a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by tla
tla  ·  3665 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The great gluten-free diet fad - BBC News

I am. I got a blood screen done for something else, and the doctor ticked that box because it's common for someone with the conditions they were investigating to also have Celiac. Despite never having a reaction, I have antibodies in my blood that say I have Celiac. I could let it develop into the problems my Aunt has, or I can preempt the symptoms and stop now.

I have to explain what I cannot eat. My mother in law considers taking me and my husband to sandwich shops for lunch because she hasn't bothered to learn what it means. She sees a thing on shelves in the supermarket labelled gluten free, and gets it and expects me to be thrilled about this discovery she made for me.

I've been on this restriction while living in 3 countries now. And as hopeful as I was that the US would be better about it, it's not.

I didn't want it as an identity, but just by having to navigate the world with the intolerance, it became one.





kleinbl00  ·  3665 days ago  ·  link  ·  

It doesn't have to be an identity. There are people who are loud'n'proud vegetarians and there are people who don't eat meat. It's a lot easier now to eat gluten-free than it ever has been before and a whole lot of clever people have put a whole lot of effort into making gluten-free baking less of a laughable contradiction in terms than it once was.

And while your aunt may be an idiot, at least her heart is in the right place, right?