Picky, picky, picky.
That might have been my first impression of Linda Huss Gackle and Roberta Beauchamp while eating supper with them at Whitey's in East Grand Forks.
They had to have a baked potato, rather than toast, when they ordered the classic mushroom and asparagus on toast item on the menu. They made sure there were no croutons on their salad. They asked what brand of dressing was served. They knew which ones might have gluten in them. Linda asked for Redbridge Beer and insisted that is the only kind she can drink.
But they are not difficult women. They are celiacs. That is, they have a lifelong digestive disorder that causes damage to their small intestines if they ingest gluten.
In other words, they can't eat wheat, barley or rye. They cannot tolerate it.
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And they are not alone. One in every 133 people has the same condition. Many of them do not know it.
Beauchamp, who works in the UND Alumni Center, was feeling sick for two years and was convinced she had colon cancer. That was until she passed out one day at work and was diagnosed by Dr. Anthony Chu, gastroenterologist at Altru Health Systems, as a celiac.
She was referred to Linda Huss Gackle, family nurse practitioner at the clinic, who also happens to be a celiac. The two have become friends and help with the informational meetings for celiacs at 10:30 a.m. to noon on the third Saturday of each month. I met with them and Janelle Olson, a licensed registered dietitian at Altru, to talk about celiac disease.
Linda has known for more than three years that her problem was celiac disease and she has two grown daughters who have the same condition. It's a genetic disease.
But Linda isn't going to let the problem keep her from eating in restaurants. Right away, she says, you have to rule out burgers on buns and you can forget about pasta. You have to make sure your meat is not breaded or marinated - or prepared with the same spatula used to turn a bun on the grill in the kitchen. She says it's better to ask for things plain - or "naked."
The biggest tool for celiacs is being able to read labels. Roberta carried a couple of guidebooks. And Linda says new labeling laws in the U.S. require food manufactures to indicate the top eight allergens including wheat on the package.
Celiacs find a few good foods they like and eat them again and again. Roberta loves corn nacho chips and cheese. She buys 20 containers of yogurt at a time. She likes it, and it is gluten-free.
Linda says the holidays and family reunions are the hardest. Everyone brings their favorite foods and she can't eat many of them. You always need Plan B, she says, as she digs out a gluten-free Bumblebar from her purse.
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Before she knew she was a celiac, Roberta used to eat a bag of red licorice when she and her husband, Punky Beauchamp, would take a car trip. Then, she wondered why she felt so sick. She learned wheat is the second ingredient in licorice.
Olson counsels patients every day and tells them about the many gluten-free products in the markets. Some stores have gluten-free bread.
And Linda knows Redbridge Beer, made by Anheuser-Busch, is gluten-free. The brewers are obviously making it for profit, because a growing segment of the population is learning they have celiac disease, which was seldom diagnosed until recently.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gfherald.com or (701) 772-1055.
