It is one of life’s complete mysteries why people care what celebrities have to say, like their words have more weight than yours or mine.
But it’s the world we live in and since they go public with their thoughts, opinions, likes and dislikes, they are fair game.
Which brings us today to another mindless story about a celebrity going gluten-free to lose weight.
In this case, it was Channing Tatum for his role in the film “Magic Mike”.
Here is what his publicist said: “Channing Tatum endured a strict gluten-free diet to prep for the film.”
So…he went strictly gluten-free. Oh I’m sorry, he endured going gluten-free (whatever that means). Good for him.
But it does make me wonder a few things…
I wonder if he completely segregated his kitchen to avoid cross-contamination.
I wonder if he asked to speak with the chef every time he went out to eat to make sure his meal was 100% gluten-free.
I wonder if he read food labels on every single item before he purchased them.
I wonder if he called food companies directly when he wasn’t sure about an ingredient.
I wonder if he brought his own food with him when going to a friend’s house for dinner.
I wonder if he purchased a separate toaster.
I wonder if he made sure every utensil he used went through the dishwasher first.
I wonder if he had to throw away an entire container of butter because there was a crumb in it and he’s not sure where it came from.
I wonder if he packed a cooler of food when he was going to be out of the house for the day.
I wonder if he made sure his guests washed their hands before getting ice out of the ice bin.
I wonder if he realized that many people gain weight when they eat gluten-free.
Because you see Channing, for people like us, this is what a strict, gluten-free diet is all about.
It sucks. It totally sucks.
It’s not just the food we give up. We can handle that.
It’s everything else that goes along with it.
The daily inconveniences. The isolation. The expense.
And when it’s all said and done, a lot of us still feel like shit.
But you and your celebrity brethren simply don’t understand that.
My blog reaches about 30,000 eyeballs a month.
Your ridiculous sound bytes reach millions.
And the battle continues…
Love this! Thanks!
yes yes yes and AMEN!
Right on!
Exactly. :/
You should find a publicist and send them to him! Very well said GD!
Perhaps something on Channing’s Twitter account if he has one???
Something tells me he wouldn’t give me the time of the day…
Knew CT before he was famous (this is his media name) super nice, genuine & grounded guy that likely would personally reply if this got in the hands of his handlers. Will see if person that introduced us still has management contact “now he’s a big thing”.
No, he went paleo and did Crossfit (for the exercise part). Totally different things. Yes, it’s gluten-free, but it’s not the same thing, not nearly the same STRICTNESS, especially in regards to cross-contamination. But to say those terms is too trendy. Just call a spade a spade and say what it actually is, instead of letting people who actually need a gluten-free diet get sucked into this latest “it” diet. Because now when I go out I actually do get that question, ‘Do you NEED it? Or is it just “that diet”?” Seriously? No, I don’t have an official celiac diagnosis (not willing to do the gluten challenge now). But my intolerance is so strong/sensitive, that I have to watch cross-contamination like a hawk. And don’t get me wrong, I love the principles of paleo (real, quality food – protein, veggies/fruits, quality fats) – it’s just that when Hollywood gets into something, it gets crazy for normal people.
Indeed Melissa.
But the sound bytes were all about “gluten-free”, not paleo.
Agreed. Which is why I said they should have called it what it was. And why it’s giving Gluten-Free a bad rap.
I even think paleo is too nice – I think he cut out carbs and was with a trainer for hours a day… I guess “cut out carbs” is not as sexy as “gluten free” —- totally joking of course. 🙂
The article I read on it made me giggle over all, because it talked about how he had gone gluten and dairy free, but the one thing he’d never do again is get waxed. It made me feel good, being GF wasn’t as bad as being waxed. 🙂
I would get waxed daily if it was a trade for being a Celiac. Not even exaggerating.
I think you sound a littl bitter- take a deep breath. I know many people who eat gluten free for any reasons. To be more healthy, to loose weight, because they have to- but whatever the reason if someone is doing a gluten free diet they might not know EVERY SINGLE rule, and its a leanring process. Did you wake up one day the master of gulten free eating? Im guessing no- It sounds like you would stab someone with that very clean fork of yours-
Relax and try to help and guide others, even people who are famous.
LOL! Oh, SNAP!
Lori…not angry…not bitter. I assure you.
Celebrities going gluten-free to lose weight has NOTHING to do with their health. It’s all about jumping on the bandwagon, which at the end of the day, makes it more difficult for those who NEED to be gluten free to be taken seriously.
I’m with you, Gluten Dude – great post!! 🙂
Really? I would think someone like him would open others eyes about a gluten diet. I find most people don’t even know what it is. It’s true he may not be doing everything the right way but we all have choices we are allowed to make and no one has the power to say someone should not try something, famous or not. If a regular joe wanted to try a gluten free diet would you feel the same way and blast them with all those questions or give them more info? I think he looked amazing and if gluten free helped him get there kudos to him
Lori, it’s not about the awareness. We have that. It’s about being taken seriously. Celiac Disease is, for me, a life-threatening illness. I can’t risk cross-contamination any more than I can eat an Oreo. Celebrities who go gluten-free are rarely ever strict about it. They go to restaurants and don’t question the waiter about how the food is prepared and whether it’s possible it will come into contact with something made with gluten. So when I go to a restaurant, the server figures that I’m just On That Fad Diet and no one needs to be fastidious about the way the food is prepared.
That’s the problem with the Channing Come Latelys. They’re not bringing awareness to a disease, they’re only promoting a fad.
Hello Lori, where are you? do you get it now?
Ps. Making fun of what someone wears is pretty unprofessional. Just saying….
Lori…are you really one of my Dudettes disguising yourself?
She is quite the Channing Tatum fan was none too happy about my post this morning.
Haha no actually this is my first time on your site. This article came up on one of my Facebook friends accounts, and because I’m gluten free I was curious
I appreciate you stopping by Lori. If you read my past posts, I’m pretty consistent in my beliefs. But I honestly thank you for sharing yours.
Yep, pretty consistent in your beliefs. If someone has a recognizable name and it is reported they ate gluten free you get all bitter and up in their ass. And then don’t share the information with them or make true attempts to contact them and respond with things like ‘I’m sure he wouldn’t give me the time of day’.
You are pretty consistent about attacking others you don’t know about how they ‘do gluten free’ without actually educating us. What I’ve learned from your posts is that we should be haters and people are out to poison us. What I haven’t learned is ways to talk to restaurant staff or ways gluten can be hiding in my everyday food or perhaps new ways to feel satisfied without gluten. I haven’t heard about break through you’ve made or recipes you love. I have only heard your hatred of anything celebrity even though you do not know them at all.
It’s so ugly, that hatred and bitterness.
How do you envision I get in touch with a celebrity Melissa? I tweet them. There’s not a whole lot more I can do.
And you’re right. You will not find recipes and “gluten-free-is-great” posts on this blog. That’s not what it’s about here.
But I am helping people.
And if you read thru all my posts, only a few talk about celebrities. The rest all focus on with dealing with celiac disease as best as possible.
Have you read our Gluten Free Love Stories series?
Or my five part series on living with celiac disease?
I’m not a hater Melissa. Why are you?
I totally agree GD. I don’t think Lori gets your sense of humor yet, she needs to go back and see your other posts. You are a hoot, and you have to have a sense of humor to endure celiac disease.
Thanks Aloha 🙂
Amen, Miss Julie!
Oh boy, you better have a sense of humor if you have Celiac.
Without that, we are all doomed!
um, I kinda like his sweater. He’s pretty cute eye-candy.
But if his dog just ate a wheaty Milkbone, he better not let him lick his face!
I think it’s the way the media makes a gf diet sound easy and that anyone can do it and truthfully, there is a difference between living gf and just doing a gf diet. Yea!! You gave up some bread for a few weeks, but you can quit anytime you like, I have to live like this the rest of my life. Like Gluten Dude said, it’s all of it that’s so hard. The expense, the isolation and the strain that can happen around every meal. I’m not angry and I don’t really care who goes on a gf diet strict or not, but at the same time I see why one could be. I do get tired of people at restaurants thinking I’m just on a “diet” and so I have to emphasize the importance of my meal being gf because those on the gf diet don’t have to care if bread crumbs get in their salad or their veggies are blanched in regular pasta water, but I do and it makes the plight of the celiac seem silly and surface level. It’s frustrating when someone says what you endure means nothing more than a weight fad.
“There is a difference between living gf and just doing a gf diet.”
My point exactly Kristyn…thanks.
OT – Do restaurants really blanch veggies in pasta water? I’ve never heard that. Lame!!!
The frustration is that it prmotes confusion in the general public including those in the restaurant industry that “think” they are serving us gluten-free when they aren’t.
Grain Free = Paleo
Low/No Carb = Atkins, South Beach, Etc.
Gluten-Free = You better not chop those allowed veggies on a cutting board used to slice your bread or use that tub of margerine that someone eating toast has double-dipped in.
It’s okay for celebs to go gluten-free, just wish the media would always make a distinction between cutting out carbs/grains for weight loss and call it something else. There is NO reason for someone to eat guten-free unless they are sensitive or intolerant to gluten. Gluten-free diet allows grains, starches, etc. One can get very overweight on a gluten-free diet!
Yep…yep…yep.
Lori, do you have celiac disease or severe gluten intolerance? If not, please check out the University of Chicago Celiac Center website. There is a lot of info about how painful and debilitating celiac disease can be, along with serious complications, such as neurological conditions, epilepsy, cancer, and additional auto-immune diseases. I echo what others have said here about gluten free vs. grain free/paleo/low carb. Gluten free is a very strict lifestyle (and essentially a prescription for celiacs) that involves avoiding even traces of gluten, similar to the strictness required of a severe peanut allergy. It is not a fad diet. If you are avoiding grains, please say you’re grain free because that is much different from gluten free–both technically and out of respect for people who have no choice.
Hi Jen, No I do not have the diesase. However A great friend does- so I do see her struggle on a daily basis. My issue with this post is picking on someone because you have an illness and they dont just seem’s wrong to me. Do any of us really know why he was eating GF? Is it ok to out right pick on a person just because they dont have to struggle like you do? Just seem’s like being a bully to me. Be there to open people eyes when they ask, but in reality to me its just not cool to pick on someone for not being as sick as you are. I just feel this could have been written about a little more professionally.
Lori…if you see your friend struggling so badly, why is it ok that people can minimize the only thing that can make her feel better (going gluten free)?
And I’m not picking on him for “not being as sick” as me. He’s not sick. Period. He doesn’t need to go gluten free.
I’m totally with you on this. I’ve never been one to follow trends of what stars do – what they wear and what they eat. But so many people do. I see the same result as you – just a whole lack of awareness as a result and people not taking gluten-free seriously.
Drives me crazy as well. Half the non-gluten-free people I know tell me, “Oh, I saw Elisabeth Hasselbeck talking about gluten-free the other day” and I just cringe. I’ve yet to see a “star” actually bring true, factual awareness to celiac disease and what truly following a strict gluten-free diet entails.
I guess we all just have to ride out this wave of this fad, and hope that on the other side of the fad, we can reap the rewards of the increased availability of gluten-free food without all the stars bringing negative awareness to the diet.
I with one of these “stars” would donate a ton of money to celiac research so they can come up with some treatment options for us celiacs!
Now wouldn’t that be nice. But that doesn’t make for “sexy” headlines. Aargh!!!
Anyone see the new Mrs. USA? There’s an article about her in the latest “delight” Glutenfree magazine… Her platform is based on raising awareness of celiac disease- as she was diagnosed 3 years ago- and get better labeling! She is a sort of celebrity and I’m finding her to be on the right track with being informative and correct. We will get there eventually… Thanks gluten dude for calling the incorrect ones out.
You’re welcome Emily. And I just reached out Mrs. USA to do a guest blog. Hopefully, she’ll respond.
Channing Tatum needs to ‘Step Up’ (Yes, I said it) and ask himself why he’s on a gluten free diet. He can’t be using it to lose weight. Does he think being gluten free will make him bigger and stronger? Weird.
Nicely done Traveller!!
Celebs and people who say they are on “gluten free” diet need to think what that really means. They are most likely not gluten free but are low carb. I am pretty sure they are not checking their salad dressing and soup and whatever else for gluten ingredients. Leaving out obvious forms of pasta and baked goods is NOT gluten free it is low carb. Gluten free is avoiding all forms of gluten and I bet you they are not doing that, they don’t check ingredients, call companies, eat only at safe places and avoid cross contamination.
We have a right to complain, it negatively affects public perceptions. Not to mention I can not stand when people use the wrong terminology, they are not gluten free they are low carb. Gluten Freebies are following strict guidelines for serious health reasons, people not eating wheat items are dieting and are Low Carbers. Not the same thing!
The things is Eliza…I’m sure the majority of them have no idea what going gluten free means. It’s a buzz-word them gives them press.
Wth! I thought he was hot. But now Im just irritated. Rolling my eyes! Crossing that celeb off my hot list. Big Booooer! Love the blog GD. You best call that blankety blank blank out! He has officially been Glutenduded out! My eyes are gonna get stuck this way for sure. Dang Celebs. Should do a vent for Dear Celebs your making my life hell by going gluten free just because you felt like it.
Glutenduded Out! I like that….
A few more for the mix:
I wonder if he ever skipped a meal because the event he went to could not assure him that his meal was gluten free….and watched his family and friends chow down on delicious looking food while his stomach growled in hunger.
I wonder if he has ever curled up in a ball on his couch crying in pain because he got accidentally glutened and feels like his stomach is on fire…and then got frustrated not having a clue of what it could be that he ate that got him so sick.
I wonder if he has waitresses roll their eyes at him because he asked a few questions about the menu.
I wonder if he cooks everything from scratch to try to save money, since the gluten free versions of things cost twice (or even three or four times) as much as the gluten-filled versions.
Thanks for this post Dude. I can see why some people think it’s good when celebrities go gluten free because it brings “awareness” to the public of what gluten free means, but it is so incredibly frustrating when the public sees gluten free as somewhat of a joke or just a fad diet. More and more, people roll their eyes at me when I ask if they have a gluten free menu, because they think I’m just on a diet. It’s also frustrating when people don’t understand how serious celiac disease is and how this isn’t a choice, it’s a medical necessity. I’ve been happily eating gluten free for 12 years now, but only recently does it feel like a big deal because celebrities and the media make it out to be a fun thing to do to lose weight. ::stepping off my soapbox:: (thanks for letting me vent)
No need to step off your soapbox for me Anna. Love your contribution. And I’ve been gfree for five years and have seen a big switch in people’s perception of it.
She was at the Gluten Free Expo in St. Pete FL earlier this year! Very nice woman.
Thank you, Dude, for this post and for this blog! Unlike some people, I don’t think that having to be gluten free is all that freeing; as your previous posters have pointed out, there are some major downfalls to *having* to live this way, and nobody really has the right to blast you for being honest about this sucky disease. There’s plenty of other sites where people blow sunshine up each other arses about how wonderful it is to be forced to eat healthy all the time – you, Lori, are welcome to join them. Here, we are allowed to be honest about what we see as dishonest and support each other on this lovely path we’ve been placed on.
Amen Lisa! GD, your fellow celiacs out here understand your forum, blog, whatever you want to call it and so far we seem to be on the same page. We are here b/c you have helped us all, made us laugh and we know we are not alone. Thank you. Now, Lori, would it be presumptuous of me to assume that you do not have celiac disease or a wheat allergy, or a gluten sensitivity? That actor is not bringing any awareness to this disease by going gluten free. He is somebody else in the lime light making it look like celiac is not that serious.
I cannot fathom why anyone who does not have celiac disease or wheat allergy, or gluten sensitivity would NOT EAT GLUTEN. There is absolutely no reason, you won’t loose weight, just by going gluten free, AND you may not get enough fiber and nutrients in your diet, unless you work with a nutritionist. If you don’t have any of the above mentioned illnesses: Just say what it is, you are on a low carb diet. Leave the gluten word out of it, so that people out here who can’t eat gluten b/c we will die, can try to have somewhat of an understanding from the general public about our disease.
Thank you folks!!
Amen Aloha Julie! Your second paragraph there is so right on! I’m totally copying & pasting that on Facebook!
Yet another empty-headed Hollywood promo. I eat gluten free because I must and I never wear a cardigan to the beach!
Ugh. Another celebrity jumps on the bandwagon to do the “trendy gluten-free” diet BS. So sick of this. Ridiculous!
Someone tried to tell me the other night that pregnancy was a cure for Celiac Disease. This person supposedly had a friend who had Celiac, and then she got pregnant, had a baby and now she can eat gluten with no problems at all! I followed with my education bit that not having symptoms doesn’t mean Celiac is gone and there is still damage taking place, etc, etc. And she replied that perhaps I should try getting pregnant. Then I made an excuse to go find someone else to talk to before I started throwing sharp pointy objects at her. These armchair doctors get really tiring. Then again the real ones aren’t that much better!
How did you manage to control yourself! When I was younger, I had a lot of illnesses. The DR told me if I had a baby, they would all go away! Yeah right! The same DR purposely kept me sick for an entire YEAR, collecting $200 a month from me until I finally went to another doctor and got the REAL scoop on the causes of my illness.
You should have asked this person if they were a doctor, or had a PHD of ANY kind!
That has to be in the top 10 of the most incredibly ignorant things about CD I have ever heard (and I’ve heard some whoppers!)
Holymotherofpearl.
I really struggle with this as well because my husband’s daughter-in-law supposedly had Celiac until she was about 6 years old and she had been really, really sick. She was diagnosed when she lived in Italy – but ‘somehow’ when she was sent home to the U.S. to live with her grandparents she got better and the doctors all said she was “cured”. So she went on to eat normally for the last 17 years. She continues to eat gluten, but no doctor seems to care to test her again – since she “no longer has it”. I was so worried that when she got pregnant all her symptoms would flare up again (and I was sure that I could be proved ‘right’ – that she’s had it all along) …. but, she has successfully gone through two pregnancies – and no change. It leaves me speechless – because I tell everyone that you cannot cure Celiac Disease, but here she is “supposedly” living proof – and she goes around telling people she was cured of it. Ugh. Personally, my belief is that she must have never had it and was somehow misdiagnosed early on…. but, I am battling this misinformation within my own family. Very frustrating.
Else, this is just hilarious, it is unbelievable. You can’t make this stuff up. I wish I was there with you! I wonder what that dr. would tell a male patient to do? Oh wait I know; test him for syphilis. I am still laughing, thanks for sharing.
Aloha Julie – just to clarify, the person wasn’t a doctor, I was just calling her an “armchair doctor” since she was essentially giving medical advice!
I would get knocked up in a second if that were the case…
me too
Maybe if we made the “gluten-free dieters” write 100 times on the blackboard…
In spite of Elisabeth Hasslebeck’s claim, going G-Free is not a weight loss diet. Gluten alone has nothing to do with calorie content in food.
If they still don’t get it then they should write 100 times…
If you replace donuts, cookies, and cake with gluten-free donuts, cookies, and cake you will probably gain MORE weight than if you had stuck with the glutenous version.
If they still don’t get it then let them eat flourless gluten-free chocolate cake everyday (popular on gluten-free dessert menus). They will quickly see that the absence of gluten isn’t a weight-loss “magic bullet”..
(Rant over)
Good rant Miss D.!
Not going to lie…..gluten free or not, I would eat him…..YUM!
Okay, I just spit my water all over my laptop!!
hahahahahaha
well, you go girl!!
( and I agree—as I said above, he is cute eye candy)
Ok…eeewwww 😉
GD, I KNEW you would get all squeamish over that 🙂
took you a whole hour
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
I’ve put up with so much g-free crap that nothing much gets to me anymore….I know I have celiac disease and I know what it has done to me….
I think we’ve had just a little too much awareness….People are confused as to what gluten free if for…except for those who really have the disease 😉
Anyhow….the movie Magic Mike..was a lot of fun. Ladies lighten up and go see it! Plenty of great eye candy 😀
Someday maybe the masses will figure it out…hopefully! Right now, it’s the cool thing to be g-free 🙁 It’s too bad really….I hate people lying and saying they tested positive when clearly they didn’t….That is mybiggest pet peeve!
At least Channing Tatum didn’t say he had a gluten allergy or intolerance….he said he did it to improve his body to play a part in a movie! He told the truth….. as much as he was able to understand it anyhow…..
You actually know people who say they tested positive when clearly they did not?
Why on earth would anyone do that?
I am confused.
Yes…on celiac dot com. One person in particular tells people to lie to their family and friends and just say it is celiac. She tells people it’s no one’s business anyhow. She herself tested slightly over the limit on only the aga iga…nothing else. She refused the biopsy and tells everyone she is a solidly diagnosed celiac. It seems to me, she’s not being truthful about her so called diagnosis.
A lot of people on that forum fudge the stories of their test results….Inflammation suddenly becomes villi damage…. elevated aga Igg is a valid diagnosis….I don’t think so! There sure are an awful lot of false negatives on that forum…..just sayin…
I had a moderator tell me, in a pm, that I greatly exagerated my symptoms. It seemed that no matter what I said, he felt the need to correct me with a “private message”
Yes..I’m banned…:D In fact…Scott blocked me from even being able to see the forum….but..lol..I could still see the gf mall and purchase products….Whatever!
As to why someome would say they have celiac when they don’t have a definate diagnosis….your guess is as good as mine!
I do not know you, nor do I know the circumstances of your “banning”—- which do not involve the archaic “gold standard biopsy”. Not many can withstand a gluten challenge.
See Dr.Fasano’s research for why this is not the case any more. And see recent articles about how many people go UNDXED because the GI doc fails to biopsy.
Maybe it would best— if maybe I do not say anything that may spark an argument.
(but you would be very surprised by the ” unorthodox” way I WAS DXED)
Yet, your comments beg the question…if you have a “valid DX” how could you be “exaggerating” your symptoms? I don’t get it. Your symptoms are your symptoms. So, why would anyone question them?
And why do you care, really, if someone says they are a “celiac”. If it gets people off their backs when they eat gluten free and stops the inquisition, I mean? You have heard of NCGI, right?
Yes Irish Heart…I know your story. Through some sort of glitch, I became unblocked…I no longer try to post on c dot com though..occasionally I read what people are up to..that’s all.
I don’t care to argue either…especially not on the Dude’s blog…it just isn’t right.
I do wonder sometimes why the majority of you haven’t been as sick as I was. I do have a biopsy diagnosis…I darn near died of malnutrition….I was diagnosed when gastroenterologists weren’t supposedly educated in looking for celiac disease…yet I believe that is the only thing my GI Dr. looked for based on the questions he asked me…I have a very clear case of classic celiac disease. I do feel sorry for those that suffer and never find answers….
A few on celiac dot com have suffered….but it’s really only a few…Richard…Peter definately has…I’m not at all sure about the rest. Dr Fasano says that ncgs just isn’t as severe as celiac. He has no reason to lie….He says it doesn’t lead to the complications that celiac does….
If I’m not to care about how others eat…why does it matter what a celebrity says or does? How are they any different from the self diagnosed? How do we know they aren’t truly sick? Shouldn’t we just accept their stories too? Don’t you see the irony?
I was willing to let this go, until you said a few things that tell me you do not get the all-encompassing aspect of gluten intolerance.
You said: “I do wonder sometimes why the majority of you haven’t been as sick as I was. I do have a biopsy diagnosis…I darn near died of malnutrition ”
Many of us WERE as sick as you were, hon!.
And yes, I damn near died of malabsorption, too.
You said:
“I have a very clear case of classic celiac disease. I do feel sorry for those that suffer and never find answers…”
Yes, me, too.! My new GI doc says I am “a textbook case of celiac”, but dozens of docs for 25 years did not see it.
but people “do find answers”… they go GF and feel great!
You said:
“A few on celiac dot com have suffered….but it’s really only a few…Richard…Peter definately has…I’m not at all sure about the rest.”
HUH ?? you are kidding me, right?
You said:
“Dr Fasano says that ncgs just isn’t as severe as celiac. He has no reason to lie….He says it doesn’t lead to the complications that celiac does….”
oh hon, you are taking SOME info and using it to make a case that is not clear. I see something entirely different from his website:
The “clinical picture is less severe” meaning the villi may not be blunted (YET), but the symptoms are quite relevant. Do not quote out of context.
“Although symptoms (particularly gastrointestinal) are often similar to those of celiac disease, the overall clinical picture is less severe. Recent research at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research shows that gluten sensitivity is a different clinical entity that does not result in the intestinal inflammation that leads to a flattening of the villi of the small intestine that characterizes celiac disease. The development of tissue transglutaminase (tTG) autoantibodies, used to diagnose celiac disease, is not present in gluten sensitivity.
Just as in celiac disease, gluten sensitivity can affect all body systems and generate a wide variety of symptoms. Gastrointestinal symptoms can include diarrhea, bloating, cramping, abdominal pain and constipation. Behavioral symptoms can include “foggy mind,” depression and ADHD-like behavior. Other symptoms include anemia, joint pain, osteoporosis, and leg numbness
How many people does gluten sensitivity affect?”
Research from the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research indicates that it affects approximately 18 million people, or six percent of the population.
Gluten sensitivity may affect the digestive and central nervous systems. At the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, patients diagnosed with gluten sensitivity – without celiac disease or wheat allergy – reported the following symptoms:
70 per cent had abdominal pain
40 per cent had eczema or other rashes
35 per cent had headaches
34 per cent had a “foggy” mind
33 per cent had fatigue
33 per cent had diarrhea
22 per cent had depression
20 per cent had anemia
20 per cent had numbness (arms, legs or fingers)
11 per cent had joint pain
_________
So, to sum up, 18 million people suffer horrible symptoms, and although “clinically different”–in terms of villous atrophy–they are still clinically significant in terms of debilitating symptoms and suffering.
The quote is: “Just as in celiac disease, gluten sensitivity can affect all body systems and generate a wide variety of symptoms.
Hey, everyone!! as celiacs, we need not be “elitist” in how we view others who suffer from gluten-related symptoms that make them lose a quality of life, their jobs, their well-being, etc..
Maybe they do not have a “DX”….. but they suffer nonetheless.
It makes me ashamed to think any of us who have suffered so long would be neglectful of others who suffer (without a DX) too.
Do we really think we are the only ones–knowing what havoc gluten can wreak?
for the love of mike, this is not a goddamn contest.
^ amen to that sistaa! ^ we gotta stick together cuz it kills us all!!!
I recently heard Dr. Fasano speak and he told of a patient who came in a few years ago. She was a former marathon runner who was wheelchair bound when she made it to see him. (This was before he began researching gluten sensitivity, but a real heads up for him that this wasn’t just something in people’s minds.) She had tested negative for everything that she could be tested for. He placed her on a strict gluten-free diet not expecting much difference, but deciding that it wouldn’t hurt.
In one year she returned able to walk with a cane. In two years she returned walking unaided. In three years she had run another marathon. I think research into gluten-sensitivity is where Celiac research was 30 years ago. I totally agree with you when you say they don’t have flattened villi…yet. Never do we need to put so many who are suffering into a lesser category. Some with CD have no symptoms at all. There are very few doctors who DX someone as being gluten sensitive so most are left to figure it out on their own.
As I was headed for a wheelchair myself, this story just made me fill up with tears.
Thanks, DEE. I know my own GI doc is in the camp of “gluten wreaks havoc” and he looks for gluten sensitivity — even when the “tests” say otherwise. He went on a hunch, biopsying a guy with NEG blood work, minimal GI issues and a NEG celiac gene test — BUT OTHER symptoms making him miserable….and there it was…totally flat villi.
If he had not done that, that guy would have gone merrily along, making himself sicker and sicker.
He has suggested people ” try it” even if they test Neg. Not everyone does what he suggests, but at least, he is open to it.
I am hoping someday that I will be able to run again, too….or at least walk very, very fast without burning pain and shortness of breath and all the rest of it…. 🙂 I remain hopeful.
I’m so sorry Dude! I have suffered so greatly from my CD that I very definately have anger issues. I hope you and your friends can find it in your hearts to forgive me….
The loss of my mom to type 1 diabetes…my son’s brain cyst….the loss of part of my colon and my gallbladder… the arthritis that makes every step I take quite painful…..the loss of my dignity when I couldn’t control what my body did….And yes…I still have bad belly days….even after almost 25 years of gluten free eating…It’s not cross contamination…it’s just what is….
Am I one of the only celiacs that needed to be hospitalized to treat my malnutrition? I buy my shoes in the kids dept. I’m 4’10 1/2″ tall… My last blood work showed a vitamin D level of 13 and I was supposed to start back up with the B12 shots…Bah! I haven’t done it!
Well, hon, since I was posting my reply well BEFORE you posted this next response, clearly, you have suffered greatly from long UnDxed CD. So, I will address this post now:
I have suffered greatly too, and my heart breaks for you.:(
You NEED to address your Vit D deficiency and the B-12 shots
Go and do it NOW.
Please take care of yourself!
The only thing any celiac can do AFTER DX– is to stay GF, follow through with blood work, beef up deficient levels and remain on a healthy regime.
Best wishes to you, IH
Best wishes to you too Irish Heart! You’re a good person…Take care of yourself too!
Thanks, sweets! I mean this sincerely….anything I can do to help you, please, call on me.
Gluten dude can put you in touch with me.
He knows where to reach me. And he is sweet enough to help.
No worries at all Galwayfan. This is an open forum to promote open discussion.
Just to be clear- People in my family have other medical conditions. I understand the struggle all of you go though and reading all of these posts makes me feel for all of you. But with that being said, picking on someone, one person for their choice of going GF still seems very wrong to me. “My blog reaches about 15,000 eyeballs a month.
Your ridiculous sound bytes reach millions.”
For all we know he did go full tilt and follow every rule- maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. I feel he was used to get more attention to the site- which a great site it is, but after reading the post time and time again I just feel this guy was being slammed for going GF. Regardless no one has the right to dictate how a person lives. I guess I feel someone who is supposed to open the door and give info on a diesase should be a little more positive rather then slamming someone. This is my last post lol. Im sure I got my view across by now.
If you care to, please go back and read my original Kardashian post or my Dear Gwyneth post. I’m pretty clear as to why these celebrities make it more difficult for us.
And there are hundreds of blogs where “life is good going gluten free.” This is not one of them.
We can agree to disagree…
To aid the Dude in this ridiculous discussion:
(1) Going GF to stop debilitatin” symptoms…. like living in the bathroom or being foggy in the head or suffering anemia or hair loss, etc…
and
(2) going GF because it is mandatory –no, life-saving—-so you stop dying!!(like in Celiac)
are all different aspects of the spectrum of gluten intolerance!
Going GF for a movie role or to “get lean” or to lose your fat ass…(KIM)..or because you feel like it helps by doing it “once a month or so to “fast and cleanse” (GWYNETH)
is a VOLUNTARY DIET.
It’s not the same!!
To aid the Dude in this ridiculous discussion:
Its a ridiculous discussion that The Dude created.
Voluntary diet, non voluntary- I think it’s rediculous you people think you have thr right to controll what other think/say/do/eat because you are sick….
I’m sick?? no, I am not. Not anymore.
buy, hey, Why are you GF??
This is the dude’s blog. He can say the moon is made of dogshit if he wants.
And what does than mean: “I think it’s rediculous you people think you have thr right to controll what other think/say/do/eat because you are sick…”.
Lori–you are GF right? why? were YOU sick????
then, aren’t you “us”??
No one is trying to “control” anyone.
If you read anything I have said, you would see I think anyone who is ill should investigate a GF diet.
This grain can cause more havoc in the human gut than you can possibly believe. Humans are not physiologically equipped to digest gluten grains.
READ some medical literature. And if you do not like what is written here, stop reading.
Lori, I’m glad you won’t be back. I just spent the last week, sick as a dog, b/c my husband used one of my pans to cook “his” stuff in and then I used it. he forgot, I did not have to go the ER, but I haven’t left the house b/c of my gut reaction.
I had posted about listening to music, b/c it is the only thing that calms me down, for awhile anyway.
You my dear don’t have any compassion, (I assume you won’t read this), so FU and go on your merry way, being ignorant and stupid.
Lori, I hope you will come back to this site because you clearly have no idea why we’re concerned about being part of a trend. I don’t blame you; if I didn’t have CD, I’d feel the same way. But trust us when we say that we don’t appreciate anyone, even a sweater-clad celebrity on the beach, making light of our dietary restrictions. We don’t want to be a fad. We want food industry professionals to take our needs as seriously as they would for a diabetic or vegetarian.
It’s okay if you don’t get it, but your annoyance is misplaced.
Doro, you are way too kind. Lori will never get it, she does not suffer, (maybe mentally). She pisses me off, and is immature. The only reason she visited GD’s website is b/c she is hot for the actor and she should be spending her summer studying so she can try and catch up and get into a decent college.
Well said Doro (as usual).
Holey Moley Dude! I am so sorry!!!
It’s all good…
I think the point is not to control what people say, but rather a reaction to people saying things that are stupid. Anyone who follows a gluten free diet for health reasons has heard more intelligent people saying really stupid things. After a while it causes a lot of anger. I don’t know of any other disease where people will constantly offer their advice that sometimes borders on the ridiculous. Such as asking why I don’t just eat the filling of the cake. Or to just throw away the bread on a premade sandwich and eat the rest. So although I don’t thinks anyone really is into control issues or just being mean, we have all traveled the same potholed road.
I’ve always said that I don’t expect everybody to “get” our disease. But a little compassion and understanding goes a long way.
I had a friend tell me recently if I wanted to eat a burger from a fast food rest. to just chew and spit it out!
wow, I guess that is something she does? for other reasons, how gross.
When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease I was happy that I had a diagnosis, and I wasn’t crazy, then I got mad thinking about eating out, and my husband was mad….now we are in a ok place eating wise, but it still isn’t the same with us. It has put stress on our relationship, ..
I have to add, he is allot better than a few months ago. Now, I do most of the cooking. He likes to cook and he gets so frustrated. One half of the kitchen is mine the other half is his, and he forgets sometimes.
sometimes I just want to “RUN FORREST RUN!”
Thankyou!! You wrote what I always think, only you made it sound so much better than when I rant in my head! 🙂
Well said!
Thanks Michelle.
Your gluten-free journey on your website is something else. All three kids…wow. Best of luck to you and your family.
Sooo true!!!
People don’t realy understand what it means to eat glutenfree. When I tell others about my diet they all think I do it because I want to loose weight. Noooo, I gained weight 🙁
I have a sister in law, who asks me every time I’m at her birthday,…do you stil folow that diet???? yes, I do and now I don’t go there anymore. what a relief!!!
Sorry for my English, but I’m from the Netherlands.
Like your blog!!!!!
Thanks Trude…
Every time I talk to my mother she asks me if I stick to my diet, especially if I say I don’t feel well. It is hard to make her understand it is not a diet and not something you have a choice in. I am sick because of what ever else is going on in addition. My father never remembers I cant eat it. I think that people can’t wrap their head around being able to stick to stringent eating habits. Now I am on a low acid diet in addition, blah. After a few years it is just the way it is, better than the alternative.
I am still upset to see people being mean about those undiagnosed, it seems that it is still a privilege to be diagnosed, but no matter what you have to save yourself in the end no matter what other people say, or even with the absence of clinical confirmation. I tell people at restaurants I have celiac, people won’t take you seriously unless they know something is wrong with you. I don’t think I should be treated less carefully, it is not their business anyway, but it is the reality of getting serious treatment. When i tell my new docs I have been gluten free for 5 years, they see my history of 30 years, my whole life, of illness and non have said I need to make myself sick and get tested. Why go back for a piece of paper.
The previous poster is the first I have seen that complains they think other people are less ill. You have no idea what has happened to other people. It is not a contest, some people have it easier yes, I think people that were less sick have a harder time sticking to it, or people who had symptoms a shorter period of time have a harder time coping with the dietary changes than those with longer term problems, probably because those who have been ill a long time are more use to adjusting their life for illness. Most people do not go on and on in every comment or internet discussion detailing all their ailments. So it might seem people are less ill, while some are, there are many that were ready to lay down and die and a going gluten free was so late that they are forever damaged. It is just a good idea to be nice to people because you have no idea what is really going on with the person on the other side of the computer and a lot of people don’t walk around detailing everything all the time, or it might be pages.
I love this blog, it is the first one I have read that is not “sweet treats you can make” and making light out of this. It addresses the reality most people are dealing with and not trying to make it cutesy and fun.
“It is just a good idea to be nice to people because you have no idea what is really going on with the person on the other side of the computer”
Yes…yes…yes…
Until you have walked in someone shoes, you can never really know how someone feels or what they have to deal with on a day- to- day basis. I do not know anyone who has a “perfect life”.or who does not suffer some type of pain, physical or emotional.
I have always loved the expression:
“Be kinder than necessary, for everyone is fighting some kind of battle”.
Amen, amen and AMEN! I’m totally sharing this with all of my food allergy friends. No matter what the food allergy (we’re peanut allergic at our house) the principles are the same. I stand with all of my celiac friends as they fight the good fight!
Thanks Atomic…
I wanted to comment on a recent experience I had. I had to have genetic testing for another issue and I discussed celiac genetic testing with the counselor. I am DQ2 + although my kids are neg. My dd was nonetheless dx because, well, as her dr said, “if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck…it’s probably a duck”. My son is a different story as well. We went gf and saw lots of great changes. Here’s the interesting part. I asked him about getting the kids retested for other possible genes, as I am obviously not convinced that they are neg. He told me that there is no truly 100% test for celiac yet, as it is not just one gene that causes the disease. His analogy was to imagine that there are 10 genes that contribute to celiac and you have to have 5. I could have 7 and my kids could have gotten any combination of 5 of them. If the test is only testing for the other 2 then they would present negative although they are not. He said that they are hoping to have a screening test that will encompass all of them at some point, but that they are not there yet. We all have always been ttg neg and my dd biopsy was negative. They took 4 samples, what if they missed it? No one can convince me that my dd is neg. The changes in her body tell all. Sometimes the testing just isn’t conclusive. And personally, I think we need to stop believing that it is. My daughter was so sick. Her dr even said that if I would have listened then we probably would have been back in a few years with her even sicker. Sometimes we catch it before it gets “diagnostic”.
As far as the original post, I am grateful for the increase in food available. I am grateful for my kids’ schools listening to me perhaps better. I am grateful that there are people that want to help me to be safe. I am not ok with all of the misinformation. I am not difficult because I cannot eat that salad after you take the croutons off. I am not picky because I cannot eat that burger after it is cooked on the same grill as the flour tortillas. I am not nuts because I ask you to change your gloves. But if you do that for me, I will be so grateful, thankful, and tell you that. I will be a customer for life.
The genetic test for celiac disease focuses on two particular markers—HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8.
“Ninety-nine percent of celiacs have either HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8,” says Alessio Fasano, MD, medical director at the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research.
(…..which means 1% have OTHER genes.)
“The snag with the genetic test is that having DQ2 or DQ8 doesn’t mean you have celiac or that you’ll ever develop it. In fact, up to 40 percent of the population has one of these markers and very few of these people will ever get celiac disease.”
“There’s no predictive value of developing celiac with DQ2 or DQ8,” explains Fasano.
Instead, it’s the absence of the DQ2 or DQ8 marker that’s useful information. Because the chances of developing celiac disease without having either DQ2 or DQ8 are extremely low, Fasano says that “the proper use of the genetic test is to rule out celiac disease.”
But there are definite indications for undergoing genetic testing. Three different groups of people can benefit most.
Perhaps the largest group is the first-degree relatives of a celiac. These people are at risk of developing the disease, says Fasano, who regularly recommends screening family members with both HLA genetic testing and serological blood tests.
“HLA typing can determine whether doctors should keep an eye on an individual or not,” Fasano explains. “If the individual has a negative test result, the chances of developing celiac are low.”
The second group that might consider genetic testing are individuals with medical conditions frequently associated with celiac disease, says Fasano. That includes patients with autoimmune conditions, such as Type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease and Addison’s disease, as well as certain genetic disorders, such as Down’s syndrome.
The third group is made up of patients who are struggling to find a diagnosis and want to know if their symptoms are due to celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
“This group of patients is not insignificant,” says Fasano, “They may have suffered for years from ataxia [clumsiness symptomatic of a neurologic condition], brain fog or depression without a satisfactory diagnosis. At some point, they may have read about celiac disease and may have given the gluten-free diet a try. In many cases, their symptoms improve on the diet. But because celiac disease requires a 100 percent lifelong commitment to the diet, they want to know where they are on the spectrum of gluten sensitivity. The test can help distinguish if their symptoms are due to celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.”
Perhaps the biggest advantage of the genetic test is that, unlike a blood panel or small intestinal biopsy, being on a gluten-free diet will not alter test results. Gluten-sensitive patients who cannot—or will not—tolerate a gluten challenge (the temporary reintroduction of gluten to the diet) may opt for the genetic test to rule out the disease.
Read more here:
http://www.livingwithout.com/issues/4_1/celiac_gluten_sensitivities-1063-1.html
Tanya, if you google celiac.com and genetic testing, that web site goes into detail about it.
Irish Heart really knows her stuff about celiac, has suffered more than most. So I’m sure IH will respond to this.
I think what makes drs. a little insecure about doing genetic testing is b/c you could have the genes for celiac and never get it.
I am DQ2 and DQ8, positive, (Mom Dad, thank you! god rest your souls) however, this can get tricky, I was having all of the symptoms and was told I had IBS for over 30 years. I for allot of reasons, decided to be tested for it recently. My blood test was negative, my endoscopy was neg, but I had been gluten free for over 10 weeks. didi not know that was an issue, then the skin rashes started up again, (was told I had shingles over 20 years ago), I was recently biopsied and have dermatitis herpetiformis. My take on it, if you have all the symptoms and are negative, then do the genetic test, …?
Irish Heart?
I’m glad to hear that your kid’s school is taking you seriously.
And you really sound level headed about it…way cool.
I have to add 5 + ? that equal seven to post this. GD, what a hoot? you have designed this totally in mind of our brain fog.
Seeing as we are talking about the genetics of celiac….here is a very simplified version of the genes and how they may form a full geliac gene. I find it to be an interesting subject…..still lots to learn though…..
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1727/figure/celiac.F1/?report=objectonly
Here’s the entire article if you are interested….I find dot gov or dot edu sites to be more credible than other sources.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1727/
Gluten Dude you are right on. Going back to the topic of the original conversation, I know we all have our days when eating a strict gluten free diet gets to be a real pain in the butt, and when I have one of those days, I get a little irritable, and yes, a little whiney. It’s hard to have a craving and whatever you eat, it doesn’t satisfy that crave. No wonder I am 50 pounds overweight. It gets a little frustrating when a family member will say, “I’m not celiac, but I can eat gluten free like you, it’s no big deal, quit your whining.” They don’t realize that an hour later when they are hungry, they can eat anything they want, and do. So don’t tell me it’s no big deal. See, I’m pouting right now. When I hear people say they are going on a gluten free diet, I just kind of chuckle, because even people who are close to you sometimes don’t have a clue even though they live around our little world.
Mrs Dude and one of the Dudettes keep promising to go gluten free just for one week. I’m still waiting.
Your posts are some of my happiest moments since going gluten free! lol This one in particular was absolutely hysterical. 😛 It’s sooooo relieving to hear someone else who can relate!
Wow, that was so well said. I live gluten-free (no confirmed celiac, but a definite intolerance), as well as corn, soy, nut, and a few other things – free. And, I go through every single one of the things you listed. It’s tough. And, in addition to that, if something is mislabeled or I missed an ingredient, I have horrible reactions… and I have tough days as my body struggles to heal. It’s very difficult. I have never looked at blogs that write on these topics until I saw Jennifer’s story on Fox News last night. Thanks for speaking up. I may save this post to show to others when I try to explain what it’s like at times… Thanks for showing that we aren’t alone.
Appreciate it Kristy…
Gluten is poison to everyone, wheat today is literally making people ill. Ever wonder why people with auto-immune disorders like RA or PA get relief from avoiding gluten? Because it is pure crap and causes inflammation in the body. Anyone here read The Wheat Belly? I will never view gluten the same way again.. Ever. People may not know why they feel better, but they do. The bloating, distended belly, lethargy and all of the things happening that they don’t see. The world may just be realizing what science has been holding out on, GMO wheat today is good for NOBODY..
Man, you REALLY ARE awesome with words. I LOVE how you put it like it is…because it truly IS how it is. I cannot stand people that do fad gluten-free diets to “lose weight”. It literally makes me want to punch them in the face. Well said…now I think differently of Channing.
🙂
I am not at all defending him, Hollywood does more harm than good in this area, I agree. The fad new ‘diet’ should not be a weight loss tool but a new way off life for all. The stuff is crap! I wish you health..