Month: April 2022

This weeks blog is going to address some of the most ridiculous questions I get asked from friends and teammates. The things they ask actually make me laugh out loud. Slowly but surely, they are becoming more educated about what gluten is.

Question 1: Why are you eating rice, doesn’t that have gluten?

– NO! Rice is gluten free. If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked me if rice is gluten, I would seriously be rich. All natural forms of rice — white, brown, or wild — are gluten-free. 

Question 2: Did you try the corndog today in the dining hall? It was so good!

-After getting asked this question, I laughed aloud and said, “considering the fact a corndog is covered in breading, I’m gonna go with no. No, I did not eat the corndog for lunch.” This question could have been avoided, if my teammate thought about what a corndog is before asking me if it was gluten free.

Question 3: So like…is water gluten free?

-I can’t even start with this one. All I am going to say is yes, water is in fact gluten free.

Question 4: What is gluten?

-This is actually a fair question for someone uneducated about gluten and celiac disease. In simple terms, Gluten is a protein found in many grains, including wheat, barley, and rye. It’s common in foods such as bread, pasta, pizza, and cereal. Gluten provides no essential nutrients. People with celiac disease have an immune reaction that is triggered by eating gluten.

Question 5: Why are you eating that, won’t you get sick from the gluten? (this is my favorite question)

-While sitting in the dining hall, I will be enjoying my meal and almost every time someone asks, why are you eating that? I respond with why not. They always come back with, well isn’t that gluten. All I can say is, why would I be eating a meal that would make me sick. Some of my friends really lack common sense when it comes to the topic of gluten and my diet, but I love them for it!

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Celiac Disease and Gluten Myths Debunked

You’ve probably heard of the gluten-free diet, but many people don’t even know what gluten is or that this diet is a treatment for a condition called celiac disease. In this blog post, I will bust some common misconceptions about celiac disease.

Myth: Celiac disease is a food allergy

Celiac disease is not an allergy. It is an autoimmune disease where the body produces antibodies that attack and destroy the cell lining, of the small intestines. Celiac is a chronic and incurable disease, and the only treatment for patients is to follow a strict gluten-free diet.

Myth: Celiac disease is common.

This is false. The reality is, only 1 in 141 people in the United States have celiac disease, according to the NIH. However, many people with celiac disease are undiagnosed.

Myth: Celiac only affects the GI tract

Some of the typical symptoms of celiac disease are GI-related — bloating, constipation, gas — but doctors are now realizing there is an array of other symptoms. The non-GI symptoms are becoming just as prevalent. They include anemia, recurring headaches, arthritis, osteoporosis and in my case, before going gluten free I was losing my hair.

Myth: Gluten is in rice

Gluten is not in all grains. People with celiac can eat rice, potatoes, quinoa, and buckwheat. But they must avoid wheat. Always read ingredient labels.

Myth: Not eating gluten helps you lose weight

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but chances are it’s not gluten packing on the pounds. It’s true people lose weight when they stop eating pizza, pasta, and bread. But those foods are also high in calories and carbs.  If you’re looking to lose weight, talk with a nutritionist for the right diet to follow.

Myth: Gluten is only found in food

Gluten can be found in a lot of unexpected places other than food. Medicine, toothpaste and cosmetics can contain gluten (Blog Post 4).

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.