Gluten Free and Tasty!

This is for people living in and/or visiting the Tri-Cities area of Virginia and Tennessee. The Shouting Sprout, in Bristol, TN, unfortunately closed at the end of 2009. They did have some good items, but since there wasn't a huge health food market in the area, many times the products would be out of date.

Luckily, there are two great shops in Johnson City, TN, which, round trip from Abingdon, VA, is, give or take, about 2 hours. We've found the prices to be fairly reasonable too - as gluten free goes.

Here is where we go in Johnson City:

Earth Fare

1735 West State of Franklin Road
Johnson City, TN 37604-6573
(423) 232-1011
Get directions

This is a supermarket for the health conscious - but without terribly ridiculous prices. We are on a tight budget, and being gluten free doesn't help, but we believe the prices here are fair. Take a look at their WONDERFUL food philosophy!!

So you can find a number of gluten free foods, sauces, almond butters (Justin's is the brand I suggest because they are labeled GF - I believe they do peanut butter as well. Smart Balance PB is also safe), candy bars, gum (Glee Gum), etcetera.

But guess what? gluten frequently hides in DELI MEATS! Yup, it's a filler (and/or binding agent)! So, take your cooler along and stock up on some tasty deli meats and other deli items that are safe! Plus, they are MSG free as well. This is a good thing for many reasons. Primarily, MSG is NOT good for you. Two, from my own experience and from reading Celiac blogs, folks with Celiac's Disease and/or gluten intolerance frequently respond badly to MSG.

When you go to the deli section, look specifically for this brand: Applegate Farms. They are organic and anti-biotic free, and delicious! We've tried (and love) the Organic Genoa Salami, the Honey & Maple Turkey Breast, and the Uncured Honey Ham. Next time we'll take the cooler and maybe try some more! If you don't plan to use it right away, these meats are WELL sealed and have a use OR FREEZE BY date!


Now, this note of caution applies to EVERY deli (not just Earth Fare):

Also, do NOT try any samples that have been put out - even cheeses. You have no idea if the knife used to cut the cheese was used to cut something unsafe right before hand. Want sliced meats but only one large ham (or similiar) is available? Buy your meats, get a meat slicer (I've seen them for reasonable prices) and slice your meats at home to avid cross contamination. You don't know what was cut on it before and you won't always get an understanding clerk who is willing to wash down (and do it properly) the entire slicer for your order. I've watched the deli clerks where I work wash down the slicer and it's not a fast process.

Earth Fare is also where I was able to find my (Desert Organics) gluten free shampoo. Check out my post about gluten free hair care as to why I went on the hunt for a non-edible GF product, and why you may want to consider switching out your personal care products too!

Natural Foods Market
nfmonline.com
3211 Peoples Street
Johnson City, TN 37604-4109
(423) 610-1000
Get directions


We get our bread here. It is a brand called Schar, and it is imported from Germany. They carry White Sandwich Bread, Multi-grain, and Hamburger rolls. There may be a fourth item, but I'm not certain. I have not tried the rolls. Of the breads, I prefer the white bread. Although the multi-grain bread IS good on its own, the white bread tastes better with your average sandwich (PB&J, Grilled Cheese, with deli meats, etc).

They have a wide selection of other gluten free products - even "bread"crumbs which are yummy!

The staff here is wonderful and very friendly!



****Be sure you take your own bags to Earth Fare! Starting Earth Day of 2010, they cut plastic bags!

From their websites:

Does Aquafresh® contain any gluten?
Aquafresh® toothpaste does not contain gluten.


Do any Crest products contain gluten?
No current Crest products contain gluten. (Based on this, I plan to switch to Crest mouthwash. I use Colgate toothpaste, but their answer is too toothpaste-oriented for my preference.)


Does Colgate toothpaste contain gluten?
Gluten is not present in any of our toothpastes or raw materials.


Head & Shoulders
We know Celiac is a serious disease, so we want to give you clear information regarding the use of Head & Shoulders. All of our products are gluten free. (This is good to know, but I am still glad I switched to a shampoo that is also free of . But if those types of things don't bother you, and you're simply looking for an easy to find GF Shampoo/Conditioner, H&S may be a good choice for you!)

Bounce Fabric Softeners
No Fabric Softners products contain gluten. (Confirmed in e-mail this morning.)

Arm & Hammer
ARM & HAMMER® UltraMax® Deodorant Anti-Perspirant and ARM & HAMMER® Super Scoop Fragrance Free Cat Litter** do not contain gluten. We do not knowingly include gluten in our formulation for ARM & HAMMER® Liquid Laundry Detergent. However, we can not verify whether gluten may be present below reportable limits in the proprietary materials we obtain from our suppliers.

If you have any questions or concerns in the future, please feel free to contact our Consumer Relations Department at 1-800-248-8820 between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm ET or visit our corporate web site at: www.churchdwight.com. (Confirmed in email this morning.)

** I asked about their kitty litter for 2 reasons: 1, I don't want to touch it if there is gluten in it. 2, Our cat is also gluten intolerant! Soon, I'll cover some gluten free cat foods. I don't have a dog, but if this is something you'd like me to look into for YOUR dog, please drop me a line and I'll check it out and blog about it! :-)

Topcare (Topco Associates LLC
Allergy Chlorpheniramine Maleate Antihistamine
NDC 36800-463-62
4-Hour Relief
Relieves:
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Itchy, Watery Eyes
Itchy Throat

24 Tablets

Active ingredient in each tablet:
Chlorpheniramine Maleate, 4mg (Antihistamine)

Inactive ingredients: corn starch, D&C yellow no. 10, lactose, magnesium stearate

I called TopCo at 1-888-423-0139 two-three days ago to find out if it was gluten free. I was pretty sure it was safe, but wanted to verify it. They called back this morning to say there is NO GLUTEN in it! I am particularly happy about this because this is the only anti-histamine that works well for me, but until now, I've only been able to find it in Children's Chewable Triaminic ... where it has been sweetened by ASPARTAME! So, I've been dealing with having to take less anti-histamine then I would have liked due to my poor reaction to aspartame - for years now. I am so relieved to find this medication all by itself. I can't swallow pills, but I far prefer a bitter, unsweetened medication over aspartame, sucralose (splenda), etcetera. (Even better, we bought about 8 packs, on sale for $1.00 each!).

The anti-histamine not only helps my seasonal allergies, but also relieves the itching I get on my hands (and sometimes legs) when I come in physical, non-digestive contact with gluten.

* Please remember to check ingredients and company websites as ingredient/supplier information could change at any time.

As I have learned recently, some of us on the gluten-free diet must also abstain from touching gluten! Whole new ballgame now.

So over the last week, I set off to learn what I could about gluten in personal care products, and find out which were safe for me to use.

I had already determined that my shampoo made my hands burn, and they'd hurt more afterwards, but I had always thought - well, it's just because they are broken out/apart, and left it at that. Now I realize it was a gluten reaction - without even having to digest it (trace amounts swallowed when soapy water runs down your face not withstanding).

If you've ever read a shampoo bottle, you know how difficult it is to determine what exactly is in there to begin with; many names are listed by their chemical make-up, which tells the average consumer absolutely nothing.

Yesterday, we took a trip to Earth Fare, in Johnson City, TN, for a gluten free shopping trip. We only had food items on the list, but since it is a grocery store, I decided to check out their personal care items.

We came home with shampoo and conditioner from Desert Organics* which are labeled 100% wheat and gluten free! (Also free of many other things as well.) I got Lemon Tea Tree - which actually turned out to smell a bit like Pledge! I am pleased to report, however, that after the shower, as my hair dries, it has merely retained a "nice fruity smell".

Neither the shampoo nor conditioner made my hands hurt at all during use. Usually, the shampoo/conditioner makes my hands burn badly within seconds. As I rinsed the conditioner out of my hair, I loved the silky, smooth feeling my hair had -- and is retaining even as it (air) dries!

I opted not to put anything on my hands or take any medications that I usually do post-shower. I haven't needed them. It's an AMAZING difference!


* Please not that one of their shampoos we looked at (Coconut, I believe) was NOT Gluten Free - I believe it had wheat in it. I don't think the Coconut Lotion did though, so be sure you read your labels carefully!