Pack your bags! We're going around the globe... gluten-free!

When I was officially diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2009, one of my first thoughts was "how can I travel and see the world if I can't eat any good food?".

Then it hit me... If there was ever a good excuse to travel, this is the perfect one! Being gluten-free doesn’t have to mean taking something out of your diet. It can mean putting a lot more in... a never ending experiment. What better way to discover new food then to travel and look for it?

Now, I’m combining my love for travel with my love for gluten-free food and taking you on an adventure with me around the globe as we explore living and loving the gluten-free life.

Got your passport?


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Travel GF to Riviera Maya

I found a wonderful GF travel article in the Quebec Celiac Chapter newsletter this past week written by their President, Louise Pearl. For those of you hoping to travel to Mexico.... I'd love to share her tips and story with you. Here's a bit of inspiration...

``I was lucky enough to travel to Mexico (just before it became a bad idea) and just in case you feel like giving it a try here are a few tips. I went to The Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach Resort. This was my first time at an all-inclusive resort and
needless to say I had a few hesitations. I called first, spoke to guest services and was reassured when they said they deal with GF requests often. Sure enough they did a great job.

First thing you should pack is a gluten free restaurant card in their native language (in this case Spanish). If you search on the internet you can find them in most every language. Make many copies as you will hand them to your water or Maitre D or the chef at every meal and they sometimes do not return from the kitchen. Other
times they come back with food stains!

Rules #1 Always find the Maitre D or the head chef. Explain your needs and do not eat from the buffet. At first they would tell me what was safe for me in the buffet but after I explained the possibility of cross contamination when people serve themselves they were always very happy to make a GF version in the back for me of just about anything on the buffet. Por favor, gracias and a smile go a very long way. After a few days, the Head Chef would recognise me when we met anywhere on the site and always came to say hi. Be nice, say gracias and give him a tip, they don’t
often get tipped because they are mostly in the kitchen. Trust me it goes a very long way in making your stay delicious!

Rule #2 Another tidbit I learned, if you leave a tip as we do here, on the table when you are finished your meal it will go to the server. If the Maitre D was the one who communicated your needs to the chef and took care of you and your intention is to thank him or her, giving them a tip directly is the way to go. Otherwise the waiter who simply cleared away the plates will the one to benefit. We have to remember that salaries are not enough to feed their families and the few tips they get are very important to them so make sure it goes where you want.

Rule #3 Drinks! Hey it’s not a vacation without some tropical drink. Just make
sure you avoid the “blender drinks”. Most often the blenders are not washed
most always they are just rinsed leaving some of the previous concoction behind to contaminate your drink. Options such as Mojitos are made directly in your glass not in a blender and they do the trick of satisfying your need for something wet,
sweet and tropical. All the water they use in food preparation, drinks and ice
is safe but do not drink the water from the tap in your room or elsewhere on the site.

Rule #4 Remember to bring reef walkers, you know those water shoes to protect your feet. The Mayan shore is rocky and I saw more people with cut feet in one week than I ever did before. If you have inexpensive water shoes you will enjoy the ocean so much more.

Rules #5 Learn to say Si, when a massage therapist comes up to you on the beach and offers a free back massage! I am not kidding, it happened. It is their way of the spa, but I didn’t tell him I was going anyway with or without the freebie. This deserved a “muchas gracias”.``

Enjoy and begin your sunny trip planning!

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