In honor of Celiac Awareness Month, we’re having Risely community member Kelsey share about her experience navigating both Celiac and T1D.
I was diagnosed with T1D at age 2, then with Celiac at age 3…SO MUCH has changed in the last 30 years, regarding both!
I would say the most challenging part is the “unknowns” of new foods, such as when eating out…it is absolutely amazing to have GF options when I go out to eat (rather than taking my own bread in), but not being able to look at the ingredient list can sometimes make it difficult to know how much to bolus - ie: is this rice pasta, or brown rice pasta? Which can affect blood sugars, based on the type of flour/ingredients used.
Here’s what I’d tell anyone else learning to navigate both Celiac and T1D:
- DO NOT be afraid to do what you need to do. Yes, it may take a few extra minutes to look things up online, to talk to the chef, to preplan, etc, but it pays off in the long run.
- DO play around with recipes at home to make your favorite non-GF foods and/or “boxed” GF items… they often tend to be healthier, more cost efficient, and sometimes, much tastier!
- DO keep a notebook or a note on your phone of locations (grocery stores, restaurants, etc.) you can get GF items, and, when you eat them, how much you bolused and how your body reacted.
It can be frustrating dealing with both. Not only do you have to plan what you’re going to eat, but you also to figure out how much insulin to give, sometimes without all the necessary information. It’s OK to feel that way. I’ve been doing this my whole life and I’m still not perfect. There’s still a lot of trial and error. But, as time goes on, you’ll learn and feel more confident about finding gluten free foods and knowing how much to bolus to bolus for it!
Check out Find Me Gluten Free for help finding GF restaurants while traveling and Clean Monday Meals for certified GF ramen seasoning and more.
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