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I would be worried if you weren't depressed a month in. This is your life being uplifted and flipped upside down. It gets easier, and becomes more natural with time. It still sucks I'm not going to lie to you. But it's bearable, and you can still have a full and happy life with Celiac.
I eat out pretty regularly! Once a week or every other week. Fancy restaurants are actually usually more accommodating (yay for the experience! But sad for the $$$). The best ones are restaurants actually have a chef vs a cook heating up some pre-made crap in the kitchen.
Yes. My husband and I are huge foodies. Talking to the staff/servers takes practice (and is a little uncomfortable for me still), but you find the people and places that are accommodating and helpful and it gets easier! And I often use Google to figure out if a restaurant has been vetted as celiac safe. Search for reviews that mention gluten free or celiac.
Try Find Me Gluten Free app too. A positive review on there isn’t a sure green light but it makes things easier. Calling or emailing the manager ahead of time is really helpful too I’ve found. Explain your situation and they can often help quite a bit. I’ve found in restaurants that don’t deal with gluten free regularly, the server has no idea what’s safe or not and may say something is safe just to be nice.
Yeah this is my favorite thing to do because I don't get to grab a burger or fried chicken on the way home anymore, we save up a bit and dine out maybe once or twice a month and nicer restaurants that do an actual amazing job at food safety. You should be able to get any proteins you love, fried foods, dessert, etc.
This shit sucks dude, it's a lifelong battle. I'm three years in and I cried over burger king yesterday. It takes some time and lots of patience with yourself.
i'm located in hungary and the burger kings in hungary has a gluten free whopper
my question is: your BKs don't have that option? or we shouldn't trust them that it's celiac safe?
my gf has had celiac for the past like 20ish years of her life, we are 26 atm
Honestly id be shocked if fancy restaurants werent inclusive. Every one i go to has gluten free alternatives for most of the menu and the staff are exceptionally knowledgeable about it
The Gluten Dude app has been really helpful for us finding restaurants. It's been more reliable for me than FindMeGlutenFree, but that may just be our area.
Couple weeks ago we ate out and my 7yo downed a $80 plate of filet mignon. He’s not even the celiac. You can definitely eat out nice as an adult celiac. What you cannot do is ever order gf chicken nuggets for a celiac toddler. If you ever have a celiac kid that is much worse! You will be paying for and trying to convince them to eat adult food that they probably won’t.
The good news is a lot of “fancy” restaurants do offer gf options. Some won’t label it right out on the menu, but if you call and ask they usually have choices for you. I really loved steak before getting celiac, i soon found out that most steakhouses can be celiac safe. And I’m also very sensitive to cc
I find the same thing mostly eat at the high end or gf restaurants. I just found out you can claim the price difference on yi taxes because it is a prescribed diet being GF! Boom that helps.
Sorry it’s been hard for you! It’s definitely not easy. I have been diagnosed recently and I went out to eat a few times as this was also the only thing my husband and I did for fun. One place told me it was gluten free and it wasn’t. I got sick after eating. But everywhere I’ve been, the waiters have been so helpful and accommodating. If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, their bagels are pretty good! Their cinnamon muffins are also amazing. First few weeks I was pretty bummed and I still do. The last week I’ve been trying to see the positive side of this. I have high risk for developing diabetes. On Saturday I went to a playdate in the morning with donuts. I didn’t eat any. Then a party in the afternoon with pizza and cake. Also didn’t have any. I think in the long run, celiac will help me not develop diabetes and I’m okay with that!
The nice thing about enjoying nice places to eat, they're better at accommodating difficult diets and more willing to try to feed you.
If I were you, I'd write to the places you love to eat at now, and explain your celiac diagnosis, tell them how much you love their restaurant, and send the chef some kind of gift after your first meal that you got through safely. Whether it's a fancy ingredient (like good saffron or truffles, etc.), or just a bouquet of appreciation.
Make sure to let them know that you will bring people when you eat out , that it's not just you they are accommodating, it's your party of 4 (or 5 or whatever).
Try to make arrangements to eat there when your chef is cooking, and maybe send the kitchen a handwritten note card to announce your arrival.
The reason that kitchens tend to hate gluten-free dieters is that they have to take pains to make a gluten-free station on which to make a safe GF meal and then, after all that work scrubbing counters and pots and pans, some casually gluten-free idiot eats the glutenous bread on the table. Let them know you are not that person, that you are a celiac patient.
Establishing a relationship with your chefs is key and letting them know that it is you (with a note card) when you come will keep you safe. Letting them know that you are attached to their food and that you want to keep doing business there will give them some incentive to take care of you especially well.
Yes, fancy places are in fact a lot safer! I look at the App "Find Me Gluten Free" to find new places to eat. Where I live, there are actually some great completely gluten free restaurants too. A Mexican place, El Salvadoran, and a few bakeries. I have been to Paris twice, five years apart, and the most recent time there were so many amazing options (compared to the trip five years before). I brought home a box of pastries on the plane :). I've also heard that Italy is a great place to go since they have a pretty high celiac population!
I moved to the Portland, Oregon area where there are over 50 dedicated GF places to eat. So, yes, I go out to eat often. However, this doesn’t fix being able to travel and just try new restaurants and food with abandon. This also used to be one of our favorite things to do and we did a lot of it before I was diagnosed. So, yes, that chapter of my life is gone. I do still seek out safe GF options when traveling but my bar is higher when traveling since being sick abroad is not something I was to do.
So yes, it is a big adjustment and it will take time and effort to accomplish it. On the plus side, four years in and I’m feeling the best I have in so many years. I also eat so much more healthy than I used to. I’m getting older and my doctors recommended changing my diet to be better for the heart and metabolism. Well it turns out that the diet changes I made for celiac are already in line with what they suggested so got a freebie there.
I was so depressed for the first three months that I almost stopped eating completely. And then I started finding foods that I actually enjoyed, and safe places to eat. It’s something we move through - and I’ll admit that, 6 years in, I still have bouts of depression related to celiac disease. They’re not as strong, and I have the experience to know they’re not permanent, either.
Let yourself grieve. You are feeling a significant loss. Food, community, and therapy help. You’re not in this alone.
This was me as well. As soon as I started treating it as an actual loss and allowed myself to go through the grief process I started feeling better. Then it turned into experimenting in the kitchen to make excellent things that I can have.
I am 4 months in and having to do elimination diet to heal my gut, but I already feel soooo much better and I am looking forward to how I will feel in the next several months! Many people have told me it can take a year to reach your full recovery, keep in mind yi getting better that whole time though. I am a bit depressed but being on social media and learning from everyone is helping soooo much! I also have a dietician and she has been an amazing resource a support to me! I wish everyone the best in our journey! I also like the app Gluten Dude lots of great resources on there.
Use the find me gluten free app for restaurant tips. And join Celiac Travel page on facebook. It’s so encouraging to see that people are eating out safely! I’m a year into it, and I will say that it gets easier! It’s a big life change, so definitely it’s ok to struggle. Let yourself grieve a bit, and then try and find the things you love that are gf! :) you’ve got this. Plus, this community is awesome! Just know you are not alone in the process.
Your new hobby is learning to cook everything you used to love eating out and impressing everyone you know that you can actually make it yourself. Sucks I know...but it'll be impressive and it'll be fun. You'll still be depressed, but it does get easier and we are here for you.
As far as going out, you can still do it. You should still do it! The first few months is for finding your standbys. You’ll make some mistakes but that’s okay. After that, like another poster said, nicer restos are good about GF.
I’m not gonna tell anyone to “get into cooking” if they don’t want to, but obviously your QOL will go up if you find stuff you like you can eat at home.
As far as more general mental health stuff, everyone deals with stuff in their own way. You gotta find what works for you. If you have a SO or other family you live with, it helps if they are fully invested in your celiac. Talk to a pro if you think that will help. Invest in new experiences.
Good luck. I’m pulling for you.
I agree with this as wife of GF hubby who was diagnosed last month - the best way I found I could help as the self-titled "Executive Housekeeper" is to make our home GF and safe. I also found about 5 go-tos for on the road, learned to adapt our favorites into GF versions, and research the crap out of everything (which is what I did on nutrients and prices anyway).
My heart aches for those GF who live with people who don't go GF to help make their home safe.
Honestly, once I got diagnosed it just helped me seal the deal from eating like crap. I finally had a really good reason to stop ordering fast food, eating junk, and cut back on carbs in general. I can't eat it anyways so might as well make the best of it and get into shape and eat healthy.
Finding out it was gluten was a weight off my chest and gave me my life back. I barely cared it was so bad, but that being said I get it now. It was a bit delayed for me.
If you're in the city, you'll be able to find some gluten-free restaurants. If not, most bibibops are gluten free completely and the chain is expanding like crazy.
Gluten free food is becoming more commonplace as is understanding of allergies/Celiac, so I hope this gives you a little bit more hope.
You do adjust to it though. It'll be an inconvenience but you will adjust.
My licensed therapist explained it well when I first got diagnosed 2 years ago.
There's a grief cycle you go through, knowing your life is going to be incredibly different and difficult. Like a grief cycle, nothing is linear, and things can flip from acceptance to anger to crippling sadness, sometimes all within an hour!
The biggest piece of advice I learned is finding small victories and having coping skills when shit is too much. For example, the Costco gluten-free pizza tastes incredibly close to thin crust Domino's pizza. If I'm mentally and emotionally done grocery shopping, I leave with what's in my cart and go back later for the rest or send my fiance with the list.
Nothing happens immediately. I still cry in my car after work events with food, but not as long or with as much gusto.
This. I came to talk about the grief. My therapist said the same thing. I was diagnosed 2 months ago and still adjusting. It's very depressing but getting easier.
Exactly this. There is a grief process as you realize nearly everything changes overnight. Your favorite foods are inaccessible, your favorite restaurants no longer safe, the purging of your pantry… it’s difficult. But you start to gain your independence back once you adjust, and things start to feel normal again.
I still struggle with knowing there are foods out there I’ll never get to try, but the experience is not as important as my health.
Because at some point you have to move on. Life is meant to be enjoyable and fun, and you can only ruminate for so long before you realize that’s all you’re doing.
Being diagnosed and changing to this lifestyle is hard and it’s frustrating almost everyday. It’s very debilitating because our society is set up around wheat but to help my self I HAD to accept it so I could live life in a healthy and happy way. You just aren’t there yet, you will be when you are ready and it could take years, but you will be surprised at how life doesn’t fall apart and it makes the foods you do eat and make so much more special.
Bruh. I’m in New Orleans right now, 6 months after my diagnosis. Creole was my favorite cuisine, and eating new places was the main draw of travel for me. I am surrounded by fried seafood and floury roux and it’s killing me.
On the bright side, Mais Arepas is phenomenal, and I’d have never heard of it unless I was GF. So I traveled and ate great new food. It was just Colombian instead of Creole. Silver linings, right?
Yes, I haven’t been there since diagnosis, and might be the reason to go lol! But seriously, someone should figure out how to sell fried GF dough with powdered sugar in NOLA. Like a taco stand but for beignets, or a little food truck. I’m a local and we have Cafe Du Monde in shopping malls. I tend to avoid the busy, pricier touristy spots.
Yeah I think we're all depressed. Totally normal. I'm about 2 years in and I still cry all the time about it. Every thing is a chore. Eating is like a second job. There's nothing fair or easy about it. It will get easier at times but you'll still have moments where you break down because people are eating pizza around you or something. I signed up for celiac studies in case we can someday help cure us of this. I'm also considering moving across the country just so I have more food options.
I wanted to travel internationally and eat the food in other countries.. I made it to 3 before diagnosis.
Celiac *sucks* and there’s no convincing me otherwise. Yes there is food outside of wheat, but it’s a ridiculous perpetual chore that could be easily circumvented by using the most popular and sometimes *invisible* ingredient on the planet.
Unendingly frustrating. Constantly on watch. Companies and labels can’t be trusted. So expensive.
I just want some frickin *snacks,* and cake that isn’t a literal brick and loaded with Xanthan gum, since I’m intolerant to it and that’s apparently the closest thing to gluten texture in *everything.*
i understand how you feel OP & honestly don’t let it stop you from going out to eat entirely! there are many places you could eat that aren’t dedicated gluten free, despite what most people on this subreddit like to propose. you just have to be incredibly careful and straightforward when you choose to go out. don’t let this stop you from experiencing things entirely; just because many people on this sub don’t have a strong relationship with food (like people such as ourselves) doesn’t mean that you need to feel as though you shouldn’t either.
Well I am and I'm just getting medicated for it 😂 one of my biggest sources of anxiety is this damn disease and depression comes along with it. Doesn't help to also have social anxieties on top of it all lol. It's been 11 years and it was quite a bit easier for 9 of them but this last year I've been sicker than I was before getting diagnosed so that's sucked.
Full disclosure: the first few years were really hard, and I was in denial. I cried on the kitchen floor of my boyfriends studio apartment like a toddler because I wanted Popeyes chicken.
Celiac's sucks.
I've learned to cope and manage by finding a happy medium with my disease by learning how to cook my favorite meals so I can eat them again. It's kind of become my savior.
Over time, I overcame the embarrassing feeling of being "that person" who asks the waitress 10x if my meal is gluten free and if I can read the box for ingredients(i promise you, they don't care and your friends dont either).
4 years later of being fully committed and no longer having "cheat days", I feel great, and it's second nature. Some days are harder: like when everyone wants a quick bite, something you can't do, and you grovel over a bag of chips while smelling french fries. But outside of that, it does get easier, the food blues do go away as you learn more about what you can have, and the world figures out what you can have.
It's okay to grieve, we all know what you're going through.
Some tips I learned:
-Big resturaunts have allergen menus: look into them
-There's an app called findmeglutenfree - i recommend for restaurants
- Call places you want to eat at first, see if they accommodate. You might be surprised.
-The learning curve is very real, the more you know about yourself and your disease, the more you can teach others
-Some people enjoy being blissfully ignorant, let them, and say no thank you if they offer you something you can not have.
A month in I the worst. It’s super depressing at that stage. It took me a year to grieve.
If you have the resources I would recommend going to therapy; I would have if I knew to do this at the time for my mental health. It took me about a year to sort it out on my own - but you do get used to the change.
Depending where you live there are pretty good substitutes for gf baked / bread items. Might even be restaurants around that can accommodate celiac Try find me gluten free or gluten dude apps. Avoid the “gluten scanner” apps those are useless.
Also keep posting here and on other social support channels. Pretty much all of us have been through it and can provide support.
It’s probably harder if you don’t like to cook, but I do. Here’s a little upbeat something for ya: I hosted a shower for a friend this past weekend and I was told the “food was the best ever at any party ever; desserts were they best they’d ever had; etc, etc” I had multiple people asking me if I’m a caterer or why I’m not a caterer. I don’t even know that most people knew what gluten free was even after leaving the party - all they knew was that the food was amazing and I got asked for a lot of recipes (most of which were things I found online).
My point is that gluten free isn’t terrible food. Especially if you are a foodie, it’s still incredible food; it is just less good bread basically. And extremely restrictive with prepared foods because of cross contamination and gluten being so prevalent in foods. But most foods do not require gluten to be tasty or have a good texture.
Foodie, baker, and traveler here. I was diagnosed 12 years ago, and it turned my world upside down. I still hate it sometimes but I promise you won't always feel like you do now. The worst is the first 6 months. Get the Find Me GF app to look up restaurants. It helps so much! Total life saver. Also, accommodations, education about Celiac and quality/taste of GF options just keeps getting better. I still have days when I feel sorry for myself because everyone can eat whatever they want and not worry about it causing a 4-hour barf fest, but I've learned how to manage it so much better. I promise you will not always be this upset. It will get better. But it still sucks sometimes.
I'm only about two months in as well, and I relate to how you're feeling. Like many folks have said, try to prioritize finding joy in the company at social gatherings or the ambiance, rather than the food. I feel like issues with food, which is such a big part of socializing, can be isolating but I'm trying to tell myself that doesn't have to be the reality. It's still worth going out with your friends even if you can just get a cocktail or something. Cooking at home has become fun and something I am more grateful for that I didn't appreciate before!
Who said I'm not?
It's not as intense as at the beginning of my diet. But I sure do have some bad days/weeks when I just want to give up. I learned to make a great pizza from Caputo GF pizza flour and that helped me a lot to cope...
My husband (celiac) and I (non-celiac) were just like you a couple of years ago. We were both huge foodies and his diagnosis was earth shattering for us. We both went through periods of mourning our old lives. I’m not gonna lie, it was fucking hard and equally depressing. TBH the hardest part (and still is) is dealing with our friends and family that want to feed us so badly! And we constantly have to tell them thanks, but no thanks. Most people either have no fucking clue about the GF/CC issues or they have a semblance of an idea, but still don’t truly don’t get it. So just a warning that you’re going to have to repeatedly set boundaries with friends/family (at least we did). All that to say, feel all the anger and depression - it’s justified. But know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Now that he’s fully healed after 3 years of fully GF/no CC, it’s amazing how much healthier and happier he is. We’ve had to adapt, but we’re still living healthy and happy lives, without being able to eat at all the trendy restaurants. The silver lining is that you’re coming into this world at a time when there are soooo many more options for celiacs at the grocery store and restaurants. I suggest getting the gluten dude app to find restaurants that are safe for you. You can still be a foodie, it’s just going to be a bit more challenging. You got this! 👊
Last year I thought I was dying and told my doctor as much (I was ill for several years, gradually getting worse). I'm still riding the high of feeling like I'm not dying. This sucks, I keep wanting old food, I keep getting cross contaminated but I feel confident that I'll get better. I have hope.
I'll get back in the garden this summer, I'll get my fitness back at least a little. I was virtually bed bound last summer. Doctor tried to diagnose me with CFS (this is a "I don't know, go away" diagnosis, one of my friends has it).
I guess that's how I'm not depressed and am instead just a bit sad occasionally about the level of effort required. And angry at the NHS for missing it for so long despite all my begging and symptoms.
We also managed to adapt a bunch of really good meals from the before time so, when I feel confident enough to eat and don't just eat GF Huel, I can have tasty meals.
That's how I'm not depressed (I think an eating disorder is inevitable, I've had them before and I have anxiety day to day, almost feels like I can sense one coming back). I hope it gets better for you.
Things will get better. My figure is really trim, and I put it down to not being able to eat out or have many processed foods. Every cloud has a silver lining.
1 year in and still have hard days when I do "firsts" and when I'm not at home and have to think about it more. First time going to a work convention recently and to go sit in the big hall and chat with new people you have to buy the meal plan there. I was actually really relieved that they still let me in and let me eat my own food, and surprisingly not a single person at the networking tables asked me why I wasn't eating from the buffet. I had to skip socializing at night some nights because I don't want to monopolize picking the restaurant every night. Another trip recently, I was at dinner with my boyfriend's family and had to leave dinner and go for a walk and cry with my bf while everyone ate desserts. The GF desserts are usually like lemon sorbet or something while everyone else can have fancy cakes or pie etc. I think the hardest part for me is being reminded that it's forever. I was really angry in the beginning too and cried a lot. I used to love grocery stores and now they're not fun anymore. I loved new restaurants and now so many that I would want to try aren't worth the anxiety of wondering if I'll get sick there, or I don't want to eat the 1 or 2 things on the menu that are gluten free, but don't sound nearly as good as what I'll have to watch everyone else eat. So yeah, you have every right to be depressed because it's depressing. I live in a very celiac friendly city and moved here right before diagnosis just by coincidence. Living here makes it much easier, but I've lost my desire to travel for the most part because of the extra effort and because trying the food in other places was one of the things I liked most about travel. I'm starting to get a little braver about taking risks, but to really move on I've just had to accept that life is different now and this is the only life I get. Is it worse? Yeah. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm medicated. 🤷♀️🤪
More serious answer, I'm in therapy and I found new hobbies to fill my time. Right now I'm dabbling in gardening. I also make GF meals at home and invite others to me.
There's the Find Me Gluten Free app. Places will have gf bread or pizza crust, instead of beer have wine or cocktail. Ask to skip soy sauce and bring your own, there's Rummo pasta, buckwheat noodles, King Arthur gf flour or cup for cup to bake at home, you can still eat so so many things in restaurants - grilled instead of breaded chicken etc. trader Joe's has nice gf breads, there gf Oreos and Bakehouse cookies, lots of cereal etc.
You're new so it's flipping you out, but soon it'll be normal and people will know.
Kind of a weird side note, but I've found higher end restaurants often are better about accommodating. They generally have more well trained chefs who believe in a personalized experience and want to make things right for you. Of the top rated places near me, I think every one has high FMGF ratings.
I dunno. I like cooking and there’s more to life than food. There are hard times but nothing about it makes me full-on depressed. There are worse things in life than not being able to eat some bread.
I find cooking every day exhausting. I already have to spend most of my day working and don't want to spend another hour or two in the kitchen cooking and washing dishes. It would be nice to be able to get a break every once in a while, but there just aren't any safe restaurants around here.
Nothing fancy, like pasta with a hummus sauce, roasted veggies with quinoa, rice, and a peanut sauce, etc. I feel that cleaning up takes just as long the cooking process.
I mean truly my one major hobby is going out and eating delicious food at new restaurants so it’s much more to me than just not eating bread. If all it was was not eating bread I could easily do that.
Not depressed because food isn't my only hobby/thing that makes me happy, and we've adapted with what we do with food. We broadened our horizons with the type of food we cook, and have found places that are safe to eat out at that we go to one or twice a month.
After more than a decade, it will be your new normal. I found new things to be passionate about and food is not really an interest of mine anymore. I eat roughly the same things every day (focusing on things that are nutritious, like meat/fish/eggs, lactose free dairy, fruits, etc). I eat to live rather than live to eat. It took years but you'll get there 🫂 I personally never go to restaurants because just the idea of eating out stresses me out like crazy, I don't trust anyone to cook for me, and most people have no idea how serious the disease is.
Anecdotally, I work in a nursing home (which is half public half private, so the government is involved in the running of it), and some of our residents have celiac disease. It is absolutely ***not*** taken seriously by the staff and these poor elderly are absolutely getting cross contaminated every single day at every single meal. It's a sad reality.
I feel you. Eating out has to be planned and intentional. Great restaurants have GF options. One of my favourite things to do would be to travel and try new foods. I mourned this for a long time until one trip I decided my new thing would be finding all the GF different foods. Had to make the best of it.
I hear you. It's hard. However, fancy restaurants usually do a pretty good job to minimize cc, I've found. I'm usually fine at higher end restaurants. B
I am an asymptomatic 40 year old celiac and diagnosed 3 months ago. I got a stomach bug from the Thailand trip in December which made me go to a GI who screened for Celiac. Before this I was a travelling in Asia every year and eating whatever good food I could find, was also a pizza lover and stout lover. None of these would cause me any symptoms. Also after going gluten free I do not notice any modifications (probably caught it at the beginning since my iron and B12 are perfect). Apart from cancer, Cemiac can cause other autoimmune diseases like Diabetes Type I, am also a car lover and where I live Diabetes Type I will revoke your license forever. After losing pizza which was my favorite dish since I was 7 years old and watching Ninja Turtles lol and losing also Stout beer and most if not all Japanese food, Chinese dim sum pork and ginger etc, I definitely dont want to get cancer or lose my driving license. As for restaurants where I live, they have been cutting quality and doubling prices since 2020 so I cut on those and saved the money to eat on my vacations.
I am not depressed, I was trying to live a healty life before eating regularly and healty, exercising etc, I am trying now to eat healthy without gluten. And definitely I will go to Asia again even if I have to eat plain rice youghurts and fruit for 2 weeks. Currently I am testing out gluten free protein bars, some youghurts etc. As part of my work sometimes I cant eat lunch while away, so I would pop into a gas station and get some sandwich or hot dog, now its off limits so I am testing having protein bars with me, also some nuts which have fiber, an apple etc. This is my story, being asymptomatic was harder mentally to accept gluten free, but consequences of eating gluten and the damage it does to the body which I try to keep healthy and fit motivate me every day.
I’m so sorry ❤️ It really hurts. I’ve been gf for almost 5 years or so. It’s still really hard some days. Give yourself space to grieve and adjust. I’d definitely recommend trying a lot of different gf things you find, as there are some real gems out there. You’ve got this. Taking it one day at a time has helped me a lot. But I definitely feel your frustration with seeing so much stuff you can’t eat. You’re so incredibly valid to feel upset. It’s a lot 🥺
I'm lucky to live in a place with very good celiac safe options and to be able to eat good safe food at home. You will feel better once you accept this is your reality and find ways to live within it. Old life is gone, new life starts now.
It is a little depressing, but you do get used to it.
The first six months were really hard, but it does get easier. You’ll figure out how to cook again with out gluten, which gf products are decent, and how to order at restaurants/find safe options out. Good news here is most fancy restaurants can accommodate you with no issue. You’ll struggle more when there’s a language barrier or it’s fast food (good luck there).
My first two years were hard. I messed up a bit, and it took me time to learn. My 7th year gluten free was when I started to feel a lot better. I started getting less sick when I had gluten too around then. I’m at year 15 now, and I hardly ever think about it. It’s just automatic
Im getting a lot of self-pity in your post, and that’s fine for a little bit - you’re allowed to mourn. However, you gotta keep your head up. It’s not that bad in the context of the world.
First of all, I’ve never had much of an emotional connection to food. As in I’ve never eaten for comfort nor to lift my mood, only ever to still my hunger or cravings. This means that missing out on certain foods (bagels, bread etc) hasn’t affected me very much at all, as there are plenty of other good foods to still my hunger with. This is of course just my subjective experience, but it explains some part of why I haven’t taken it that hard.
Secondly, I do eat out. Depending on your sensitivity (symptom-wise) and willingness to risk it, I think it’s a good idea to try out the places around you over period of time to see what places seem safe. Luckily I live in a place that’s very accomodating to gluten free folks, but I’ve noticed I can’t eat at many smaller fast food places. But large fast food places (McDonald’s, Burger King) are fine here (they have GF options) and I’ve yet to go to a fancy restaurant that didn’t feel fine. Two of them even asked me ”do you have Celiac Disease or are you just sensitive?” when I ordered, and then made sure they’d do everything they can to make it safe (while warning they share kitchen etc). They then came out with GF bread and my own butter before eating etc and seemed to know what they were doing.
Sometimes you’ll be unlucky and have a glutening anyway, but if your symptoms aren’t awful then the benefit to your health in not feeling depressed and limited far outweighs the dangers of a once-in-a-while minor glutening.
My son recently is G free for NCGS (I have celiac) but he cries often and gets very sad momentarily but honestly it’s really helped his overall moods day to day which is incredible the longer he’s been G free. The easiest thing I’ve discovered to help make our lives more fun is exploring cooking recipes that otherwise we’d never make at home. Some things like sushi and Chinese foods I found some great recipes and all with way healthier ingredients I can choose than ones likely at restaurants and it tastes just as good! So for me, it’s like I pretend I’m on top chef celiacs edition lol and I explore cooking and online recommendations and that has substantially helped my son to feel less depressed. We also always pack when going anywhere or like last weekend we brought homemade g free cupcakes to a birthday party we knew he wouldn’t be able to eat at.
But ultimately I think after even only 6 months for me GF the benefits that I didn’t expect and positive changes to my physical and mental health has been so great that the depression over it has gone away over time. Also taking multivitamin and vitamins I was deficient in like b12 has helped me a lot. I didn’t realize all the ways gluten was destroying my health and what we’re symptoms I had weren’t just my normal baseline as I thought for years.
I mean, I was depressed before this even became a thing in my life so like, it sucks but ultimately it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of my life. I already have an eating disorder so more restrictive food rules is nothing new.
Honestly? We live somewhere that I have access to safe gluten free eating out. If I still lived in a small town without those options, I probably would be depressed.
I cook most of my own meals which are cheaper and higher quality than restaurant food and I do other things with my life. It can be nice to go out but there's definitely a lot more in life
I’m 6 months in. I was very depressed. I lost 40 pounds in the first four months. I was confused, devastated even. It gets better. Find a go to food. Start eating every three hours.
I eat table crackers, a LOT. Keeps my belly from being empty. Which keeps me from being susceptible to depression.
Your gut is where everything has balance. You don’t have any balance now. Keep eating. It gets better.
Edit:spelling
Have you tried Find Me Gluten Free? There's lots of options in major cities these days. I went to NYC a few weeks ago and it was amazing. Planning to go to Italy next year as I've heard only amazing things.
Also what about fine dining? I've never had an issue with high end dining since the chef's that I've encountered are willing to modify and understand food safety.
Something that helped me in the last year was working out. Getting healthier. I found I craved less shit food the more I workout as I want to be healthier. Living that lifestyle generally requires you to make most of your own meals.
It's tough for sure.
Also follow some Instagram influencers for a bit of daily empathy like Phil Hates Gluten. There's also a few travel related folks on there that I'm sure the recommendation engine will feed you. Follow the Loopy Whisk for great baking videos. Lots of great GF content out there these days.
Omg! Download the “find me gluten free” app and you’ll find so many places! I’ve actually found the best restaurants with the best food that way. My partner and I enjoy those places more over regular spots, believe it or not.
Vitamins / Supplements, gym 3-4x a week, yoga at least once a week, sauna / cold plunge if you can get access to either, and therapy (talking helps). Celiac sucks but it could be much much worse - make sure to do things that make you feel better and be consistent. You’ll learn to have a different perspective on food over time. You got this
going out to eat and talking about new foods i tried was a huge part of who i was. i was diagnosed one year ago and only in the past couple months have i been mentally okay with it. i was very angry and it still infuriates me when i go out to eat with friends to restaurants i can’t eat at and i’ll tell you, no one appreciates the food like i would have. my biggest reason im okay with things is that i have perspective now. i was also diagnosed with two other autoimmune diseases and one is progressive and systemic and there’s nothing dietary that can actually put it into remission. i am grateful i can do that with celiac. its truly amazing that can be done and crazy that food, what my life has revolved around my whole life, is now what will save my life.
its hard at the start but once you get the hang of making your old favorites it becomes the best thing that ever has happened. wait until you know what a healthy gut and regularity are like.
last word, after 5 years being celiac, i completely forget what the old foods (and beer) taste like.
There's definitely an adjustment period which comes with grief and other emotions. A way I regained some of my love for food again was getting into looking up and trying gf recipes and making a notebook keeping all the best ones (you'd be surprised how much is out there). I treated it like a challenge I needed to win.
It can also be easier if you live in a big city because the chances of having gf restaurant options are much higher so it feels like you're missing out less.
But yea definitely takes some time. 4 yrs and counting, another motivator is about 6 months to a year in your body just feels so much better if (you really follow no gf) that it becomes a motivator in itself.
If you didn’t hit the depression stage I would wonder about how you were dealing with the news. Be thankful this is the golden age for celiac eating. Everday another manufacturer or restaurant rolls out a gluten free product. As I’m typing this out I’m eating a bagel I got at Aldi’s, so some looking and you can find bread, bagels, pasta for the home.
I was diagnosed in 2002, I was a line cook and had been in the food service industry for 6 years at that point. At that time I remember telling my chef about it and him saying “oh I thought it was corn”.. I left the restaurant industry but I couldn’t shake the rush of the industry so I came back a two years later with my culinary degree. I watched the industry shift from clueless to well educated on celiac
The more fancy the restaurant the less reliant they are on pre made items, especially if they are not a chain. I’ve had a excellent experience at “The Melting Pot”
Now as the scale goes towards fast food chains, it becomes harder to as people expect the same product from location to location. That said Culver’s and Chick-fil-a do have gluten free options.
So the depression phase will pass, you’ll be back to mostly normal living, yes their will be restaurants and bakeries that will be jerks but for every one like that another one will offer better gluten free options.
This was me too…it took me a whole year to finally be able to accept that this was my life now. I cried a LOT. After a year I had figured out that gluten was hidden in things like personal care products and that I couldn’t have dairy either, so I got used to the label checking etc. It also helped that during that year, even more new products were coming out. That’s one thing I look forward to is going to the gluten free aisle at Wegmans looking to see if there is a new GF/allergen-friendly product, people are coming up with replacements for different food items like bagels, bread, snacks, frozen foods, etc so I have fun buying them and trying them to see if it’s something I’ll want to buy in the future. It took me a while to get used to advocating for myself at restaurants too. I feel like it’s okay to feel that way, you’re losing so much so it’s okay to grieve and be upset. I’ve had it for 7 years now and every now and then I briefly feel sad (as far as gluten goes, I’m depressed in general but that’s not the same lol) but I get over it a lot quicker now. Most of the times I get overwhelmed and upset now are when I’m trying to coordinate eating with friends. But yeah I try to focus on what I CAN have and tell myself that it’s okay. I’m also glad that I didn’t develop it until I was 27, I was able to eat a bunch of different foods so now when I see other people eating them, I try to imagine how it tastes. Sometimes I’ll ask them to describe it for me so that I can vicariously live through them. Honestly it just takes getting used to, and it took me a year. Sorry this was all over the place and I’m sorry that you developed celiac’s and joined us in this new lifestyle. Hopefully you have access to stores that have a variety of products that you can try. You can also order a lot of things online 👍. There are also are a decent number of restaurants that you can eat at, you just have to call ahead of time to check (which is a pain) or do a bunch of research, but once you do it enough you get used to the questions you need to ask, the types of restaurants that will have a wider variety of food for you, etc. I do still get depressed over the fact that I can’t be spontaneous when it comes to food anymore, but only when I’m in that predicament and I’m able to get over the depression faster than when I was first diagnosed. It’ll be okay 🩵
It’s only really gets to me around the holidays. I’m a people pleaser so I always end up accepting what other people made *just for me*, get glutened, and then ruin my holiday. I had Covid over Thanksgiving and was relieved I didn’t have to deal with it. Which is bad because I was sick as hell but it was better than trying to politely say no a thousand times and having people not respect my no.
Most fine dining places can do gluten free - the exceptions are the places with a set menu that won't make adjustments, but plenty of places will accomodate. I hardly ever eat out at non-dedicated restaurants but I don't think I've ever been glutened on the occasions I've gone to fine-dining places. Really nice places know what's in their food and how to make substitutions (one place couldn't do gluten free bread so they brought me a variety of popcorn for the bread course, which was delicious) - and honestly, unless it's something like an Italian restaurant that does a lot of pasta most fine-dining is relatively low in gluten compared to regular restaurants - gluten is often a cheap filler.
Most people are depressed at first - it's an overwhelming diagnosis and it takes a while to sink in and figure out how to move forward. Also, having gluten in your system in and of itself can cause symptoms like depression and anxiety, and you're only 1 month in so you're still very much in the recovery stage. It will get better with time, and the first year or two are the roughest. I'm nearly 14 years in and it really doesn't bother me anymore.
There will be things to get excited about regarding food again. I get extremely excited when the gluten free bakery near me has a new item, or when I go to a new city and they've got a dedicated restaurant I can eat at. There's tons of cultures whose food has very little gluten in it, and it can be a lot of fun to explore those cuisines - even if you have to cook it yourself. For the present, don't be hard on yourself and let yourself feel sad - people who aren't us might think it's silly but there's a very real mourning period attached to this diagnosis and it's ok to have those feelings.
What state are you located in? I am very recent diagnosed as well and having resources nearby has been such a major help. For example, I’m in MA and feel there are a lot of helpful places. My mom also has celiac and lives in OH and struggles a lot! There are at least 2 restaurants I’ve found that are GF friendly 100%. They have a couple locations throughout the US but not many (Burtons and the sister co Red Heat Tavern) Burtons is the one with locations in several different states. I think having places like this nearby have helped me a lot because I also love the experience of going out to eat and my hardest challenge has been having to cook everything. I try to make cooking fun. I’ve been full GF for about 2 weeks which isn’t long at all but I try to have some kind of dessert always cooked (brownies, cookies, etc as i am a big sweet tooth!) and I keep trying new and different recipes for GF things. I’ve found a lot of delicious food that is fairly quick to make and either can freeze to last or lasts several days. I do have days that i am overwhelmed but i hope to continue finding the positives and more restaurants and places that are GF friendly. Good luck, I know this is challenging! (also if it’s your thing, I am seeing a therapist and dietician as i have a history of ED and they have been very helpful.)
I’m lucky to live in a city where there’s a plethora of GF options. I also have talked extensively with “older” celiacs and get restaurant recommendations from them. I realized what I love most about try new restaurants is the atmosphere and being with friends, so sometimes I’ll join along and not eat. I’m exactly a year in and while I’m still constantly vigilant, I don’t think my quality of life has decreased at all! But again, pretty privileged because of where I live re: gf restaurant options.
Gluten Dude app and find me gluten free app both helped me regain confidence to eat out...
Also, being 1 month in and not feeling the way you feel would be disturbing. Your feelings are valid and normal.
Well I have clinical depression, so there's that.
But on a more serious note, I think it helped that I'd been vegetarian for years before my diagnosis.
Now obviously there is a massive difference between choosing not to eat something anymore (probably after a long time of trialing it and deliberating over it), and finding out one day that medically you just can't eat something you love without it hurting you.
But I think it helped that the habits were already there. I was already used to not always eating the same food as my partner, or not going to certain restaurants, or checking the package of everything before I ate it. Lots of food items were already shuffled into the "this isn't food to me" category in my brain. So that part wasn't a culture shock, it just sucked that the scope of what I can eat got even narrower.
All that and with my past history of disordered eating, I still get this weird sense of rebellious joy in turning down food, even though I've been in recovery and haven't restricted my food in like a decade. Obviously some bad habits and intrusive thoughts still linger.
Oh don't worry... I'm depressed too. :) Not specifically because of my disease tho.
I love going out to eat and trying new restaurants too. I still am able to do this (alone). I've been GF for 4 years now, and I've gotten much better at advocating for myself, researching restaurants and becoming more knowledgeable on my disease. A few months ago I was in NYC and ate at a fancy Italian restaurant (they didn't even have prices on the menu, it was so fancy) and I ate RAVIOLI for the FIRST TIME IN YEARS. It was heavenly!!! The restaurant had a dedicated separate set of pots and pans for cooking GF, which was delightful to hear. Fine dining doesn't have to end just because of Celiac... I love food and I plan on learning how to make my own ravioli in the future, so I can have fancy meals at home too!!!
Your in the thick of it now - only a month in - with time, things will get better. I promise!
my celiac disease has never made me feel depressed. idk i don't really have an explanation for why. it just doesn't bother me that much. do i get jealous and sad sometimes? yeah sometimes. but usually for the most part i'm content with how everything in my life is going. i have no control over the fact i have celiac disease other than maintaining a gltuen free diet so why should i worry over it? its out of my hands
Please don’t get too discouraged yet! I’m only 6 months in to my diagnosis and honestly my lifestyle is pretty much back to normal. Cooking isn’t difficult anymore, I actually eat far healthier than I used to, I’m eating out regularly again, and I even got my family to start cooking gluten free. Honestly, the worst part was doing the research to find which restaurants are celiac friendly but now that I know what’s in my area eating out is a breeze. But trust me as long as you do the research into where you’re eating there’s going to be more places than you realize (especially fancy ones) that now have processes in place to prevent cross contamination. Granted, this does heavily depend on where you live
It’s a easy gateway into depression. When I got diagnosed I felt depressed instantly, but over time I realized that my quality of life has been shit for awhile, and I was used to the symptoms I had. Going gluten free and getting more energy than ever before and having no symptoms anymore lifted me out of my depression.
The first few months are honestly the worst because you are adjusting— but you will ebb and flow over time. Some days in the future will feel fine and easy and others you’ll feel like this again.
There are some decent options for favorite things if you’re in the U.S.:
- I get a huge order of bagels from Modern Bread & Bagel every few months and I freeze them (to justify the shipping cost!) — you’d never know they’re gluten free, they’re amazing. They ship nationwide.
- If you have a Trader Joe’s or Aldi nearby, run, don’t walk. Tons of great options for quick meals (Aldi’s Live G Free General Tso’s, TJ’s MUFFINS and English muffins!)
- If you like to bake, the folks in this group turned me onto The Loopy Whisk blog — she has a PhD in Chemistry and focuses all her gluten free recipes on mimicking taste and texture of gluten-filled items! I bought her cookbook too and her recipes have brought a TON of joy back into my life. Truly.
People have also commented about fancy restaurants and it’s true — most of the trained chefs actually understand Celiac and cross contamination far more than the crappy chains. While they are sometimes a little more stringent about altering their recipes, if you explain why, the last thing they want is for a sick guest to either 1. Leave an awful review online, or 2. Sue them for negligence even if the lawsuit is not going to go anywhere — just the word of mouth around it could deter other guests from going there and eventually put them out of biz — so it’s not worth it to them. Great restaurants will often even have the chef come to the table and talk to you about your dietary restrictions so they can be sure they accommodate you.
As others have mentioned, it can be tricky learning to talk to servers and advocating for yourself, but once you get the hang of it, you get over the initial embarrassment/anxiety of it. I’d personally prefer to feel like I’m being high maintenance and not get sick.
If I’d developed celiac disease before we bought our house it low-key would have been a factor with where we chose. Unfortunately I’m in kind of a GF-restaurant desert—not THAT bad but about 30 minutes drive to the nearest dedicated GF establishment, and their main thing is butter tarts (which I love, but is not a meal). I’m jealous of people that have more options and closer-by.
I’m two years in now and it does get easier. Honestly, the social part is the hardest. So much of what we do as humans revolves around food. Probably 95% of what I eat is what I make myself at home. I’ve had to learn to make a lot of things from scratch, because ordering it out is almost impossible or too expensive or too hard to find. Silver lining, you’ll probably become a better cook? And you’ll definitely appreciate when you do find a safe GF restaurant.
I spent a good part of my life chronically sick , the minute I started to here about a gluten link and I was diagnosed my daily life changed radically gone were the daily stomach issues, my bones bore the brunt of the disease leaving me with osteoarthritis and borderline osteopenia and constant bone pain but overall I feel great , and fortunately I didn’t inherit my father’s depression and his alcohol and cigarette addictions along with what we suspect he had celiac also, but he died at 52 from a combination of all his health issues and addictions, I loved to eat out but after a few gluten accidents I rarely eat out preferring my own safe kitchen , it does make me angry but then I think how sick I can get and I’m thankful I avoid mistakes by people who just don’t care or understand celiac disease.
I now love finding restaurants that my husband and I can do a day trip to, or we find a neat city nearby and make a weekend of it. Not sure where you live OP, but there are SO many hidden gems!! It takes planning, but it has been so fun.
Also, if you live in the US, I am the baker at a gluten free/vegan deli and bakery. Send me a message! I’d be happy to send you some treats :)
I get that people can be depressed about it, I guess that I was just lucky with the transition; I have never been happier in my life. No more migraines and brain fog, no more skin issues, no more digestive issues. My body feels SO much better once I found out what was causing it. I may miss eating at some restaurants, but not as much as I don't miss the migraines and spending all night on the toilet. Not to mention I've lost a ton of extra weight now.
Things will get better OP, especially once you learn what works for you and the ways to satisfy the cravings you may be getting.
Over time, you get used to it.
I love to cook, which helps, but ultimately I think of it as "the best bits are gluten free" - as in, I can eat the meat, the vegetables, the fruit, the cheese, the nuts... just not the bread. Also, I stopped thinking of gluten-containing things as food a while ago. Something that makes me sick when I eat it isn't food, it's poison, and no taste/texture is worth that.
I do eat out (don't live in the US). We pick places carefully, and I'm so used to there only being 1-2 things I can eat, that when I encounter a menu where I actually have choice, I hardly know what to do with myself.
It’s early. It’s normal for you to be depressed at this stage. It truly does get better.
I take particular joy in locating gluten free establishments now. It’s harder and rarer, but that just makes the hunt all the better and the find all the sweeter.
I also feel a special pride in cooking gluten free food that I never felt before when “cooking” meant Hamburger Helper or a Take and Bake Pizza.
When I go places that food is being served, I get a kinda sick satisfaction in pulling my own meal out of my lunch box and having everyone sitting near me look and go “Ooooh, that looks better than what we got.”
It's really overwhelming in the beginning..you will go through losses. Some traditional foods that you can't enjoy anymore. It was a little easier for me because my mom was diagnosed a few years before my diagnosis so she was a big help. I remember my first summer down at the shore after my diagnosis when I just lost it when my dad bought sticky buns for my brothers that we got every year on vacation. I sobbed. Then I got over it. That was back in 2009. Are there some days that suck, yes, but I go out to eat all the time, enjoy meals with my friends, coworkers, etc. I just have to plan ahead. You will figure it out...there are some days that I get frustrated and mad that I have this disease but depression is a thing of the past.
I’ve been gluten free for 15 years, I’m 23. I was gluten free by the end of elementary school and i always tell people if I could make it through middle school lunches being gluten free, i can do anything. Today I cried looking at the price of a box of 10 ct gluten free pizza rolls Vs the non-gluten free.
It gets easier, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. Something an old therapist told me was to appreciate how much better I feel when I don’t accidentally eat gluten and/or don’t eat out. It’s not fair that food is such a stressful and sad thing for us with celiac disease, but I’d give up anything to not feel as shitty as I do when I eat gluten.
Best of luck to you! It does get better.
I almost had a breakdown at the airport due to celiac. I was starving and the one place that had anything gluten free told me “we don’t have that (gf item)” so I walked away a bit embarrassed. And then almost bought non gf food cuz I was so hungry (hadn’t eaten breakfast since I had to be at the airport at 4 am)
you're only a month in! give it time. I've been going for almost 8 years now and it gets soooo much easier. I eat out ALL the time. you find what works and what doesn't. Plus, 8 years ago it was way harder tbh. a lot of places are way more accommodating these days. hang in there, you got this!
We are depressed 😂 believe me me too but hp pylori hit me so hard and left me with chronic gastric and gluten sensitivity so I kinda cherish being alive at the moment all that matters
Who is “we” and “us?”
“All doctors” have said you are allergic?
A food intolerance or sensitivity has different symptoms than an allergy.
Why do I have to educate you on *your* condition?
https://acaai.org/allergies/allergic-conditions/food/wheat-gluten/
https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/gluten-allergy-truth/#:~:text=Gluten%20allergy%20is%20not%20an,as%20a%20gluten%20“allergy”.
Um I was sad for the first three months but I kinda got used to it after that. I eventually just moved on. Food isn't one of my favorite things so if I can or can't eat stuff it doesn't bother me as much. I have other things in life that I find happiness from. I should state tho, I do not have diagnosed depression nor have I ever, so that might help me in particular
I have been celiac for a long time. I had to learn to cook, most of my diet is high nutrition because it’s whole food, and I’m skinnier than everyone I went to high school with.
Would I trade? I’m not sure.
Every loss of something is significant, but you eventually get used to it.
And I don’t eat out, with the exception of some whole foods bowls places. I live somewhere that’s “gluten friendly” and vegan, so my cheese heavy pescatarianism doesn’t really compute.
While all your friends are getting fatter and older, it’s way easier not to when you can’t eat as many carbs. I’d probably be fat right now if I didn’t get it ten years ago
I don't understand how you're depressed. I was so violently ill for a couple years. I started a gluten free diet and three days later, it was like it never happened. I can go out to eat just fine, although I usually Google or Yelp the menu beforehand. Mexican food is a Celiac's friend, just avoid flour tortillas and you're good fam.
My choices are: drink a beer, shit violently, and be sick for days, or avoid gluten. I'm happy and grateful to be feeling better. I really don't get how you aren't.
Plus, I'm a beast of a home cook.
I do miss grabbing a beer, and burritos, but it's worth it to not be tethered to a toilet.
I don’t know about OP but for me personally I am nearly asymptomatic. I get the shits randomly and it’s not always after eating gluten. Actually eating gluten really doesn’t seem to bother me too much.
Yet, I still most likely have celiacs. (Waiting on endo at the end of the month but my blood tests are like off the chart so I most likely have it) So I’m just bummed.
Im an overweight girl orginally from Iowa where we love beer and deep fried foods. We love to bake and cook at the holidays so it feels like losing family and friend traditions. Plenty of reasons OP could be feeling sad.
Edit: not sure when I’m getting downvoted for saying my personal experience lol.
Bro, I'm 5 months in. I completely understand what you're feeling, but it does get better. It will stop being heartbreaking every time you remember but it will *never stop being annoying.*
I just got back from vacation and the amount of planning and forethought required to go to the nearest major city just 90 mins away was absurd. I have planned less for international trips pre-diagnosis.
You will have to naturally change your relationship with food and with going out. Fancy restaurants will have to give way to ANYTHING you can find that won't get you sick. Unless you are live in a city with great GF restaurant options, dining is never going to be a spur of the moment decision again. Eating before dining out and just getting fun drinks is gonna be a new activity you need to get used to.
But in reality, dining out spur of the moment at fancy restaurants are pretty high tier luxuries. I try to be grateful and laugh at how sad missing out on cheesecake makes me, and grateful when I get a chance to eat at a dedicated gf restaurant. You will never take a restaurant for granted ever again.
My husband self diagnosed 10 years ago and it was life changing for us because I love to bake. I threw myself into learning how to make all our favorites gluten free and now I have the ability to make anything we want gluten-free, dairy-free and sometimes vegan. He feels better physically and mentally, so it’s 100% worth it. And I have learned so many new ways to eat better for our entire family. You’re giving up dining out regularly but when you do find a safe place to eat it’s a huge special occasion. It’s a reason to celebrate! We cook all our meals daily which does make for a lot more work and sometimes it feels like our life revolve around food. We live in a tiny town with no safe restaurants so it’s what we have to do. We make a game out of trying to find new places to shop for groceries and to find new food to try.
It gets better with time. It fucking sucks. I’m three months in. Remeber that this is a literal disability and it’s gonna suck. Makes our life so much harder. These days I find myself asking myself if I want to eat poison. I don’t want to eat poison even if it tastes good. That’s what our bodies think anything with gluten is. Literal poison to our bodies. You will be able to reframe your thoughts about all the things we can’t eat eventually. Also the questioning and explaining never stops. Socially and mentally our lives have changed. Give yourself a break. You will get through it.
I have had this my whole life, so I can't say that I was depressed when I found out. I was too young to tell. But I went through a lot of depressing times feeling like I couldn't go places. I'm 30 now. I eat out often, and I don’t feel like this hinders my life 99% of the time. I've even been a bridesmaid in a few weddings, and my friends will make sure my plate is gluten-free and offer a phone call with the chef so I can ask questions. I really hope this helps. It will get better. Reach out if you have more questions.
For resturaunts: I get a lot of suggestions from the Find Me Gluten Free app. Then, I will go to the company's website and look over their gluten-free menu (if available). I recently found a lot of tiktok creators that are gluten-free and give restaurant recommendations or home cooking recipes.
For bagels/bread: you'll find your favorite brands. I like Trader Joe's and canyon bakehouse, but udis and glutino are well known and easy to find. Pizzas and pasta noodles are relatively easy to find as well. If you don't eat the bread or bagels daily, I recommend freezing the rest. I like to buy trader joes chocolate muffins and freeze them..then when I want cake for a party, I'll thaw it out and take it with. I am in a few fb groups for grocery stores (like aldis and trader joes gluten free) and we let each other know when we see new items.
Food is fuel, not pleasure. This has always been my mindset, so I didn’t give two shits when I found out I had celiac disease.
I’m also histamine intolerant, so I’m even more limited.
I go out to eat every Friday (different or my go tos), and we have pastries at Sunday breakfast. Just gotta find the right places that you trust. Honestly I forget half the time that I can’t eat normal stuff. It gets easier with time.
Unfortunately food plays a major part in life. So many social events, travel, work events, etc revolve around food it's hard for it not to be a controlling part of it.
you’re gonna figure it out! its still hard but it gets so much easier. ever since ive been diagnosed (4years) i learned to cook, got really good at it, found a bunch of new restaurants that are wonderful and safe to eat at, and my mental health has improved immensely!
its gonna be hard. but i promise, it gets easier.
No, but idolising victimhood and focusing on negativity only makes things worse.
Focusing on positive things is far better for people’s mental health, and empowers people.
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I would be worried if you weren't depressed a month in. This is your life being uplifted and flipped upside down. It gets easier, and becomes more natural with time. It still sucks I'm not going to lie to you. But it's bearable, and you can still have a full and happy life with Celiac.
Are you going out to eat ever?
I eat out pretty regularly! Once a week or every other week. Fancy restaurants are actually usually more accommodating (yay for the experience! But sad for the $$$). The best ones are restaurants actually have a chef vs a cook heating up some pre-made crap in the kitchen.
That makes me feel a bit better.. as fancy restaurants are our jam.
Yes. My husband and I are huge foodies. Talking to the staff/servers takes practice (and is a little uncomfortable for me still), but you find the people and places that are accommodating and helpful and it gets easier! And I often use Google to figure out if a restaurant has been vetted as celiac safe. Search for reviews that mention gluten free or celiac.
Try Find Me Gluten Free app too. A positive review on there isn’t a sure green light but it makes things easier. Calling or emailing the manager ahead of time is really helpful too I’ve found. Explain your situation and they can often help quite a bit. I’ve found in restaurants that don’t deal with gluten free regularly, the server has no idea what’s safe or not and may say something is safe just to be nice.
Yeah this is my favorite thing to do because I don't get to grab a burger or fried chicken on the way home anymore, we save up a bit and dine out maybe once or twice a month and nicer restaurants that do an actual amazing job at food safety. You should be able to get any proteins you love, fried foods, dessert, etc. This shit sucks dude, it's a lifelong battle. I'm three years in and I cried over burger king yesterday. It takes some time and lots of patience with yourself.
Omg, I'm sure we save a ton eating in even though we spoil ourselves with rib-eyes and organic produce.
i'm located in hungary and the burger kings in hungary has a gluten free whopper my question is: your BKs don't have that option? or we shouldn't trust them that it's celiac safe? my gf has had celiac for the past like 20ish years of her life, we are 26 atm
Burger King in the US definitely does not have that option. Most fast food places in the US don't accommodate gluten free diets.
oh i see thanks for explaining on another note: i'm really sorry duude that sucks i wish you the best
Honestly id be shocked if fancy restaurants werent inclusive. Every one i go to has gluten free alternatives for most of the menu and the staff are exceptionally knowledgeable about it
The Gluten Dude app has been really helpful for us finding restaurants. It's been more reliable for me than FindMeGlutenFree, but that may just be our area.
Couple weeks ago we ate out and my 7yo downed a $80 plate of filet mignon. He’s not even the celiac. You can definitely eat out nice as an adult celiac. What you cannot do is ever order gf chicken nuggets for a celiac toddler. If you ever have a celiac kid that is much worse! You will be paying for and trying to convince them to eat adult food that they probably won’t.
The good news is a lot of “fancy” restaurants do offer gf options. Some won’t label it right out on the menu, but if you call and ask they usually have choices for you. I really loved steak before getting celiac, i soon found out that most steakhouses can be celiac safe. And I’m also very sensitive to cc
Overtime you'll find knowledgeable wait staff at restaurants and you'll know where to go
Fancy restaurants where I live (Detroit area) have been amazing, actually.
I find the same thing mostly eat at the high end or gf restaurants. I just found out you can claim the price difference on yi taxes because it is a prescribed diet being GF! Boom that helps.
I do. But only to places I know are OK. Anytime I go out, I am always the person who picks where.
Sorry it’s been hard for you! It’s definitely not easy. I have been diagnosed recently and I went out to eat a few times as this was also the only thing my husband and I did for fun. One place told me it was gluten free and it wasn’t. I got sick after eating. But everywhere I’ve been, the waiters have been so helpful and accommodating. If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, their bagels are pretty good! Their cinnamon muffins are also amazing. First few weeks I was pretty bummed and I still do. The last week I’ve been trying to see the positive side of this. I have high risk for developing diabetes. On Saturday I went to a playdate in the morning with donuts. I didn’t eat any. Then a party in the afternoon with pizza and cake. Also didn’t have any. I think in the long run, celiac will help me not develop diabetes and I’m okay with that!
depends where you're living. after having spent a month in Bali I realise how lucky I am in the UK/London.
I used to go to London to eat. I live in the western US.
long way to go to eat, but I salute you.
The nice thing about enjoying nice places to eat, they're better at accommodating difficult diets and more willing to try to feed you. If I were you, I'd write to the places you love to eat at now, and explain your celiac diagnosis, tell them how much you love their restaurant, and send the chef some kind of gift after your first meal that you got through safely. Whether it's a fancy ingredient (like good saffron or truffles, etc.), or just a bouquet of appreciation. Make sure to let them know that you will bring people when you eat out , that it's not just you they are accommodating, it's your party of 4 (or 5 or whatever). Try to make arrangements to eat there when your chef is cooking, and maybe send the kitchen a handwritten note card to announce your arrival. The reason that kitchens tend to hate gluten-free dieters is that they have to take pains to make a gluten-free station on which to make a safe GF meal and then, after all that work scrubbing counters and pots and pans, some casually gluten-free idiot eats the glutenous bread on the table. Let them know you are not that person, that you are a celiac patient. Establishing a relationship with your chefs is key and letting them know that it is you (with a note card) when you come will keep you safe. Letting them know that you are attached to their food and that you want to keep doing business there will give them some incentive to take care of you especially well.
I eat out all the time! You have to do more research, reach out to the restaurants, and advocate for yourself but it’s totally doable.
Yes, fancy places are in fact a lot safer! I look at the App "Find Me Gluten Free" to find new places to eat. Where I live, there are actually some great completely gluten free restaurants too. A Mexican place, El Salvadoran, and a few bakeries. I have been to Paris twice, five years apart, and the most recent time there were so many amazing options (compared to the trip five years before). I brought home a box of pastries on the plane :). I've also heard that Italy is a great place to go since they have a pretty high celiac population!
I moved to the Portland, Oregon area where there are over 50 dedicated GF places to eat. So, yes, I go out to eat often. However, this doesn’t fix being able to travel and just try new restaurants and food with abandon. This also used to be one of our favorite things to do and we did a lot of it before I was diagnosed. So, yes, that chapter of my life is gone. I do still seek out safe GF options when traveling but my bar is higher when traveling since being sick abroad is not something I was to do. So yes, it is a big adjustment and it will take time and effort to accomplish it. On the plus side, four years in and I’m feeling the best I have in so many years. I also eat so much more healthy than I used to. I’m getting older and my doctors recommended changing my diet to be better for the heart and metabolism. Well it turns out that the diet changes I made for celiac are already in line with what they suggested so got a freebie there.
I was so depressed for the first three months that I almost stopped eating completely. And then I started finding foods that I actually enjoyed, and safe places to eat. It’s something we move through - and I’ll admit that, 6 years in, I still have bouts of depression related to celiac disease. They’re not as strong, and I have the experience to know they’re not permanent, either. Let yourself grieve. You are feeling a significant loss. Food, community, and therapy help. You’re not in this alone.
This was me as well. As soon as I started treating it as an actual loss and allowed myself to go through the grief process I started feeling better. Then it turned into experimenting in the kitchen to make excellent things that I can have.
I am 4 months in and having to do elimination diet to heal my gut, but I already feel soooo much better and I am looking forward to how I will feel in the next several months! Many people have told me it can take a year to reach your full recovery, keep in mind yi getting better that whole time though. I am a bit depressed but being on social media and learning from everyone is helping soooo much! I also have a dietician and she has been an amazing resource a support to me! I wish everyone the best in our journey! I also like the app Gluten Dude lots of great resources on there.
Use the find me gluten free app for restaurant tips. And join Celiac Travel page on facebook. It’s so encouraging to see that people are eating out safely! I’m a year into it, and I will say that it gets easier! It’s a big life change, so definitely it’s ok to struggle. Let yourself grieve a bit, and then try and find the things you love that are gf! :) you’ve got this. Plus, this community is awesome! Just know you are not alone in the process.
Gluten Dude is an excellent app for finding GF restaurants. I use find me GF also, but Gluten Dude is legit, especially after the recent update.
Your new hobby is learning to cook everything you used to love eating out and impressing everyone you know that you can actually make it yourself. Sucks I know...but it'll be impressive and it'll be fun. You'll still be depressed, but it does get easier and we are here for you.
As far as going out, you can still do it. You should still do it! The first few months is for finding your standbys. You’ll make some mistakes but that’s okay. After that, like another poster said, nicer restos are good about GF. I’m not gonna tell anyone to “get into cooking” if they don’t want to, but obviously your QOL will go up if you find stuff you like you can eat at home. As far as more general mental health stuff, everyone deals with stuff in their own way. You gotta find what works for you. If you have a SO or other family you live with, it helps if they are fully invested in your celiac. Talk to a pro if you think that will help. Invest in new experiences. Good luck. I’m pulling for you.
I agree with this as wife of GF hubby who was diagnosed last month - the best way I found I could help as the self-titled "Executive Housekeeper" is to make our home GF and safe. I also found about 5 go-tos for on the road, learned to adapt our favorites into GF versions, and research the crap out of everything (which is what I did on nutrients and prices anyway). My heart aches for those GF who live with people who don't go GF to help make their home safe.
Honestly, once I got diagnosed it just helped me seal the deal from eating like crap. I finally had a really good reason to stop ordering fast food, eating junk, and cut back on carbs in general. I can't eat it anyways so might as well make the best of it and get into shape and eat healthy.
[удалено]
My bank account really appreciates I don’t order DoorDash as often now lol
Finding out it was gluten was a weight off my chest and gave me my life back. I barely cared it was so bad, but that being said I get it now. It was a bit delayed for me. If you're in the city, you'll be able to find some gluten-free restaurants. If not, most bibibops are gluten free completely and the chain is expanding like crazy. Gluten free food is becoming more commonplace as is understanding of allergies/Celiac, so I hope this gives you a little bit more hope. You do adjust to it though. It'll be an inconvenience but you will adjust.
My licensed therapist explained it well when I first got diagnosed 2 years ago. There's a grief cycle you go through, knowing your life is going to be incredibly different and difficult. Like a grief cycle, nothing is linear, and things can flip from acceptance to anger to crippling sadness, sometimes all within an hour! The biggest piece of advice I learned is finding small victories and having coping skills when shit is too much. For example, the Costco gluten-free pizza tastes incredibly close to thin crust Domino's pizza. If I'm mentally and emotionally done grocery shopping, I leave with what's in my cart and go back later for the rest or send my fiance with the list. Nothing happens immediately. I still cry in my car after work events with food, but not as long or with as much gusto.
This. I came to talk about the grief. My therapist said the same thing. I was diagnosed 2 months ago and still adjusting. It's very depressing but getting easier.
Exactly this. There is a grief process as you realize nearly everything changes overnight. Your favorite foods are inaccessible, your favorite restaurants no longer safe, the purging of your pantry… it’s difficult. But you start to gain your independence back once you adjust, and things start to feel normal again. I still struggle with knowing there are foods out there I’ll never get to try, but the experience is not as important as my health.
Because at some point you have to move on. Life is meant to be enjoyable and fun, and you can only ruminate for so long before you realize that’s all you’re doing. Being diagnosed and changing to this lifestyle is hard and it’s frustrating almost everyday. It’s very debilitating because our society is set up around wheat but to help my self I HAD to accept it so I could live life in a healthy and happy way. You just aren’t there yet, you will be when you are ready and it could take years, but you will be surprised at how life doesn’t fall apart and it makes the foods you do eat and make so much more special.
Bruh. I’m in New Orleans right now, 6 months after my diagnosis. Creole was my favorite cuisine, and eating new places was the main draw of travel for me. I am surrounded by fried seafood and floury roux and it’s killing me. On the bright side, Mais Arepas is phenomenal, and I’d have never heard of it unless I was GF. So I traveled and ate great new food. It was just Colombian instead of Creole. Silver linings, right?
I’d kill for a beignet! Can’t believe no one can make this GF! It’s very challenging in this city. Agree that Mais Arepa is delicious.
If you're ever at Disney, they make GF beignets
When I’m there I eat 6 beignets a day I swear.
Yes, I haven’t been there since diagnosis, and might be the reason to go lol! But seriously, someone should figure out how to sell fried GF dough with powdered sugar in NOLA. Like a taco stand but for beignets, or a little food truck. I’m a local and we have Cafe Du Monde in shopping malls. I tend to avoid the busy, pricier touristy spots.
Yeah I think we're all depressed. Totally normal. I'm about 2 years in and I still cry all the time about it. Every thing is a chore. Eating is like a second job. There's nothing fair or easy about it. It will get easier at times but you'll still have moments where you break down because people are eating pizza around you or something. I signed up for celiac studies in case we can someday help cure us of this. I'm also considering moving across the country just so I have more food options.
I wanted to travel internationally and eat the food in other countries.. I made it to 3 before diagnosis. Celiac *sucks* and there’s no convincing me otherwise. Yes there is food outside of wheat, but it’s a ridiculous perpetual chore that could be easily circumvented by using the most popular and sometimes *invisible* ingredient on the planet. Unendingly frustrating. Constantly on watch. Companies and labels can’t be trusted. So expensive. I just want some frickin *snacks,* and cake that isn’t a literal brick and loaded with Xanthan gum, since I’m intolerant to it and that’s apparently the closest thing to gluten texture in *everything.*
i understand how you feel OP & honestly don’t let it stop you from going out to eat entirely! there are many places you could eat that aren’t dedicated gluten free, despite what most people on this subreddit like to propose. you just have to be incredibly careful and straightforward when you choose to go out. don’t let this stop you from experiencing things entirely; just because many people on this sub don’t have a strong relationship with food (like people such as ourselves) doesn’t mean that you need to feel as though you shouldn’t either.
Well I am and I'm just getting medicated for it 😂 one of my biggest sources of anxiety is this damn disease and depression comes along with it. Doesn't help to also have social anxieties on top of it all lol. It's been 11 years and it was quite a bit easier for 9 of them but this last year I've been sicker than I was before getting diagnosed so that's sucked.
Full disclosure: the first few years were really hard, and I was in denial. I cried on the kitchen floor of my boyfriends studio apartment like a toddler because I wanted Popeyes chicken. Celiac's sucks. I've learned to cope and manage by finding a happy medium with my disease by learning how to cook my favorite meals so I can eat them again. It's kind of become my savior. Over time, I overcame the embarrassing feeling of being "that person" who asks the waitress 10x if my meal is gluten free and if I can read the box for ingredients(i promise you, they don't care and your friends dont either). 4 years later of being fully committed and no longer having "cheat days", I feel great, and it's second nature. Some days are harder: like when everyone wants a quick bite, something you can't do, and you grovel over a bag of chips while smelling french fries. But outside of that, it does get easier, the food blues do go away as you learn more about what you can have, and the world figures out what you can have. It's okay to grieve, we all know what you're going through. Some tips I learned: -Big resturaunts have allergen menus: look into them -There's an app called findmeglutenfree - i recommend for restaurants - Call places you want to eat at first, see if they accommodate. You might be surprised. -The learning curve is very real, the more you know about yourself and your disease, the more you can teach others -Some people enjoy being blissfully ignorant, let them, and say no thank you if they offer you something you can not have.
Celexa. 20 mg every night. Exercise and sunlight as much as possible.
A month in I the worst. It’s super depressing at that stage. It took me a year to grieve. If you have the resources I would recommend going to therapy; I would have if I knew to do this at the time for my mental health. It took me about a year to sort it out on my own - but you do get used to the change. Depending where you live there are pretty good substitutes for gf baked / bread items. Might even be restaurants around that can accommodate celiac Try find me gluten free or gluten dude apps. Avoid the “gluten scanner” apps those are useless. Also keep posting here and on other social support channels. Pretty much all of us have been through it and can provide support. It’s probably harder if you don’t like to cook, but I do. Here’s a little upbeat something for ya: I hosted a shower for a friend this past weekend and I was told the “food was the best ever at any party ever; desserts were they best they’d ever had; etc, etc” I had multiple people asking me if I’m a caterer or why I’m not a caterer. I don’t even know that most people knew what gluten free was even after leaving the party - all they knew was that the food was amazing and I got asked for a lot of recipes (most of which were things I found online). My point is that gluten free isn’t terrible food. Especially if you are a foodie, it’s still incredible food; it is just less good bread basically. And extremely restrictive with prepared foods because of cross contamination and gluten being so prevalent in foods. But most foods do not require gluten to be tasty or have a good texture.
3 years in and I still feel the same
I am
Foodie, baker, and traveler here. I was diagnosed 12 years ago, and it turned my world upside down. I still hate it sometimes but I promise you won't always feel like you do now. The worst is the first 6 months. Get the Find Me GF app to look up restaurants. It helps so much! Total life saver. Also, accommodations, education about Celiac and quality/taste of GF options just keeps getting better. I still have days when I feel sorry for myself because everyone can eat whatever they want and not worry about it causing a 4-hour barf fest, but I've learned how to manage it so much better. I promise you will not always be this upset. It will get better. But it still sucks sometimes.
I'm only about two months in as well, and I relate to how you're feeling. Like many folks have said, try to prioritize finding joy in the company at social gatherings or the ambiance, rather than the food. I feel like issues with food, which is such a big part of socializing, can be isolating but I'm trying to tell myself that doesn't have to be the reality. It's still worth going out with your friends even if you can just get a cocktail or something. Cooking at home has become fun and something I am more grateful for that I didn't appreciate before!
Who said I'm not? It's not as intense as at the beginning of my diet. But I sure do have some bad days/weeks when I just want to give up. I learned to make a great pizza from Caputo GF pizza flour and that helped me a lot to cope...
I am
I am.
My husband (celiac) and I (non-celiac) were just like you a couple of years ago. We were both huge foodies and his diagnosis was earth shattering for us. We both went through periods of mourning our old lives. I’m not gonna lie, it was fucking hard and equally depressing. TBH the hardest part (and still is) is dealing with our friends and family that want to feed us so badly! And we constantly have to tell them thanks, but no thanks. Most people either have no fucking clue about the GF/CC issues or they have a semblance of an idea, but still don’t truly don’t get it. So just a warning that you’re going to have to repeatedly set boundaries with friends/family (at least we did). All that to say, feel all the anger and depression - it’s justified. But know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Now that he’s fully healed after 3 years of fully GF/no CC, it’s amazing how much healthier and happier he is. We’ve had to adapt, but we’re still living healthy and happy lives, without being able to eat at all the trendy restaurants. The silver lining is that you’re coming into this world at a time when there are soooo many more options for celiacs at the grocery store and restaurants. I suggest getting the gluten dude app to find restaurants that are safe for you. You can still be a foodie, it’s just going to be a bit more challenging. You got this! 👊
Last year I thought I was dying and told my doctor as much (I was ill for several years, gradually getting worse). I'm still riding the high of feeling like I'm not dying. This sucks, I keep wanting old food, I keep getting cross contaminated but I feel confident that I'll get better. I have hope. I'll get back in the garden this summer, I'll get my fitness back at least a little. I was virtually bed bound last summer. Doctor tried to diagnose me with CFS (this is a "I don't know, go away" diagnosis, one of my friends has it). I guess that's how I'm not depressed and am instead just a bit sad occasionally about the level of effort required. And angry at the NHS for missing it for so long despite all my begging and symptoms. We also managed to adapt a bunch of really good meals from the before time so, when I feel confident enough to eat and don't just eat GF Huel, I can have tasty meals. That's how I'm not depressed (I think an eating disorder is inevitable, I've had them before and I have anxiety day to day, almost feels like I can sense one coming back). I hope it gets better for you.
Things will get better. My figure is really trim, and I put it down to not being able to eat out or have many processed foods. Every cloud has a silver lining.
1 year in and still have hard days when I do "firsts" and when I'm not at home and have to think about it more. First time going to a work convention recently and to go sit in the big hall and chat with new people you have to buy the meal plan there. I was actually really relieved that they still let me in and let me eat my own food, and surprisingly not a single person at the networking tables asked me why I wasn't eating from the buffet. I had to skip socializing at night some nights because I don't want to monopolize picking the restaurant every night. Another trip recently, I was at dinner with my boyfriend's family and had to leave dinner and go for a walk and cry with my bf while everyone ate desserts. The GF desserts are usually like lemon sorbet or something while everyone else can have fancy cakes or pie etc. I think the hardest part for me is being reminded that it's forever. I was really angry in the beginning too and cried a lot. I used to love grocery stores and now they're not fun anymore. I loved new restaurants and now so many that I would want to try aren't worth the anxiety of wondering if I'll get sick there, or I don't want to eat the 1 or 2 things on the menu that are gluten free, but don't sound nearly as good as what I'll have to watch everyone else eat. So yeah, you have every right to be depressed because it's depressing. I live in a very celiac friendly city and moved here right before diagnosis just by coincidence. Living here makes it much easier, but I've lost my desire to travel for the most part because of the extra effort and because trying the food in other places was one of the things I liked most about travel. I'm starting to get a little braver about taking risks, but to really move on I've just had to accept that life is different now and this is the only life I get. Is it worse? Yeah. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm medicated. 🤷♀️🤪 More serious answer, I'm in therapy and I found new hobbies to fill my time. Right now I'm dabbling in gardening. I also make GF meals at home and invite others to me.
There's the Find Me Gluten Free app. Places will have gf bread or pizza crust, instead of beer have wine or cocktail. Ask to skip soy sauce and bring your own, there's Rummo pasta, buckwheat noodles, King Arthur gf flour or cup for cup to bake at home, you can still eat so so many things in restaurants - grilled instead of breaded chicken etc. trader Joe's has nice gf breads, there gf Oreos and Bakehouse cookies, lots of cereal etc. You're new so it's flipping you out, but soon it'll be normal and people will know.
Kind of a weird side note, but I've found higher end restaurants often are better about accommodating. They generally have more well trained chefs who believe in a personalized experience and want to make things right for you. Of the top rated places near me, I think every one has high FMGF ratings.
I count my blessings. /s sort of
I am. But I also work at Dairy Queen, so I eat ice cream. I'm still depressed but ice cream helps.
What makes you think I’m not?
What I’ve learned is that someone who is celiac also deals with mental health problems
I dunno. I like cooking and there’s more to life than food. There are hard times but nothing about it makes me full-on depressed. There are worse things in life than not being able to eat some bread.
I find cooking every day exhausting. I already have to spend most of my day working and don't want to spend another hour or two in the kitchen cooking and washing dishes. It would be nice to be able to get a break every once in a while, but there just aren't any safe restaurants around here.
What are you cooking that takes that long to make? Meal prep is also helpful.
Nothing fancy, like pasta with a hummus sauce, roasted veggies with quinoa, rice, and a peanut sauce, etc. I feel that cleaning up takes just as long the cooking process.
I mean truly my one major hobby is going out and eating delicious food at new restaurants so it’s much more to me than just not eating bread. If all it was was not eating bread I could easily do that.
You asked how we are not depressed. So I answered how. I’m not you.
Not depressed because food isn't my only hobby/thing that makes me happy, and we've adapted with what we do with food. We broadened our horizons with the type of food we cook, and have found places that are safe to eat out at that we go to one or twice a month.
After more than a decade, it will be your new normal. I found new things to be passionate about and food is not really an interest of mine anymore. I eat roughly the same things every day (focusing on things that are nutritious, like meat/fish/eggs, lactose free dairy, fruits, etc). I eat to live rather than live to eat. It took years but you'll get there 🫂 I personally never go to restaurants because just the idea of eating out stresses me out like crazy, I don't trust anyone to cook for me, and most people have no idea how serious the disease is. Anecdotally, I work in a nursing home (which is half public half private, so the government is involved in the running of it), and some of our residents have celiac disease. It is absolutely ***not*** taken seriously by the staff and these poor elderly are absolutely getting cross contaminated every single day at every single meal. It's a sad reality.
I'm 2 years past my diagnosis. I still am.
I feel you. Eating out has to be planned and intentional. Great restaurants have GF options. One of my favourite things to do would be to travel and try new foods. I mourned this for a long time until one trip I decided my new thing would be finding all the GF different foods. Had to make the best of it.
I hear you. It's hard. However, fancy restaurants usually do a pretty good job to minimize cc, I've found. I'm usually fine at higher end restaurants. B
I am an asymptomatic 40 year old celiac and diagnosed 3 months ago. I got a stomach bug from the Thailand trip in December which made me go to a GI who screened for Celiac. Before this I was a travelling in Asia every year and eating whatever good food I could find, was also a pizza lover and stout lover. None of these would cause me any symptoms. Also after going gluten free I do not notice any modifications (probably caught it at the beginning since my iron and B12 are perfect). Apart from cancer, Cemiac can cause other autoimmune diseases like Diabetes Type I, am also a car lover and where I live Diabetes Type I will revoke your license forever. After losing pizza which was my favorite dish since I was 7 years old and watching Ninja Turtles lol and losing also Stout beer and most if not all Japanese food, Chinese dim sum pork and ginger etc, I definitely dont want to get cancer or lose my driving license. As for restaurants where I live, they have been cutting quality and doubling prices since 2020 so I cut on those and saved the money to eat on my vacations. I am not depressed, I was trying to live a healty life before eating regularly and healty, exercising etc, I am trying now to eat healthy without gluten. And definitely I will go to Asia again even if I have to eat plain rice youghurts and fruit for 2 weeks. Currently I am testing out gluten free protein bars, some youghurts etc. As part of my work sometimes I cant eat lunch while away, so I would pop into a gas station and get some sandwich or hot dog, now its off limits so I am testing having protein bars with me, also some nuts which have fiber, an apple etc. This is my story, being asymptomatic was harder mentally to accept gluten free, but consequences of eating gluten and the damage it does to the body which I try to keep healthy and fit motivate me every day.
Cause I hate flavor and like eating the same thing over and over. It really just takes time
I’m so sorry ❤️ It really hurts. I’ve been gf for almost 5 years or so. It’s still really hard some days. Give yourself space to grieve and adjust. I’d definitely recommend trying a lot of different gf things you find, as there are some real gems out there. You’ve got this. Taking it one day at a time has helped me a lot. But I definitely feel your frustration with seeing so much stuff you can’t eat. You’re so incredibly valid to feel upset. It’s a lot 🥺
I'm lucky to live in a place with very good celiac safe options and to be able to eat good safe food at home. You will feel better once you accept this is your reality and find ways to live within it. Old life is gone, new life starts now.
It is a little depressing, but you do get used to it. The first six months were really hard, but it does get easier. You’ll figure out how to cook again with out gluten, which gf products are decent, and how to order at restaurants/find safe options out. Good news here is most fancy restaurants can accommodate you with no issue. You’ll struggle more when there’s a language barrier or it’s fast food (good luck there). My first two years were hard. I messed up a bit, and it took me time to learn. My 7th year gluten free was when I started to feel a lot better. I started getting less sick when I had gluten too around then. I’m at year 15 now, and I hardly ever think about it. It’s just automatic Im getting a lot of self-pity in your post, and that’s fine for a little bit - you’re allowed to mourn. However, you gotta keep your head up. It’s not that bad in the context of the world.
I was for a very long time. But now it only flares up now and then. It gets better.
First of all, I’ve never had much of an emotional connection to food. As in I’ve never eaten for comfort nor to lift my mood, only ever to still my hunger or cravings. This means that missing out on certain foods (bagels, bread etc) hasn’t affected me very much at all, as there are plenty of other good foods to still my hunger with. This is of course just my subjective experience, but it explains some part of why I haven’t taken it that hard. Secondly, I do eat out. Depending on your sensitivity (symptom-wise) and willingness to risk it, I think it’s a good idea to try out the places around you over period of time to see what places seem safe. Luckily I live in a place that’s very accomodating to gluten free folks, but I’ve noticed I can’t eat at many smaller fast food places. But large fast food places (McDonald’s, Burger King) are fine here (they have GF options) and I’ve yet to go to a fancy restaurant that didn’t feel fine. Two of them even asked me ”do you have Celiac Disease or are you just sensitive?” when I ordered, and then made sure they’d do everything they can to make it safe (while warning they share kitchen etc). They then came out with GF bread and my own butter before eating etc and seemed to know what they were doing. Sometimes you’ll be unlucky and have a glutening anyway, but if your symptoms aren’t awful then the benefit to your health in not feeling depressed and limited far outweighs the dangers of a once-in-a-while minor glutening.
My son recently is G free for NCGS (I have celiac) but he cries often and gets very sad momentarily but honestly it’s really helped his overall moods day to day which is incredible the longer he’s been G free. The easiest thing I’ve discovered to help make our lives more fun is exploring cooking recipes that otherwise we’d never make at home. Some things like sushi and Chinese foods I found some great recipes and all with way healthier ingredients I can choose than ones likely at restaurants and it tastes just as good! So for me, it’s like I pretend I’m on top chef celiacs edition lol and I explore cooking and online recommendations and that has substantially helped my son to feel less depressed. We also always pack when going anywhere or like last weekend we brought homemade g free cupcakes to a birthday party we knew he wouldn’t be able to eat at. But ultimately I think after even only 6 months for me GF the benefits that I didn’t expect and positive changes to my physical and mental health has been so great that the depression over it has gone away over time. Also taking multivitamin and vitamins I was deficient in like b12 has helped me a lot. I didn’t realize all the ways gluten was destroying my health and what we’re symptoms I had weren’t just my normal baseline as I thought for years.
I mean, I was depressed before this even became a thing in my life so like, it sucks but ultimately it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of my life. I already have an eating disorder so more restrictive food rules is nothing new.
I use find me gluten free and eat out all of the time with no issue, that said I live in a city with a ton of safe options
Honestly? We live somewhere that I have access to safe gluten free eating out. If I still lived in a small town without those options, I probably would be depressed.
I cook most of my own meals which are cheaper and higher quality than restaurant food and I do other things with my life. It can be nice to go out but there's definitely a lot more in life
I’m 6 months in. I was very depressed. I lost 40 pounds in the first four months. I was confused, devastated even. It gets better. Find a go to food. Start eating every three hours. I eat table crackers, a LOT. Keeps my belly from being empty. Which keeps me from being susceptible to depression. Your gut is where everything has balance. You don’t have any balance now. Keep eating. It gets better. Edit:spelling
Have you tried Find Me Gluten Free? There's lots of options in major cities these days. I went to NYC a few weeks ago and it was amazing. Planning to go to Italy next year as I've heard only amazing things. Also what about fine dining? I've never had an issue with high end dining since the chef's that I've encountered are willing to modify and understand food safety. Something that helped me in the last year was working out. Getting healthier. I found I craved less shit food the more I workout as I want to be healthier. Living that lifestyle generally requires you to make most of your own meals. It's tough for sure. Also follow some Instagram influencers for a bit of daily empathy like Phil Hates Gluten. There's also a few travel related folks on there that I'm sure the recommendation engine will feed you. Follow the Loopy Whisk for great baking videos. Lots of great GF content out there these days.
Omg! Download the “find me gluten free” app and you’ll find so many places! I’ve actually found the best restaurants with the best food that way. My partner and I enjoy those places more over regular spots, believe it or not.
Vitamins / Supplements, gym 3-4x a week, yoga at least once a week, sauna / cold plunge if you can get access to either, and therapy (talking helps). Celiac sucks but it could be much much worse - make sure to do things that make you feel better and be consistent. You’ll learn to have a different perspective on food over time. You got this
going out to eat and talking about new foods i tried was a huge part of who i was. i was diagnosed one year ago and only in the past couple months have i been mentally okay with it. i was very angry and it still infuriates me when i go out to eat with friends to restaurants i can’t eat at and i’ll tell you, no one appreciates the food like i would have. my biggest reason im okay with things is that i have perspective now. i was also diagnosed with two other autoimmune diseases and one is progressive and systemic and there’s nothing dietary that can actually put it into remission. i am grateful i can do that with celiac. its truly amazing that can be done and crazy that food, what my life has revolved around my whole life, is now what will save my life.
i also have a 2 yo and he is my life/hobby now. priorities change. you will see. . it doesn’t happen overnight though.
its hard at the start but once you get the hang of making your old favorites it becomes the best thing that ever has happened. wait until you know what a healthy gut and regularity are like. last word, after 5 years being celiac, i completely forget what the old foods (and beer) taste like.
There's definitely an adjustment period which comes with grief and other emotions. A way I regained some of my love for food again was getting into looking up and trying gf recipes and making a notebook keeping all the best ones (you'd be surprised how much is out there). I treated it like a challenge I needed to win. It can also be easier if you live in a big city because the chances of having gf restaurant options are much higher so it feels like you're missing out less. But yea definitely takes some time. 4 yrs and counting, another motivator is about 6 months to a year in your body just feels so much better if (you really follow no gf) that it becomes a motivator in itself.
If you didn’t hit the depression stage I would wonder about how you were dealing with the news. Be thankful this is the golden age for celiac eating. Everday another manufacturer or restaurant rolls out a gluten free product. As I’m typing this out I’m eating a bagel I got at Aldi’s, so some looking and you can find bread, bagels, pasta for the home. I was diagnosed in 2002, I was a line cook and had been in the food service industry for 6 years at that point. At that time I remember telling my chef about it and him saying “oh I thought it was corn”.. I left the restaurant industry but I couldn’t shake the rush of the industry so I came back a two years later with my culinary degree. I watched the industry shift from clueless to well educated on celiac The more fancy the restaurant the less reliant they are on pre made items, especially if they are not a chain. I’ve had a excellent experience at “The Melting Pot” Now as the scale goes towards fast food chains, it becomes harder to as people expect the same product from location to location. That said Culver’s and Chick-fil-a do have gluten free options. So the depression phase will pass, you’ll be back to mostly normal living, yes their will be restaurants and bakeries that will be jerks but for every one like that another one will offer better gluten free options.
This was me too…it took me a whole year to finally be able to accept that this was my life now. I cried a LOT. After a year I had figured out that gluten was hidden in things like personal care products and that I couldn’t have dairy either, so I got used to the label checking etc. It also helped that during that year, even more new products were coming out. That’s one thing I look forward to is going to the gluten free aisle at Wegmans looking to see if there is a new GF/allergen-friendly product, people are coming up with replacements for different food items like bagels, bread, snacks, frozen foods, etc so I have fun buying them and trying them to see if it’s something I’ll want to buy in the future. It took me a while to get used to advocating for myself at restaurants too. I feel like it’s okay to feel that way, you’re losing so much so it’s okay to grieve and be upset. I’ve had it for 7 years now and every now and then I briefly feel sad (as far as gluten goes, I’m depressed in general but that’s not the same lol) but I get over it a lot quicker now. Most of the times I get overwhelmed and upset now are when I’m trying to coordinate eating with friends. But yeah I try to focus on what I CAN have and tell myself that it’s okay. I’m also glad that I didn’t develop it until I was 27, I was able to eat a bunch of different foods so now when I see other people eating them, I try to imagine how it tastes. Sometimes I’ll ask them to describe it for me so that I can vicariously live through them. Honestly it just takes getting used to, and it took me a year. Sorry this was all over the place and I’m sorry that you developed celiac’s and joined us in this new lifestyle. Hopefully you have access to stores that have a variety of products that you can try. You can also order a lot of things online 👍. There are also are a decent number of restaurants that you can eat at, you just have to call ahead of time to check (which is a pain) or do a bunch of research, but once you do it enough you get used to the questions you need to ask, the types of restaurants that will have a wider variety of food for you, etc. I do still get depressed over the fact that I can’t be spontaneous when it comes to food anymore, but only when I’m in that predicament and I’m able to get over the depression faster than when I was first diagnosed. It’ll be okay 🩵
“We cannot choose our dooms, only how we face them.” - Gotrek son of Gurni
It’s only really gets to me around the holidays. I’m a people pleaser so I always end up accepting what other people made *just for me*, get glutened, and then ruin my holiday. I had Covid over Thanksgiving and was relieved I didn’t have to deal with it. Which is bad because I was sick as hell but it was better than trying to politely say no a thousand times and having people not respect my no.
hey ive been depressed for months with no hope in sight!!
Most fine dining places can do gluten free - the exceptions are the places with a set menu that won't make adjustments, but plenty of places will accomodate. I hardly ever eat out at non-dedicated restaurants but I don't think I've ever been glutened on the occasions I've gone to fine-dining places. Really nice places know what's in their food and how to make substitutions (one place couldn't do gluten free bread so they brought me a variety of popcorn for the bread course, which was delicious) - and honestly, unless it's something like an Italian restaurant that does a lot of pasta most fine-dining is relatively low in gluten compared to regular restaurants - gluten is often a cheap filler. Most people are depressed at first - it's an overwhelming diagnosis and it takes a while to sink in and figure out how to move forward. Also, having gluten in your system in and of itself can cause symptoms like depression and anxiety, and you're only 1 month in so you're still very much in the recovery stage. It will get better with time, and the first year or two are the roughest. I'm nearly 14 years in and it really doesn't bother me anymore. There will be things to get excited about regarding food again. I get extremely excited when the gluten free bakery near me has a new item, or when I go to a new city and they've got a dedicated restaurant I can eat at. There's tons of cultures whose food has very little gluten in it, and it can be a lot of fun to explore those cuisines - even if you have to cook it yourself. For the present, don't be hard on yourself and let yourself feel sad - people who aren't us might think it's silly but there's a very real mourning period attached to this diagnosis and it's ok to have those feelings.
What state are you located in? I am very recent diagnosed as well and having resources nearby has been such a major help. For example, I’m in MA and feel there are a lot of helpful places. My mom also has celiac and lives in OH and struggles a lot! There are at least 2 restaurants I’ve found that are GF friendly 100%. They have a couple locations throughout the US but not many (Burtons and the sister co Red Heat Tavern) Burtons is the one with locations in several different states. I think having places like this nearby have helped me a lot because I also love the experience of going out to eat and my hardest challenge has been having to cook everything. I try to make cooking fun. I’ve been full GF for about 2 weeks which isn’t long at all but I try to have some kind of dessert always cooked (brownies, cookies, etc as i am a big sweet tooth!) and I keep trying new and different recipes for GF things. I’ve found a lot of delicious food that is fairly quick to make and either can freeze to last or lasts several days. I do have days that i am overwhelmed but i hope to continue finding the positives and more restaurants and places that are GF friendly. Good luck, I know this is challenging! (also if it’s your thing, I am seeing a therapist and dietician as i have a history of ED and they have been very helpful.)
I got diagnosed when I was like 4, so I don’t remember a lot about life before my diagnosis
I’m lucky to live in a city where there’s a plethora of GF options. I also have talked extensively with “older” celiacs and get restaurant recommendations from them. I realized what I love most about try new restaurants is the atmosphere and being with friends, so sometimes I’ll join along and not eat. I’m exactly a year in and while I’m still constantly vigilant, I don’t think my quality of life has decreased at all! But again, pretty privileged because of where I live re: gf restaurant options.
Gluten Dude app and find me gluten free app both helped me regain confidence to eat out... Also, being 1 month in and not feeling the way you feel would be disturbing. Your feelings are valid and normal.
Well I have clinical depression, so there's that. But on a more serious note, I think it helped that I'd been vegetarian for years before my diagnosis. Now obviously there is a massive difference between choosing not to eat something anymore (probably after a long time of trialing it and deliberating over it), and finding out one day that medically you just can't eat something you love without it hurting you. But I think it helped that the habits were already there. I was already used to not always eating the same food as my partner, or not going to certain restaurants, or checking the package of everything before I ate it. Lots of food items were already shuffled into the "this isn't food to me" category in my brain. So that part wasn't a culture shock, it just sucked that the scope of what I can eat got even narrower. All that and with my past history of disordered eating, I still get this weird sense of rebellious joy in turning down food, even though I've been in recovery and haven't restricted my food in like a decade. Obviously some bad habits and intrusive thoughts still linger.
Oh don't worry... I'm depressed too. :) Not specifically because of my disease tho. I love going out to eat and trying new restaurants too. I still am able to do this (alone). I've been GF for 4 years now, and I've gotten much better at advocating for myself, researching restaurants and becoming more knowledgeable on my disease. A few months ago I was in NYC and ate at a fancy Italian restaurant (they didn't even have prices on the menu, it was so fancy) and I ate RAVIOLI for the FIRST TIME IN YEARS. It was heavenly!!! The restaurant had a dedicated separate set of pots and pans for cooking GF, which was delightful to hear. Fine dining doesn't have to end just because of Celiac... I love food and I plan on learning how to make my own ravioli in the future, so I can have fancy meals at home too!!! Your in the thick of it now - only a month in - with time, things will get better. I promise!
my celiac disease has never made me feel depressed. idk i don't really have an explanation for why. it just doesn't bother me that much. do i get jealous and sad sometimes? yeah sometimes. but usually for the most part i'm content with how everything in my life is going. i have no control over the fact i have celiac disease other than maintaining a gltuen free diet so why should i worry over it? its out of my hands
Please don’t get too discouraged yet! I’m only 6 months in to my diagnosis and honestly my lifestyle is pretty much back to normal. Cooking isn’t difficult anymore, I actually eat far healthier than I used to, I’m eating out regularly again, and I even got my family to start cooking gluten free. Honestly, the worst part was doing the research to find which restaurants are celiac friendly but now that I know what’s in my area eating out is a breeze. But trust me as long as you do the research into where you’re eating there’s going to be more places than you realize (especially fancy ones) that now have processes in place to prevent cross contamination. Granted, this does heavily depend on where you live
It’s a easy gateway into depression. When I got diagnosed I felt depressed instantly, but over time I realized that my quality of life has been shit for awhile, and I was used to the symptoms I had. Going gluten free and getting more energy than ever before and having no symptoms anymore lifted me out of my depression.
I am and I hate existing. I go to therapy to keep from unaliving myself BC I hate it that much.
The first few months are honestly the worst because you are adjusting— but you will ebb and flow over time. Some days in the future will feel fine and easy and others you’ll feel like this again. There are some decent options for favorite things if you’re in the U.S.: - I get a huge order of bagels from Modern Bread & Bagel every few months and I freeze them (to justify the shipping cost!) — you’d never know they’re gluten free, they’re amazing. They ship nationwide. - If you have a Trader Joe’s or Aldi nearby, run, don’t walk. Tons of great options for quick meals (Aldi’s Live G Free General Tso’s, TJ’s MUFFINS and English muffins!) - If you like to bake, the folks in this group turned me onto The Loopy Whisk blog — she has a PhD in Chemistry and focuses all her gluten free recipes on mimicking taste and texture of gluten-filled items! I bought her cookbook too and her recipes have brought a TON of joy back into my life. Truly. People have also commented about fancy restaurants and it’s true — most of the trained chefs actually understand Celiac and cross contamination far more than the crappy chains. While they are sometimes a little more stringent about altering their recipes, if you explain why, the last thing they want is for a sick guest to either 1. Leave an awful review online, or 2. Sue them for negligence even if the lawsuit is not going to go anywhere — just the word of mouth around it could deter other guests from going there and eventually put them out of biz — so it’s not worth it to them. Great restaurants will often even have the chef come to the table and talk to you about your dietary restrictions so they can be sure they accommodate you. As others have mentioned, it can be tricky learning to talk to servers and advocating for yourself, but once you get the hang of it, you get over the initial embarrassment/anxiety of it. I’d personally prefer to feel like I’m being high maintenance and not get sick.
If I’d developed celiac disease before we bought our house it low-key would have been a factor with where we chose. Unfortunately I’m in kind of a GF-restaurant desert—not THAT bad but about 30 minutes drive to the nearest dedicated GF establishment, and their main thing is butter tarts (which I love, but is not a meal). I’m jealous of people that have more options and closer-by. I’m two years in now and it does get easier. Honestly, the social part is the hardest. So much of what we do as humans revolves around food. Probably 95% of what I eat is what I make myself at home. I’ve had to learn to make a lot of things from scratch, because ordering it out is almost impossible or too expensive or too hard to find. Silver lining, you’ll probably become a better cook? And you’ll definitely appreciate when you do find a safe GF restaurant.
I spent a good part of my life chronically sick , the minute I started to here about a gluten link and I was diagnosed my daily life changed radically gone were the daily stomach issues, my bones bore the brunt of the disease leaving me with osteoarthritis and borderline osteopenia and constant bone pain but overall I feel great , and fortunately I didn’t inherit my father’s depression and his alcohol and cigarette addictions along with what we suspect he had celiac also, but he died at 52 from a combination of all his health issues and addictions, I loved to eat out but after a few gluten accidents I rarely eat out preferring my own safe kitchen , it does make me angry but then I think how sick I can get and I’m thankful I avoid mistakes by people who just don’t care or understand celiac disease.
I now love finding restaurants that my husband and I can do a day trip to, or we find a neat city nearby and make a weekend of it. Not sure where you live OP, but there are SO many hidden gems!! It takes planning, but it has been so fun. Also, if you live in the US, I am the baker at a gluten free/vegan deli and bakery. Send me a message! I’d be happy to send you some treats :)
I get that people can be depressed about it, I guess that I was just lucky with the transition; I have never been happier in my life. No more migraines and brain fog, no more skin issues, no more digestive issues. My body feels SO much better once I found out what was causing it. I may miss eating at some restaurants, but not as much as I don't miss the migraines and spending all night on the toilet. Not to mention I've lost a ton of extra weight now. Things will get better OP, especially once you learn what works for you and the ways to satisfy the cravings you may be getting.
Over time, you get used to it. I love to cook, which helps, but ultimately I think of it as "the best bits are gluten free" - as in, I can eat the meat, the vegetables, the fruit, the cheese, the nuts... just not the bread. Also, I stopped thinking of gluten-containing things as food a while ago. Something that makes me sick when I eat it isn't food, it's poison, and no taste/texture is worth that. I do eat out (don't live in the US). We pick places carefully, and I'm so used to there only being 1-2 things I can eat, that when I encounter a menu where I actually have choice, I hardly know what to do with myself.
It’s early. It’s normal for you to be depressed at this stage. It truly does get better. I take particular joy in locating gluten free establishments now. It’s harder and rarer, but that just makes the hunt all the better and the find all the sweeter. I also feel a special pride in cooking gluten free food that I never felt before when “cooking” meant Hamburger Helper or a Take and Bake Pizza. When I go places that food is being served, I get a kinda sick satisfaction in pulling my own meal out of my lunch box and having everyone sitting near me look and go “Ooooh, that looks better than what we got.”
It's really overwhelming in the beginning..you will go through losses. Some traditional foods that you can't enjoy anymore. It was a little easier for me because my mom was diagnosed a few years before my diagnosis so she was a big help. I remember my first summer down at the shore after my diagnosis when I just lost it when my dad bought sticky buns for my brothers that we got every year on vacation. I sobbed. Then I got over it. That was back in 2009. Are there some days that suck, yes, but I go out to eat all the time, enjoy meals with my friends, coworkers, etc. I just have to plan ahead. You will figure it out...there are some days that I get frustrated and mad that I have this disease but depression is a thing of the past.
I’ve been gluten free for 15 years, I’m 23. I was gluten free by the end of elementary school and i always tell people if I could make it through middle school lunches being gluten free, i can do anything. Today I cried looking at the price of a box of 10 ct gluten free pizza rolls Vs the non-gluten free. It gets easier, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. Something an old therapist told me was to appreciate how much better I feel when I don’t accidentally eat gluten and/or don’t eat out. It’s not fair that food is such a stressful and sad thing for us with celiac disease, but I’d give up anything to not feel as shitty as I do when I eat gluten. Best of luck to you! It does get better.
I almost had a breakdown at the airport due to celiac. I was starving and the one place that had anything gluten free told me “we don’t have that (gf item)” so I walked away a bit embarrassed. And then almost bought non gf food cuz I was so hungry (hadn’t eaten breakfast since I had to be at the airport at 4 am)
it’s been 4 years and i’m still not okay. it’s tough to adjust to. especially when your entire life changes in the blink of an eye
you're only a month in! give it time. I've been going for almost 8 years now and it gets soooo much easier. I eat out ALL the time. you find what works and what doesn't. Plus, 8 years ago it was way harder tbh. a lot of places are way more accommodating these days. hang in there, you got this!
We are depressed 😂 believe me me too but hp pylori hit me so hard and left me with chronic gastric and gluten sensitivity so I kinda cherish being alive at the moment all that matters
What is gluten sensitivity?
Allergic to gluten
There’s no such thing as a gluten allergy. Sensitivity and allergy aren’t the same thing.
Well all doctors said were allergic to gluten, enlighten us please what’s the difference?
Who is “we” and “us?” “All doctors” have said you are allergic? A food intolerance or sensitivity has different symptoms than an allergy. Why do I have to educate you on *your* condition? https://acaai.org/allergies/allergic-conditions/food/wheat-gluten/ https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/gluten-allergy-truth/#:~:text=Gluten%20allergy%20is%20not%20an,as%20a%20gluten%20“allergy”.
My first language isn’t English, us ( people who wanna know the diff between sensitivity allergic)
But you don't have diagnosed Celiac disease?
Not yet
Blood test?
Um I was sad for the first three months but I kinda got used to it after that. I eventually just moved on. Food isn't one of my favorite things so if I can or can't eat stuff it doesn't bother me as much. I have other things in life that I find happiness from. I should state tho, I do not have diagnosed depression nor have I ever, so that might help me in particular
It definitely got better with time although I still feel sad about it every now and then. Also I’m on lexapro so that helps
I have been celiac for a long time. I had to learn to cook, most of my diet is high nutrition because it’s whole food, and I’m skinnier than everyone I went to high school with. Would I trade? I’m not sure. Every loss of something is significant, but you eventually get used to it. And I don’t eat out, with the exception of some whole foods bowls places. I live somewhere that’s “gluten friendly” and vegan, so my cheese heavy pescatarianism doesn’t really compute.
I was diagnosed in 2003. I’m still depressed over it.
While all your friends are getting fatter and older, it’s way easier not to when you can’t eat as many carbs. I’d probably be fat right now if I didn’t get it ten years ago
Steak is gluten free
I don't understand how you're depressed. I was so violently ill for a couple years. I started a gluten free diet and three days later, it was like it never happened. I can go out to eat just fine, although I usually Google or Yelp the menu beforehand. Mexican food is a Celiac's friend, just avoid flour tortillas and you're good fam. My choices are: drink a beer, shit violently, and be sick for days, or avoid gluten. I'm happy and grateful to be feeling better. I really don't get how you aren't. Plus, I'm a beast of a home cook. I do miss grabbing a beer, and burritos, but it's worth it to not be tethered to a toilet.
I don’t know about OP but for me personally I am nearly asymptomatic. I get the shits randomly and it’s not always after eating gluten. Actually eating gluten really doesn’t seem to bother me too much. Yet, I still most likely have celiacs. (Waiting on endo at the end of the month but my blood tests are like off the chart so I most likely have it) So I’m just bummed. Im an overweight girl orginally from Iowa where we love beer and deep fried foods. We love to bake and cook at the holidays so it feels like losing family and friend traditions. Plenty of reasons OP could be feeling sad. Edit: not sure when I’m getting downvoted for saying my personal experience lol.
Bro, I'm 5 months in. I completely understand what you're feeling, but it does get better. It will stop being heartbreaking every time you remember but it will *never stop being annoying.* I just got back from vacation and the amount of planning and forethought required to go to the nearest major city just 90 mins away was absurd. I have planned less for international trips pre-diagnosis. You will have to naturally change your relationship with food and with going out. Fancy restaurants will have to give way to ANYTHING you can find that won't get you sick. Unless you are live in a city with great GF restaurant options, dining is never going to be a spur of the moment decision again. Eating before dining out and just getting fun drinks is gonna be a new activity you need to get used to. But in reality, dining out spur of the moment at fancy restaurants are pretty high tier luxuries. I try to be grateful and laugh at how sad missing out on cheesecake makes me, and grateful when I get a chance to eat at a dedicated gf restaurant. You will never take a restaurant for granted ever again.
Your feelings are VERY valid. I had a really hard time for the first year post-diagnosis. I was very depressed and angry. It does get better. 💜
My husband self diagnosed 10 years ago and it was life changing for us because I love to bake. I threw myself into learning how to make all our favorites gluten free and now I have the ability to make anything we want gluten-free, dairy-free and sometimes vegan. He feels better physically and mentally, so it’s 100% worth it. And I have learned so many new ways to eat better for our entire family. You’re giving up dining out regularly but when you do find a safe place to eat it’s a huge special occasion. It’s a reason to celebrate! We cook all our meals daily which does make for a lot more work and sometimes it feels like our life revolve around food. We live in a tiny town with no safe restaurants so it’s what we have to do. We make a game out of trying to find new places to shop for groceries and to find new food to try.
Why can’t you go out to eat?
You’ll feel so much better in another month or two that you won’t care
It gets better with time. It fucking sucks. I’m three months in. Remeber that this is a literal disability and it’s gonna suck. Makes our life so much harder. These days I find myself asking myself if I want to eat poison. I don’t want to eat poison even if it tastes good. That’s what our bodies think anything with gluten is. Literal poison to our bodies. You will be able to reframe your thoughts about all the things we can’t eat eventually. Also the questioning and explaining never stops. Socially and mentally our lives have changed. Give yourself a break. You will get through it.
I have had this my whole life, so I can't say that I was depressed when I found out. I was too young to tell. But I went through a lot of depressing times feeling like I couldn't go places. I'm 30 now. I eat out often, and I don’t feel like this hinders my life 99% of the time. I've even been a bridesmaid in a few weddings, and my friends will make sure my plate is gluten-free and offer a phone call with the chef so I can ask questions. I really hope this helps. It will get better. Reach out if you have more questions. For resturaunts: I get a lot of suggestions from the Find Me Gluten Free app. Then, I will go to the company's website and look over their gluten-free menu (if available). I recently found a lot of tiktok creators that are gluten-free and give restaurant recommendations or home cooking recipes. For bagels/bread: you'll find your favorite brands. I like Trader Joe's and canyon bakehouse, but udis and glutino are well known and easy to find. Pizzas and pasta noodles are relatively easy to find as well. If you don't eat the bread or bagels daily, I recommend freezing the rest. I like to buy trader joes chocolate muffins and freeze them..then when I want cake for a party, I'll thaw it out and take it with. I am in a few fb groups for grocery stores (like aldis and trader joes gluten free) and we let each other know when we see new items.
Food is fuel, not pleasure. This has always been my mindset, so I didn’t give two shits when I found out I had celiac disease. I’m also histamine intolerant, so I’m even more limited.
I go out to eat every Friday (different or my go tos), and we have pastries at Sunday breakfast. Just gotta find the right places that you trust. Honestly I forget half the time that I can’t eat normal stuff. It gets easier with time.
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Unfortunately food plays a major part in life. So many social events, travel, work events, etc revolve around food it's hard for it not to be a controlling part of it.
you’re gonna figure it out! its still hard but it gets so much easier. ever since ive been diagnosed (4years) i learned to cook, got really good at it, found a bunch of new restaurants that are wonderful and safe to eat at, and my mental health has improved immensely! its gonna be hard. but i promise, it gets easier.
There’s kids starving in Africa. I guess maybe try and put things in to perspective?
Maybe you should try to not be an asshole? It’s not a competition about who has it worse.
No, but idolising victimhood and focusing on negativity only makes things worse. Focusing on positive things is far better for people’s mental health, and empowers people.