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How do I wean my teenager off gluten-free junk food?

Boy did I eat like crap when I was young. My mom changed things up (to my horror) and I cleaned up my diet. Yet when I was diagnosed with celiac disease, for some reason I just had to have gluten-free cookies, cakes, brownies, pizza, etc. I paid the price. Now a mom with a 15 year old who is newly diagnosed with celiac disease is asking how to wean her off the junk food that she has been so used to. Here’s her email:

“My 15 year old daughter was just diagnosed and is pissed as all hell and rightfully so. I read your book in two days and loved your voice…I am passing it on to her to read. My question is I know you advise to steer clear of gluten free products and I agree but how can I help my pissed off teen who is not a lover of veggies and has allergies to most fruit? My one side of my pantry is currently a gluten free junk heaven!”

Yes, I do advise not getting caught up in the Gluten free junk food. No, I don’t advise eliminating it 100%, but I do advise eliminating it for the first few months until the body has a chance to heal and then introduce it slowly and then just keep it to a minimum.

When my kids were young, I did not have celiac disease, so we always struggled with the balance of ‘letting kids be kids’ while also educating them about the importance of the food going into your body, and I think we struck a good balance.

One of my favorite parenting quotes is that ‘kids don’t do what parents say. Kids do what parents do.’ I’d like to think we led by example.

I remember when I was 15 years old. I have three older brothers and we ate like crap, and my parents let us eat like crap. Sort of everyone else pretty much in that generation. It’s not like my parents doing something unusual or something dangerous or whatever, but we ate garbage.

How bad did we eat? Well, let’s go over the list. We got Fig Newtons, Chips Ahoy, Nilla Wafers and Oreos. And don’t forget about those prepared meals like TV dinners and Sloppy Joes.

And for breakfast, how about some Count Chocolate, Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes.

Throw in some Suzie Cues, Devil Dogs, Dingdongs and Hostess Cakes. Anything with sugar would do.

Just going over this list is honestly making me sick.

Now my mom was an interesting character. And when I say interesting, I mean really, really challenging. Where instead of talking to us about how she wants us to start eating healthier and the reasons we should be doing it, she would yell at us that we are all unhealthy and then one day, she just stopped buying junk food. Not a bad move, but not well received.

My mom’s heart and mind were in the right place, but her approach was maddening. Of course, that was her approach to a lot of things in life. God rest her soul.

So here’s what I would do. I would talk to your daughter and I would say, “hey, I want to start introducing healthier foods into your diet and here are the reasons why”.

Let her know that her body will not heal unless she eliminates these junk foods, at least for three months. And then reintroduce them slowly.

First things first, hide half the gluten free junk food that’s in your pantry. Don’t throw it away. Just hide it in the basement or something.

Then start leading by example. Cook health AND DELICIOUS meals. Better yet, ask her to prepare meals with you so she can have some input/control.

I like to think and she’ll follow your lead. And then after a few months go by and she’s feeling better, slowly introduce some of her favorite not-so-health foods back into the house.

And then after maybe six months or so, have a talk with her. Ask her how she’s feeling. Not only physically and how her body healing is from celiac disease, but mentally as well.

Does she have more clarity? Is she over the anger of not eating junk food anymore?

If the answer is yes, you’ve done your job.

Just don’t do what my mom did. Guilt and anger don’t work.

Instead, keep the lines of communication very, very open with her and I’ll bet she responds.

December 1, 2025
Just a quick note to say THANK YOU!
The holidays are almost upon us and while some may find it corny to give ‘thanks’ at this time of the year, I think it’s important. Many studies have shown that being thankful leads to a happier life. And heck…who doesn’t want to be happier??

So what am I thankful for in 2025?
- For the GF community, who has been so supportive of my journey and have embraced me since I became ‘Gluten Dude’ in 2011.
- For celebrating 14 years as a celiac advocate. My how time flies when ~~getting glutened~~ having fun.
- For the NY Giants, who have been so bad for so long, my Sundays are now free.
- For sushi, coffee, eggs and tequila.
- For everyone who has supported this app in one way or another. It takes an insane amount of energy (and money) to run it and I could not do it without you.
- For my health. I went to a new doctor recently and he read over my health history and he said “who did you piss off so badly?” Yeah…I’ve had my share of health issues throughout my life but I’m hanging in there and feeling good.
- For my incredible wife Mrs. Dude, who from day 1 of my diagnosis (heck…since day 1 of our marriage) has been a rock star in my life.
- For my wonderful two dudettes, who were quite young when I was diagnosed with celiac (and are now 27 and 30!) and are now both GF themselves. They are simply the best!
I could go on and on because, even though the world is a mess, there is still a lot to be grateful for. But I have gluten-free stuffing to prepare!

Happy Thanksgiving folks and yeah…I’ll say it again…thanks!
November 26, 2025
How to Survive the Gluten-Free Holidays
I loved the holidays growing up. And I mean I LOVED the holidays…everything about them.

I loved the anticipation.
I loved not having to go to school.
I loved watching tons of football.
I loved spending time with my family.
I loved the presents under the tree (and hopefully loved them just as much when opened).

And oh…how I loved the food.

As I grew up and matured (well…grew up anyway), some of that LOVE got lost. I realized how much work my parents put in to make the holidays so awesome for my three brothers and I. They made it seem pretty darn effortless when I now know how much behind-the-scenes work goes into everything.

But you know what? I still strongly like the holidays. I get some much needed time off from work. I spend more time with my amazing family. My life, which normally moves at breathtaking speed, just seems to slow down a bit and I revel in every single second of it.

As Ferris Bueller says: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

So I truly try to “look around once in a while” during the holidays.

Gobble, gobble from the Mrs. and I.

Let’s circle back to something that most everyone seems to enjoy most about the holidays…the food. When I think of the holidays, I think of one main staple in our household and that is STUFFING.

Turkey? There’s a reason we only have it once a year.

Mashed potatoes? Nothing too exciting.

Veggies? Yeah right.

But the stuffing?? The “stuff” that dreams were made of.

My parents made a very basic stuffing: bread, celery, butter, broth, onion and some spices. Nothing crazy but my oh my, I would have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As I entered my teen years, I would volunteer to make the stuffing. I’d set my alarm because I needed to stuff the bird before it went into the oven in the morning because for some reason, even though we always ate dinner at around 6:30, Thanksgiving dinner would start at 4. Don’t ask me why.

Anyway, I have such fond memories of making, smelling and then of course eating the stuffing. And those memories continued into my adulthood as we would always host Thanksgiving. I loved the tradition. Absolutely loved it.

Then celiac struck. Not only did it strike, but it struck in October, right before the holidays kicked in. There were four things that I knew immediately that I’d miss. Beer, pizza, bagels and my stuffing.

But then I had a thought. “They make gluten-free bread. The rest of the ingredients are all gluten-free. I’m totally good!!”

So Thanksgiving rolls around. Mrs. Dude makes sure we have all of the necessary ingredients to make my kick-booty stuffing. I don’t remember the actual brand of gluten-free bread we used, but remember in 2007, the options were limited. Pre-celiac when I made stuffing, we’d use bread that was slightly stale. When I made stuffing in 2007, even though I used fresh gluten-free bread, it still had that same stale, dry feel to it. I know…kind of gross but I figured I was golden.

So I make my stuffing. I stuff the heck out of the bird. I put it in the oven and all day long I’m salivating. Everyone is going to LOVE my gluten-free stuffing.

Pop…the turkey is ready. I get a big spoon and excitedly start digging the stuffing out. Hmmm…not the same texture but I’m sure it will taste just great.

Wrong! It sucked. And I don’t mean just “not the same”. It was truly disgusting. Can the bread make that much of a difference? Apparently so.

So that’s my stuffing story. I’m sure you’ve got your own “now I’m gluten-free” horror stories too.

But what else do we celiacs need to be careful of during the gluten free holidays? Here is some free advice. It comes from the heart.
1. Cross-contamination: Holidays usually means lots of people. And lots of people means lots of food. And lots of food means lots of hands digging into that food. Do yourself a favor. Keep your food separate. Having a bunch of appetizers? Make a plate for yourself and keep them away from everyone else. All it takes is one slip up and your toast…no pun intended.
2. Eating at someone else’s house: We almost always host Thanksgiving but then do Christmas at my brother’s house. And I must say I am blessed. My sister-in-law totally gets what gluten-free means, from preparation all the way down to the food itself. I’ve eaten there dozens of times over the years since my celiac diagnosis and I’ve never gotten hit once. But I know others out there aren’t as fortunate. So what do you do if you are going to someone’s house who may have the best intentions but is still not educated enough to prepare a completely safe meal? Well, if I were in your shoes, I’d bring my own food. Yeah…I know…total drag. But at the end of the day, it’s only food. Put the focus on the people and all the sudden the food doesn’t seem as important.
3. Overeating: I don’t care if you have celiac, allergies, diabetes, gout, crabs or amnesia. STOP eating before you get too full. Your entire being will thank you for it. Load up on water and raw veggies and then just dabble in the sweet stuff.
4. Getting caught up in the festivities: All it takes is one infraction and you can be down for the count. With all of the excitement and all of the food, there may be some opportunities to let your guard down and cheat “just this once”. Don’t do it. Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.
My last piece of holiday advice is simple. Be thankful.

I know it’s hokey. But the older I get, the more thankful I am every single day for who and what I have in my life. If you go around the table saying your thanks, don’t say what everyone else will say (my family, my health, my iPhone). Dig deep. I’m sure you’ve got a lot to be thankful for, even if you’ve got celiac disease.

Happy Holidays from the Gluten Dude family to yours.
November 25, 2025
Ordering Gluten-Free at a Restaurant? Listen Up.
Back in the day, I worked in the restaurant industry for many years; mostly behind the bar but sometimes waiting tables as well. In all the years I worked, I cannot remember one time where someone had a food allergy and certainly nobody ever mentioned celiac.

Why this is, is a post for another time (but lord knows I have my unproven theories).

What matters is that if somebody mentioned any kind of food allergy, you bet I would have gone out of my way to keep them safe. But what if I went above and beyond and then I saw them eating a food that they claimed they were allergic too? I’d pretty much have the same reaction as a server with celiac who recently spoke about this. She is spot on in every way. Here’s what she had to say:

I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for the better part of the last decade and was diagnosed with celiac about 3 years ago. I gotta say, I freaking love your blog. You get it.

I have seen the best and the worst in human behavior around gluten…from both sides of service (yes, some servers are a**holes; most of us are not). But you’d better believe that if you make me painstakingly go through the menu with you (I’m the gluten go-to in my restaurant and am happy to be so) and tell you what’s non-gluten containing, what’s cross contaminated (sorry, no french fries for you) and are so dramatic about your gluten issues (once again, I get it. Getting glutened sucks. I’m on your team.) but then order the soup WITH the flour tortilla strips or the french fries or the chocolate cake because “well, that’ll be OK”, you’d better believe I’m charging you $4 for your GF bun. If you’re not a d***head, I’ll ring in your GF bun for free.

Before I get hate mail, this isn’t about not saying anything when you dine out. You SHOULD notify your server that you have celiac (I like a comment that said “I’m not a fad dieter, I have celiac”. Your server will appreciate it and probably get a chuckle out of it.) And we will respond accordingly. We even have special !!!ALLERGY!!! buttons in our systems to help guide the kitchen on your order after we talk to them about your dish.

Just be nice about it. And tip well because you’re slowing down service, the kitchen flow stops for an allergy ticket (as it should) and they’re going EXTRA steps above and beyond for you AND it’s just good karma over all. Just above all, BE NICE. HAVE PATIENCE. Did I say BE NICE yet? And understand that unless it’s an allergy-certified kitchen (it prob isn’t) you are living on the edge at least a little bit.

Yes. Yes. And yes. Anybody who orders gluten-free at a restaurant has a responsibility to the celiac community. Sorry folks…it may seem like we’re being difficult. But it’s you that is making life difficult for us (and for those at the restaurant trying to keep you safe.) And yeah…if you can’t be nice about it, you’re best bet is to just stay home.

Back when my blog was still in diapers, I wrote a post called How to Go Gluten-Free: In the Restaurant. It’s gotten million of views over the years. Just kidding, not sure if anyone has read it. But to recap, if you are eating out as a celiac, here are the 5 steps you take:
1. 1. Call the restaurant ahead of time and ask to speak with a manager. Get a feel if they can keep you safe.
  2. At the restaurant, ask to speak with the manager. Yes…again.
  3. Study the menu. Find the safest dish. Can’t find one? Close the menu and begin crying. Or forget the menu and just order something plain.
  4. When the server comes over, quietly explain your situation.
  5. Go with the safest choice possible.
And now I’ll add a sixth one.
1. DON’T EAT ANY GLUTEN!!
This has been a public service announcement. Now back to your regular programming.
November 19, 2025
What other health issues have you suffered with?

So…I’ve dealt with health shit most of my life. Some minor. Some not so minor. One almost fatal.

I wasn’t diagnosed with celiac disease until my mid-40’s.

And didn’t really make any connection between celiac and everything else.

Now I’m convinced there is a major connection.

Take a look at the pic above. I put a survey out awhile ago and these were the most common health issues mentioned. The bigger the text, the more they were mentioned.

Scary stuff, huh?

I personally have dealt with 12 of these: Bladder cancer, acne, osteoporosis, nervous tics, warts, insomnia, pulmonary embolism, anxiety, melanoma, depression, tooth loss, dupuytren’s.

Yeah…good times.

How about you?

November 18, 2025
I’m So Sorry Our Disease is Such an Inconvenience For You

Dude Note: I actually wrote this back in 2014 but it still irritates the hell out of me now, as much as it did then. Would love to hear your thoughts.

It never ends. It seriously never ends.

The constant ignorance out there and the constant need to defend ourselves about our disease and other food intolerances.

What set me off this time?

An utterly ridiculous article on Huff Post titled “Why Do Your Kid’s Allergies Mean My Kid Can’t Have a Birthday?” written by one Carina Hoskisson.

It’s time for a Gluten Dude breakdown.

Let’s start with the title: Right away we have an entitled mom who thinks her child having a piece of birthday cake in school is more important than another child’s health. And who’s saying your kid can’t have a birthday? Won’t you celebrate at home? Isn’t one cake party enough for him?

She says: All over the country parents are being asked to accommodate the specialized needs of other people’s children thanks to the skyrocketing number of food allergies and food intolerances.

Dude says: And I wonder why this is. Could it be that half the things many of our kids are eating don’t even classify as food? Have you read the ingredients of some of the things out there?

She says: We can’t bring in homemade cookies or snacks; we’re asked to buy commercially prepared goods. Even if you agree to bring in commercially prepared snacks, you’re asked to make sure they’re “gluten, nut, and egg-free” or some other combination of scary food exorcism.

Dude says: People with allergies can die from one bite. People with celiac disease have their intestines attacked by their own body with one bite. Your kid getting a cupcake is worth this risk to other kids? Really?? Tell me…what color is the sky in your world?

She says: To a certain extent, I get it. When I was in high school, a girl in my town died from eating a few bites of a Twix bar that happened to contain traces of peanuts.

Dude says: “To a certain extent” you get it? Someone died and you only get it “to a certain extent”?? No that IS the extent. That’s why it’s so damn important.

She says: I would never endanger the life of a child over a peanut butter cookie; that would be ridiculous.

Dude says: Then what’s the point of your article? Let’s move on.

She says: However, I am rapidly reaching the end of my rope…One mom told me there were so many allergies in her children’s classes last year that all she could bring was gummy bears and juice boxes. Let me get this straight: I’m supposed to feed my kids processed, preservative-laden food because your kid has a wheat allergy?

Dude says: In a perfect world, we’d do away with the food parties altogether. It’s an old-school tradition that does not seem to have a place anymore. But if the teachers are insistent on having a food party and if processed crap is the only option to keep a kid safe (which we all know it’s not), then yeah, you do it.

Again, I ask…why is your child getting a piece of cake more important than another child’s health?

She says: I understand the problem with allergies because I have allergies; I’m allergic to egg whites. The difference is I don’t demand egg-free items when I go to parties or to work events.

Dude says: YOU’RE AN ADULT. You have the willpower to say no. As strong as a celiac child may be, it may be tough if everyone is having a cupcake and he/she feels left out. There is temptation that a child may not have the strength to overcome.

Comparing yourself to a child is ridiculous. Actually, in this case, maybe it’s not.

She says: I agree that a teacher should let all parents know about any life-threatening allergies in a classroom. However, my kid shouldn’t have to forgo his birthday cake because yours can’t eat it.

Dude says: Or you can teach your kid a lesson on empathy and tell him “another child’s health is more important than you getting a piece of cake at school…but hey don’t worry…we’ll have some awesome cake tonight.” Is that so hard to do?

She says: Some schools have even gone the route of banning all classroom birthdays and celebrations, which is ridiculous.

Dude says: No…actually…it’s not ridiculous. What’s ridiculous is that at a time when food allergies are becoming more and more prevalent, there is still such a lack of compassion and understanding.

Look…I’m all for balance and I’m all for letting our kids socialize at school and have some fun. But why does it need to be based around food? The only reason is because it’s always been done that way. Change takes time. It’s time to start.

She says: Let’s stop the allergy insanity, and let the rest of them eat cake — the lovely, homemade, buttery, gluten-stuffed cake.

Dude says: I have no more words for this woman. I just hope her kids grow up with more tolerance, more empathy and more understanding. Somehow…I doubt it. Cycles are hard to break.

When the Disney fiasco happened last year, the common argument against us was that “this is the pussification of America”. It’s like they all got the same memo or something.

Well, if standing up for something you believe in…if standing up for someone who is portrayed as weak and inferior because he has food allergies…if that’s “pussification”, then I’m the biggest p***y in the world.

Oh…and here’s the topper. As I’m writing this post, some bonehead posted this on Twitter: Kids teacher just emailed saying only gluten free snacks in the classroom. MY KID DOESNT HAVE CELIAC DISEASE! Ugh, hippies drive me INSANE.

Yep…that’s us…just a bunch of hippies with a made up disease.

So sorry for the inconvenience.

November 14, 2025
Celiac Disease & Cross-Contamination: Tips and Tricks
Let’s say you have a 13 year old child. And the DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING, your child gets diagnosed with celiac disease. Let’s say you also have three other children, all under the age of 8. In addition to figuring out this new disease, you also need to worry about cross-contamination. How much should you worry? How do you keep your child safe? That is the topic of today’s blog post.

I received an email yesterday that reads as follows:

Hey there,
My 13 year old daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease the day before Thanksgiving. That was a hell of a crash course for us and heartbreak for her. We’re a family of 6 and I can’t afford to switch the whole family to a gluten free diet. I have a 2,4 and an 8 year old and the biggest concern is cross contamination. I have separate cooking utensils and cleaning utensils but kids are messy. I’m still on information overload. What’s the best way to make sure I’m not !}’#%*~¥ this up? Or maybe I just need to chill the hell out and take it a day at a time? I just want her healthy.

And then a follow up email that said:

See? I’m so jacked up I forgot my damn manners to thank you.
Thank You!

My first piece of advice? Breathe. Breathe. And then breathe again. This is a lifetime journey and you are not going to learn everything in a day. (If you want to try…my book on living with celiac disease is available on Amazon and it’s readable in a day. And yes…this is a shameless plug.)

So…on to the question of cross-contamination. It’s important and it’s a pain. But it is doable. While it certainly would be a lot easier if the whole family went gluten-free, that is a totally personal choice. When I was diagnosed, my kids were young and the Dude Ranch did NOT go gluten free. But we did take a lot of precautions (discussed below).

I will say…it’s pretty easy to keep gluten out of most of the rooms in your house.

The bedroom? Unless you’re into some unusual practices (none of my business), I’d say it’s pretty safe. Bathroom? Should be good. Family room? Iffy if you’ve got kids, but not too bad. Just limit the eating area to the kitchen if at all possible and have the family wash their hands after every meal.

But the kitchen? This is where danger lurks. If cross-contamination is gonna happen, odds are it’s gonna happen here. See that kitchen in the picture up top? That is a celiac nightmare. Clutter is not your friend. The less clutter, the less chance for cross-contamination. Besides the clutter, what other steps should you take? Funny you should ask.

Here is my advice on how to best avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen:
1. Buy separate cooking utensils and cookware to use for ONLY gluten free food. Everything we bought was red to make it easier to differentiate. Things you’ll need include your own toaster, cutting board, colander and pots and pans. Yep…it’s expensive to have celiac. Note that we did not buy separate silverware. Actually, I take that back. We did but realized it was overkill. If the silverware goes thru the dishwasher, it should be fine. If you do not have a dishwasher, get separate silverware.
2. If possible, have one counter in your kitchen completely gluten-free at all times. That becomes a safe-space. I understand this may not be realistic for everyone.
3. Again, if possible, keep gluten-free food separate from food with gluten. In the fridge and freezer, have one shelf for gluten-free good. Try to get one kitchen cabinet for just gluten-free food. It makes it so much easier when things are separated.
4. Get a different colored sponge for your gluten-free dishes. Again, do red to keep it consistent.
5. Put “gluten free” stickers in any location where there is no gluten allowed. This especially helps when you have company.
6. Do not allow any hands in the ice bin. Get a scoop.
7. Watch out for contaminating condiments, butter and the like. If a utensil touches gluten and that same utensil then dips in GF food, it’s no longer safe.
8. Make sure your family is 100% on board and knows the rules of the kitchen. And trust me, getting your teen to stop cutting her bagels on my friggin’ counter is easier than it sounds. Yes…that comes from experience.
9. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Mistakes are going to happen. Learn from them and move on.
10. Be patient and always, always, always err on the side of caution.
In the beginning, this is all overwhelming. Just understand that we have ALL been there and it get’s easier as time goes on. Eventually, it becomes “almost” second nature.

May the gluten-free gods be with you. You got this!!

Oh…and one more piece of advice to the mom who wrote the email. Celiac disease is genetic and if a family member has it, it increases the chance that another one has it. You may want to get everyone tested.
November 13, 2025
How do I explain my celiac disease at work?

I was diagnosed with celiac disease after I already began working from myself and working from home. So those days where celiac just got the best of me, I was able to shut it down. But what about if you work at an office? How do you explain to them that there are going to be times where celiac just kicks your butt and you won’t be at your full capacity? That’s the dilemma in today’s Dear Gluten Dude. Here’s the email:

“Hi Gluten Dude. I’ve been gluten free for seven years now, ever since I got the call from the doc letting me know that I have celiac disease. Initially I did not handle the news well; in fact I ate a piece of Pizza Hut pizza about an hour after the phone call. Nowadays, I know the drill. I know that just a little bit of gluten can put me down for days. I also know that even though I’ve been gluten free for seven years, I still have a disease and it still impacts my body.

There are days when I just have no energy, there are days when I’m curled up on the couch, unable to move because I was the victim of accidental cross contamination somewhere. I’m vigilant, but as you know, there is only so much a person can do.

So, my question is this, how to you deal with an office/work environment? How do you explain that yes, following a GF diet pretty much keeps you healthy, but it isn’t foolproof and sometimes you just need to take a break. How do you explain that you are perfectly capable of doing your job, but that you can’t work 60+ hours a week. Thanks, Gluten Dude. Thank you for being an advocate for our community!”

All right, first things first. If you’re working 60 plus hours a week, I sincerely hope you are getting paid for 60 plus hours a week. I’m sick and tired of hearing stories of people breaking their backs to their employers and not getting what they deserve.

Now onto your celiac disease. I luckily have been working for myself for the last 16 years, and I’ve been working from home for the last 21 years. Especially early in my diagnosis, and even throughout the years, I have had stretches where I was comatose. I’d wake up in the morning, I’d feel good. I’d have a good couple hours and then a wave of exhaustion would just hit me or I’d have to take a nap after lunch or I’d have to crawl into bed by 6:30 or I couldn’t get up in the morning that is the nature of celiac disease.

Look…you have a very serious autoimmune disease. You don’t owe your employers jack shit, except for the time that you put in (and make that time count, by the way). But if you can give 40 hours of quality work per week, that’s great. If you’re expected to do more, of course that’s a personal choice. But you go to HR, assuming you have an HR Department, and you say, “Listen, I’m working a lot of hours. I have a serious autoimmune disease that can wreck havoc on my body pretty damn randomly. And there has to be some understanding here that I’m going to have some down days and some times where I’m just going to have to take off to rest and recuperate from getting Gluten.”

Let them know that it doesn’t happen often, but when it does happen, it can be pretty darn debilitating. And just say, look, for the 40 hours I’m here, I will work my butt off. I’ll be the best employee that you have in this company. But when I’m not feeling well, you’ve got to give me some slack. I’ve got celiac disease. I’ll have it for life. It’s out of my control, and I’ll do the absolute best I can do on this job while still managing my disease and taking care of my health.

Now, if your HR person says, well, what the hell is celiac disease, then we have a bit of a problem. If that’s the case, you’ve just got to educate them a little bit. Leave them with some literature or heck send them my way and I’ll be sure to set them straight.

November 12, 2025
Growing Up with Celiac Disease…and Hating It

I got diagnosed with celiac disease when I was in my early 40’s. Yeah…it sucked. Yeah…it was overwhelming. Yeah…I hated giving up all of the food I grew up on and loved. But I was an adult. Sh*t happens. You adjust. You move forward.

But what’s it like when you’ve had the disease pretty much all of your life? When you really don’t remember the pre-celiac days? Since you don’t know any other life, is this just your “normal” life? Or does the disease still hit you in ways you abhor?

Here is one teen’s experience shared with me:

I’m still a teen. I was born that way. I never suffered the way you suffered; my body never hurt, my life didn’t change. Because I don’t remember. I just know nothing before this. Only the fat white bread I used to love. But that’s not the only thing I’ve missed.Leaving the white bread behind, I was only three and already gluten free, and I didn’t understand. I had not to eat the beautiful, colorful, happy things everybody ate. I couldn’t take what I was given by my friends. I couldn’t even eat the butter caramel I so cried about. And I was the only one.

At the parties, I had to bring my own sweet from home. At the school trips, I had to carry a bag with my own food in it. For two, three or four days, no matter how long it lasted, I could never eat what THEY ate, only what I COULD eat. I had never the choice.

I had to pretend I knew the taste of the things they talked about. If they talked about sausages, or Mars bars, or different kinds of chocolate, or the ice cream shop in the corner, I had to pretend that I knew and understood, though I didn’t even know the taste. Cause I never get to try them. I can only agree with my friends that sausages are tasteless. I have to agree that that pizza is good, but actually I have only eaten “the pizza mommy makes”.

And now comes the worst. Me and my friends start going out. Where can we go? Where can I not have to explain them I cannot eat what they want? How many other invitations do I have to turn down? How many times do I have to go to a party eating a sandwich I brought from home? How many times will they ask me why I don’t buy anything from the cafeteria school bar?

Because I can’t. I just can’t.

I am different from you, you are different from me. You can have a cold chocolate drink with little pieces of cookies and whipping cream and vanilla mocha topping or I don’t know what. I have to ask first what they put in that and what it is made from. I have to end up taking a fresh fruit juice, because who knows what there will be in that “milk mixture” or what will be in those proteins of the chocolate bar.

I have no choice. I can never be “cool”. I will be the girl who brings food from home and doesn’t eat your treats, the girl that goes to the pizza party with her own pizza in the backpack.

Thanks for making me different, celiac disease. But I just want to be like everyone else. And I want to have chocolate drinks with whipping cream and biscuits and vanilla mocha toppings.

Thanks for listening.

Hey there my fellow celiac. It’s me…Gluten Dude. As I said in my email response this morning, I feel your pain and I’m so sorry. I know it can feel like you are totally alone with your disease. Please know there is a whole community out there that deals with the same feelings that you are feeling.

You did not mention if your friends support you or make you feel bad about it. I am hoping they have your back. And it seems like you have parents who love you and will do anything to keep you healthy. If so, consider yourself blessed. I’ve received tons of emails from young people who have zero support from their family and friends and make them feel like a total inconvenience.

I won’t try to pretend that I know what it’s like to grow up with celiac disease. Just know that if it ever gets the best of you, I’m an email away.

Fyi…you’re totally “cool”. Don’t ever forget that.

November 11, 2025
Tell Your Family ‘All it Takes is ONE Crumb’

This post is about a family’s insistence on not being careful around a celiac family member. It seems I get these types of emails once a month. It is so maddening/depressing that here we are in 2021 and people in our community are still dealing with this sh*t.

Before I get into the email, whenever I write an article, I try to find an interesting image to go along with it. There are a number of good stock photos sites that are free to use. As I was searching for an image of ‘bread crumbs’, I actually got anxious looking at all of the photos. No joke. I’ll call it PSCD: Post Traumatic Celiac Disorder. Anyway…onto the email.

Hello! I was diagnosed with celiac disease for about 4 months. My mother immediately realized the situation and took action (she is fantastic). She decided not to take the gluten out of the house (only I was going to eat gluten-free), bought me gluten-free food and tried to avoid any contamination.

The problem is that I don’t live alone with my mother. I have a stepfather and he has two children. And they are not careful. They eat bread and cookies and don’t wash their hands and then touch things like the dishes I eat. I warn them and they say that I am obsessive and it is not because they do not wash their hands that I will be in pain. Sometimes they say that they just touch my stuff with 1 or 2 fingers, so for them, it doesn’t matter.

My mom and I don’t know what to do anymore because they don’t do things well, nor do they want to take gluten out of the house. The problem is that I have other bowel problems and there cannot be contamination at all.

Please help us. My mother and I no longer know what to do.

I’m so out of patience for this kind of crap. What will it take to get the world to understand the seriousness of celiac disease. I could just sit here and rant and rave, but that won’t help anyone. So…and you may be familiar with this phrase lately…let’s trust the science. Multiple studies have shown that damage to the intestine can be caused by as little as 10mg of gluten. How much is 10mg you ask?

This image is from Gluten-Free Watchdog. On the right is a quarter. On the left is 10mg of toasted bread. Mind you, this is toasted bread. 10mg of pure gluten would be much smaller.

Ok…so now we know that the laziness and cruelty of your family (mom not included) can hurt you, what is the solution? Let’s go over some options.

1) Move out. And I know this is most likely not an option since it’s your mother’s husband, it’s a financial burden, etc. But family health comes first. And the fact is, they are putting you in harms way with their callousness. Perhaps something to discuss with your mom until they realize what they are doing.

2) No more gluten in the house. From your email, I assume your mom does the food shopping. If she no longer buys any food with gluten in it, it greatly reduces the risk of cross-contamination. The only way gluten gets in your house is if the stepdad or sons bring it in.

For those of you out there, I am not suggesting every household with a celiac in it should be gluten-free. Mine was not for many years when my kids were younger. But everyone knew the rules and followed them. That’s what considerate people do.

3) Lay down the line. Since it seems you have already pleaded your case, stronger words/actions must be taken. I have no idea how old you are but someone has to take the lead here. You and/or your mom has to sit your stepdad down and have a serious talking to. Kind of like “it’s my way or the highway” kind of conversation. No idea how he will react to this, not knowing your relationship. But strength works.

4) You ever seen Pope of Greenwich Village? Yes I’m just kidding.

Hang in there. Hoping for better days ahead.

November 10, 2025