Ground rules

Chime in, share your take, tell me when I'm wrong, but let’s keep it constructive, k?

Talking about an autoimmune condition / dietary restriction / intolerance that impacts many of us every day and often very differently can stir up a lot of reactions. Throw in doing it across the world and woah.

Discussion is good, confusion is not. So let me share a bit about me, my approach, and what I am sharing here.

None of us should feel like we have to make every meal be some top rated GF spot to say we saw it. This is hard enough and spendy enough as is.

I consider myself incredibly lucky to get to travel so frequently but I know that’s not possible for everyone. Budgets are real and so is living off protein bars, veggie cups, and yogurts. What I share is the highlights, not all I eat.

I am not a doctor, if I was a doctor, I would not be your doctor. These are just my experiences and what’s worked for me.

I don’t claim perfection, I make mistakes. My latest endoscopy was clear, but that doesn’t mean every meal is going to be right or every place will be good every time someone goes in. It sucks but we have to keep checking.

Places may change. I may get things wrong. I hope my experiences are informative but it should go without saying to check for yourself before eating.

Zero gluten is my goal of course but I’m a lucky in that my reactions are more mild than severe if things do sneak in. That matters too.

I’ve got Celiac. I aim to avoid every bit of gluten but I admit I live with some risk in how I do that. You may have something else. Your take may be more or less strict. You may find my decisions too much or too little. That’s all ok.

My issues are gluten (obviously) and oats. I try to avoid going hard on fried food and fats or heavy spices as those can throw me off, but most other “triggers” are fine for me, usually.

Beyond all that, I think it’s important to acknowledge that we’re all different and want something different out of our trips and adventures.

I explore to see amazing things much more than to eat amazing food, and always have. I am not a foodie, rarely a drinker these days, and balance convenience with cost with effort differently every trip. Sure, I like to get a local meal and will go to wild lengths for a good GF bakery but I also will repeat a solid spot rather than seek out every must try place to keep it easier or cheaper. Call it functional enjoyment and so that’s the vibe you’ll find here.