Hello,
First I would like to introduce myself. I'm Shannon and I'm from America but living in Budapest, Hungary. I have recently been diagnosed with Celiac and have not had an opportunity to really learn about it except from what I have read on the internet. Also, living overseas has proven to be very difficult when looking for foods I can eat or make. Package labels are impossible to read, so many things I have to figure out on my own. For this reason, I am looking for as much help from you as possible. At this time I will ask a few questions, but I'm sure there are many more to come. Thank you all in advance.

VINEGAR - I'm confused about Vinegar. I was told it was bad for me but have been reading otherwise. If I can have distilled vinegar, why are there so many condiments off limits such as mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard? Can I eat them?

COSMETICS - I was suprised to read that some lipsticks, lotions and lip balm have gluten. How do I figure out if what I am using contains gluten? Is there a list of safe and unsafe products I can access?

DIETICIAN - I saw one here in Hungary last week but she was of no help whatsoever! Is there an online doctor/expert I could contact to ask questions?

Thanks again for any info. I feel a bit isolated out here and could really use the help!

Shannon

Hi, Welcome to the forum.

I think it would help if you could find someone to help translate the packaging labels since much of what we can and cant have depend on whats inside and what the condiments are made from. As you mentioned distilled vinegar is ok but there are many other things inside some of them. There are some mayonnaise, ketchup and mustards that are no problem at all.

I'm not sure how aware people are in Hungary compared to elsewhere in Europe but trying to find other celiacs in Budapest, perhaps though a health food store or around a university might be a start. Maybe at Central European University or Semmelweis University. Good luck
Ken

I would suggest starting with very simply prepared foods using fresh ingredients. When I lived in Japan there were several stores that had "international grocery sections" with a few American products. They were pricier but were nice on occasion. Not all would be gluten-free but it might be worth checking out. I was not gluten-free at the time but made alot of things simple things like soup, rice, baked apples, etc.

When I checked my lipsticks, I went online to the company website and contacted them via e-mail or phone. One told be the status right then and there but another said they had to check and would get back to me and they did within a few days.

You might want to contact Orgran and see if any of their products are available in Hungary. You also might look for products by Dr. Schar.

Do you have dining cards? That would definitely help.

Other than that, sticking to simple, basic foods is probably best (fruits, veggies, eggs, meat, rice etc). I will be in Eastern Europe soon too so I will be doing the same. Good luck.

Thanks for all the great advice. Especially the language cards!
Take Care,
Shannon