I didn't see any specific references out here, so I thought I'd ask. What t'heck is gluten you ask?

I have a condition called Celiac Disease [aka gluten intolerance] in which I must remove all gluten [a protein found in wheat, barley, rye & oats] from my diet. Yup - that's right - no pizza, no beer, no cookies, no cake,etc - unless they're gluten free. We have been able to replace all my favorites.

Gluten can be added or hidden in almost any food. It's the number 2 additive to processed foods [Sugar is #1]. Sauces, marinades, rubs - all ingredients must be checked on all foods. Then there are cross contamination issues. When I go to a friends house for a cookout, I will ask them to grill my items on a piece of tin foil, because I just don't know what has been grilled there before [or what their "grill hygiene" is]. The same goes for utensils too. If they are using a BBQ sauce that is not gluten free, I must make sure they use different tongs. Most times, I will grill stuff ahead, wrap it in tin foil and place it on the grill to warm it up. It makes things easier for me and my host

aklap,

Geez, I'm really sorry to hear of this condition and that you're are effected by it! Thanks for your link, it was very educational on this (for me) unknown and never heard of before illness. I'm glad you were able to put together a diet designed for you to circumvent this disaster, sounds very restrictive. I can sympathize with your careful approach to eating out and at friends houses. My hat is off to you for the stamina to endure this ordeal, a hassle I imagine would bring most people to their knees!

I was shocked to read how many people are afflicted with this, especially where it is so difficult to analyze! Kudos for your positive attitude, though you seem to speak lightly of this, the underlying truth is more dire than obvious. Happy to be of your acquaintance, your character is certainly of strength and stamina, to fight this daily is a taxing toll I would not wish on anyone.

In admiration, Mike

Thanks for your most kind words, Mike.

In reality - it's not that bad. There is a steep learning curve to this lifestyle. It took me 3-6 months before I was comfortable with my food choices. Then another 3-6 months before I felt "at home". Almost 4.5 years in, it feels like I've always been this way.

Believe it or not, there are more things that I can eat, than not! Many mainstream foods are GF, it's just a matter of knowing what products. Reading label is a must. Even then it can be tricky.

I suffered for 1.5 years before I figured out what was going on. Yes, lots of Doctors, but no real answers [very common in gluten intolerance]. I started researching on the internet and found others having the same issues. Sure enough, removing gluten removed the "hung-over-all-the-time, constant-reflux ,brain-fogged, abdominal-pain" ridden haze I was in. My health has improved greatly. I was even approved to go off my blood pressure meds I was on for the previous 20 years!

The general public will be hearing more about this...slowly the word is getting out.

I have a passion for sharing what I've learned along the way, so others won't have to experience what I did. So I moderate/administer Celiacforums.com and created another board with some of the friends [they saved my life] called GlutenFreeAndBeyond.org. Oh, then there's my website, which isn't much, called GFNavigator.org.

When things settle down around here [I'm taking a class on web development], I'll post a few of my fave GF grill recipes .

And we'll certainly be looking forward to those recipes! Thanks, Mike

Al,
I have Celiac also..... there's a ton of BBQ sauces and marinades that are Gluten Free, most of them are the better quality smaller manufacturers.
I buy Bone Suckin' Sauce by the case (says Gluten Free right on the label)

Dude,

Hey another GF'er!!

Thanks for the heads up - I'm aware of BSS, but I have not tried yet. I've been doing Sweet Baby Rays as of late. Gotta love that GF labeling. It will be interesting to see what happens come August. FDA will set limits as to what GF actually means [suspected < 20 parts per million].