Christina- Thanks for sharing these. I always love hearing about those who have gone through a lot--and look at hardship as a chance to make a choice and take ownership of counting their blessings. I hope you're doing well, feeling strong, stomachache-free, and energized this week. :)
Christina, thank you for such an uplifting post! My own diagnosis improved my quality of life beyond measure, and it's something I'm deeply grateful for!
When I was diagnosed with celiac in 2006, folks said things like "Oh how sad. All the things you can't eat anymore." I responded with "Let's look at all the myriad of things I CAN." It's not a hard diet at all. It's a healthy one!
Yes!! There are so many delicious foods that are naturally gluten-free, and definitely plenty of delicious desserts and treats available now too. I know restaurant dining can certainly be challenging, but I find eating at home pretty easy.
What I find challenging and frustrating about restaurant dining is the folks who grill the server about everything darn ingredient in a dish and exactly how it is to be prepared. They then go on to order a gluten-full dessert at the end of a meal saying something like "oh it only has A LITTLE gluten."
OMG, that is sooo frustrating! I definitely think that confuses restaurant staff to not know how serious celiac disease is when they see people say they can't eat gluten but then actually order something with gluten in it. And I know people who say they give themselves "cheat days" to eat gluten too...
I love this article! I swear, I am saving so much of your writing to share with my child one day..I love your perspective and positive lens you view this through. Thank you, as always, for sharing.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I definitely hope I can help younger people diagnosed with celiac disease understand that they can still thrive and have amazing experiences while living with this condition!
Thank you for reading! I look forward to reading your opinion on this topic too if you decide to write about it. The celiac community is definitely very supportive, and I aagree not having to take medication is a good thing too!
Thank you for sharing, Rachel! It can definitely be easy to get sucked into the negativity. But I do believe there are certain positives of being diagnosed with celiac disease (my biggest one being that I don't feel sick anymore now that I know what's wrong).
This is a truly inspired way of looking at what could be a negative life altering experience. I will never forget the day that the third doctor told me I had to give up gluten. I was a chef living in Napa Valley, where pretty much everything revolved around bread and wine. But reading your list reminded me of all the reasons why it’s been so good.
I know a couple chefs with a similar story! They felt similarly and ended up finding a lot of joy in making the best possible GF versions for others. Pretty cool :)
Christina- Thanks for sharing these. I always love hearing about those who have gone through a lot--and look at hardship as a chance to make a choice and take ownership of counting their blessings. I hope you're doing well, feeling strong, stomachache-free, and energized this week. :)
Thank you, Thalia! I totally agree with you. And yay for no more stomach aches!
Christina, thank you for such an uplifting post! My own diagnosis improved my quality of life beyond measure, and it's something I'm deeply grateful for!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! And I’m happy that your quality of life has improved so much. I feel the same way!
When I was diagnosed with celiac in 2006, folks said things like "Oh how sad. All the things you can't eat anymore." I responded with "Let's look at all the myriad of things I CAN." It's not a hard diet at all. It's a healthy one!
Yes!! There are so many delicious foods that are naturally gluten-free, and definitely plenty of delicious desserts and treats available now too. I know restaurant dining can certainly be challenging, but I find eating at home pretty easy.
What I find challenging and frustrating about restaurant dining is the folks who grill the server about everything darn ingredient in a dish and exactly how it is to be prepared. They then go on to order a gluten-full dessert at the end of a meal saying something like "oh it only has A LITTLE gluten."
OMG, that is sooo frustrating! I definitely think that confuses restaurant staff to not know how serious celiac disease is when they see people say they can't eat gluten but then actually order something with gluten in it. And I know people who say they give themselves "cheat days" to eat gluten too...
I love this article! I swear, I am saving so much of your writing to share with my child one day..I love your perspective and positive lens you view this through. Thank you, as always, for sharing.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I definitely hope I can help younger people diagnosed with celiac disease understand that they can still thrive and have amazing experiences while living with this condition!
I’m amazed how little we talk about this.
I felt like I was the only one who felt good about getting diagnosed. Maybe, I’ll write about it someday on my own blog too.
Thanks for writing about it!
PS- I appreciate the support in celiac communities.
One of the things I can add to this is:
There’s no medication I have to take for life. Medications usually come with their own set of side effects.
Thank you for reading! I look forward to reading your opinion on this topic too if you decide to write about it. The celiac community is definitely very supportive, and I aagree not having to take medication is a good thing too!
Great perspective, Christina. Sometimes we don't realize the positives that come from a health diagnosis.
Thank you for reading, and agreed!
I often encounter people both online and in person support groups who are so down, thanks for this perspective Christina ❤️
Thank you for sharing, Rachel! It can definitely be easy to get sucked into the negativity. But I do believe there are certain positives of being diagnosed with celiac disease (my biggest one being that I don't feel sick anymore now that I know what's wrong).
This is a truly inspired way of looking at what could be a negative life altering experience. I will never forget the day that the third doctor told me I had to give up gluten. I was a chef living in Napa Valley, where pretty much everything revolved around bread and wine. But reading your list reminded me of all the reasons why it’s been so good.
I know a couple chefs with a similar story! They felt similarly and ended up finding a lot of joy in making the best possible GF versions for others. Pretty cool :)