One of the best parts about being diagnosed
with celiac disease, in my opinion, is that anyone can have it. According to
The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, “one in 133 Americans have celiac
disease”, estimating that about three million Americans are affected by this
health issue every day. The support from others who have this disease has been
a blessing in disguise. I have gained new knowledge, recipes, advice, and much
more from others who went through the same things as I have. One woman in
particular has had a great influence on my outlook towards gluten-free eating.
Eating gluten free can be a tough experience, but it is how you decide to deal
with this change that will affect the rest of your life.
When I was
first diagnosed with celiac disease, my family and I had barely any knowledge
of what gluten was. As a result, my mom decided to find a book that would help
all of us comprehend what exactly we would be getting ourselves into. Shauna
Ahern, the author of the highly acclaimed novel Gluten-Free Girl, shares her story of living gluten free, but adds
a different perspective. Growing up in Los Angeles, California as a child, she
always knew something was off, but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She was
fed processed foods, frozen TV dinners and brand name products for most of her
life and thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until she was constantly falling ill
that someone suggested she look into celiac disease. In May of 2005, while
Shauna was living in Seattle, Washington as a high school English teacher, she
was diagnosed with celiac disease. Instead of thinking about the things she
would be missing out on in the food world, like most people do, Shauna exclaimed,
“yes!” when she found out. Not only does she have one of the most joyful,
excited and eager standpoints towards gluten-free living, but she provides her
readers advice, creative recipes, no gluten of course, a memoir of her experiences
and also an approach of how to eat well regardless of if you are a celiac or
not.
Throughout
Shauna’s writing, her happiness shines. She finally felt well enough to enjoy the
things she truly loved. In her case specifically, changing the foods she ate
and exploring every available option lead her not into a gluten-free mindset,
but into gluten freedom. The entire memoir is about learning how to make better
choices with the foods you eat to make life better. Shauna wants people to be
able to find a way to love food as much as she does through their own
discoveries with different foods and ingredients. As Shauna continues on her
own journey of gluten-free living, she encourages all of her readers to follow
her lead. She expresses the change she has undergone saying “ I felt a shift
happening in my life. All through out my childhood, I heard no. Now, after
knowing my own story and cooking gluten-free food, spontaneously everything in
my life pointed to yes.” (Ahern 231) Now more than ever, Shauna is opening up
the eyes of many to this way of eating. Her upbeat, happy attitude and life
changing experiences provide an inspirational viewpoint on eating to better
your life. It is not about eliminating or taking away the “toxins” of your life
that you are eating, but unlocking all the wondrous possibilities of eating
something that makes life better and most importantly, food that you love.
As a celiac
myself, I was able to relate to a lot of what Shauna wrote about in her memoir.
Even though I am not a cooking genius, I have learned to find new ways of
cooking gluten-free and obtained helpful advice on how to eat stay away from
gluten at restaurants, while traveling and much more. For most people eating
gluten free, there are moments when you miss certain foods or experiences with
food and Shauna addresses these doubts towards eating gluten free, but she is
always able to turn those feelings around. She gets her readers thinking about
how much better life will be as they resist that craving. I am truly convinced
that she cares about food and providing everyone with the chance to eat in the
best way possible for their body. Her use of pathos throughout her book changed
the way I think about celiac disease. The visual images that Shauna describes
such as “the bite of the garlic; the subtle depth of the tomato sauce; the
fresh mozzarella, better than [she] had ever tasted” on her slice of pizza made
my mouth water just reading it. (Ahern 201) All of her experiences tug at your
heart while you are reading and inspire people to make the best decisions for
themselves. Flashing back to a specific non-gluten free memory and then taking
that experience to create something wonderfully delicious and without gluten is
how Shauna is able to open the eyes of her readers and realize the
possibilities that await someone in their own journey of eating what’s healthiest
fro themselves. Upon finishing this book, I have gained a whole new perspective
on eating gluten free. No longer will I sulk over foods I cannot eat, but
instead, uncover all the new and exciting foods that will accompany me in my
own journey as a celiac.
Works
Cited
Ahern, Shauna J. Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food
That Loves Me Back and How You Can Too. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley
& Sons, Inc., 2007. Print.
National Foundation
for Celiac Awareness. Ed. Tina Battistoni. Celiac Central,
2011. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. <http://www.celiaccentral.org/celiac-disease/facts-and-figures/>.
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