What to do if you eat gluten by mistake (co-authored by Matilda)

Sometimes, no matter how careful you are, you eat some gluten by mistake (Matilda *never* cheats--it simply isn't worth the pain).  Here is what she says can help while getting over a gluten incident (which generally takes 3-10 days).  By the way, she is 9 years old now and has been gluten-free as long as she can remember, since the age of 3. 

1.  Try holding a heating pad against your stomach. 

2.  Drink peppermint or other herb tea.

3.  Don't drink milk or eat ice cream, it can make your tummy ache worse.  Avoid all dairy for a few days; butter and hard cheese are probably OK.

4.  Lie around and rest as much as you can, reading or watching a movie can help; it really does feel like having the flu and you need to rest to get better faster.  

5.  Don't eat unless you feel like it; it can make your tummy ache worse.  Note to parents:  it is better to let your child eat very lightly while they are getting over a gluten incident. They will make up for it afterwards, believe me!

6. Be patient with yourself, you may have a hard time thinking clearly and if you try to think too hard it can give you a headache!  

7.  Try to figure out where you got the gluten from, so you can at least learn from the mistake.