I found out two years ago that I was gluten intolerant. I don’t have celiac disease, but I do have really bad reactions whenever I eat gluten, so I’ve completely cut it out of my diet. I learned the hard way about this problem. I fainted twice, both in the most inopportune of places – once on a plane where I incurred a head injury (I was by myself en route to NYC for Fashion Week) and another time at my favorite LA restaurant Hatfield’s (I pretty much shut the place down because the fire department and ambulance took it over). So I’ve become obediently gluten-free, which isn’t as bad as people think. There are many grocery options now, but going out to eat is where the challenge lies. Most restaurants will accommodate, but when I go to a party (hors d’oeuvres are generally made with bread, pie crust, pastry, or fried with flour batter) or to a fixed menu dinner party where I have no options, it can be pretty annoying. Don’t even mention traveling! Italy? No chance.
So I’ve been on the lookout for a solution and have recently come across this enzyme supplement, Enzymedica‘s Glutenease. The discovery is beyond exciting because trust me, there are a lot of things I’ve been craving (I used to be a HUGE pasta addict). For the sake of science, I had to investigate. I stayed at home just in case anything bad happened, but I’m pleased to say, it was for the most part a success! I took a tablet and went to town on a hot out of the oven-baked buttermilk biscuit. This went so well that I thought I’d try for another. But here’s the thing – this supplement is meant to be used when you’re eating out and can’t be certain all the ingredients are gluten-free. It wasn’t really developed for binge eating. Like I said, the first biscuit was divine, but the second one made me feel nauseated. Not as sick as I would have felt without the pill, but still not worth biscuit #2. The instructions said to take as many as necessary, but I stopped there, not wanting to push my body further down the rabbit hole of gluten toxicity. Obviously my body and gluten had a serious falling out, and in spite of how I feel, I don’t think they’re going to be friends again. So I’ve decided that I’ll cherish these supplements for special occasions, instead of going hog wild whenever I smell fresh-baked bread. I imagine the results vary depending on the person and how severe your condition is, but this does work to an extent, so could be a great way to start eating out worry free. But again, this is NOT for those with celiac or gluten allergy, rather for people with gluten sensitivity looking to avoid the nausea, headaches, dizziness, gastrointestinal pain, bloating, and other symptoms (oh, like fainting). Available on Amazon for $23.49.
