I think I put my foot in my mouth at church today - d'oh!!!

[cruelshoes]

Background story - I belong to a religion that teaches the importance of food storage. From a very young age, we are taught to store a years supply of food and, if possible, fuel, clothing and other supplies. Most of these teachings center around wheat. Among other things, wheat is inexpensive, healthful for many people and stores for a long time. I believe very strongly in the commandment of food storage, and am trying very hard to be faithful and build up my GF years supply. Now on with the show.....

Many Church members buy food, store it in their basement and never use it. Then it goes bad and they have to pitch it and start all over. Or they forget to rotate it into their diets and when they really need it they don't know how to use it or don't like it. To combat this, we are "treated" many times over our lifetimes to classes on how to cook and store wheat.

Today, we had a class on food storage. After about an hour of hearing how wonderful wheat was, I couldn't take it anymore. I do not often speak up in Church. My mother always taught me it is better to remain silent and be perceived a fool than speak and remove all doubt. But I threw caution to the wind and raised my hand. I said that only 3 years ago, I had a years supply of wheat, barley rye and oats. Wheat is great for lots of people, but it does not work for everyone. My food storage almost killed me. If people are going to store food, they need to be sure that the food they are storing is something they can and will eat. It does no good to have piles upon food that you can't eat. I could have a years supply of gluten food and still starve to death. So if you are going to store food, eat what you store and store what you eat.

Now I am second guessing myself. Should I have said that? I was nice about it and many people in the congregation were nodding their heads, but there were some that were giving me the deer in the headlights look. TEC will probably tell me to stop worrying so much about what other people think (it's a theme with me). Sometimes I feel like I am surrounded by wheat eaters and I am tired of being the wierd one! Honestly, I don't care that I can't eat gluten, but sometimes I feel like an alien in Wheat land.........
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-Colleen
Dx 8/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
9-YO son Dx 11/05 via bloodwork/biopsy
Daughters have negative bloodwork - so far!

A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water. - Eleanor Roosevelt

[mrsppmrxky]

Colleen, you said nothing wrong! I do the second guessing/doubting thing as well. In this case, if anyone got offended, then they are crazy.

You actually gave out a very good 'tip'. It does no one any good to not rotate the food they store or to store food they can't or won't eat.

That was very sound logical advise.
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[aklap]

I think you did just fine! No, it doesn't make a lot of sense to do that for you. I think if people knew of your CD, they'd say the same thing. Why store food that you can't possibly eat? It's just not reasonable.

Perhaps the people giving you the deer in the headlights look because they've never heard you voice your opinion like that before? That used to happen to me before I became active in our church. People were stunned that I was actually speaking [yes, I was a quiet and shy person. Still am, but much less so].

I'm going to throw something out here - please don't be offended by it. There's a common theme between this thread and your "Dinner: Possible" thread. You always talk about "hiding" your issues. Never wanting to explain them, never want to be thought of as weird or one of those "picky eaters", etc. Do you think if you did explain things, wasn't so secretive about your disease, was open and frank about it - maybe others would understand, sympathize and be compassionate about it? Maybe you've done that already, and experienced enough backlash that there's a reason you've decided to "go underground" with your CD.

I've always been open and matter of fact about my issues. I don't whine, complain or have the "poor me" attitude [please, I'm not saying you do...however I suspect many have played that role]. What I am saying is that if you are open and share this - you may not be thought of as weird because of your food issues. In my case, they think I'm weird for many other reasons beyond what I can or can not eat. Everyone at church knows of my issues at some level. Oh and yes, I do say lots of goofy stuff - just like I say goof stuff out here. Most of my announcements have some tinge of humor in them.

Who knows what person might be touched or affected by your story. It might open up a whole new world for someone else that is suffering [or is suffering and may not realize what's going on].

Colleen, you are what you are...one of God's children. A gluten free child, but still a child. Maybe it's because I've been "odd" [being left handed, shy, etc], all my life, or maybe it's just because I am "weird"...but I prefer to look at it in a different light. I prefer to think of myself as unique and special. You are too! Don't sell your self short!
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Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[celiacmaine-iac]

Colleen, I think your point was appropriate, and on target. If nothing else, it might make the people who organize those classes think a little about all people with food intolerances. It is important for them to teach all the people in your church how to maintain a proper food storage that will help them in time of need, not just those who can eat wheat. There are so many people with food intolerances now, so I think you did your part today to humbly and quietly educate.

I too, try to maintain a year's supply of food and supplies at all times. Needless to say this dx of celiac, has thrown me for a loop in that department. Thankfully, I have people I can give my wheat berries and rye to, but I now have to figure out replacements that will work equally well. If you have any suggestions, feel free to PM me at any time. I would welcome the help. Steph

[mrsppmrxky]

Hey, Al, I have to chuckle at your 'I'm shy" or 'was'. Do you think that when you can talk about poop with total strangers that it does something to us to help us not be so'shy' anymore? LOL

I have found myslef chatting with total strangers in the health food store when they are 'noticably' new to GF shopping (that deer in the headlights look with a GF book in tow.) and the subject of 'poo' come out of no where to discuss. LOL Life with Celiac is comical at times that's for sure!


AL, you're a lefty too? Wow, I knew there was a reason we clicked. We are both in our 'right minds' LOL
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For those looking to store the food items for a year. If you have a grain grinder, You can purchase Millet, sorghum, teff and rice to grind like you would the other ingredients. I have seen the Tapioca pearls also in the Asian store, so I am pretty sure you could grind those as well.

As to the vaious beans we use for flours, that would grind as well, so that should be usable in your pantry for baking.

Hope that helps.
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[cruelshoes]

[kb9oyo]

Coleen, I don't think that you made a mistake in speaking up in your church. It doesn't do any good to store up a reserve for adversity if when the adversity comes up, you can't use it. What you said applies to others with allergies and health issues, so it should be taken into account.

In my own church, there are two of us who are known celiacs. One of them is the Deacon's wife. Our church takes that into account and provides us with gf Communion wafers without much of a fuss. Yesterday, both of us were invited to a special service at a different church that was closing for good. I forgot that it might be a problem with the Communion until after I left home, so I failed to take with me a couple of rice crackers that might be used for our Communion. The answer was fairly simple. We could have the wine, but not the wafer and I was OK with that. When I went up to Communion, I passed on the bread as it was going by and the Priest who knew what the problem was apologized for overlooking our needs. I didn't feel embarrassed. I felt that there was somebody who loved me and wanted me to be included.

Sue B
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Sue Beyer

[NickisDragon]

Hi Colleen, I think you might view your speaking up as a blessing for others as well. You very well may have some new members, or overly shy members or some newly diagnosed members who needed to hear about the alternatives but were too "whatever" to speak up themselves. Spreading knowledge is always a gift. You did good!
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The Love we withhold is the pain that we carry.
Nicki

B-Day: January 18
DX: October 2005

[nancw]

Good job Colleen. In light of this on the "Three Month Supply" page of the website you linked to: Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet, you have clarified for those who might have wondered about their own dietary needs and how they dovetail with the instructions given.
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Nance

gluten, dairy, soy, rice, corn, yeast and 99% grain-free

[isto]

Colleen, if I were in the group you spoke to, I wouldn't have considered it a "wheat issue". I think your advice was very sound/wise on every level. I don't think it does any good or is pleasing to God to spend a bunch of money on food that will sit and go to waste - even if it were 50 cans of Spam. Then we wouldn't be very good stewards of the $$ He has given us.

I wouldn't feel self-conscious about it. I think it was a really good bit of practical advice!!!
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[Chrystabel]

Cruelshoes,

I share your faith and I think there was nothing at all objectionable in what you said. I also think that a lot of the food storage advice is cultural. I recently moved back from Germany and in our church there the idea of which grains to store was much more varied. In Germany no one bats an eye if you eat buckwheat, millet, quinoa, amaranth or other non-gluten grains and are, in fact, actively encouraged to store these grains in addition to wheat and spelt (and spelt is used even more than wheat usually). We actually had a whole class on how to store and mill all grains (including non-gluten) and how to incorporate them into non-yeasted doughs and what not. In fact, our church bought an expensive Jupiter mill that the whole congregation could use in case they couldn't afford one.

I wish we could open up the thinking a little bit in American culture (I assume this is where you live)-and show people HOW to use food storage to their best advantage. Not only should we be storing and grinding our own grains but we should know how to sprout these grains and seeds. I have Candidiasis so the idea of storing white sugar (why white? why not Rapadura that has more nutrients?) has no appeal for me and I know it is basically a nothing substance that doesn't contribute to health. I store stevia (which doesn't take a lot of shelf space) and xylitol (expensive but worth the expense imo).

Maybe those people who were looking at you weren't judging you or offended but simply startled by an idea that hadn't passed their radar screen before. Also, by speaking out you might be helping someone find the road to health. Of course, its easy for me to say this because I have no problem being the odd woman out. Some people may think you are "weird" but, so what? If you helped just one person better their life, or not feel so weird (who knows if you are the only celiac), isn't it worth it?

I guess I am the opposite of your mom though-I believe it is better to speak out than be silent (especially when the spirit prompts one to do so) because otherwise how can we learn and help eachother grow? Why should one care if one is a fool? Worrying about what other people think and how they perceive me is definitely a temporal focus and one that doesn't encourage growth or the spirit.

Anyway, fwiw I think you made a fabulous comment.

.-)

[Jags]

In almost all ways Wheat=Human society. We use Wheat for food, cultural identity, show of power, economic status, and it is involved deeply in the Major Religions of the world.

I think you did fine, and made a great point. I used to get stares at my new parish since I cannot take communion by host, noone was rude about it, but I got odd looks. Then the priest made a passing comment one day in a bulletin.
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Peace
Big Jon