Why "Celiac Underground"?

So you may think my blog name is funny, or maybe you think it's strange, or maybe didn't even think about it for a second.

But I'd like to tell you how and why I thought of it.

Most all of us, after we find out we're gluten intolerant, and as our health improves exponentially as we start our gluten free journey through life, start to think and feel differently about the world. We lose our faith in the doctors who misdiagnosed us for years (or decades), we lose our faith in the nutritionists and magazine articles recommending whole grains and whole wheat bread, etc. etc.

So who do we have left? Blogs, I guess. Other people like us. People who actually believe us. (doesn't every Celiac have friends or family who think we're just crazy, like, bread can't kill anyone?)

So every time I go to any grocery store, every time I go to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Earth Fare, and when I see people tossing a pack of gluten free bagels into their cart, a gluten free pizza box or GF cake mix, I think to myself, "Hi there, you're one of us!" or, "Now you're better too, hooray!"

You and I, we are part of a gluten-free movement: we are part of The Celiac Underground.

To the wheat-eaters I say: we work beside you in the next cubicle, we're behind you in line at the grocery store, we're driving in the car next to you on the highway. We blend right in. (That is, until you ask us why we aren't having any cake at the office birthday party...)

The following scenario is happening to me more and more:

I am standing at the Whole Foods GF freezer case and thinking about if I really need gluten free hamburger buns or not (probably not). Meanwhile, I see you (my fellow Celiac) grab the Kinnickinnick Donuts box or the Whole Foods GF Bakehouse Peach Pie, and think--"Oh, wonderful, you are cured too!"

I become very happy for you and almost want to exclaim, "Aren't you so glad you figured out how to become healthy?! Don't you feel great, like me?!"

Well, now, I am something of an introvert in real life, so I rarely speak up at times like these. But I think to myself, we're all in this together. We all are part of a growing force that will drive the market to bring us better GF products. We are part of a movement that is pushing to educate our healthcare providers to save people's lives by early testing for the disease.

I'm so glad we're in this together. And I think our voices are starting to be heard. It's exciting. Hooray!