Dietary restrictions

 When I was growing up my mother kept a kosher home. 

That meant following certain rules about food.  Certain foods — pork, shellfish — were forbidden.  Other foods were classified as “meat”, “dairy” or “pareve”, meaning neutral.  You can’t mix meat and dairy at the same meal.  Pareve foods can be eaten with either meat or dairy, but …if you cooked carrots and potatoes with the brisket, for example, the vegetables became “meat” and leftovers cannot be served with a dairy meal.  In a kosher home there are two sets of dishes, pots and pans, one set for meat and one for dairy. You cannot use dairy plates to serve meat, or visa versa, lest a plate become contaminated. 

During Passover, leavened foods are forbidden.  No bread, no cake, no pasta.  You have to find substitutes, like flourless cake or gluten-free noodles.  And you need two sets of dishes that can only be used during Passover.  You don’t want bread to contaminate Passover foods.  

Yes, Jews understood about cross contamination long before scientists did.

After my grandmother died, my mother no longer saw the need to keep kosher at our house, except during Passover.  I follow what my mother did, I observe the dietary restrictions of Passover. 

So I’ve been dealing with dietary restrictions and cross contamination awareness my whole life.

Why do I mention this now?

Because I have been diagnosed with celiac disease.  I was stunned.  The doctor says I probably had it my entire life, but just didn’t recognize the symptoms.  He’s probably right.

There are no medications for celiac disease.  You can ease some of the symptoms with Peptol-Bismol.  But the only “cure “ is to maintain a gluten-free diet.

It’s now “Passover” 365 days a year.

I’m not happy about this, but I can do it.