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I want to thank all of you you post information, ask questions, and then summarize.

I am, however, quite dismayed with the number of people who seem to want to insist that because certain foods or ingredients are not problematic for them or that there is supposed scientific proof that something is "OK," that it is fine for the rest of us (this is really irritating when the person telling us this is selling something containing these ingredients).

We are all different with different combinations of problems and things affect us differently, so please don't tell me that because someone has certified that canola oil is "ok" that it is Ok for me. It bothers me so I don't use it and I avoid all foods--especially those that claim to be gluten free, that use it (besides, if you really really read that chef's post, you would have understood that it may actually be bad healthwise!). Please don't tell me that because you don't get gluten reaction from walking by a bakery that it is OK. I do and regardless of anyone's proof I still walk on the opposite side of the street. It is great that you can use shampoo with wheat in it, but it makes my back break out, head itch, and I get brain fog if I use any shampoo or conditioner containing wheat.

If discussions about these topics had not crossed the list with people questioning these ingredients, I would not have been able to figure out the cause of the problems as soon as I did, and would have suffered as a result. Some of the discussions are about things I know already, but it is validating to hear that other people have similar reactions and that I can contribute my experiences to their inquiry. 

When I first went off gluten, I was self-diagnosed, and had done it because a friend of mine who discovered she had Celiac explained that I had many of the symptoms. Every time I am tested, the result is negative (but I had been off gluten for a while). For years I flirted with going on and off a GF diet because I had no "proof", but even with the absence of scientific evidence, it was clear how miserable I was when "on" gluten even though my symptoms are not the classic sickness. I am vigilant about not going near gluten and my health and life have gotten infinitely better (especially since avoiding Canola oil and making sure no beauty products have wheat in them, by the way). 

The reason why I became fully gluten free even with no scientific proof was something that that same friend said--first, many tests are just not good enough to know, so just because you get a negative does not mean you don't have Celiac or a gluten sensitivity, and second, if you know it affects you, if you can see the changes, why do you need any outside proof? You and your body know what is best for you more than any doctor, test, or claim. That is true of Canola Oil, Conditioners, envelope adhesive, "flour in the wind," cross-contamination, whatever. 

So, what I am saying is that regardless of what anyone says on the list, decide what fits you and your body. Please share your conclusions and questions because they could be helpful to the rest of us, whether something bothers you are not so that we can make an informed decision ourselves. But PLEASE, while it is wonderful to share your personal proof or "scientific evidence" (remember, science is only as accurate as what can be tested), please don't tell the rest of us that because it is OK for you or science says it is OK, that is OK for the rest of us. Likewise, I won't tell you you can't go near a bakery, Canola Oil, or conditioners because they may be just fine for you. But if you are wondering why you get brain fog after your shower, get depressed near the bakery, or have problems with supposed "gluten free" foods that use Canola Oil as an ingredient, then by all means, test the theory yourself by eliminating them (which is often the only way to truly know for yourself).

If we listened to so-called science, doctors, testing agencies, etc., then Celiac and gluten problems probably never would have been discovered in the first place. So many medical and scientific discoveries result from people like us insisting that something IS wrong even when the medical and scientific community dismisses it! 

Kim 

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