So, it’s a new month and with that Celiac Disease Awareness Month 2013 has drawn to a close. A lot took place during the month to spread awareness about and advocate for Celiac Disease (and of course gluten free living).
In the blogger world, NFCA and Udi’s Gluten Free asked bloggers and other writers to share their story in an effort to increase awareness of the disease and it’s genetic nature.
May 15th marked the 3 year back of my blog, and to celebrate I shared my full story for the first time, and it really was an eye opening and liberating experience.
Other bloggers also posted their stories or had particular events going on throughout the month. For example, Gluten Free Gigi post one fact per day over on her Facebook through out the month to spread awareness.
Also to celebrate, I shared advocacy tools we can all use to spread awareness with friends and family, at restaurants and grocery stores, and at a more global level to improve the policies and laws that dictate our gluten free lives. Ultimately, the power of spreading awareness rests in our own hands, and advocacy is a great place to start to expand knowledge and understanding.
The most important thing to remember as Celiac Awareness Month is that spreading awareness shouldn’t stop there, it should be a year round day to day thing! That being said, I asked my readers in a few posts, as well as on facebook, what ways they spread Awareness about Celiac Disease. Here are a few of of the great answers:
Staci A: I work at a restaurant, so I’m constantly helping other waitresses understand what gluten is and what foods it can be found in. They in turn, can be so much more helpful to customers trying to avoid it (and much, much better about cross-contamination.) I also occasionally share homemade treats with friends and family so they can see how yummy gluten free eating can be!
Jody: The best way I have learned to spread the word about gluten intolerance and Celiac is to teach my kids about it. I also constantly post gluten-free recipes on my FB page a lot and people soon discover that eating gluten-free is not hard. For friends that I suspect have Celiac, I tell them how easy it is to get tested and offer to go with them! And I don’t let up until they find out what is going on with them. I suspect my mom has Celiac and I have just challenged her to go GF with me for a month, since she is petrified of doctors. I know she is going to feel better.
Barbara: I am a Hairstylist, I talk to all of my clients about CD. Since I was diagnosed in 2009, I have had 15 people ( clients or their sibling or their child) get diagnosed.
Lee: I’ve contacted my representative about the need to acknowledge gluten in medications. Be sure to ask everyone to email their representatives in the US about labeling gluten in medshttp://www.capwiz.com/celiac/issues/
Still many others shared with me that they simply spread awareness about Celiac Disease by bringing it up in conversation, suggesting family get tested, and asking questions that relate to their dietary needs and mention Celiac Disease. A big area for spreading awareness seemed to be reminding others about, or asking about, hidden gluten in things like prosciutto (in the crust), soy sause, corn tortillas (brushed with flour), buffet bacon (sometimes places place it on bacon to draw out the oil) and other food items.
Overall, I was happy to hear that so many individuals spread awareness about Celiac Disease everyday! I hope this continues, and thank everyone for their hard work. It’s only by doing it together that we can improve knowledge.
Happy June!