May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month! Many people do not have a full understanding of what Celiac Disease is and some may not have any idea about the disease whatsoever. Celiac Disease is an incurable autoimmune disease that causes malnourishment, which can lead to many other complications such as stunted growth, anemia, joint degeneration, etc.
As stated before, there is no cure for Celiac Disease, however, it can be kept under control and managed. To manage Celiac Disease, you must eat a strict gluten-free diet. Even the smallest amounts of gluten in food can cause a mild to severe reaction in someone with Celiac Disease. Questions are always welcome, and most people with Celiac Disease would be happy to answer those questions for you, but there are some things that are just considered unnecessary when talking to someone with Celiac. Let’s take a look at a few things you probably shouldn’t say to someone with Celiac Disease…
1. “So, will you like… explode and die if you eat some gluten?”
No! I won't spontaneously combust and die! Yes, getting cross-contaminated sucks. Depending on the person and the amount of gluten consumed, a reaction from cross contamination can be anywhere from a mild rash to hospitalization.
2. "Can't you just pick the croutons out?" / "Can't you just take the bun off and eat the burger?" / "Can't you just scoop some icing off?"
No, I definitely can't do that. Celiac Disease is very sensitive and the smallest amounts of gluten can hurt me or any other Celiac. Cross-contamination is one of the top things that people with Celiac have to worry about when eating at a restaurant, at a friend's house or anywhere else. My food cannot come in any contact with any source of gluten.
3. “Does water have gluten in it?”
Nope. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. Water is completely safe.
4. “… OK so…does milk have gluten in it?”
NO. Essentially, don’t interrogate someone with Celiac Disease about all the things they can and cannot have unless it is completely relevant. Also, sometimes you just need to use common sense.
5. “A little won’t hurt” / “Can’t you have a cheat day"
Oh, these comments are infuriating. Having a little bit WILL hurt. And no, I can’t have a cheat day. Celiac Disease is a serious illness and should be treated as such. You wouldn’t tell someone with a peanut allergy to go ahead and have a PB&J! I need to eat strictly gluten-free to allow my body to heal. Eating gluten would just reverse all the work I’ve done to become healthy.
6. “So, have you lost a lot of weight” / “Are you just doing this to lose weight?”
Uhm, no. Especially since I was essentially starving, malnourished, and underweight before I was diagnosed. Now that my body can properly absorb nutrients, I’ve gained weight to a healthy degree.
7. “Are you doing this for a diet” / “I should eat gluten-free too”
No, nope, nada. In fact, anyone who isn’t a Celiac or gluten-sensitive shouldn’t eat gluten-free. It’s not healthy for them and deprives them of important nutrients!
8. “I have Celiac too, but I don’t eat gluten-free”
This is something I hear quite often that really makes me sad. If you’re intentionally harming your body just because you don’t want to give up food with gluten, then shame on you. You could be doing extreme damage on your body that will manifest in later years! My advice is to look at Celiac as a challenge. When I’m hungry for something that isn’t gluten-free, I try to make it from scratch. I’ve used Celiac as a key to open up new doors in my life and try new things. Being gluten-free feels better than eating food with gluten could ever taste.
9. “That disease is made up.”
It most certainly is not. The reaction that my body has to gluten is very much real. The fatigue, unexplained illnesses, hospitalizations and depression I felt before I was diagnosed is very much real.
What it feels like to have a bad day as a Celiac:
If you have
