Last time, here on Celiac Bites, we talked about the joys of starting your gluten free journey by adopting an inclusive diet.
That’s a really good plan with one minor wrinkle. There are plenty of ways to make yourself miserable without the benefit of poisonous food. You don’t want to ruin your safe, inclusive diet now do you? So consider the following list as an idea starter to identify things in your life that are out to get you.
- Lipstick. Girls, you have it on your mouth! And guys have been known to kiss girls, who have lipstick on their mouth. A lipstick glutening can work either way!
- Shampoo. Where do you think all those sudsy bubbles go on their way from the top of your head to the shower drain? Umm, maybe your mouth? Like mom cleaning your mouth out with soap, it doesn’t take much to ruin your day.
- Envelopes. People have died on Seinfeld from licking envelopes. You probably won’t die, but for some reason people seem to want to put gluten in envelope glue.
- Toothpaste. Most are fine, but watch out for Sensodyne. Nothing definite, but many have complained about potential cross contamination in the manufacturing process.
- Dental floss. Yep, check before flossing, no matter what your dentist says.
- Speaking of torture dentists, check out the junk they put in your mouth at the annual cleaning. Yep, been burned by that. More than once.
- Non-food food stuff. A while back, I wrote about Senseo coffee pods. While I still haven’t been able to prove it, I think the adhesive that holds the pod together is part of a plot to kill me.
- Soaps, face scrubs, and other such things. Watch out. It goes on your face. Leading scientists believe this is where the human mouth is located.
- Things you don’t necessarily swallow. Like gum, mouthwash, mints, nasal or throat sprays, fluoride rinses, etc. Be sure to check before not swallowing!
Hopefully this sparks some ideas about non-food things in your household to watch out for. Did I miss any obvious ones? If so, comment below!
After an 18 month adventure through the catacombs of the medical system, I was formally diagnosed with Celiac Disease. The bright side of that journey is that I know 3,712 nasty and horrible conditions that I do NOT have. 
Hand lotion? I have no evidence to back this up but it stands to reason, if you touch your food. But maybe that doesn’t cause problems for people.
Great point Jess! I knew I was forgetting some things – thanks for sharing!
Gluten only has to be absorbed my the body, so check soaps, shampoo, rinses, make-up, etc., as well. Some people will actually blister if gluten touches them.