So here we are, September 13, 2017, and this is officially Celiac Awareness Day. Kind of cool we get a day to bring awareness to our lovely autoimmune disease. So what am I aware of today? Let me count the ways.
- Are you aware that even though Celiac Awareness MONTH is in May, Celiac Awareness DAY is today?
- Are you aware that’s because it’s in honor of Dr. Samuel Gee, who was the first doctor who linked celiac disease and food and he was born on this day in 1839?
- Are you aware that Celiac Awareness Day was not a thing until 2010?
- Are you aware that the U.S. Senate officially designated this day to Celiac Awareness?
- Are you aware that you were going to get a history lesson today?
- Are you aware that there is an 80-year-old man who does sprints past my house every morning?
- Are you aware how cool that is?
- Are you aware that the average time it takes a person to get a celiac diagnosis is still 6-10 years?
- Are you aware how much those people are unnecessarily suffering during those years?
- Are you aware that this is my 675th blog post?
- Are you aware that celiac.com says that Cheerios are getting a bad rap? No…seriously.
- Are you aware that instead of defending the community, we have leaders in our community who instead have the backs of General Mill$?
- Are you aware how much shit I get for pointing these tidbits out and people tell me the “negativity” is not good for celiac awareness?
- Are you aware that the community should ALWAYS come first, even if it means making other people think twice about how they are promoting our lovely disease?
- Are you aware that every day is celiac awareness day (meaning it’s something we ALWAYS need to be aware of)?
- Are you aware that I’m launching a new business called Build My Blog this fall?
- Are you aware that was a shameless plug?
- Are you aware my book, which I know will help so many in the community, has a 4.5-Star rating on Amazon?
- Are you aware that was another shameless plug?
- Are you aware that I have no shame?
- Are you aware that a gluten-free diet is not enough for our bodies to completely heal?
- Are you aware that it took me years of suffering to finally come to terms with that?
- Are you aware that I found this on a popular celiac forum: “Gluten Dude is not the first choice in whose opinions I trust about gluten-free anything. Some of his statements made on his website sometimes make me wonder if he really knows much about living gluten free correctly.”
- Are you aware that someone followed that up with this: “I read his website because it is amusing. I do not consider him to be an expert at all.”
- Are you aware that I never claimed to be an expert? That I just share my opinions and advice on this wacky celiac journey?
- Are you aware that I’m on my third cup of coffee?
- Are you aware that I finally got Spotify and will never go back to Pandora again (as I’m listening to a cool Beatles Cover Songs playlist in the background)?
- Are you aware that there is no cure for celiac disease and no drug that makes it ok to eat gluten?
- Are you aware that pharmaceutical companies see dollar signs with the gluten-free diet craze and are now developing drugs that “MAY” make it ok to eat gluten again?
- Are you aware that I will NEVER eat gluten again?
- Are you aware that Mrs. Dude and I, while we miss our Dudettes, have adjusted to being empty-nesters just fine thank you?
- Are you aware that I got an early copy of Jennifer Esposito’s new book and we’ve already made about 6 of the items in her book?
- Are you aware you can make chocolate pudding with avocado?
- Are you aware that celiac disease is just a part of who I am and it does not, and never will, define me?
- Are you aware that I’m considering getting a Gluten Dude tattoo on my wrist? (2018 Dude note: Scratch this idea.
- Are you aware that I already have a No Grain No Pain tattoo on my arm?
- Are you aware that that I spelled tattoo wrong (tatoo) both times above and had to correct it?
- Are you aware that we should all do our part in spreading celiac awareness?
- Are you aware that even the smallest gestures can make a big difference?
- Are you aware that it’s 10:20 and I need to go?
- Are you aware that I wish you all a safe, happy and healthy Celiac Awareness Day? May the gluten-free gods be with you.
Thanks for entertaining me this morning. 🙂
Always happy to do it…
Love the post, but I’ve got one for you. Are you aware that coffee is cross-reactive in some people and they react to it like gluten? I had to give up my coffee and it made me feel better. I’m sorry to even suggest it because loving coffee and having to give it up was hard for me and I hate to think you might should do it too.
Are you aware that I’m now blocking you from my site for suggesting I give up coffee (hee hee)?
Uh oh! I hope you don’t because I love reading your blog! I hope you don’t have to give it up.
GD~~BAAHAHAHA!!!
Fatcat, I cannot do coffee either, same with chocolate 🙁
I’m thinking I need to give it up too. Sad; its just sad
I had to give it up for 4 months but can now do limited organic coffee (1 cup a day) yeah me!
Me too! I only just discovered this. I cut coffee out for other health reasons and the caffeine headache hangover lasted for 10 days!! I felt so much better without it though. Every now and again I’d crave one though and it would send me on a jittery spin for at least 10 hours. I recently tried some coffee in Vanuatu – organic and delicious – and didn’t get the jitters and headaches so thought I was over the hurdle. Had one back here in Australia and jitter central! Think I’ll keep to the organic every now and again and see how it goes. So weird….
oh, damn. I wondered / thought this for years. oh, please not my coffee. argh!!!! How does one find out I guess?
Are you aware that you are an awesome inspiration? Have a happy day!
Are you aware I LOVE your blog and I am one of those people it too 6 years to diagnose! But and so much better now and now have a 14 year old daughter suffering with the disease also … 🙁
Glad to hear…and sorry to hear.
As always, thank you. I was very upset with celiac.com when I recently read the comments about Cheerios. The bottom line is I’m responsible for my own health and I thank YOU for reminding me of that, and of my dual responsibility to our community. I have my days when I’m very frustrated with either the disease, the choices it forces me to make, or stupid comments/actions of people around me, but you are one of the people that keeps me grounded. THANK YOU!!!!!
Thanks Jeanne. I have no idea what goes on over at celiac.com at times.
My son and I both have reacted to Cheerios. When we let our Celiac community know, we had a backlash from many people, they acted like all the gluten lovers out there who don’t understand Celiac! I do not know what is up with GF people and Cheerios. Weird!
Hey, Dude. Here’s something I’ve been meaning to vent about and I knew I could with you. There’s this person in my life that makes me nuts. She’s “GF” and those quotation marks are there for a reason. Whenever we’re together in the presence of food, as she helps herself to something gluteny and delicious-looking, she says to me: “I have a gluten threshold”. Arghghgh! What the hell is that?!?! In my mind, I become Buddy the Elf: “What a GLUTEN THRESHOLD??? I want one!” In real life, I say nothing, but, one of these days………
Does she have celiac?? Can’t control others; only your reaction to their actions.
No, she doesn’t have celiac. Yes, I definitely know I can only control myself. It just gets on my nerves, and I know you don’t mind letting us vent here. :0)
Say hi to the sprinter tomorrow and offer him a coffee ☕️
Not a bad idea…
You are the BEST Anything you do to keep this blog up is ok with me (Shameless plugs, fine) I believe you because my experiences match what you describe. My husband will NEVER eat gluten again and I love him. I am on my 2nd cup of coffee.
Thanks MaryAnn.
Happy to learn a number of facts I was unfamiliar with. We are going on 11 years with celiac in our household. Thank you for not mentioning the banana diet. Here’s my plug for the day: JUST SAY NO to oats whether certified GF or not.
I am aware of #21 because I still suffer an endless cycle of illness about every 3 or 4 weeks for no apparent reason. Can anyone suggest a solution before I throw myself of a cliff?
My recommendation is to find someone who is good at diagnosing health issues. It is best to get recommendations from others in your area. In my experience, that person is highly unlikely to be an MD. Locally, the best person I know of is an acupuncturist. Be careful who you select; there are many unhelpful people out there who will advertise themselves otherwise. Also, keep a journal of what you eat, and what you are exposed to. You might find a pattern that matches your 3 to 4 week episodes.
Sadly, you will have to do most of the work yourself. As for myself, I recently discovered yet another food that I cannot eat (that’s three so far); by eliminating foods from my diet. One would think that after six decades one would have figured this out much sooner. I wish that I had known how much of this work I would have to do myself when I was young and doing my schooling; if so, I would have studied more chemistry and biology.
Are you aware that I would never rely on a Big (insert descriptor) like Cheerios to keep me healthy?! And I guess one shouldn’t rely on just ONE website (like celiac.com). Regarding # 23 and 24, are you aware that there are also people who think the moon landings were fake (or any other weird theory you can think of). It doesn’t stop them from posting their opinions/view of the world online. Oh well. And are you aware that You Rock!?
Are you saying the moon landing was real? Mind. Blown.
love you dude. you make me feel more normal because I know that I am not alone.
Are you aware that I voted for you as Favorite Blog in the recent GF buyers guide poll?
hey, I did too! bless you Dude for your humor and way of looking at life…thanks/
Thanks folks. I’m honestly not a fan of those polls, which is why I never mention I’m nominated. Most everyone has something valuable to contribute. But if somebody HAS to win… (lol)
I do find at least some value in those polls. I always find new blogs, books, and products to check out. So there is that. If nothing else, it leads me to new stuff to try.
I like your site it’s informative and funny. The only problem I have is people who treat this like the plague not everything you touch, see, breath and otherwise will cause a reaction.
Doing fine now. Still have episodes but nothing like before. Keep your chin up. Someday we will overcome
Yeah…lots of fear-mongering out there. I talk about that a lot in my book that a positive attitude is the best thing you can do for your disease.
Thank you Gluten Dude!
I recognize that duress well. Myself? I went through many stages: 1) removing gluten by removing bread, as in, removing the bun from a hamburger and the croutons from a salad; 2) removing hidden gluten, as in, brown sauce from Chinese restaurants because it contains soy sauce which contains wheat but like a bonehead still adhering to number 1 above; 3) only ordering menu items that had no bread, croutons, etc., but still getting glutened because of not asking questions about dedicated food prep/cooking areas; 4) going whole 30 for the month of February 2017 after a bad glutening from number 3 above… and never looking back.
Yes, I prepare all my food after shopping the walls at the grocery store (fresh fruit, produce, meats, etc.). And at the office, one of the final missing links, purchasing my own butter tub for nuked potatoes after watching the bosses butter bread and or crackers (knife to butter, knife to toast, knife to butter, repeat).
That is the long way to say, we – the celiac community – need more information to properly answer your question. Describe to us what and how you eat so that we can point you (from experience) towards the possible contamination issues that seem to plague you on an all too frequent basis.
Oh, and stay away from cliffs… a true adherence to eating clean and gluten free is much less painful 🙂
Changing subjects (sort of), lets see how old and/or trivia minded folks are with a slight song lyric modification:
Through early morning fog I see
Visions of the things to be
The pains that are withheld for me
I realize and I can see
That [celiac ain’t] painless
It brings on many changes
I [can’t] take or leave it if I please…
I’m gonna lose it anyway
The losing card of some delay
So this is all I have to say
That [celiac ain’t] is painless
I too prepare all my own food except for the weekly BBQ takeout from Whole Foods which doesn’t seem to affect me. This is why I am confounded about why I keep getting sick. Meat, veges, that’s about it.