Support for kids/teens with Celiacs

[Isabel Z]

Hey guys! I’m new to the forum. I am in middle school with Celiac Disease and all my friends who claim they do the diet cheat a lot. I just wanna have a conversation with true celiacs who understand!

[Gail W]

Hey I’m new here too- but totally get what your talking about! I have some friends that claim to be ‘gluten free’ but if they are hungry will eat a piece of bread and it can be frustrating to have them later complain to you about how hard it is to eat a gluten-free diet!

[Ennis-TX]

6 hours ago, Isabel Z said:

Hey guys! I’m new to the forum. I am in middle school with Celiac Disease and all my friends who claim they do the diet cheat a lot. I just wanna have a conversation with true celiacs who understand!

I have seen this a few times....run a gluten free bakery....one of my previous customers has the disease, but he gawks at my prices and then goes eats from other stores and consumes gluten products.....I tried offering freebies left over items to get him to switch....been watching him degrade over the past 3 years. He now walks...odd like Frankenstein with locked knees and a wobble and seems be much less active not appearing at this job few days a month now....I do worry about these people. Celiac effects everyone different some violently, others do not see the damage or have grown so use to the issues that they consider them normal. It is a sad thing to see. I have seen improvement in my own body following a strict diet and regime and see major consequences when I trip ......I can not imagine anyone cheating but my reactions are bad with many side effects. Celiac being a AI disease can cause other secondary complications I am all to aware of if  you cheat, mess up.

[TexasJen]

Hi and Welcome to the Forum.  I am glad that you are here!

As with a lot of things in life, try not to compare yourself to other people. You are trying to be the best version of yourself - not Jill, Annie, or Maya.  People make a lot of foolish decisions in the world and it does not mean that you should do it too.  Also, many people are gluten free for a lot of reasons that aren't celiac. One of my best friends has gluten sensitivity but not celiac.  He eats a lot of food that I won't touch due to possible cross contamination which he doesn't worry about too much. 

Be true to yourself and keep your self healthy.  It is so hard, but it's better than getting sick!

I hate not being able to partake in yummy food at parties, but I have learned what junk food I can eat.  I will make sure to buy some tortilla chips or Fritos for picnics.  I freeze gluten-free cupcakes to eat when we celebrate birthday parties (I can just take one out of the freezer and go).  I make sure to take a dish to share to potlucks.  I ask permission at restaurants and parties to bring my own food - no one has ever said no, and when there is a time to celebrate, I splurge on something I really like.  Fortunately, there are a lot of gluten-free foods that I really like. Do i miss pizza and really good burger? YES! And sometimes, I still feel awkward, but life is so much more than food.