I worried about my social life and if I’d ever feel OK dining out again. I cried more thinking of not being able to eat perfectly normal things, like a slice of birthday cake or a baguette or ramen. Suddenly, against my will, I’d have to be the person who eats cauliflower pizza crust and corn tortillas. Months prior, my partner and I had found an Italian pasta place that was supposed to be “our spot.” I enjoyed pizza as a cheap and easy meal or burritos with flour tortillas. Croissants and donuts were a perennial morning favorite. I was medical doom-scrolling and having a hard time imagining life without my favorite foods. When I got the news, I stayed in bed and sobbed for days. I only found out after begging my doctor for food allergy tests when my symptoms became intolerable. While I was happy to have an answer after suffering for years, it was a shock. Those delicious bits of gluten activate the immune system to go on the offense and attack the villi of your intestines, leading to unpleasant symptoms. It’s not just an allergy as I had previously thought, but an autoimmune disorder. Health coach Erika Schlick hosts gluten-free meetups and shares gluten-free restaurant guides throughout SoCal.Ĭeliac disease can fly under the radar and has over 250 symptoms associated with it, according to Beyond Celiac

Here's how to find others in similar situations.Ī Facebook group providing up to date gluten-free recommendations throughout the Los Angeles region. It can be lonely to live gluten-free in a gluten-full world.

Organic gluten free mac and cheese