Eating out can be a nightmare from chefs who don’t believe you (“Oh, who cares — it’s a fad diet!”)

Six years ago, my mom was rushed to the emergency room when her resting heart rate skyrocketed above 220. The situation was so dire the medics aaa car rental deals were afraid she'd have a stroke on the way. All of this (not to mention 20 years of digestive problems) just from eating wheat.
After she left the hospital, she faced an alien food landscape. What was life without pasta, pastry, cereal, and beer? Even sushi — itself gluten free — was complicated: the main ingredient in soy sauce is wheat!
Eating out can be a nightmare from chefs who don't believe you ("Oh, who cares — it's a fad diet!") to cross-contamination ("Just use that batter spoon to stir the soup."), those "evil little wheaty germs" (as my mom calls them) can creep in just about anywhere.
Dr. Alessio Fasano , leader of the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research , says nearly 1 percent of the world population actually has celiac, but some places are more attuned to it than others.
If you re still worried, there are travel operators out there that will cater to gluten-free aaa car rental deals customers. Bob and Ruth Levy established Bob Ruth's Gluten-Free Dining aaa car rental deals and Travel Club in 1995, not long after Bob was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease. They have since traveled all over the world with thousands of hungry celiacs.
"We won't just settle for any food," says Levy. "They always try to give us 'conference food' — dry chicken and rice and a salad. It's safe and easy, but not worth the money we're paying for these trips. We don't want to just eat, we want to dine."
And if you re on your own, rest assured: the kind folks at  www.celiactravel.com  also offer downloadable restaurant cards in 51 languages that travelers can take with them when they re heading abroad (the cards are free, but they accept donations).
"See if there is a support group in the country that will provide assistance," Dr. Fasano says. "In Italy, there is the AIC , which provides a list of every restaurant, trattoria, and gelateria in every region that knows about celiac."
Finally, says Dr. Fasano, be adventurous. "We are in the global village of travel aaa car rental deals and culture. I would strongly recommend to not decide where to go based on gluten-free diet needs — the environment needs to adapt to the people. Make the destination accommodate your needs."
Keywords: Alessio Fasano , Bob and Ruth's Gluten-Free Dining and Travel aaa car rental deals Club , Celiac disease , CeliacTravel.com , coeliac disease , gluten-free , Italy , University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research , wheat-free
Next, we will be looking for a full length article in NGM about the history of wheat cultivation, aaa car rental deals the rise of celiac disease and its increasing prevalence in the last 50 years, its global geographical distribution, and intersections with medicine, culture and food manufacturing
I ve also got celiac disease and recently wrote a long post about how Italy was the most celiac-friendly country I ve ever been to, and with 4 years of round-the-world travel, I ve been to a lot of places. aaa car rental deals :) It amazed me that there were GF options at every turn, and even in the tiniest of villages, people knew that it wasn t just wheat, but also barley and rye that caused issues.
That said, I don t know that talking to the chef makes a difference in most places unless you re at a fancier hotel I tend to eat primarily street food, and oftentimes the street stall is not aware of the allergy, nor do they realize what has wheat flour in it (e.g. in Thailand, I have to ask if there is soy sauce as it s got wheat flour, and realized the vegetarian mushroom and tofu meatballs were actually made from seitan aka wheat gluten).
Therefore, I d urge not just basic research, but also some background into what basic ingredients are used and how, so that you can eat on the street and not just the fancy hotels. That is, of course, where the best food remains, and the food that allows you to learn the most about the country as you eat it.
A columnist in my local paper who happens to be a chef and owns a bunch of local restaurants, took a tour of Europe last year (something like six months) and wrote about it along the way. He pointed out in one of his columns that Italy was surprisingly celiac aware (apparently one of his traveling companions had the problem). Good luck on the trip.
You re absolutely right, Jodi street food is so often the heart and soul of a place. I think, though, that those tips can still apply to to these places. It can actually be better since you can talk to the chef face-to-face and see their food prep first-hand. If you don t feel good about a kiosk, you can move on to the next one!
You re also right about doing basic research into ingredients, which is something I should have emphasized. If you know that something will almost always have wheat in it (like soy sauce), you can try to bring your own and ask for them to prepare it with yours (as courteously as possible, obviously!)
Lotus Tours on Mott Street in New York s China town for over 50 years, organizes trips for people with various dietary aaa car rental deals restrictions, including Kosher tours and Gluten-free trips and cruises especially to Asia. They actually bring their own soy sauce with them and inspect restaurants in advance. All Fairmont Hotels anywhere in the world have Gluten-free menu options.
About Intelligent Travel Cultural, Authentic & Sustainable: This is your brain on travel. We showcase the essence of place, aaa car rental deals what's unique and original, and what locals cherish most about where they live. And we highlight places, practices, and people that are on the front lines of sustainable travel—travel that preserves places' aaa car rental deals essential uniqueness for future generations.