My New Book: The Naked Truth About Living With Celiac Disease

Are you frustrated that your body has not completely healed yet? You WILL heal. Are you struggling with the fact that you can never eat gluten again? You WILL come to terms with it. Do you dread going out to eat because of fear? You WILL enjoy meals out again. Do you feel like your life is consumed by this disease? You WILL learn to live with it. They say that life is not about what happens to you, but how you react to what happens to you. That, to me, is the key to adjusting to this insidious disease. You can let it beat you or you can fight it back. This book is all about taking the fight to celiac disease. And winning the battle.

Why did I write this book? What do I hope to get out of it? Who is it for? Lotsa questions…I get it. So let’s get some answers; self-interview Dude style.

So you’re writing a book. Why now?
Short answer? I want people to learn from the ups and downs and ins and outs of my celiac journey, which basically is what this book is.

Longer answer? I started my GlutenDude.com blog in October 2011. Since then I have written over 650 articles and the site has generated over 35,000 comments. I’ve written about a huge variety of topics, all regarding living with celiac disease. That’s tons of material that needs to be seen by those in the celiac community who are looking for honest guidance (I don’t sugarcoat things…at all).

The problem is that a lot of that material gets lost in the mix and may never be seen unless someone reads the blog from start to finish, and let’s face it, ain’t no one’s got the time for that. And there is some seriously helpful & entertaining & important & educational & emotional articles that can benefit a lot of of my fellow celiacs so they know what to expect and how to manage all aspects of their disease.

Although I have a pretty large social media and blog following, I know there are thousands upon thousands of fellow celiacs who have never heard of me or read my articles. So I am taking the best of the bunch and throwing in some new commentary as well. The bottom line is that I want to reach the biggest audience possible to make as much money help as many people as possible.

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How would you say your blog, and hence this book, is different from other celiac related blogs and books?
Can we take a potty break?

No.
Fine. Like I said, I started my blog in October of 2011. Previous to my launch, I followed a lot of other gluten-free bloggers and I just felt there was a space that needed to be filled. There were, and still are, many talented bloggers in the celiac community. But the majority of them focus on the gluten-free diet aspect of the disease via product reviews, recipes, etc. I wanted to talk about the DISEASE and more specifically the realities of LIVING WITH THE DISEASE. Also, many of the blogs I read talked about how their lives drastically improved as soon as they gave up gluten. That certainly did not apply to my situation and I’ve heard from many celiacs over the years who have told me that it didn’t apply to them as well.

So I wanted to be a voice that said “Hey, you know what…celiac really sucks…here’s all the crap we have to deal with…let’s share our stories…find some sanity…get healthy…and make the journey together.”

So many celiacs in our community are lost. They get their diagnosis and the only instructions they receive from their doctor is: Don’t eat gluten (thanks Doc). So we walk out of the doctor’s office a bit terrified of our new life in front of us, but feeling a bit relieved that “Hey…all we need to do is give up gluten and we’ll be fine.”

But damn…here I am, 8 years after my diagnosis, and all I can say is that’s just not the way it is. There is SO MUCH more to our disease than simply living gluten-free.

So you think you’re filling a true need within the celiac community?
Absolutely. I would not write the book if I didn’t. I realized that we need something that covers all of the emotional, social and physical aspects of living with celiac disease. We need something so that those newly diagnosed with celiac disease or those struggling with their disease have a go-to resource on how to best cope with their new life. We need something that is straight-up honest about our disease, with a lot of snark thrown in for good measure. We need something that tells celiacs “hey…if you want to heal quickly…DO NOT make the same mistakes I made.” We need…we need…we need…

THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT LIVING WITH CELIAC DISEASE

Ok…I got it. So it’s basically a handbook, or an instruction manual if you will, on living with celiac disease?
Exactly. This is essentially my journey through the ups and downs of this pain-in-the-ass disease. Look at it almost as a diary of my fun life with celiac disease. I’ll provide specific guidance for those newly diagnosed and who are pretty much scared sh*tless…cause we’ve all been there. I’ll talk about the pitfalls and how-to’s of eating outside the comfort of your own home…and which spots to avoid even though they claim to be “gluten-free”. I’ll talk about how having the right attitude is an absolute necessity when dealing with celiac. I’ll delve into how celiac can affect your relationships and how to navigate the sticky situations. And yeah…I’ll even throw some celebrity juice in there, cause lord knows for the most part, they have not helped our cause.

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How is your book formatted?
I struggled with how to organize the book. There is A LOT of content on my blog. I only wanted to bring the most pertinent information over. On top of that, my journey, especially when it comes to eating, has really changed over the years. As I put this book together, I realized in the beginning how much my blog was about my frustration with my disease, mostly because I was eating “gluten-free” and not eating “right”. And yes…I’ve learned there is a huge difference.

So on top of focusing on how we should eat so we can heal, I thought it would be interesting to break each section down by topics (eating right, eating out, relationships, the right attitude, etc.) and for the most part listed by date as well. And where I want to add some current notes to an older article, I will mark them with “2017 Gluten Dude”.

And one last item: My articles are really only a part of my blog. What makes my blog really shine are the comments on each post left by the community. As I mentioned above, over 35,000 comments so far. Even though the comments are so incredibly valuable and helpful (and pretty dang entertaining at times), I didn’t want to add the comments to this book, so at the end of each article (where applicable), I will add a link to the original blog post so people can read the comments if they so desire. And I seriously suggest it. This way, whoever is reading this book will have the opportunity to learn from thousands of other celiacs and not just me. It’s a true team effort in the Gluten Dude community.

And lastly, some details about the book itself. First, how much is it?
$9.99 for the digital version. $14.99 for the paperback (but Amazon will set its own price below that I’m sure).

Where is your book available?
On Amazon as both a paperback and for the Kindle, and on Barnes & Noble (Nook only right now).

How long is it?
I assume you’re talking about the book?

Seriously.
258 pages.

If we like the book, can we leave a review?
Oh god…yes. Please head over to the Amazon page where my book is and leave a review. I’d be so appreciative. I’ll even sign your copy of the book (if we ever meet).

Anything else we need to know?
Nope. Just sit back, get cozy, grab a gluten-free drink and we’ll take this crazy ride together. Trust me…you don’t want to go it alone.

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A Sampling of Amazon Reviews (so far)

“I can’t even begin to explain the multitude of emotions I went through reading this book.. I laughed, I cried, I felt angry (at times I was absolutely steaming from the ears), and there were even points where I genuinely felt nauseous. Thank you for being such an amazing advocate for the Celiac community! Recommending this to everyone I know with Celiac.”

“This is not your medical journal or a nutritionist’s guide. This is the real, raw, every day deal of Celiac Disease. It is so freeing and refreshing to read the truth about what we go through every day! New to gluten free, friend/family of a Celiac or a Veteran Celiac from long ago this book is for EVERYONE!”

“Literally just started reading your book about 20 minutes ago. But I’m in tears and laughing. You took the words right out of my mouth and totally understand how I’m feeling. Finally! Someone who understands and is not afraid to express their feelings. Thank you so much for being so honest. Looking forward to finishing the book!! Let the tears roll!”

“Read this book if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance or love someone who does. Gluten Dude will say things that no one will say but everyone is thinking and you won’t be able to stop laughing.”

“I was diagnosed with Silent Celiac a year ago. I have never read anything that addressed the emotional impact of this disease except for the writings of Gluten Dude and Jennifer Esposito. My Doctors have never even approached the subject! Just a diagnosis and sent me on my way. It’s so hard to mourn the loss of eating out with my family and celebrating food like we used to do. I know there are worse things in life…but we need to talk about the real feelings that come with this disease. I read From Crappy to Happy in one afternoon and cried the whole way through! I had found my tribe! Thank you, GD! I am your biggest fan!”

“Anything written by the Gluten Dude is a MUST read for those faced with Celiac, food intolerances, allergies, etc. I have never found another advocate who is more straight forward and honest, while still inserting a healthy dose of humor in his writing. Read it and enjoy. You will be glad you did.”

“Love love love Gluten Dude. A true warrior on the celiac front. This book gets the info out that you need in a clear and fun way. A must read for celiacs.”

“This book was a big help to me as I struggle with the celiac lifestyle sometimes. It’s helpful to know I’m not alone and uplifting to be reminded to focus on the positive and not get stuck in the negative. Life is what you make of it, not what you can or can’t eat.”