off with a thought about movie popcorn, and heads in a totally different direction. Hmm.

In this Q&A, the author says that the “the butter flavor which is usually drizzled on the popcorn after they scoop it out of the popper” might be a cause of irritation, and she gets it without it. But I am left wondering…does she mean the “butter” topping? Or does she mean the flavoring that some theaters shake over the popcorn after it’s popped but before it goes in the bag. There’s a difference, and I feel like this Q&A gets me close, but I still don’t know…

This list from Southern Arizona Celiac Support talks about brands of “movie theater type popcorn” that are gluten-free and available for sale. (There are lots more lists like this around, but this was head of the class in my google search.) But most theaters (at least, here in Chicago) won’t let you bring in your own popcorn. I guess you could sneak it in with a big handbag, but they’re really strict at my fave theater here and not above asking you to open your bag at some screenings.

Finally, I tried calling my favorite local theater (AMC River East) to see what they had to say about their popcorn. They said that “both the popcorn seed and the butter topping do not have gluten in them.” Hoorah!

So I guess my answer is: phone call. Always. The only way to know for sure is to speak to a human being. (And I guess even then you’re always kind of taking your chances.)

…(I ordered a stack of books on gluten-free living) I thought I’d do a little light reading this morning, thanks to the Interwebs, which I luvs.

WebMD has tons of resources on celiac disease and gluten-free life, like this article on celiac disease symptoms, another piece on diagnosis and tests, and - most useful to me - this piece on treating celiac disease with the right diet.

Already, I can see I have some big adjustments to make. Like sushi. I’m definitely going to have to find wheat-free soy sauce, because I love sushi and I can’t live without it, I won’t! You can’t make me! So I’ve added wheat-free soy sauce to the shopping list for later today.

I was also not thrilled to see yogurt on a list of foods that often contain gluten, so I guess I’ll hunt for gluten-free yogurt. Not a food I would have suspected could have gluten, but shows you what I know. The article also suggests that vitamins can have hidden gluten, so I bolted into the bathroom and checked all my bottles - lucky me, no gluten to be found.

Oh, and lipstick. Lipstick?! Apparently it can have gluten. I don’t really wear lipstick, but I do use a gloss, Buxom Lips by Bare Escentuals, so I called my local boutique and confirmed that it’s gluten-free. Woo hoo!

It’s kind of crazy how much work you have to do to eliminate gluten. But I know I’m lucky, since I’m not allergic to it, so if a little slips by I’ll be okay. It makes me appreciate what other people go through, and how much work they put into being healthy. So my hat’s off to all the guys and gals out there who go through this! And I’m also reminding myself that a lot of research will be upfront - I won’t have to check my lip gloss every day.