Email Questions Anwered!

I have been receiving a lot of reader questions, which I love! Keep sending questions! I selected two to post to the blog! If you have questions, please feel free to send them to my email. If you do not want them posted, please enclose that in your email.

1. Michelle,

I work in a bakery, how do I not get glutened at lunch time? How do I keep myself from getting gluten all over myself?
            
 Respectfully,

   Marge



Marge,

I am assuming that your bakery is not gluten free. I suggest that you wash your hands as often as possible. Wear an apron to keep your clothes free of gluten. Try to avoid touching your face. Bring your own food from home and create a gluten free zone for it. If that is not possible, do not introduce your gf food to your work environment and eat out.
 - Michelle





2.   Dear GF Glutton-

Do you use GF skin care? What are your GF beauty tips?

- Sarah

Dear Sarah,

I have a skin care post coming up soon, I will mention a new product I have been using...so keep a look out for it!

I am rather sensitive to gluten in products. For a while my scalp broke out and was itchy and I couldn't figure out why, finally...ok, after a few months of being unhappy (I bought the largest bottle ever of this shampoo), I read the ingredients and there was WHEAT in it! This isn't the 1st time that this happened to me. I have found wheat in my lotion and in my lip products before.

So currently, I am using an all natural, GF shampoo that I really like-

Desert Essence Red Raspberry Shampoo smells really good and I don't have to worry about my scalp hating me. I use essential oils to condition my scalp. I get regular trims (4-6 weeks) to keep my hair healthy and I either straight iron my hair or use hot rollers to curl it. If I am lazy, I let it dry naturally.

I also wear SPF daily, year round. My co-workers tease me for being so pale. I try to sleep as much as possible and I am trying to be better about my water consumption.

-Michelle

Parenting non-gluten free children and avoiding cross contamination.

Can you write more about being GF and raising a gluten-eater? I have been scouring the Internet for information about this and can't find much. My wife has just gone GF but our son is a walking gluten bomb (he's 2.5). I prepare as much of his food as I can but there are times my wife has to handle his food ... and him! We're just figuring out how to navigate this new world and the kid part has me tied up in knots. We also have a 5 y.o. daughter who is less of a challenge because I think she's old enough to learn to keep herself non-toxic, so to speak, at least most of the time. Any advice is welcome!
-Jen

I love reader questions! I get them often and usually I can refer the reader to another post on my blog, but this time I couldn't, so I am going to write one! Jen, here is your answer and I hope it answers the question for any other readers I may have. If any other readers have questions, please feel free to send me an email (littleblognotes@yahoo.com).

I too have a child that has little gluten fingers :)  He has learned over time to be careful but he has glutened me on occasion. If I am eating with my boyfriend, I try and have my boyfriend sit next to him to minimize my exposure to his crumbs and his little wandering fingers, since children love to touch the plates of others. If I am eating alone, with him at home. I prepare his meal first and I wash my hands often. When we dine out, I carry  hand wipes and hand sanitizer to clean my hands. Now that he is older, I try and have him sit further away from me on the booth to minimize my exposure to the crumbs. I do not cut his chicken nuggets or food apart with my bare hands, I always use his utensils and then I place them away from mine in order to avoid confusion.

I carry his snacks in zip lock bags and he opens them himself. If they are bags that he cannot open himself, I never tear them open with my mouth. I use my hands and then I disinfect my hands. I clean his hands with sanitizer after.

I find that cleaning my kitchen and his space in the kitchen helps often too, since his spot at the table is always has the most mess :)

Keeping a close eye on them is the most helpful.  I have been glutened the most just by him wanting to try what I am eating, so asking for an extra plate and offering some to your child can spare you a glutening too :)

I hope this helps!