The Shopper's Choice: An Essay Grocery Shopping and Gluten Intolerance

I have been living on the west coast for four years. I like California, with its wide open spaces, emphasis on sustainability and spirituality. However, I miss the mom and pop health food stores and natural food cooperatives I used to frequent in New England. In California's East Bay, there are few small, health food stores. I still have not located a natural food co-op within driving distance of my home. Most of the natural food stores are large grocery store chains like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. There are few co-ops or bulk,wholesale sellers of organic foods that service northern California. In my opinion, large, natural food grocery chains lack the personal feeling of a small,organic food shop. Although there are many gluten intolerant people in California, only a few large natural food stores cater to customers with food allergies. When I lived in the east coast, I was part of a United Foods cooperative with a group of likeminded people. Once a month, we would meet and order organic and vegetarian grocery items and other necessities in bulk. A large truck would deliver our food orders at the end of the month. The group would meet and sort the grocery items to ensure every person received their delivery. The co-op’s bi- monthly gatherings were a terrific opportunity to build community and friendship. In northern California, there aren’t any convenient alternatives to shopping at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s unless you live in San Francisco. I am not maligning either store. However, the prices at Whole Foods are so high that I cannot afford to shop there. Neither store has an affordable or adequate selection of gluten free or non -GMO foods. The employees at the local Whole Foods store do not impress me as being knowledgeable about gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Six months ago, I asked a Walnut Creek Whole Foods employee if one of the bakery items was gluten free. The clerk stated she did not know the meaning of the word gluten or gluten free, and she did not know anything about the question. The local Safeway,where I shop on occasion,is more community oriented and much friendlier than Whole Foods or Trader Joes. The store’s cashiers are friendly; they know me name; always say hello, and the store sells gluten free grocery items. Although I am not a fan of Safeway, sometimes I shop there because of the store’s lower prices, gluten free food section and customer service. I propose a solution to the lack of gluten free grocery selections in my neighborhood. Instead of shopping at large, grocery store franchises, people should shop at community based co-ops or small grocery stores. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people in northern California had affordable choices regarding the purchase of non-GMO, organic, gluten free groceries? The holiday season is nearly here. Soon it will be a new year. This year my new year’s resolution will be to find a group of people who are interested in buying non -GMO gluten free food and saving money. I will start a natural food cooperative or join one to save money and get a better selection of non-GMO, gluten free grocery items. I don’t believe I should have limited choices when grocery shopping or pay more for organic food because I am gluten intolerant.

Thoughts on Food Allergies and the Medical Profession

    When I tell people that I am gluten intolerant or have food allergies, their initial reaction is that I must have some sort of psychological problem or be an unusually picky eater. I have been traveling in Asia for the last two months and visiting an ashram in Kerala, India. Over the last two weeks, I have developed gastritis.  The medical professionals who are treating me are Western and Indian. After several weeks of stomach problems, one nurse from the America suggested my indigestion and diarrhea was the result of stress. According to her, gluten and lactose intolerance were manifestations of unresolved emotional problems. She also suggested that the gluten free movement was a fad. I am educated as a psychotherapist and was surprised that a medical professional would be so judgmental and uninformed.

    

It would be unusual to be treated so disrespectfully in the United States, where there is a strong gluten free movement. Many restaurants and grocery stores have vegan, gluten free and lactose free food selections and menus. However, some conventional medical professionals still dismiss gluten intolerance as a nonexistent medical diagnosis. In the last few months, I have been told that my stomach problems were the result of stress, emotional issues, or a figment of my imagination. No one considered my gastrointestinal problems and diarrhea may be the result of cross contamination, accidentally ingesting wheat, eating poor quality foods, or amoebas. India is a notorious place for people to experience gastrointestinal distress. The dismissive way I was treated by the medical professionals in the ashram is surprising especially in an international community. While restaurants in the United States may receive training in gluten free food preparation, many medical professionals and lay people know remarkably little about wheat allergies or gluten intolerance. There is a noticeable lack of sensitivity or even sympathy from some medical professionals regarding the issue. My experience over the last few weeks has caused me to ponder what should be done to educate medical professionals about celiac disease and gluten intolerance.

Clearly, there is a lack of understanding regarding gluten intolerance and celiac disease. Food allergies and food sensitivities are not non-issues. People with food allergies are not mentally ill. I wonder if my recent negative experience with the medical establishment is common among other people who suffer from gluten intolerance or celiac disease. I suspect many people have had similar experiences. In that case, improved education and training of medical professionals regarding celiac disease and gluten intolerance is necessary to improve the competency and sensitivity of medical professionals around the world.

Amber Waves of Grain and GMOs

   When I think of “Amber waves of grain” I am reminded of my childhood and the large Midwestern farm where I grew up. The Midwest is nicknamed America’s bread basket because it produces the majority of America’s food for consumption. The Midwestern farms that I remember as a child are changing. Now instead of staples like wheat, corn, and soybeans, genetically modified (GMO) crops are produced for human and animal consumption. Currently, there are genetically modified forms of rice, corn, alfalfa, sugar beets, and potatoes. The list of genetically modifies foods is increasing. The use of genetically modified foods became widespread in the 1990’s. The proponents of GMOs claim they are a  new form of  crops which are easier to grow, and drought and insect resistant. GMO crops are planted in Canada, America and developing third- world countries. The change sounds positive on the surface but is it for the better? In the United States and Europe, there is a public outcry against GMO products. Genetically modified foods are illegal in Europe. In the United States, genetically modified crops are here to stay despite public protests. Thankfully there are small groups of organic farmers who still grow non- genetically modified crops. To me there is something alien and even Un- American about the idea that most of the foods grown in the USA will one day be genetically modified. It reminds me of attack of the mutant tomatoes or some other awful B grade horror movie. Even organic farmers are saying their crops are being affected by pollen from genetically modified crops. In time, even organic non- genetically modified organic produce may have similarities to GMO crops due to cross pollination.
     I believe the introduction of genetically modified food is altering the fabric of rural American life.
I spent much of my youth on a farm in the rural Midwest. When I was young, I remember planting corn every year, watching it grow and helping with the harvest. My life revolved around planting and harvest. I developed an appreciation and respect for the land. On our land and neighboring farms, there were acres of green, verdant fields of corn, soybeans, wheat, tomatoes, strawberries, melons, and squash. As a child, I enjoyed playing in the tall, green, rows of corn near my house. I learned to plant seeds and watch them grow at a young age. Grandma taught me how to plant a garden when I was five years old. I would carefully start the seeds in seedling trays, hold the tiny round seeds in my small hands and place them into the soil. Every day, I would carefully check them poking my finger into the soil to make sure it was not too dry or wet. When the small green sprouts appeared, I would transfer the young plants to the garden, carefully digging in the rich, brown soil and planting each one. I spent hours on my hands and knees weeding the garden and watching for pests. I enjoyed watching the young plants push their tender green shoots out of the dirt and reach towards the blue sky. After harvest, I would carefully collect the seeds and put them in a small round airtight jar for next year. I called them my heirloom seeds. Like my grandparents before me, I planted and grew my own food. There is something life affirming about planting vegetable seeds in the ground and watching them grow. Gardening teaches children to be responsible, and work in partnership with nature. As a youth, I was proud of being able to grow my own food. I also felt confident that mother earth would provide for me as she had provided for my family for, multiple generations. Today, I am becoming health conscious. I worry about the health affects of GMOs. I am always surprised by the number of people who have developed  food allergies within the last 10 years. I wonder if their food allergies and other medical problems have something to do with genetically modified foods. When I shop today, I take the extra time to visit the community’s farmers markets and health food stores and look for local, organic produce. It is more expensive, but I believe that eating healthier foods will help me to live longer. When I go grocery shopping, I spend an additional 20 minutes carefully reading the label to ensure a product is free from GMOs, is organic, pesticide, and cruelty free. Before the advent of technological innovations like growth hormones and GMOs, I was less concerned about the food I ate or fed my family. I am certain that other people are making the switch to organic non genetically modified produce because of the overwhelming number of health food grocery stores in my small town. Eating organic non genetically modified foods may be more expensive, but I believe my health is worth the extra expense. 

Every Day is Earth Day: Creating a Sustainable Future

I read an article recently about global warming and food shortages. The writer suggested the extreme weather, droughts and flooding, affecting food production was caused by global warming. I am concerned about global warming as few policies are being implemented to control fossil- fuel emissions, and preserve our natural resources. There are many pro- nuclear advocates who suggest we should eliminate green- house gasses and global warming by building more nuclear facilities. I don’t believe nuclear power is safe since the recent tragedy at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. There are alternative energy sources like solar, wind, and wave energy which don’t produce greenhouse gases or contribute to global warming. Alternative energy is not being researched or implemented, on a large scale, by the current American government. I believe our unwillingness to develop alternative energy is because of corporate greed, and our society’s lack of connection to nature. We will celebrate Earth Day in the city this Saturday. I’m looking forward to the community gathering. There will be gardening workshops, informational booths on recycling, solar cooking, facing painting, and alternative energy demonstrations. Every year, our community square, is decorated with brightly, colored flowers, and a large green mother earth statue, to celebrate mother earth. My children I enjoy attending Earth Day because it is a community event that inspires us to make positive lifestyle changes. Last year I learned how to use a solar oven. Throughout the year, I made cookies, cakes, vegetarian casseroles, and other delicacies on sunny days. Not only did I save electricity, but my family and friends enjoyed the delicious solar cooked treats. 

     We have celebrated Earth Day every year since the festival’s inception in the 1970’s. My grown children and their friends especially enjoy the festival’s organic gardening and composting demonstrations. I like the urban gardening and solar energy booths. The large earth day gatherings in California remind me of the free festivals, of the hippie movement, I used to attend with my parents in the 1960’s. There were free bands, balloons, anti- war literature, and brightly colored t-shirts for sale.  I was 6 years old and too young to understand the anti-war movement, but the events made an impression on me.

    Every year we make our annual pilgrimage to the city’s Earth Day celebration, and the rest of the year we are inspired to recycle, garden, carpool, and conserve our natural resources. Earth Day was started in the 1970’s to teach people about various environmental issues affecting the earth. I am inspired by Earth Day, and I like the idea of having a special day to celebrate nature. We need to do more than remember the earth or practice sustainable living once a year. I propose that Earth Day should occur all year around to remind people about their connection to nature. Curriculums should be established in primary and secondary schools to make children aware of the dangers of global warming and educate them on safe, environmental practices, and sustainable living. In India, the guru Ammachi initiated a campaign to clean India, and teach people about the environmental problems caused by pollution. She believes the earth is our mother, and people should live in harmony with nature. If society shared these beliefs, many of our environmental problems would be solved. Unfortunately, most of us are too involved in our lives to care about our planet’s environmental woes. By instituting a daily Earth Day celebration, we can reduce our disconnection from nature and take practical steps towards developing a sustainable future.