It's a struggle having an allergy, but it's a whole new ball game being allergic to gluten. Nowadays, 99 percent of people don't know what gluten is, and yet claim to be avoiding it! Here's some struggles I have faced as a person actually having to avoid gluten.
1. Having to take an extra 10 minutes looking at a menu to find something to eat.
Hate being that person who can't decide.2. Being associated with the hipsters who started this movement where being gluten-free is actually a choice.
(Replace "celiac" with intolerant) 'Cause it's "Fun" or "Healthy," or something.
3. And therefore, being judged for an allergy I can't control.
Because being gluten-intolerant isn't a choice.4. Dealing with the ignorance of those who claim to be gluten-free, but actually have no idea what "gluten" is.
(It's a protein. It's NOT wheat. It's IN wheat, barley, and rye.) And here's a hilarious video to prove these people exist.
5. Feeling bad for getting "special treatment" when I go to a friend's house or a restaurant.
I shouldn't feel bad, though. It's an allergy, just like peanuts can be an allergy.6. Rolling my eyes and smirking when reading boxes or food products that have "GLUTEN-FREE" in big letters.
Goes to show how little people know about gluten! Come on, don't tell me you actually think there's gluten in beans. Or gummies. Or fruit. Its all a marketing strategy.
7. Having someone else question me about whether or not what I am about to eat is gluten free or not.
First off, if I'm gluten-free, you can assume I know what I can and cannot eat. Secondly, if I want to spend my night on the toilet for a good piece of chocolate cake, I will.
8. Never being able to eat sandwiches and craving them.
Have you seen gluten-free bread? It crumbles in seconds. Before you can even take a bite.9. How I constantly have to be checking and reading labels, and thinking about what I eat.
There goes my much beloved hobby of mindless eating.
10. Relearning how to cook, replacing other ingredients for flour, etc.
It's just more thinking.11. The assumption that I must be a health freak since I'm gluten-free.
Hey, I love my fruits and veggies. But I love my cookies too. Those gluten-free ones, that is.12. Suddenly becoming very much in love with anything corn.
Popcorn, corn chips, corn tortillas, corn cereal, corn E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
13. Understanding that as soon as people find out you can't eat gluten, there's going to be an influx of gluten free things.
Please go onto the next point.14. 98 percent of gluten-free products taste like cardboard. Or worse.
So please don't grab the first gluten-free labeled thing you see, it's probably gross and I probably won't eat it. (There's really only a few companies that get gluten-free things to taste good, and they're probably hard to find in any old grocery store).15. Last, but not least: wondering if there will ever be a day where I can eat pizza again.
I really do miss real pizza.To all my gluten-intolerant peeps, I get it. It's tough. It's hard living in a society that minimizes this allergy because its become a fad and a popular choice among many. But it's important for people to remember it's not a choice for everyone.
In the end though, it's best, as gluten intolerant or celiac persons, to be light-hearted and laugh about it all, and seriously, if you need to laugh about it again, watch that video.