Steps to Prevent Gluten Cross Contamination during the Holidays  { Christmas… the most wonderful time of the year! Well it should be but for some of us, this time of year brings a lot of stress and fear of getting sick. Here are my top tips for staying safe and contaminant free this holiday season. } Contributor: Glutagen The holiday season is such a magical time of year. After the end-of-year rush, we get to sit back, relax, enjoy cruisey days with family and friends and, in Australia, soak up the summer sun! In a perfect world, the most stressful part of the holidays would be deciding what presents to get each family member. However, for those of us with severe dietary restrictions, having family and friends together to share meals means an exhausting process of either cooking everything yourself or spending hours briefing each of the family members. Then comes the food spread and the anxiety of… was anything cross contaminated?? Here are the yum. Gluten Free top tips for a safe, enjoyable and relaxing holiday season including a gluten free checklist and a discount on GluteGuard! Anytime we dine outside of our own kitchen, we put ourselves at risk for cross contamination. In 2016, researchers from the Celiac Research Program in Harvard Medical School completed a study where the diet of 105 participants was monitored in aims of measuring the frequency and effects of accidental gluten ingestion. What they found was that 91% of participants accidentally consumed gluten at least once per month in a six-month trial. These were people on a “100% gluten free diet”, not those who were not intentionally consuming gluten for any reason. The study also found the most common reasons why the participants were exposed to gluten. Whilst the majority of the subjects were unsure of what lead to the exposure (63%), problems ordering in restaurants contributed to 30% of the suspected gluten cross-overs. Frustration (7%), not wanting to offend the host (6%), embarrassment (6%), anger (3%) and a desire to fit-in (1%) occurred rarely. There were five participants (7%) who reported experiencing symptoms after intentionally consuming gluten because no gluten-free food was available. These findings make it clear that even when we make the effort to phone ahead, ask our list of questions and get the best advice on avoiding gluten, gluten cross-contamination is always a risk when dining outside of our own kitchen. In addition to each of the precautionary steps listed below, we also recommend taking GluteGuard as a precaution to keep yourself safe this holiday season. During the holiday season when dining is often out of your control, GluteGuard will help to breakdown accidentally ingested gluten in efforts to prevent the very specific, toxic and immunogenic fractions of interacting with your intestinal lining and causing the symptoms we can all relate to. GluteGuard is not a reason to skip any of the below steps but just one more opportunity to keep yourself safe and well! Let’s make that gluten free list and check it twice, shall we?                                     Brief family and friends on your condition. Send a mass email or Facebook message to everyone who will be gathering for Christmas. Briefly explain your disease or gluten sensitivity and emphasise the detriment of gluten cross contamination. Use seperate utensils, baking paper and foil to avoid accidental cross contamination. Propose a Christmas Day menu Put together a list of favourites (or family traditions) and grab some simple, gluten free recipes online. Show people just how easy it is to transition to a fully gluten free Christmas! Find brands that offer gluten free products as well for tricky items like gravy, sauces or anything that comes packaged. Ask people to sign up with what they’d like to prepare!  Simply ask who is comfortable catering for you You would not believe how grateful people are to be equipped with information to enable them to make an informed decision. As a rule of thumb, people who are not comfortable cooking for those with dietary requirements will happily let you know if you give them the opportunity. Invite them to bring their favourite drink to share. From here, you will know what gaps you need to fill to make sure you’re getting a balanced meal on the big day. Feel free to invite family and friends to send you pictures of packaging ingredient lists if they are unsure. Remind them to check for “may contain” and “processed in the same facility” statements, as these are not safe! The day is here! Here are a few tips to ensure a safe and happy day. Take a digestive enzyme Even after every single possible precaution, I always take the digestive enzyme, GluteGuard before eating food not prepared in my own house. You want to take this enzyme prior to eating so it can be released in your small intestine. This will help to breakdown the gluten that may be accidentally ingested. Whilst GluteGuard is not a replacement for a gluten free diet, it’s just one more opportunity to keep yourself safe and well! Please do all research necessary before incorporating any supplements into your diet. Personally, I take GluteGuard, available online world-wide. See below for our holiday promo code! Arrange the gluten free food first Now that you’ve briefed the family, checked labels and taking your GluteGuard, it’s time to arrange the table. When setting out the food, always be sure to have any foods with gluten in them last in the food line and grouped together (bread rolls, etc.) or on a separate bench to reduce the risk of cross contamination. This can easily happen by someone accidently using a serving utensil for a gluten containing food and then replacing it in a gluten free dish so be sure that each dish has its own serving utensil. Lastly, ask to serve yourself first and load up your plate! People are always hesitant