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In the past, I've most likely mentioned the great deal of either misunderstandings or stereotypes that can come with having celiac disease or being gluten free in general; people might not know what gluten really is, they might have implicit biases about food sans wheat, etc. I have nothing against people being misinformed. After all, despite its presence in the world (1 out of every 100 people!) it's rather unknown considering only 20% (or so) are actually diagnosed.
No, the only thing that offends me is when people openly share about their hatred for gluten free food, especially if they've either never tried a gluten free dessert or if they simply haven't realized that a large part of what they eat in a day is - in reality - celiac safe.
But this is why I'm here! Again, another reminder before starting that there is no judgment here; if you were misinformed or are even aware of your biases against gluten free food, that's okay. We're all learning here, and once again, I hope you can take something away from this article, whether rookie or veteran.
I wanted to talk more deeply about the actual reality of living with celiac disease because it's a topic that is very rarely touched; it's a vulnerable subject, filled with a lot of personal stories, emotions, you name it. If you keep reading other articles besides this one (I hope you will!), I will most likely revisit this topic in different posts. In fact, I have another article about this very subject (click here if you want to check it out). All right, let's begin!
Firstly: my life is completely normal. Well, as "normal" as a life can actually be. Wait, let's just scratch that...
What I mean to say is: having celiac disease doesn't by any means interfere with your daily life, what you can accomplish. I've encountered so many individuals that have the mindset that celiac will limit what you can achieve, whether you can meet your goals or fulfill your dreams. However, I like to think of celiac disease as a diet (which it is, in fact, although calling it that feels rather strange); it's only affecting what you eat. I mean, would you tell vegetarians or high-protein people that they can't succeed with their passions?
No. While being gluten free is very much a lifestyle, it isn't one that involves being tethered; quite the opposite. I will say these words all over my blog as well, but here they are: having celiac disease is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Instead of holding me down, it launched me into space, empowering me and gifting more confidence and love than I thought possible. And this isn't a façade of having everything "together" in my life; I'm trying to explain that celiac - when harnessed correctly - can be a superpower.
Until next time,
Genuine GF