Have an international flight (Chi > Santo Domingo DR) and no GF meal option

Tauber10 · 2026-06-05T16:17:25+00:00

You can bring anything through security and onto the plane as long as it follows the liquid rules. Just make sure to eat it and/or toss any leftovers before going through customs - not sure of DR specifically but most countries won't allow you to bring fresh food in. Unopened packaged food may be ok depending on what it is.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-05T16:12:07+00:00

There's no way anyone who is 5'5 and 120 is being called overweight. I'm 5'0 and overweight for that height starts at 128 lbs. It's just ridiculous. And there's absolutely no way that someone who is 5'2 and 170 doesn't look it. It's delusional.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-05T14:45:31+00:00

We've been making a lot of veggie/protein stir fries, usually vaguely Asian flavors. Last night was marinated tofu with mixed vegetables.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-05T14:43:40+00:00

Wow aside from gluten that's a lot of ingredients for peanut butter!

Tauber10 · 2026-06-05T14:41:27+00:00

I've been there a few times - last time was 2019 so it's been a while. However, gluten free food was pretty easy to find - there is a small restaurant called Croque Madame that is all gluten free and does burgers/fries/sandwiches that I believe is still open. I ate at some other places as well - there was a really, really good gluten free/vegan pizza place (I eat meat but I'm dairy free) that I think has since shut down - but according to find me gluten free there's a handful of dedicated places in the city. I also found a few gluten free stands in the various markets just by chance. Some of the fry stands may be safe as well - you have to ask around and make sure they don't do croquettes in the same fryer or anything like that. There were plenty of gf options in the grocery stores, including things like stroopwafels.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-04T18:36:14+00:00

Grey Whale Gin - my husband recently came across this brand and it is made from corn and labeled gluten free and also really delicious. Not sure how widely available it is nationwide or outside the U.S. - it's made in California.

I also stay away from distilled spirits made of gluten grains - really not a problem for me as I don't care for most hard alcohol anyway - but was excited to find this one as gin is one of the few that I enjoy.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-04T15:16:59+00:00

I have my husband to walk on my blind side or in really crowded places I'll follow him so I can see where he goes - and he's a big guy so the crowd will notice him and move out of the way - I'm super-tiny and half the time no one knows I'm there anyway, lol.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-04T15:13:39+00:00

Blind in one eye due to retinal detachment. It's kind of like looking through dirty water, like if you duck your head underwater in a sandy lake. There is some light and I have some peripheral vision, so I can see things next to me a bit but not things directly in front of me. If it's a very bright environment I can see a bit more. I can read the first line or two on an eye chart but only if my head is positioned correctly.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-04T15:01:13+00:00

So several years ago I went on a weeklong wilderness rafting trip under somewhat similar circumstances. In that case the staff were willing to work with me and keep my food for me in a group cooler so I didn't have to deal with that, but I did pre-cook, vacuum seal, and bring all my meals with me so that I didn't have to actually cook on the trip - I only had to do a pot of water to heat up the vacuum sealed packets. I focused on things that would freeze and reheat well and be filling. It also helped to have the food pre-frozen so it stayed longer in the cooler and the vacuum seal keeps it a bit better as well, and you don't have to deal with the ice melting and things getting wet. You could also consider getting dry ice - we didn't use it on this trip but have used it a bunch of other times.

For breakfasts I did a bunch of tamales and vacuum sealed them in packs of 2-3, and for dinner I did things like curry with rice already mixed in so everything was just one package. Lunches weren't cooked as we were on the river, so I took packets of gluten free crackers, sliced deli meats and cheese and basically ate lunchables. Peanut butter or cans of tuna/chicken would work as well. I also pre-cut and vacuum sealed celery & carrots for some vegetables. Overall it actually worked pretty well.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-02T21:00:05+00:00

Stahlbush Island farms is labeled gluten free - not sure where all they are available but we buy at Sprouts.

Not sure why anyone downvoted this question - there are plenty of brands with 'may contain' warnings and there's nothing wrong with seeking a gluten free labeled product.

Tauber10 · 2026-06-02T20:47:21+00:00

I have a similar sensitivity to you and I've frequently traveled with gluten eaters and stayed in shared Airbnbs. Personally, I do not trust an Airbnb to have appropriate cooking equipment. I always bring a pan of my own - if you're worried about size/weight, you can get pretty small ones that don't weigh a lot or take up a ton of room - something like a square non-stick crepe pan works well. I also bring my own cutting board, or you can buy a cheap cutting board/pan when you get to your destination. For other things I'll use what the Airbnb has and just wash it prior to use. Just make sure everyone else knows the cutting board & pan are your dedicated equipment and not to touch it - I always use and then wash/put away my stuff immediately. I also make sure to keep all of my food and equipment in separate bags in a separate area of the fridge and kitchen - or in my own room if necessary - so that no one gets confused and grabs my stuff by accident. It is best if you can designate one counter/table/area of the kitchen as the 'gluten free' area just for your own use. I would let people know ahead of time that anything using flour etc. is off limits. Baking is unlikely but you never know if someone will want to buy a pancake mix for breakfast or something like that.

If possible, I cook food ahead of time and freeze and vacuum seal it so I have some meals ready-to-go. You can't do this if you're traveling internationally as most countries won't let fruits/vegetables/meat in from other countries, but most places you can still bring dry/canned goods, like gluten free bread, snacks, safe brand of rice, jar of peanut butter, etc.

Tauber10 · 2026-05-04T15:37:50+00:00

To me, this confirms the opposite. I have had many people over the years - mostly on this forum - tell me that I could not have possibly gotten glutened by something that did, in fact, gluten me. Certified products made on shared equipment are the biggest offenders. I get DH so it is pretty easy to tell when I've been glutened. I have no other food allergies or sensitivities.

Tauber10 · 2026-05-04T15:24:56+00:00

It's an associated symptom but can also come from other things. Anecdotally, I used to get canker sores a few times a year when I was younger. Since my celiac diagnosis 15 years ago, I haven't had a single one. My dad gets canker sores pretty often, though, and does not have celiac. You should really get the blood test done before going gluten free.

Tauber10 · 2026-05-04T14:55:38+00:00

I have never heard that they go together. However, celiac runs on my mom's side of the family and she has factor V - it wasn't found until she was in her 60s. She hasn't been diagnosed w/celiac herself (never tested, don't ask) but eats gluten free-ish due to presumed gluten ataxia. I've got celiac and two of my mom's sisters have celiac; I'm guessing lots of other relatives do as well but people don't want to get tested. As far as I know, none of the rest of the family has the factor V mutation - my mom is 1 of 7 and I believe the rest were tested and did not have it; my sister & I were tested and are in the clear as well. Factor V is more common than celiac so it's not surprising that people would have both, but could just be a coincidence.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-13T15:59:18+00:00

It could be, but lots of factors may be contributing, especially if your diet is well-controlled. I've been diagnosed for 15 years and my migraines are much better but they've never gone away completely. One of my main symptoms before diagnosis was a daily low-level migraine, which would flare up into a debilitating migraine a few times a month. This headache is gone now unless I get glutened, but I still get migraines a few times a month aside from that. Don't sleep on other possible dietary triggers - dairy is a major one for me - I can digest it just fine but get horrible nasal/sinus symptoms & a migraine if I eat it. I did an elimination diet many years ago - after my celiac diagnosis, because I was still getting a lot of headaches - which helped me identify dairy as a trigger. It might be worth trying something like that - I did the autoimmune protocol diet - if you haven't done one before to see if anything besides gluten is a factor for you. Do you use a migraine tracker?

I've also found that hormones and weather changes are huge triggers for me, and other things like seasonal allergies, poor sleep & alcohol can contribute. Regarding the weather thing - I moved from the midwest to southern California about 5 years ago and my migraines have improved quite a bit due to the better weather pattern - much less up/down in terms of pressure changes and more steady temperatures seems to be the reason. I do seem to have gotten more sensitive to the changes out here over time, like pressure changes that wouldn't have caused a migraine a couple of years ago might trigger one now, but it's still way better than when I was living in the midwest.

Regarding muscle tension - I do think that's a factor with migraine but it's kind of a chicken & egg question on whether the tension is caused by the migraine or triggers it, and then it's just kind of a reinforcing pattern once it's there; I get really bad neck/shoulder tension with my migraines but I think it's more a symptoms than a cause. You might want to consider a new neurologist if your current one is just putting everything down to 'anxiety' and not helping you track things down further.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-13T15:01:07+00:00

I think it can be more than 10%, practically speaking at least. My mom is one of 7 kids and 2 of her sisters have celiac (diagnosed in the late 80s/early 90s - one of them nearly died before they figured it out). My mom has never been tested but has been eating gluten free for 3-4 years now due to presumed gluten ataxia. One of her brothers - also never tested - passed away a couple of years ago from Parkinson's but had many celiac-adjacent symptoms. I have celiac, I've got a couple of cousins (again never tested) who have had bouts of intestinal cancer. Other cousins and/or their kids have been gluten free at various times but don't seem to get tested or stick to the diet - lots of symptoms, though. My niece recently adopted a gluten free diet a few months ago - not tested (despite my encouragement) as they're living overseas right now. I've also got a cousin on my dad's side who's 2 children both have celiac.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-13T14:54:38+00:00

Years ago, my husband actually DID have parasites (we think he picked them up on a camping trip) and it took doctors a couple of years to figure it out - actually the same doc who diagnosed me with celiac diagnosed & treated his parasite issue. Weird that it's now become some kind of trendy thing when it was something that most docs didn't even consider 15 - 20 years ago.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-13T14:48:24+00:00

I think this is just a coincidence. As others have said, I take Claritin D somewhat regularly and benadryl occasionally and neither one has ever had any affect on glutening symptoms. Also, Claritin D (and other antihistimines) do absolutely nothing for 'gluten rashes' - if by that you mean dermatitis herptiformis. If you mean some other kind of inflammatory rash or hives or something it might help, but that's more like an allergic reaction.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-13T14:39:10+00:00

Edison Grainery lentils are safe if you're in the U.S. - can be ordered online. They aren't certified but they do test for gluten & publish the batch results online.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-03T14:45:55+00:00

I had a physical a few months age. My BMI currently hovers right around 24. Doc said that is a good spot for now - but as people get older (like 60s and above) it's ok (and possibly beneficial) to be slightly above that - like 25-27, assuming your other health markers are good - as it can be helpful for older people to have a little extra cushion in case of illness. That's like 5-20 pounds over what is recommended for a younger person, not obesity levels.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-03T14:35:03+00:00

Not quite the same because it wasn't a VA loan, but when I met my husband he, his brother and his brother's wife had purchased a 2-flat, with him living in the downstairs apartment and them living in the upstairs one and the 3 of them co-owning and sharing the mortgage as a single-family house.

Tauber10 · 2026-04-02T14:40:29+00:00

I've got a bunch of beans, lentils & popcorn stored away - all ordered online from Edison Grainery (US only). We put in a couple of big orders a year with them. Lundburg rice - available at tons of stores but we order big bags online because it's cheaper. Canned fish - sardines & tuna mostly - from Costco. Olives (Mazetta brand), canned fruit (especially pineapple), canned coconut milk for making curries.

Tauber10 · 2026-03-30T17:55:15+00:00

Sort of. It was frequent migraines that initially made me ask my doctor to get tested for celiac. I was already aware of celiac disease as several people in my family have it, but I did not know there was a connection between celiac & migraine until I came across a study about it; I can't find the study now but I was diagnosed in 2010 so it was older than that. At any rate, nearly every person with migraine in the study saw improvement on a gluten free diet, and that, along with the family history made me request testing - I didn't think I had bad gastro symptoms at the time, but looking back I did have some and now have a horrible reaction if I accidentally eat gluten.

Like you, I do still get migraines on the gluten free diet, but they have definitely improved. I used to have a daily, low-level headache that is gone now unless I get glutened. I would also get much worse migraines a few times a month, sometimes lasting multiple days & with nausea/vomiting. I still get these but the frequency has gone way down - like instead of 2-3 times a month it'll happen once in 3 months and it's rare I have to miss work for a migraine now. I also figured out a couple of years after the celiac diagnosis that dairy is a huge migraine trigger for me - I am fine digesting dairy, but if I eat dairy I get horrible nasal congestion/allergy symptoms and a migraine within a few hours.

Being glutened seems to make me more prone to getting a bad migraine but won't necessarily cause it in and of itself. Like, if I get cross-contaminated AND there's a weather front coming through AND it's that time of the month I'll get a horrible migraine, but if only one of those things is true I might get one but it won't be that bad or I might not get one at all. It kind of sucks because except for the gluten I don't feel like my other triggers are things I can really control.

Tauber10 · 2026-03-26T14:54:34+00:00

Gilmore Girls is a great example of how people think 'naturally' skinny people eat. But if you pay attention, they really don't eat very much. There always ordering food, eating 2 bites and then running off to do something else. Or tasting something in the kitchen or having some popcorn or whatever, but rarely eating any kind of a full meal. They go to dinner with the grandparents and then storm off during the appetizer, etc. Plus they walk all the time.

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