9 minute read
Dining Out Programme
BTOWARDS LUFF
A desire for a CHALLENGE and PERSONAL GROWTH was the catalyst that raised approximately $5,000 for Coeliac New Zealand.
HRIVING not just surviving. That was the plan to take on Tour Aotearoa a cycle tour from Cape Reinga to Bluff on cycle trails, tracks, beaches, and roads. I was needing something to look forward to and essentially a break from surviving. I think I am something called an active relaxer. Sitting on a beach or a deck doesn’t work for me. I needed a chance to step out of work and for that matter the sense of confinement and limitation that the COVID-19 lock downs have brought.
My friend Andrew surprised me with a phone call – and perhaps an answer. Was I up for Tour Aotearoa? I didn’t hesitate and I didn’t think about. I was unfit, had no bike, no gear, no time, and no experience on a mountain bike. Add to the mix lock downs and supply issues – and oh yeah, I have coeliac disease! Yes, I was keen.
Back to my diagnosis I was biopsy diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2007 after a seven year long medical focus on adventure traveller type afflictions finally wore out. Think Montezuma’s revenge and about every cold and flu going. I was later found to be anaemic and that spurred bowel investigation and diagnosis. A brief period of denial was followed by substantial general health improvements. But it felt like a tap had been turned off. Lucky, I got my health back, not so lucky that I had lost a sense of everyday freedom. I did not really want to be, you know, that person who had to think and act differently – but then coeliac disease gave me no choice.
A real pleasure in life for me had been to try any food anywhere, with anyone and anytime. I was not aware how central food and drink were to my sociability. A beer and chips, that was freedom – and I was going to miss it.
Max and Andrew take on Tour Aotearoa. Motivated to make a change Things are better now than in 2007. I can find a great GF Beer, and there is the Dining Out Programme (DOP). I am into that! You can go to a restaurant and feel safe, and there are chips, at least the Attic Bar and Restaurant in Mission Bay, Auckland where staff are DOP trained and the kitchens are independently audited to be coeliac safe. There are not many DOP accredited places yet, but I hope that this cycle will help raise awareness about the challenges of living coeliac safe and gluten free for life; and CNZ are right behind me on that.
I am not ready to give up eating out and trying new cuisines. Although I have the good fortune that friends and family let me choose the venue, I do sometimes fear restaurants and limit dining away from home to just a few that I have come to trust. I have a supportive partner who insists that we keep our kitchen fully gluten free – which is my freedom zone. A mess can be made, and no one gets hurt. I am relieved that gluten is not a topic of discussion because there isn’t any.
So, getting back to the cycle ride and fundraising for a cause. When it comes to social media, I am a novice. So, it’s been a challenge to profile myself and the ride – and in fact my first and second ever posts were on LinkedIn and Facebook. However, as a long-term supporter of CNZ, and having contributed on the Board for numerous years, using this opportunity to fundraise for CNZ was a no brainer. I want to continue to raise awareness about coeliac disease and help make life better and safer for everyone affected. I would also like to use this opportunity to promote the DOP and encourage others to do the same. I am committed to do this ride, and CNZ has got right behind it and Andrew did too, although not himself a coeliac. Andrew, well he’s an enthusiast who likes an adventure and a challenge and likes helping others like us too.
As it has turned out, adding the fund- and profile-raising element to the journey has taken what seemed to be a relatively solitary pursuit of cycling, to being social. It has been great working with my CNZ colleagues on the project and some of the responses coming through have been inspiring. I am heartened that other people will get onto their bikes along the tour and fundraise alongside us, and perhaps try cycling for the first time – or just be enthused about the adventure like my dad.
I have spent time right out of my comfort zone and that has been the best thing of all. CL
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Donations can be made to CNZ via givealittle.co.nz/event/gfforlife-bikeaotearoa-2021
RIDING
HIGH
Former competitive CYCLIST CLAIRE BARRY regains her HEALTH and rediscovers her PASSION for racing.
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teenager, I loved to ride. I was a track and road cyclist competing at a national level until I had to give up because I started getting continuously sick. Anaemia at 15. Glandular fever at 16. Bouts of exhaustion, terrible migraines, brain fog, loads of colds. I was finally diagnosed as coeliac in my late 20’s.
I have never lost my passion for riding and I’m now competing again. A couple of years ago I bought a really nice mountain bike and took ladies’ skills classes, learning better technique and jumps and drops to make the trails more fun. I have met some awesome girls and I feel so much more confident now, riding trails I never thought I would.
My partner Jeremey and I live in Christchurch, where I work as a local government administrator. Jeremy has been awesome about my coeliac disease right from the start. When he cooks, he saves all the packages for me to check before I eat. He must have done some sneaky research as I HAD TO GIVE UP [CYCLING] BECAUSE I STARTED GETTING CONTINUOUSLY SICK . ANAEMIA AT 15. GLANDULAR FEVER AT 16. BOUTS OF EXHAUSTION, TERRIBLE MIGRAINES, BRAIN FOG, LOADS OF COLDS.
sometimes he surprises me with the things he knows.
My mum was diagnosed as a coeliac when I was a teenager but that was never considered part of my family history by my doctors over the years. My sister was diagnosed by blood test a couple of years ago. The year I was diagnosed, with a blood test and endoscopy, I had whooping cough twice and had a whole bunch of awful general symptoms. I had tried eating healthier; Weetbix for breakfast every day, whole grain bread sandwiches for lunch. The healthy eating had me feeling nauseous each day, I constantly felt I had a cold and so much hair was falling out. I also had a strange pimple rash on my back, chest and arms that made me wonder if I was not showering correctly.
So, it was a bit of a relief to find out what was causing my health issues. By then, I had calcium leeching from my bones into my blood (osteopaenia), a vitamin D and a vitamin B12 deficiency as well as the usual anaemia. It took me at least a year to start to feel better again and initially I would still eat “may contain gluten” foods but I am extremely strict now, so I can feel well and at my best.
When I was first diagnosed, it wasn’t as 'cool' to be gluten free. For the first year or two, often all I could get at restaurants was just a brownie. Yes, as dinner. I feel like I’ve eaten a lifetime worth of brownie. Now I usually stick with Indian, Thai or Vietnamese food when I go out as they have the best and tastiest options and less chance of cross contamination because they don’t generally have lots of flours or breads in their kitchens.
I found joining Coeliac New Zealand was invaluable. The ingredient booklet and information on reading labels opened my food world and meant I was not restricted to expensive gluten freelabelled products. So, I cook and eat normally, as I used to, just substituting things like flour and pasta with alternatives.
Recently, I did a women’s downhill mountain bike race and became separated from the support person who had my snacks. I was tired and hungry, and by the last section, I had started to get the shakes so a kind woman behind me offered me her muesli bar. She tried a couple of times and of course I declined, knowing it would be full of gluten. Then I had a close call with a tree, and she insisted I eat something. When I admitted I had coeliac disease, she replied she was also coeliac and offered a whole snack selection. I couldn’t believe it. I felt so much better and did my best racing in the final section. I tried to find her afterwards but missed her so, if she’s out there reading this, thank you. It was so appreciated. CL
COELIAC AWARENESS WEEK
Coeliac Awareness Week runs from June 6-12, 2022 and this year’s theme is Thriving: Living Your Best Coeliac Life.
THE AIM of this year’s campaign is to raise awareness of how people with coeliac disease can really thrive and live their best life while eating safe gluten free food. The theme, Thriving: Living Your Best Coeliac Life aims to inspire those living with coeliac disease* to live well every day and build a greater understanding about the need for gluten free food to be safe and accessible for people with coeliac disease.
Throughout the week we aim to raise awareness and educate New Zealanders that coeliac disease is a serious inflammatory condition but with the right support, people with coeliac disease can truly thrive.
We will also be sharing how our Crossed Grain Logo allows people with coeliac disease choose safe gluten free foods and shining a light on how the hospitality sector can cater for people with coeliac disease with the support of the CNZ Dining Out Programme. This Coeliac Awareness Week we encourage you to support our partners who are part of these important initiatives by choosing Crossed Grain Logo products and eating at Dining Out Programme certified cafés and restaurants.
Coeliac Awareness Week is an important campaign in the calendar for all New Zealanders, especially those living with coeliac disease, your families, and friends. We encourage our members to get involved in local events, activities, and conversations about coeliac disease.
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To stay updated on our latest activities connect with us on the CNZ Facebook page.
