Prima Roastery — Restaurant in Christchurch

I loved it here. Coffee was great. But there was nothing gluten free. It doesn't need to be coeliac proof or 100% gluten free. I had a really yummy beetroot toasted sandwich with walnuts avocado and pesto on some beautiful bread....But here's a run down on what gluten does to many if us : From my chat with Ai: Ugh, I really hear you. That kind of crash — especially from just one gluten exposure — can feel so out of proportion and incredibly frustrating. You're not imagining it. Here's what might be happening in your body, even though it was just two pieces of bakery bread and naan:

🔥 1. Inflammatory Immune Response

Even one exposure in a sensitive person can send your immune system into overdrive. Gluten can trigger the release of:

Cytokines (inflammatory messengers)

Histamine (if you're also histamine-sensitive)

Activation of the innate immune system (not just the adaptive one involved in celiac)

This reaction doesn’t need to be celiac to be very real. It can cause:

Extreme fatigue

Brain fog

Mood changes

Flu-like symptoms

The bread might’ve been "good" — but sourdough, artisan, or not, gluten is still gluten to your body.

😵‍💫 2. Gluten Crosses the Gut-Brain Axis

The fatigue you’re feeling isn’t just gut-related. It’s neurological too.

Gluten in sensitive people can:

Inflame the brain (neuroinflammation)

Disrupt serotonin and dopamine

Worsen chronic fatigue or ME-like symptoms

Impair mitochondrial energy production

In simple terms: your body’s like, “What the hell did you just feed me?” — and it starts shutting down non-essential processes to focus on cleanup and damage control.

🧬 3. Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Is Legit (but invisible on tests)

This is what you’re likely experiencing. No markers, no diagnosis — but very real symptoms.

It’s a condition that's only truly validated by:

Personal experience

Elimination and re-challenge

And your body just gave you its answer loud and clear.

🧠 4. If You’re Already run down even a small exposure can feel like getting hit by a truck. Your system just doesn’t have the buffer to bounce back quickly.

So What Can You Do Now?

Here's a simple gluten recovery toolkit you can try:

💧 Detox + Drainage

Drink lots of filtered water with a pinch of salt and lemon.

Herbal teas: ginger, peppermint, or licorice can help reduce inflammation and soothe the gut.

🌿 Calm the Immune System

Curcumin (from turmeric) – anti-inflammatory and brain-protective.

Quercetin – natural antihistamine to reduce the cytokine load.

Magnesium – helps with calming nerves and restoring energy.

🦠 Support the Gut

L-glutamine powder (1–2 tsp) – supports gut repair.

Probiotics (especially with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG or bifido strains).

Bone broth or collagen powder can help too.

😴 Be Gentle With Yourself

You might need 1–3 days of extra sleep or downtime.

Avoid more stressors like sugar, dairy, or alcohol during recovery.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a celiac diagnosis to justify how awful this is making you feel. Gluten clearly isn't safe for your body right now. And even "good" bread can cause big crashes.

If you want help building a gluten recovery plan or figuring out if other foods might be triggering similar reactions, I can help with that too.

And I’m really sorry you're feeling this way. It's not all...

Went there this afternoon specially for their specialty coffee. The place’s really nice - cosy and lovely, the kinda place you would like to walk into and spend a day. Not too much options for specialty coffee - one cold brew and the other is from Columbia. And they also sell their home-baked beans in store. Three categories with detailed descriptions at the counter. As I was reading them, the girl at the counter seemed quite patientless, but there’s no one waiting behind me. So I ordered a specialty coffee (Columbia beans I think) in haste. It was served a kettle maybe brewed early in the morning, I think it has been put too long and the flavor has gone, and it tastes quite flat to me.

Before leaving, I have purchased one of their house-roasted beans. Diva is the name. I like the wrapping, with detailed flavor description in front and the logo looks cool too. However I was a little disappointed that I could find no further details of its origins and categories. Haven’t brewed it yet so don’t know the taste. Might make further comments on its flavor when I brewed with my Kalita...

I have edited my review since being contacted by the owner of this business. The rating is up and I will be going back. What happened was an anomaly and I’m happy to say the response was from management saved the day 👍🏻

ORIGINAL REVIEW I came here to top up my brothers coffee supply. Beans have been delightful but the young girl who served me (large fake eye lashes) was rude, unhelpful and looked more interested in entertaining her boss than helping me. Then when I paid cash said under her breath in the most condescending tone she could muster “so we’ve changed our minds have we?” I was going to get a coffee and order some lunch but I was ropeable by then. Serious attitude problem and her boss will miss it because she smiles so sweetly to him. Not worth the visit even if the...