#articlesbyshauna

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

New Job....New People To Know

So last month, I started a new job and boy was it an adjustment. I went from working a 10 minute drive away in the suburbs to working in Downtown Manhattan where I need to take a train and a subway to get there. Not only did I have that adjustment, but I also had the adjustment of new people who did not know my lifestyle….and by that I meant my Gluten Free and Dairy Free lifestyle.

People did find out about it very quickly, since on Friday’s they order out, usually pizza. They know now to order me a salad and to not count when counting the amount of people here to order a pizza. I also now get called “LG” by one or two of my colleagues. I just find it funny and not offensive at all. You can only learn so much about a person in the office. That is one aspect about me that they know well that is easy to find out about. 

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

http://dailycaller.com/2014/10/16/jennifer-lawrence-infuriates-gluten-free-groups-calls-it-eating-disorder/

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

I Have Absolutely No Respect For Jennifer Lawrence Anymore......

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/celebrity/jennifer-lawrence-calls-gluten-free-diets-the-new-cool-eating-disorder/ar-BB9ffEr

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

They are nice in Britain too.....

So I was going with people from my office for lunch to a pita place that has salads on the menu but had no boxes available. I looked like I didn't have money or something but I told the person who asked how there was nothing for me to eat. What he did was left the group and went to another place with me to get food and then ate lunch together in the cafeteria in the office. He was so nice to do that for me and help out in such an awkward situation.

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

I’m sorry but I do not like the idea of “School Safe” products

I am okay with the concept of bringing in foods that do not contains top allergens, but the concept of School Safe, I am uneasy with. It is coming off as these should be the only products allowed in school. I think that is way out of line because children should learn on their own which foods to eat and not eat.

When I was a child in elementary school in the 90s, there were no “School Safe” products. Teachers did not go crazy over whether or not I would accidentially drink milk. I learned on my own how to be watchful. I knew how to say no and that was that. It was not a problem. I believe this is why I am only intolerant of gluten and dairy and not allergic. I think the way alleriges in children are handled today is the reason why kids are more allergic than they used to be.

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

Allergen Menu Confusion

The Allergen Menu should have both individual products as well as menu items.

I was reading the Smashburger Allergen Menu and it was not perfectly clear in terms of which sandwiches really has what in what. 

For example, since cheese is originally on every sandwich, every sandwich labelled on the menu will say it contains dairy. But without the cheese, the sandwich is fine to eat. For the intolerant person, like myself, what I do is order an item and record any bad reaction mentally and not order it again.

Of course they say you can always ask, but, really, you cannot rely on it. Not every employee is trained to know every ingredient each individual food item. And why would they? It is to some people just part time job and not a career.  

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

You’re Gluten Free, But American Express Free Too

I decided to check out a restaurant while I was in Philadelphia to kill some time before an Alumni event. It was a new restaurant that had just opened so I decided to check it out. I look at the menu to get a class of wine, which is what the place specializes in and I noticed it had Gluten-Free pizza. I decided to try it out because I thought it was a good idea since heaven knows if I will be able to eat more than just s salad. The pizza was good for what it was, definitely outsourced and bought from a vendor, but for me, pizza is pizza yum yum. I go to pay and I asked if American Express was accepted. The answer was No. I was very dumbfounded by this response because I did spend $12 on a fancy glass of wine. How could you not accept American Express?

I understand that many businesses do not accept American Express. I have an American Express card because I am able to get Starpoints that can go towards hotel stays at Starwood Hotels. So when I cannot use my American Express card, I find it as a loss.

There is a restaurant in my town that serves Gluten-Free pizza, but once again, it does not accept American Express. The part that saddens me about this is that now I am less inclined to support small businesses with Gluten-Free menus because of the inability to use American Express.

[glutenfreedairyfreelifestyle]

Rice Pilaf = No Rice as A Side Dish

So when certain people come over and their preference is Rice Pilaf, it means that there is no rice for me when they are here. I can’t complain. So many accommodations are made for me that to complain about one little thing, which is only temporary, is just not worth it.