February 20, 2025 • 20 mins
Going gluten-free is hard enough—but what happens when the people around you don’t understand why? Maybe they think you’re overreacting, that “a little gluten won’t hurt,” or they just don’t know how to accommodate your needs.
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or choose to live gluten-free for other health reasons, getting friends and family on board can be one of the biggest challenges. But the good news? There are ways to make it easier—for them and for you!
In today’s episode, we’re talking about how to communicate your gluten-free needs in a way that gets others to listen, understand, and even support you. Let’s make social situations less stressful and gluten-free living a little smoother!
Save money, and no more guessing for dinner! Use code GFE to get 20% off annual membership at thedinnerdaily.com. Plan meals for less than $4/month and save money at the grocery store!
Come join us in our free Facebook Community, The Gluten Free Engineer.
It’s a space where you can connect with others living gluten-free, ask questions, swap tips and recipes, and get support from people who truly get it. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or a seasoned gluten-free pro, you’ll feel right at home.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carrie Saunders (00:00):
Quick reminder before we get started on this
episode this podcast is based onmy personal experiences and
isn't medical advice.
Going gluten-free can be hardenough, but what happens when
the people around you don'tunderstand why?
Maybe they think you'reoveracting, that a little gluten
won't hurt, or they just don'tknow how to accommodate your
needs.
So they're afraid and don'tunderstand.
(00:21):
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or choose
to live gluten-free for otherhealth reasons.
Getting friends and family onboard can be one of the biggest
challenges, but the good newsthere are ways to make it easier
for them and for you.
In today's episode, we'retalking about how to communicate
your gluten-free needs in a waythat gets others to listen,
(00:43):
understand and even support you.
So let's make social situationsless stressful and gluten-free
living a little smoother.
Welcome to the Gluten-FreeEngineer Podcast.
I'm your host, k Saunders.
In 2011, I was diagnosed withceliac disease, a moment that
changed everything, but I wasdetermined not to let it hold me
(01:03):
back.
With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer
the gluten-free lifestyle,breaking down recipes, safety
tips, travel hacks andeverything in between to rebuild
a life I love.
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or simply
choose to live gluten-free.
This podcast is for you.
Join me each week as wesimplify the gluten-free
(01:24):
lifestyle, make it fun and provethat you don't have to miss out
on anything.
So most people don't fullyunderstand what gluten is or why
it's harmful to some people, soyou might need to educate
kindly those around you aboutgluten and what it is.
You can explain it in simpleterms that it's a protein found
(01:47):
in wheat, barley and rye andthat for you, eating it can
cause serious health problems,even if I don't feel the effects
immediately.
Some people might get it withjust telling them these simple
facts, but other people might bea little bit more skeptical and
not understand it becausethey've not heard of gluten
before, or really celiac orgluten intolerance, and don't
(02:08):
really fully understand it.
So if you have celiac disease,you might need to emphasize that
it's an autoimmune disease andnot just a food preference, that
you're required to eat this wayby your doctors and healthcare
professionals and healthcareprofessionals For gluten
sensitivity, you might explainthat gluten still triggers
uncomfortable symptoms in you,like bloating, headaches and
(02:29):
brain fog, and that you can evenmaybe add, if you want, that
you had no idea you had thisgluten sensitivity until you
went off gluten and thenrealized it by trying gluten
again, because many times wedon't understand that we have a
food sensitivity until we'vebeen off of it for long enough,
and you can maybe even explainthat as well.
You know, just say that you hadno idea until you did this
(02:51):
experiment and listened to yourbody.
And then, for those that arecurious and want to help you out
and also want to maybe createfood for you, you want to make
sure that you're clear aboutcross-contamination risks,
especially if you're celiac.
One of the biggestmisunderstandings that I found
was how even a tiny amount ofgluten can cause harm.
A lot of people didn't realizethat and I honestly didn't
(03:14):
realize that at first when Irealized I had celiac either,
until I did enoughexperimentation to realize
really tiny amounts of glutenreally make me feel pretty
terrible.
So you can use a relatableexample to say something like
it's like peanut allergies.
Just because I'm not eating apeanut butter sandwich doesn't
mean I'm safe if my food touchespeanuts.
(03:35):
A lot of people understand apeanut allergy and how the oils
from peanuts can be, you know,cross contaminated and put onto
other foods.
It's similar to gluten.
I mean.
Obviously gluten is not anactual, true allergy allergy,
but the glue and the glue, whichis the word from gluten right,
(03:57):
it sticks to so many things.
So whenever gluten touchesgluten-free food it likes to
stay there and get in yoursystem.
So, similar to peanut oils, itwill stay there and stay in that
.
You know food that's touched it.
So you can explain some commonrisks, such as using the same
(04:18):
toaster for gluten-free andregular bread can make you sick
because the crumbs from thegluten bread will stay in that
toaster and it's basicallyimpossible to clean a toaster.
If you know what I mean.
I'm sure you've probably triedto clean it some, but you know
you don't get everything out ofthere.
Also, shared cooking surfacesor utensils also are a great way
(04:38):
to transport gluten into agluten-free dish as well.
Similarly, somebody wouldn't dothat for an allergy.
If somebody had a peanutallergy or a dairy allergy or
something like that, theywouldn't use the same food in a
dairy item and then put it in anon-dairy item.
That's meant for somebody witha dairy allergy.
(04:59):
It's similar in gluten.
It's just so easy to get thatinto our system.
Gluten.
It's just so easy to get thatinto our system.
Also, things like doubledipping in condiments like
butter, mayo, jelly, peanutbutter, for example.
I know that, you know.
We were recently at a family'shouse for a celebratory birthday
party and I have thankfullytaught my kids that.
(05:24):
Their first question theydidn't want to get butter for
their baked potato because thebaked potato is gluten free, you
know, obviously unless you putsomething weird on the outside
of it.
And they didn't.
They were afraid to get thebutter and I had to tell my one
of my children.
I'm like I saw the butter onthe butter dish.
It was completely brand new, wewere safe on that one.
(05:44):
So then they were comfortableto go get the butter on the
butter dish.
It was completely brand new, wewere safe on that one.
So then they were comfortableto go get the butter.
But when family and friendsdon't understand that too and I
also knew we weren't using breadand there hadn't been any bread
used around it too but whenfamily and friends don't
understand something as simpleas a butter dish could carry
those crumbs into a gluten-free,safe product or item that
(06:06):
they're eating, you know theymight not think about that
because it's not somethingthey're used to thinking about.
So always be kind when you'redoing, you know, these type of
education things and help stepthem through it.
You know you don't want to talkdown towards to them, but you
know, make it simple though,because their brains aren't
thinking on the same level asyours because you're not.
(06:28):
They're not the ones that areneeding this type of food change
and always communicate withkindness and not frustration, as
I just implied.
It's really easy to getfrustrated when people don't get
it, especially when you justknow how bad it's going to make
you feel.
You know it might make you likesuper cranky besides the other,
(06:50):
you know problems that itcauses your body.
So, instead of like sayingthings like well, why don't you
understand?
I've told you a hundred times,you know we've had to be so, so
patient with our family and someof our friends because they
just aren't around somebody whohas a sensitivity like this or
(07:10):
an allergy.
So if people have been aroundother people that have had a
traditional allergy, they'regoing to probably get it and
understand it more.
But if you're talking tosomebody that's never had to
deal with a food allergy intheir immediate family or
friends, they're probably goingto need to take a little bit
more time to absorb theinformation.
So you can, you know, talk tothem say I know it sounds
(07:33):
complicated, but it's reallyimportant for my health and
here's some simple ways to makeit safe for me.
So I have, over the years,helped other people understand
how they can make food safe forme and they actually really
enjoy that and really want to dothat for me because they love
me too as a friend or a familymember.
And so, as long as you'rereally kind and help explain it
(07:57):
in simple terms and give themways to make it safe for you, so
you can show them how to do itnot only just not what to do,
because that can be on thenegative side Also show them the
positive side.
How can they do it for you, howcan they help you?
One of the simple solutions is,say we're having a Thanksgiving
(08:17):
dinner or something wherethere's gravy or something you
can let them know.
You know, hey, instead of usingflour to thicken this to make
gravy, you can actually use cornstarch, because it's naturally
gluten free.
And many times they might'vebeen like oh yeah, I used to use
corn starch, you know, when I'mmaking gravy, but for some
reason I'm now using flour, andit might be a really simple
(08:38):
switch to them to start justusing cornstarch instead.
I know my family this pastChristmas, you know, made gravy
that was safe for me and theyuse cornstarch instead of flour
to make it thick and really niceand delicious and juicy.
We made some ham gravy togetheras a family.
It was wonderful to be able tomake this with my family members
who aren't celiac.
(09:00):
Another thing you can do iswhenever you're having a meal
together with family and friends, you can bring your own
gluten-free dish to share, andwe do this a lot and many times.
I'll do my chicken casserole,which we'll have on our website
here soon the recipe for it.
But I'll bring out my chickencasserole, one because it's my
kids' favorite meal at theholidays, for sure, and two,
(09:24):
it's a complete meal for us.
It's got protein in it, it'sgot vegetables in it and it also
has some carbs in it.
Now, it obviously doesn't havethe fruit category in there, but
for something like that it'sgot the main food groups.
We're going to be full, we'regoing to be satisfied.
So bring a nice gluten-freedish to share.
And if you're going to arestaurant this is something we
have to do a lot we have tosuggest going to a
(09:46):
gluten-friendly place when we goout to eat with our friends and
family and actually they'rereally good now because they've
been trained long enough to askme hey, can you eat at this
place?
Or what do you think Is thisplace going to be safe?
So you'll get them trained inworking with you and helping you
out.
So you know, just alwayssuggest a gluten-friendly place.
There's usually any more.
(10:09):
I find it's a lot easier to eatout gluten-free now than it did
like, say, 10 years ago.
And then, when you're attendinga family gathering, like we
actually did just this pastweekend, we figured out what are
they serving ahead of time andwe offered to make modifications
and actually this time wedidn't need to.
All the food was naturallygluten-free.
(10:31):
So we helped cook so that wecould make sure that it was
basically steak and bakedpotatoes and some veggies.
We helped to make sure that thesteaks were cooked on a clean
surface for our family and notone that could have had gluten
on it before.
You know that was on the grill.
So we, you know, helped bymodifying it and helping you
(10:52):
know one clean where we werecooking really well, and we
offered to help the cooking part, which they were very relieved
and they didn't, you didn't needto worry about us being safe.
Now, another thing that I got alot when I first found out I
needed to be gluten free is Iwould get a lot, but you used to
eat gluten and you were fine.
So people might question whyyou're going gluten free now if
(11:15):
you used to eat gluten withoutissues.
And so some things you can do isyou can explain that celiac
disease can develop over time.
When you have celiac, you havea gene in you that can be
triggered and turned on is theway they like to describe it and
then you express the celiacsymptoms.
(11:36):
But many times when you'reyounger, either it's not been
turned on or your symptomsaren't strong enough to be
recognized and to be seen,because gluten can be hidden so
well and masked by otherailments and other problems that
we have in our lives.
So you can explain that celiacdisease can develop over time.
(11:57):
It can be triggered and it canbe just simply turned on by some
illness, some trauma, et cetera.
Researchers are still trying tofigure out quite all of how it
works, but those are a lot ofthe clues they've gotten.
Is it can be some trauma, somesickness that can cause the
celiac gene to be turned on.
(12:18):
Also, gluten sensitivity isn'talways obvious until those
symptoms become noticeable, andit can also not be obvious until
you've gone off gluten for longenough and then tried it again
to realize.
This is why I kind of feel mehall the time, or why I sometimes
get migraines, or why sometimesmy stomach hurts really bad or
(12:39):
I have bathroom issues, or why Ihave eczema.
So many times we don't knowthat the food we're eating is
actually causing us troubleuntil we've removed them from
our bodies.
Another example of that for mespecifically, is I did not
realize that soy was also atrigger of digestive issues for
me until we were experimentingwith my husband and trying to
(13:02):
figure out some of his healthissues and we removed soy from
his life and therefore my lifeas well.
And then I tried some edamamebeans pure, pure, pure soy,
nothing else in them and I hadissues.
The next morning I hadheadaches, I had bathroom issues
and there was absolutely hadheadaches, I had bathroom issues
, and there was absolutelynothing else that I'd eaten in
(13:23):
the previous couple of days thatwere risky, that were gluten
risky, for example.
So many times the sensitivity togluten or other foods are not
obvious until you've removedthat food from your system.
And also, the more damage thatgluten causes over all the years
, the stronger the reactions canbecome.
If I look back into mychildhood and my youth, yes, I
(13:46):
had celiac symptoms back then.
They weren't nearly as bad asthey were once I hit my 30s and
they even started to get kind ofbad in my early 20s too, in my
early 20s too.
So many times we don't knowthat we have celiac because our
gut and our bilii and our smallintestine if we're celiac has
not been damaged enough to causeobvious symptoms too.
(14:11):
So some example wording youcould use is I used to eat
gluten, but my body wasn'thandling it well.
Now that I know what's causingmy issues, I have to be careful
to stay healthy.
So it can be a simple sentencelike that.
If you don't want to go intoall the details about what it
does to your body and all thethings right Now, you might run
into this.
Sometimes too, you might runinto some people who just
(14:33):
continue to dismiss your needs.
So if that happens, just befirm but kind.
You know.
Say something like I appreciateyou don't see gluten as being a
big deal, but for me it is.
I need to take care of myhealth.
So you can just be simple andfrank and kind and not rude back
to them, and I want you to makesure you're prioritizing your
(14:54):
well-being.
If someone refuses toaccommodate your needs, bring
your own food or avoid eating attheir house.
Eat before you go.
This is something we did in thebeginning, before we quite
figured out how to handle eatingoutside of the house.
We would eat our meal earlybefore we went somewhere,
especially if we knew therewasn't going to be any safe
(15:16):
options there, and thensometimes we'd bring our own
snacks too and just have them ina bag and eat if we got really
hungry.
So sometimes we just have toresort to that, unfortunately.
Now I do say that as far as ourexperience has gone.
Over time, the people who weredismissing our needs in the
beginning came around andunderstood and got more educated
(15:39):
and understood what was goingon.
They were just confused and itwasn't really anything against
us.
They just didn't understand it.
So just be kind andunderstanding on your end.
That'll help them understandyou more.
And then, when you have thoseawesome, wonderful gems around
you that goes out of their wayto accommodate your gluten-free
needs.
Just show your deepappreciation for them.
(16:00):
I have several people in mylife that are just gems and I
just want to hug them and justeven talking about it right now,
because they're always lookingout for mine and my children's
safety, to make sure that we'resafe whenever we're around them
and food is around us.
I just thank them profusely.
My best friend if she'slistening, I'll give her a shout
(16:21):
out, because even if I comeover to her house, she cleans
her kitchen, especially if she'sknown she's had gluten or flour
out in the kitchen.
She cleans it like nothing elseto make sure that I'm safe when
I come into her house and don'taccidentally get gluten in me,
even if I'm not even eatingthere.
It's just so wonderful.
It warms my heart.
So celebrate those that reallyare there rooting for you,
(16:43):
supporting you, supporting yourhealth, whether you're celiac,
gluten intolerant or gluten-freefor other health reasons.
Just really embrace that andfocus on those people that are
there helping you and supportingyou and just you.
Kindly educate those that arekind of lagging behind and don't
quite understand it as well.
Just remember, they don'tunderstand, they're confused and
(17:06):
they just need some moreguidance.
So some key takeaways are thathelping friends and family
understand your gluten-freeneeds isn't always easy, but it
is possible.
And over 12 years of havingceliac or knowing that I've had
it, even though I've probablyhad it for almost all my life
I've just had to use somepatience, education and clear
(17:26):
communication to help makesocial situations safer and more
enjoyable.
And remember you deserve to eatsafely and feel good, no matter
where you are.
So don't compromise your health, even if it makes the situation
awkward.
I know I have been there beforeand I have risked compromising
my health before and then Iregretted it for days and days
(17:48):
later.
Because for me, if I get glutenfor days and days later,
because for me, if I get gluten,it usually lasts me for several
days and I sometimes becomedebilitated and cannot function
at all.
So make sure you're keepingyour health and your safety in
mind.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Gluten-Free
Engineer.
If you found value in thisstory, please share it with
someone who might needencouragement on their own
(18:09):
gluten-free journey.
For more tips, recipes,resources and even links to my
YouTube channel, head on over totheglutenfreeengineercom.
It's your one-stop hub to makegluten-free living simple, fun
and full of flavor.
And don't forget to subscribeso you never miss out on an
episode, and we will see younext week.
(18:30):
The Gluten-Free Engineerpodcast is for informational and
entertainment purposes only.
I share my personal experiencesand stories about living with
celiac disease and navigating agluten-free lifestyle.
This podcast does not provide amedical advice.
Always consult with a qualifiedhealthcare professional for
medical questions, concerns oradvice specific to your health.
Quick reminder before we get started on this
episode this podcast is based onmy personal experiences and
isn't medical advice.
Going gluten-free can be hardenough, but what happens when
the people around you don'tunderstand why?
Maybe they think you'reoveracting, that a little gluten
won't hurt, or they just don'tknow how to accommodate your
needs.
So they're afraid and don'tunderstand.
(00:21):
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or choose
to live gluten-free for otherhealth reasons.
Getting friends and family onboard can be one of the biggest
challenges, but the good newsthere are ways to make it easier
for them and for you.
In today's episode, we'retalking about how to communicate
your gluten-free needs in a waythat gets others to listen,
(00:43):
understand and even support you.
So let's make social situationsless stressful and gluten-free
living a little smoother.
Welcome to the Gluten-FreeEngineer Podcast.
I'm your host, k Saunders.
In 2011, I was diagnosed withceliac disease, a moment that
changed everything, but I wasdetermined not to let it hold me
(01:03):
back.
With my two engineering degrees, I set out to reverse engineer
the gluten-free lifestyle,breaking down recipes, safety
tips, travel hacks andeverything in between to rebuild
a life I love.
Whether you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance or simply
choose to live gluten-free.
This podcast is for you.
Join me each week as wesimplify the gluten-free
(01:24):
lifestyle, make it fun and provethat you don't have to miss out
on anything.
So most people don't fullyunderstand what gluten is or why
it's harmful to some people, soyou might need to educate
kindly those around you aboutgluten and what it is.
You can explain it in simpleterms that it's a protein found
(01:47):
in wheat, barley and rye andthat for you, eating it can
cause serious health problems,even if I don't feel the effects
immediately.
Some people might get it withjust telling them these simple
facts, but other people might bea little bit more skeptical and
not understand it becausethey've not heard of gluten
before, or really celiac orgluten intolerance, and don't
(02:08):
really fully understand it.
So if you have celiac disease,you might need to emphasize that
it's an autoimmune disease andnot just a food preference, that
you're required to eat this wayby your doctors and healthcare
professionals and healthcareprofessionals For gluten
sensitivity, you might explainthat gluten still triggers
uncomfortable symptoms in you,like bloating, headaches and
(02:29):
brain fog, and that you can evenmaybe add, if you want, that
you had no idea you had thisgluten sensitivity until you
went off gluten and thenrealized it by trying gluten
again, because many times wedon't understand that we have a
food sensitivity until we'vebeen off of it for long enough,
and you can maybe even explainthat as well.
You know, just say that you hadno idea until you did this
(02:51):
experiment and listened to yourbody.
And then, for those that arecurious and want to help you out
and also want to maybe createfood for you, you want to make
sure that you're clear aboutcross-contamination risks,
especially if you're celiac.
One of the biggestmisunderstandings that I found
was how even a tiny amount ofgluten can cause harm.
A lot of people didn't realizethat and I honestly didn't
(03:14):
realize that at first when Irealized I had celiac either,
until I did enoughexperimentation to realize
really tiny amounts of glutenreally make me feel pretty
terrible.
So you can use a relatableexample to say something like
it's like peanut allergies.
Just because I'm not eating apeanut butter sandwich doesn't
mean I'm safe if my food touchespeanuts.
(03:35):
A lot of people understand apeanut allergy and how the oils
from peanuts can be, you know,cross contaminated and put onto
other foods.
It's similar to gluten.
I mean.
Obviously gluten is not anactual, true allergy allergy,
but the glue and the glue, whichis the word from gluten right,
(03:57):
it sticks to so many things.
So whenever gluten touchesgluten-free food it likes to
stay there and get in yoursystem.
So, similar to peanut oils, itwill stay there and stay in that
.
You know food that's touched it.
So you can explain some commonrisks, such as using the same
(04:18):
toaster for gluten-free andregular bread can make you sick
because the crumbs from thegluten bread will stay in that
toaster and it's basicallyimpossible to clean a toaster.
If you know what I mean.
I'm sure you've probably triedto clean it some, but you know
you don't get everything out ofthere.
Also, shared cooking surfacesor utensils also are a great way
(04:38):
to transport gluten into agluten-free dish as well.
Similarly, somebody wouldn't dothat for an allergy.
If somebody had a peanutallergy or a dairy allergy or
something like that, theywouldn't use the same food in a
dairy item and then put it in anon-dairy item.
That's meant for somebody witha dairy allergy.
(04:59):
It's similar in gluten.
It's just so easy to get thatinto our system.
Gluten.
It's just so easy to get thatinto our system.
Also, things like doubledipping in condiments like
butter, mayo, jelly, peanutbutter, for example.
I know that, you know.
We were recently at a family'shouse for a celebratory birthday
party and I have thankfullytaught my kids that.
(05:24):
Their first question theydidn't want to get butter for
their baked potato because thebaked potato is gluten free, you
know, obviously unless you putsomething weird on the outside
of it.
And they didn't.
They were afraid to get thebutter and I had to tell my one
of my children.
I'm like I saw the butter onthe butter dish.
It was completely brand new, wewere safe on that one.
(05:44):
So then they were comfortableto go get the butter on the
butter dish.
It was completely brand new, wewere safe on that one.
So then they were comfortableto go get the butter.
But when family and friendsdon't understand that too and I
also knew we weren't using breadand there hadn't been any bread
used around it too but whenfamily and friends don't
understand something as simpleas a butter dish could carry
those crumbs into a gluten-free,safe product or item that
(06:06):
they're eating, you know theymight not think about that
because it's not somethingthey're used to thinking about.
So always be kind when you'redoing, you know, these type of
education things and help stepthem through it.
You know you don't want to talkdown towards to them, but you
know, make it simple though,because their brains aren't
thinking on the same level asyours because you're not.
(06:28):
They're not the ones that areneeding this type of food change
and always communicate withkindness and not frustration, as
I just implied.
It's really easy to getfrustrated when people don't get
it, especially when you justknow how bad it's going to make
you feel.
You know it might make you likesuper cranky besides the other,
(06:50):
you know problems that itcauses your body.
So, instead of like sayingthings like well, why don't you
understand?
I've told you a hundred times,you know we've had to be so, so
patient with our family and someof our friends because they
just aren't around somebody whohas a sensitivity like this or
(07:10):
an allergy.
So if people have been aroundother people that have had a
traditional allergy, they'regoing to probably get it and
understand it more.
But if you're talking tosomebody that's never had to
deal with a food allergy intheir immediate family or
friends, they're probably goingto need to take a little bit
more time to absorb theinformation.
So you can, you know, talk tothem say I know it sounds
(07:33):
complicated, but it's reallyimportant for my health and
here's some simple ways to makeit safe for me.
So I have, over the years,helped other people understand
how they can make food safe forme and they actually really
enjoy that and really want to dothat for me because they love
me too as a friend or a familymember.
And so, as long as you'rereally kind and help explain it
(07:57):
in simple terms and give themways to make it safe for you, so
you can show them how to do itnot only just not what to do,
because that can be on thenegative side Also show them the
positive side.
How can they do it for you, howcan they help you?
One of the simple solutions is,say we're having a Thanksgiving
(08:17):
dinner or something wherethere's gravy or something you
can let them know.
You know, hey, instead of usingflour to thicken this to make
gravy, you can actually use cornstarch, because it's naturally
gluten free.
And many times they might'vebeen like oh yeah, I used to use
corn starch, you know, when I'mmaking gravy, but for some
reason I'm now using flour, andit might be a really simple
(08:38):
switch to them to start justusing cornstarch instead.
I know my family this pastChristmas, you know, made gravy
that was safe for me and theyuse cornstarch instead of flour
to make it thick and really niceand delicious and juicy.
We made some ham gravy togetheras a family.
It was wonderful to be able tomake this with my family members
who aren't celiac.
(09:00):
Another thing you can do iswhenever you're having a meal
together with family and friends, you can bring your own
gluten-free dish to share, andwe do this a lot and many times.
I'll do my chicken casserole,which we'll have on our website
here soon the recipe for it.
But I'll bring out my chickencasserole, one because it's my
kids' favorite meal at theholidays, for sure, and two,
(09:24):
it's a complete meal for us.
It's got protein in it, it'sgot vegetables in it and it also
has some carbs in it.
Now, it obviously doesn't havethe fruit category in there, but
for something like that it'sgot the main food groups.
We're going to be full, we'regoing to be satisfied.
So bring a nice gluten-freedish to share.
And if you're going to arestaurant this is something we
have to do a lot we have tosuggest going to a
(09:46):
gluten-friendly place when we goout to eat with our friends and
family and actually they'rereally good now because they've
been trained long enough to askme hey, can you eat at this
place?
Or what do you think Is thisplace going to be safe?
So you'll get them trained inworking with you and helping you
out.
So you know, just alwayssuggest a gluten-friendly place.
There's usually any more.
(10:09):
I find it's a lot easier to eatout gluten-free now than it did
like, say, 10 years ago.
And then, when you're attendinga family gathering, like we
actually did just this pastweekend, we figured out what are
they serving ahead of time andwe offered to make modifications
and actually this time wedidn't need to.
All the food was naturallygluten-free.
(10:31):
So we helped cook so that wecould make sure that it was
basically steak and bakedpotatoes and some veggies.
We helped to make sure that thesteaks were cooked on a clean
surface for our family and notone that could have had gluten
on it before.
You know that was on the grill.
So we, you know, helped bymodifying it and helping you
(10:52):
know one clean where we werecooking really well, and we
offered to help the cooking part, which they were very relieved
and they didn't, you didn't needto worry about us being safe.
Now, another thing that I got alot when I first found out I
needed to be gluten free is Iwould get a lot, but you used to
eat gluten and you were fine.
So people might question whyyou're going gluten free now if
(11:15):
you used to eat gluten withoutissues.
And so some things you can do isyou can explain that celiac
disease can develop over time.
When you have celiac, you havea gene in you that can be
triggered and turned on is theway they like to describe it and
then you express the celiacsymptoms.
(11:36):
But many times when you'reyounger, either it's not been
turned on or your symptomsaren't strong enough to be
recognized and to be seen,because gluten can be hidden so
well and masked by otherailments and other problems that
we have in our lives.
So you can explain that celiacdisease can develop over time.
(11:57):
It can be triggered and it canbe just simply turned on by some
illness, some trauma, et cetera.
Researchers are still trying tofigure out quite all of how it
works, but those are a lot ofthe clues they've gotten.
Is it can be some trauma, somesickness that can cause the
celiac gene to be turned on.
(12:18):
Also, gluten sensitivity isn'talways obvious until those
symptoms become noticeable, andit can also not be obvious until
you've gone off gluten for longenough and then tried it again
to realize.
This is why I kind of feel mehall the time, or why I sometimes
get migraines, or why sometimesmy stomach hurts really bad or
(12:39):
I have bathroom issues, or why Ihave eczema.
So many times we don't knowthat the food we're eating is
actually causing us troubleuntil we've removed them from
our bodies.
Another example of that for mespecifically, is I did not
realize that soy was also atrigger of digestive issues for
me until we were experimentingwith my husband and trying to
(13:02):
figure out some of his healthissues and we removed soy from
his life and therefore my lifeas well.
And then I tried some edamamebeans pure, pure, pure soy,
nothing else in them and I hadissues.
The next morning I hadheadaches, I had bathroom issues
and there was absolutely hadheadaches, I had bathroom issues
, and there was absolutelynothing else that I'd eaten in
(13:23):
the previous couple of days thatwere risky, that were gluten
risky, for example.
So many times the sensitivity togluten or other foods are not
obvious until you've removedthat food from your system.
And also, the more damage thatgluten causes over all the years
, the stronger the reactions canbecome.
If I look back into mychildhood and my youth, yes, I
(13:46):
had celiac symptoms back then.
They weren't nearly as bad asthey were once I hit my 30s and
they even started to get kind ofbad in my early 20s too, in my
early 20s too.
So many times we don't knowthat we have celiac because our
gut and our bilii and our smallintestine if we're celiac has
not been damaged enough to causeobvious symptoms too.
(14:11):
So some example wording youcould use is I used to eat
gluten, but my body wasn'thandling it well.
Now that I know what's causingmy issues, I have to be careful
to stay healthy.
So it can be a simple sentencelike that.
If you don't want to go intoall the details about what it
does to your body and all thethings right Now, you might run
into this.
Sometimes too, you might runinto some people who just
(14:33):
continue to dismiss your needs.
So if that happens, just befirm but kind.
You know.
Say something like I appreciateyou don't see gluten as being a
big deal, but for me it is.
I need to take care of myhealth.
So you can just be simple andfrank and kind and not rude back
to them, and I want you to makesure you're prioritizing your
(14:54):
well-being.
If someone refuses toaccommodate your needs, bring
your own food or avoid eating attheir house.
Eat before you go.
This is something we did in thebeginning, before we quite
figured out how to handle eatingoutside of the house.
We would eat our meal earlybefore we went somewhere,
especially if we knew therewasn't going to be any safe
(15:16):
options there, and thensometimes we'd bring our own
snacks too and just have them ina bag and eat if we got really
hungry.
So sometimes we just have toresort to that, unfortunately.
Now I do say that as far as ourexperience has gone.
Over time, the people who weredismissing our needs in the
beginning came around andunderstood and got more educated
(15:39):
and understood what was goingon.
They were just confused and itwasn't really anything against
us.
They just didn't understand it.
So just be kind andunderstanding on your end.
That'll help them understandyou more.
And then, when you have thoseawesome, wonderful gems around
you that goes out of their wayto accommodate your gluten-free
needs.
Just show your deepappreciation for them.
(16:00):
I have several people in mylife that are just gems and I
just want to hug them and justeven talking about it right now,
because they're always lookingout for mine and my children's
safety, to make sure that we'resafe whenever we're around them
and food is around us.
I just thank them profusely.
My best friend if she'slistening, I'll give her a shout
(16:21):
out, because even if I comeover to her house, she cleans
her kitchen, especially if she'sknown she's had gluten or flour
out in the kitchen.
She cleans it like nothing elseto make sure that I'm safe when
I come into her house and don'taccidentally get gluten in me,
even if I'm not even eatingthere.
It's just so wonderful.
It warms my heart.
So celebrate those that reallyare there rooting for you,
(16:43):
supporting you, supporting yourhealth, whether you're celiac,
gluten intolerant or gluten-freefor other health reasons.
Just really embrace that andfocus on those people that are
there helping you and supportingyou and just you.
Kindly educate those that arekind of lagging behind and don't
quite understand it as well.
Just remember, they don'tunderstand, they're confused and
(17:06):
they just need some moreguidance.
So some key takeaways are thathelping friends and family
understand your gluten-freeneeds isn't always easy, but it
is possible.
And over 12 years of havingceliac or knowing that I've had
it, even though I've probablyhad it for almost all my life
I've just had to use somepatience, education and clear
(17:26):
communication to help makesocial situations safer and more
enjoyable.
And remember you deserve to eatsafely and feel good, no matter
where you are.
So don't compromise your health, even if it makes the situation
awkward.
I know I have been there beforeand I have risked compromising
my health before and then Iregretted it for days and days
(17:48):
later.
Because for me, if I get glutenfor days and days later,
because for me, if I get gluten,it usually lasts me for several
days and I sometimes becomedebilitated and cannot function
at all.
So make sure you're keepingyour health and your safety in
mind.
Thank you for listening to thisepisode of the Gluten-Free
Engineer.
If you found value in thisstory, please share it with
someone who might needencouragement on their own
(18:09):
gluten-free journey.
For more tips, recipes,resources and even links to my
YouTube channel, head on over totheglutenfreeengineercom.
It's your one-stop hub to makegluten-free living simple, fun
and full of flavor.
And don't forget to subscribeso you never miss out on an
episode, and we will see younext week.
(18:30):
The Gluten-Free Engineerpodcast is for informational and
entertainment purposes only.
I share my personal experiencesand stories about living with
celiac disease and navigating agluten-free lifestyle.
This podcast does not provide amedical advice.
Always consult with a qualifiedhealthcare professional for
medical questions, concerns oradvice specific to your health.
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