“Gluten free” – a term used far too much recently. But for those of you whose entire life isn’t dominated by a tiny grain, do you really know what it’s like to be gluten free? For a Coeliac (also known as Celiac), our chronic disease can affect all aspects of our lives, from our ability to have children to our fashion choices.
Now with the gluten-free diet coming further into fashion, there is a general misconception of what being Coeliac really is. It isn’t as glamorous as you may imagine. Yes, Instagrammers and celebs swear by this diet to lose weight, but trust me it is NOT fun. The Voice of London has come up with a list of 8 struggles Coeliacs have to go through every day, that dieters will NEVER understand.
1. “I would die if I had to give up *insert yummy gluten food*”
Yes, it is hard. And No, I don’t have a choice. Given the chance I would probably devour every single gluten-filled item in the supermarkets.(Yes, that means pizza too.)
But instead… we’ll stick to our carrots.
2. There’s no excitement quite like meeting a fellow Coeliac
I’m Coeliac. You’re Coeliac. Can we be best friends?
3. The uncontrollable bloating
Going to bed every night and thinking: will I be bloated tomorrow? Or will I not? This makes it extremely hard to plan outfits… and yes, we do have different sized jeans for different days.
4. Exhaustion isn’t just a feeling it’s our lives
Don’t you dare call us lazy. Napping is a necessary part of our day.
5. Spending all our money on food
WHAT?! £3 for a loaf of bread that expires after 3 days! ARE YOU JOKING? You better not ask me to share my food.
6. Don’t judge, we WILL get excited about gluten-free menus
Discovering new places where we can feel relatively “normal”, will never get less exciting.
7. Walking past a bakery brings all types of feelings
It might look pretty strange to an outsider… but be prepared there will be tears and foot stomping.
8. People telling us it’s in our head
Go ahead. Tell me I’m faking. I dare you.
While it can be extremely annoying for us Coeliacs that you can pick and choose if you want to be gluten free – we must thank you. And to all of the trend-setters, gluten free food is more readily available. And it actually tastes palatable, rather than the cardboard crap previously available in pharmacies.
How do you find eating out in London? Get involved in our Twitter conversation at @LifestyleVoL
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Words: Louana Erard | Subbing: Stephany Malcolm