Help! I'm being bullied because I have Celiacs!

There has been recent news in the gluten free world surrounding a phrase I coin as "celiac bullying." This type of bullying has actually been around for a while now, but just recently has taken a disturbing turn of events.
Now we have the Today Show hosts poking fun and disrespecting those who have food allergies saying that gluten free men are a "turnoff" to them and those who ask what's in their food are picky eaters and not "manly." Also, the Disney Channel aired an episode of Jessie called "Quitting Cold Koala" that featured some not-so-funny gluten free diet jokes that grossly distorted the seriousness of celiac disease and strict gluten free diets. Luckily, with all the hard work of the celiac community and advocates of legitimate gluten free diets, the Disney Channel has pulled that episode off the air. (Come on, Disney, I expected a little bit more from you than this). Besides these two incidents, I'm hearing news of bullying occurring in middle schools and high schools across the country. Bullying includes anything from throwing gluten filled foods at those who eat gluten free diets, purposefully offering children with celiac disease foods with gluten, and even the unwillingness of adults in those schools to offer proper accommodations to these children.  

Okay, seriously, what is going on with the world today? This is just plain ridiculous. Either us celiacs are getting way too sensitive or the rest of the population is just getting stupider. I'm going to bank on the latter.

Since my diagnosis, I have fortunately been lucky enough to not have experienced much of this "celiac bullying" that is running rampant nowadays. I believe this lack of bullying is because my current surroundings and community are of academia and those who are in higher education tend to have a greater respect for me and my specialized diet. It also helps that I live in Berkeley- a very friendly place for gfreers!

But in all seriousness, this type of bullying is making me lose faith in humanity. I mean, would you poke fun at diabetes or breast cancer? MS or asthma? No, you wouldn't, because these medical conditions are serious and potentially life threatening.

Well, celiac disease is the same. If left untreated, individuals can suffer for their entire lives and end up with life threatening cancers and other diseases. I don't see anyone laughing now.

Gluten free diets are quickly snowballing into another one of Hollywood's infamous fad diets. Well, let me tell  you, it would be absolutely disgusting to see gluten free diets compared to the grapefruit diet. One is essential for those who are diagnosed with celiacs and the other is just one of many failed fad diets followed by the ignorant.

As someone who is diagnosed with celiac disease, and I believe I can speak for T as well, this type of bullying is completely unacceptable and should be stopped immediately. We are talking about influencing the future generation of kids who, if this continues, will think that making fun of kids who can't help their genetics is acceptable and that kids who have celiacs will be forever destined to be ridiculed and brought up in an environment that is not supportive of their needs. It is also scientifically proven that those who have celiac disease tend to have more suicidal thoughts as well and frequently enter into bouts of depression and feelings of low self worth. Think about it. If we let this continue, we may have an even larger issue at hand.

At the end of the day, I'm not trying to point fingers. I fully understand those who are ignorant of celiac disease- hey, I used to be one of them. But, if you don't really know anything about what you're going to talk about, let alone poke fun at, save yourself the embarrassment and just keep your mouth shut.

For those who are being bullied right now or know someone close to you who is, please don't keep silent about it. Tell someone you trust that this is happening- you have a support group out there waiting to help you (including T and myself!!). Keep your head up and stay positive!

Besides, those who bully celiacs now will realize later exactly how idiotic their words and actions were. And if not, don't worry. You can always live with the satisfaction that their stupidity will not go overlooked.

Links to the stories referenced above:
1) Disney channel gluten jokes
http://www.teen.com/2013/05/22/news/entertainment-news/disney-channel-jessie-gluten-free-episode-pulled/

2) Hoda and Kathy Lee on the Today Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ueO0ttT33Qk     


       

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How to become a Gluten Ninja and then some...

NINJA POWAAA!!

I've been on a gluten free diet for an upcoming 3 years now. (Boy, does time fly fast when you're avoiding all that gluten! haha)

ANYWAY, all lame jokes aside, I thought that by now I would know literally everything about gluten.

No, seriously.

If I was put on Jeopardy right now and they gave me this question:
These all have something in common: croutons, soy sauce, pastries, mochi from pinkberry
Without a moment's hesitation, I would answer with a resounding: WHAT IS GLUTEN?  

"Yes, I'll take Food Allergies for $200!"

Okay, that was really random. But, I can say with real honesty, that I am far from knowing everything there is to know about gluten.

However, in my defense, my gluten knowledge has definitely increased since being on the diet for this many sum of years. I have always thought about the accruing of gluten knowledge as power levels. Here's what I mean:

Level 1: Gluten noob 
Face it: you're a noob. You're new to the gluten scene and everything is just a huge question mark. You get paranoid about every single little microscopic thing- does this have gluten, or does that? OMG, my fork just touched your non-gfree pasta!!! Get away from meee- oh and you owe me a new fork because you just contaminated mine *scoff*. PLUS, you think everything about life sucks because you can't eat pizza...and cake.

Level 2: Gluten noob in training
So, you've been on the diet for a couple months or even a year now. Congratulations! At this time, you're now adequately equipped to brave the supermarkets with your new found skills of nutrition label checking and list of red flag vocab words. If there were a subject test on gluten vocabulary, you would ace it.

Level 3: Advanced gluten master 
At this point, you're far past your gluten noob days and you are now well seasoned. You've got a good grasp on what has gluten and what doesn't. You cook your own meals and switched out all your nasty gluten contaminated utensils and dishware with brand new uncontaminated dishes! You've even ventured out to some restaurants and try your hand at using gluten free dining cards and having customized meals. Heck, you could probably hold a small seminar and teach those gluten noobs a thing or two.

Level 4: Gluten NINJA
THE ULTIMATE LEVEL.When you become elevated to the gluten ninja status, which is a difficult thing to attain, you are the sensei of all things gluten. You're on top of the celiac disease news and research, you avoid almost 99.99% of contamination in all the foods you eat, you could easily win a speed game of Does this food product have gluten?, you make your own gfree bread and get this, no one can tell it doesn't have gluten!!!, you are a gluten free/celiac disease advocate and attend all those conferences, you work for Udi's or some other gluten free food industry, you can travel with ease with your planned gluten free itinerary, and finally, you're just cool because you're a ninja. And in what universe is being a ninja not totally awesome? That's right, none.


Unfortunately, I am not a ninja yet. In fact, far from it. But I'd like to think I'm getting a bit closer each and every day.

Anyway, the real point of this post, if there even was one, is to remind all of you out there who either have celiac disease, wheat or gluten intolerance, or have a loved one who has this allergy, that putting a little more positiveness in your life, or their life, never hurt anyone. I love putting a little bit of humor in everything-even my own disease. It makes it easier for me to cope that yes, I have a food allergy, and yes, I do have it for life. But, you know what? I'm perfectly okay with that! :)

The reason why I bring this up is because I've been reading so many blogs and comments lately that just ooze negativity, insecurity, hopelessness and depression over being diagnosed with a food allergy.

Well, I'm telling you now: it could be worse. And I'm saying this in all seriousness.

You are what you are and no amount of whining, complaining, crying or hating on those who don't have what you have is going to change who YOU are. Your biology will not change... but you can change your attitude. I know it's hard; I've been through my fair share of ordeals with the consequences of celiac disease.

But, know that you are never alone. Don't always believe what other people say, even some gfreers, who say that they never found happiness or contentment after they switched to a gfree diet. It all comes down to your outlook on life and what you think about yourself. Don't waste your time being negative when you could be spending your time enjoying and appreciating all the wonderful things about your diet. Sure, things don't always work out, but since when has life always dealt cards in your favor?

My message to you today my fellow gfreers: Accept your biology, appreciate your diet, and most importantly, love yourself fully and completely.

When you open your mind and stop wallowing in self pity and negative emotions about how having a gluten allergen is ruining your life and prospects, you will find that the gfree lifestyle is really not as bad as you think. If you need help, help is always within reach whether in your family, your friends, your faith, and even fellow gfree bloggers like T and I who will never hesitate to help a fellow celiac in need.

Stay positive and keep your head up!

~Kris

PS. We would love if our readers, (even our silent ones who never comment or follow- we thank you anyways), could give us some feedback on what you would like T and I to talk about. We're pretty open to anything and we want to talk about things all of YOU are interested in. Or else, you'll just get beautiful articles from T and crazy rants and ideas from yours truly. :) Help us out and tell us what you would like to see discussed or ask us questions!!! We love reading all of them!
     




 

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Why I think Celiac disease is a White Man's Disease

(Disclaimer: First, before all of you think that I'm racist or anything of that sort, I want to clarify that this article is just my personal opinion from the things I've observed on my now 2 years of happy gluten free living and eating. All of the ideas/thoughts here are not meant to offend or upset anyone. )

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So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that celiac disease is a white man's disease.

You may ask, how and why have I even come to this conclusion?

As an Asian American diagnosed with celiac disease, I represent a small community of non-Caucasian persons who suffers from this autoimmune disorder and must commit to a strict gluten free diet. In general, I find that many of the people around me who become diagnosed or know someone who has celiacs is indeed of Caucasian descent.

Is it such a coincidence that celiac disease mostly strikes the Caucasian race? Well, perhaps not.

Scientists and researchers can now definitively state that celiac disease affects persons of mostly European descent (especially Northern Europe) more so than any other type of race. In fact, it was thought in the past that celiac disease was uncommon to rare among other races. 1

Although celiac disease predominantly affects those of European descent, what can possibly explain the statistics that celiac disease is on the rise among other races? 2003 statistics from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center says that 1 in 236 African-, Hispanic-, and Asian-Americans have celiacs. 2 That was only in 2003. Imagine the numbers now!

Still to this day it is unclear why celiac disease enjoys targeting our Caucasian friends more so than other races, but there is one thing for sure: the gluten free market is definitely geared towards whites. And not just any whites- rich, trendy, fad-diet-following whites.

Celiac disease is the new hot disease to have (if there ever was one). Celebrities left and right are self proclaiming that they have gluten sensitivity and that it feels SO much better after they didn't eat that bagel. Although I don't necessarily like that fact that celiac disease and gluten free diets are losing medical importance when in the hands of American celebrities, I do appreciate that because of the gluten free craze, my gfree friends and I can enjoy a very impressive selection of gluten free foods in our local supermarkets. Well, that is, if we go to more upscale American supermarkets.

Let me break it down for you.

Reasons why Celiacs is geared towards Affluent Caucasians:
1) Most gluten free foods are expensive (I am excluding foods that are naturally gluten free)- almost double the price.
2) Those expensive foods are only found in specialty stores or upscale American supermarkets- certainly none are found in Asian or ethnic supermarkets
3) Mostly upscale American restaurants have gluten free menus; the same applies for American specialty bakeries
4) Celiacs/food allergies are pretty much unknown to ethnic races

Point 4 may be a little confusing for some people, so allow me to elaborate. As a Chinese American, I can say that most Chinese people (and probably other Asian races) are completely unaware of food allergies beyond the general types- peanuts, seafood, eggs, dairy, etc. (tangent-Actually, there are SO many people that think that celiacs is an anaphylactic thing, which is a bit frustrating. I once had my boss say that it wasn't that serious because I wasn't going to die after I eat gluten...frustrating... but that's a different story for another time). I've even heard that some Chinese parents refuse to admit that food allergies are even a legitimate concern let alone a source of extreme danger and even death. Even though it is understandable that they may not know about food allergies (since food allergies are relatively new concepts), they cannot deny much longer that food allergies could become the next "Type II Diabetes" in seriousness and prevalence.

The world is changing and so are the diseases that afflict the people that live in this world. We have to educate ourselves and keep our minds open and accepting to new ideas.

At the end of the day, I am incredibly blessed and thankful to have gluten free food at my fingertips. I applaud restaurants, supermarkets, small bakeries and all businesses that have dedicated themselves to serving gluten free customers. As the gluten free market grows, I hope one day that we can get more promotion among other races besides Caucasians so that in the future, if I happen to walk into a Chinese restaurant or ethnic place, perhaps I'll see a list of gluten free options on their menu or in their store.  

Works Cited
1) Celiac Disease Statistics: http://www.celiac.com/articles/1164/1/Celiac-Disease-Statistics/Page1.html
2) Celiac Disease Facts and Figures: http://www.uchospitals.edu/pdf/uch_007937.pdf

For your reading pleasure: Article entitled "Celiac: the Trendy Disease For Rich White People" http://www.science20.com/science_20/celiac_trendy_disease_rich_white_people-93422

   

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Dating, Love and Being Gluten Free

Hi everyone!
 Kris is back! Yep, I have somehow managed to survive this dreadful midterm season with my mind still somewhat intact, although the extent to which is questionable...

Anyway, I wanted to share with all of you my opinions on something that may not seem at ALL related to eating and living gluten free and that is the topic of DATING.

But, let's kick it up a notch and talk not only about dating, but dating while being gfree. I can't take 100% credit for thinking of this topic as it was already extensively discussed in GlutenDude's blog post, however, I would still like to offer some of my ideas and viewpoints. So, let's go!
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Let's face the truth: dating is hard with a food allergy.

Anyone who has a food allergy or knows someone who does has a pretty good idea about what types of challenges arise when eating out. The obstacles almost quadruple when you're eating out with someone that you may potentially have an interest in. What are some of these challenges? For example:

• The person who has the food allergy has to be in control of selection of restaurants pretty much all the time
• Eating a dish you may not be 100% sure is gluten free may make you sick or seriously hurt thus leading to embarrassment and worse, hospitalization
• The other person doesn't express any interest in learning about your diet
• Dining cards have a certain kind of negative stigma (what I mean by this is the idea of "fussiness" that may cause annoyance to your date, although if that was the case, I certainly would end the date early!)

These and many more may and probably do plague the minds of gluten free eaters everywhere (and this can also be extended towards all people with food allergies!)

Dating already has the inherent pressure of trying to impress your date with the least amount of embarrassment as possible, but when you add having to deal with a food allergy on top of that...you can imagine that it can get messy really quickly.

I have also heard of concerns not really related to eating out such as Why would someone date me if they can date someone who is healthy? or I can't relate to people who don't have the same food allergy or who understands what I deal with on a daily basis. 

All of these concerns are legitimate, BUT I would encourage my fellow gfreers to not set limits to who they should date simply because of their food allergies. Remember, food allergies do not define who you are as a person but it is simply something that you must avoid for your health. Never think that you are not "worthy" to date someone simply because you have an illness or condition. Whoever your interest happens to be, they should be someone who can appreciate, respect, and love you for who you are and that includes your food allergies and diet. If your interest does not show any concern for your allergy and your health, you should probably reconsider this person as the "one", if you know what I mean.

So how do we, as steadfast gfreers, abide by our gfree eating laws while still managing to have a good time with our potential interest? Here are some tips that I hope can help you out!

TIP 1: Surprise them!
 If he/she can't surprise you with a date at a restaurant of their choice, surprise them! If you have the choice of restaurant and they don't seem to have a preference, make the choice for them and I'm sure they will love whatever you surprise them with. You can rest assure that the food is safe for you and I guarantee your efforts will make your date smile.

TIP 2: Be 1/2 full before your date 
Group date and not sure where you're eating? Eat beforehand and bring snacks in your bag!

TIP 3: Order before you go
 If you don't like the stigma or the time it takes to explain the dining card/gfree diet to the chef, make plans to go beforehand to a restaurant that you trust and tell them the specifications for what foods are safe for you to eat. So, when you get there with your date, you can get your food all ready to go without the hassle and explanation! (Make sure to choose a restaurant that you trust can prepare your food with minimal cross contamination).

TIP 4: Minimally explain, maximally listen
If your date expresses interest in learning about your diet or celiac disease, feel free to give them the basic rundown. Don't be a motormouth and go into the specific details of your symptoms because they are not your doctor or counselor, so withholding some information would be to your benefit. Remember, you're trying to impress him/her! ;)

TIP 5: Always offer to pay
If your meal is specially prepared and perhaps costs a bit more than your date's meal, do not expect him/her to pay for your meal! If they offer to pay, you can accept within limits, but make sure to get the bill the next time around! Dates love when you at least offer to pay even though they have already planned to pay beforehand.

TIP 6: Be understanding.
Celiac disease and gluten free diets are still unknown to most of the population with the exception to those in the community. If your date has never heard of it at all, don't immediately judge or dislike them for not knowing. Remember, that perhaps you were once in the group that was in the dark about this condition too!

TIP 7: Never sacrifice your health to impress your date. 
Your health is your number one priority, no matter how cool or good looking your date is, always make sure that whatever you consume is safe. Don't take chances so you won't get sick!  

I hope that these tips and some of my personal life advice on love and dating can help some of you get out there are start your dating lives without fear of having to deal with the issues involving food allergies and your health. When you break it down, it's really not that bad.

What are some of your tips on dating and eating out?

Think positive, eat safely, and take care.

Until next time,
Kris

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