When I first found out I could no longer eat gluten, I had a pretty tough time. I felt guilty, because I wasn’t dying, I didn’t have a “serious” health condition, and there was a known cure for my ailments. But I still felt kind of sorry for myself. It was hard being the only one of my friends to have Celiac Disease. It was hard explaining to people over and over again what my new restrictions were. It was hard to find food I could eat on campus, and even harder to find food I could eat that was good.

I have learned and grown a lot in the last six years. I only feel sorry for myself sometimes:). I usually see explaining my diet and Celiac Disease as educating the public, and I find more and more good, gluten-free food and recipes all the time. I even have some friends (including a roommate) who also have Celiac!

I hope to use this space to pass on some of the things I’ve learned. Navigating social situations can be one of the hardest parts of having special dietary needs, so hopefully it will help to have some thoughts and ideas in what I like to call one’s “back pocket” for when challenging situations arise.

Join me as I explore, taste test, and try to live my life as gracefully as possible!