97: How to talk about celiac disease and eating gluten-free, holiday edition

Telling someone you eat gluten-free can elicit a wide variety of responses, from sympathetic and accommodating to curious and confused, or even skeptical and derisive. Some conversations are tough to navigate, especially during the holidays, when many folks are reconnecting with family members or spending time with old and new friends. In this event, we offer tips on handling all these conversations.  So brew your favorite warm drink and settle in for a Town Hall with Beyond Celiac! Thanks to our partners at Takeda Pharmaceuticals for sponsoring this epiosde. You can find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk anywhere you listen to podcasts and on our website at BeyondCeliac.org. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @BeyondCeliac.

Birthday parties, holidays with the family, celebratory team dinners after extracurriculars, or a simple gathering with friends: all can be fraught with tension when you're gluten-free. It's tough to relax and have fun when you're constantly worrying about getting sick or being the odd one out. As patients ourselves, Beyond Celiac staff gives you our top tips for not just managing but enjoying parties when you're gluten-free. This episode is possible because of support from DiGiorno!  You can find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk anywhere you listen to podcasts and on our website at BeyondCeliac.org. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @BeyondCeliac.

In this episode of Celiac Straight Talk, Beyond Celiac Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Debra Silberg fact-checks celiac disease myths and misconceptions. She answers our questions about who can get celiac disease (answer: just about anyone!), as well as some unique symptoms that present in celiac disease, and whether or not you can grow out of it.    Thank you to Dr. Silberg for taking the time to answer our questions! Thank you so much to Takeda Pharmaceuticals for their continued support of our disease awareness campaign and research towards treatments for celiac disease.    Learn more about Beyond Celiac at beyondceliac.org! Find us on social media at @BeyondCeliac on all platforms. 

In this episode of Celiac Straight Talk, we are joined by Beyond Celiac Director of Scientific Affairs Amy Ratner, who kindly agreed to interview our guest, Dr. Ciaran Kelly of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center on his experience diagnosing celiac disease.  You can find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk anywhere you listen to podcasts and on our website at BeyondCeliac.org. Thank you so much to Takeda Pharmaceuticals for sponsoring this episode of Celiac Straight Talk and their commitment to supporting disease awareness and celiac disease patients. 

Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? One of our amazing Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassadors Ilana C. reached out to host a disability pride roundtable episode with myself and other Reach Beyond Celiac ambassadors Ella S. and Tara P. We had an amazing conversation about what it means to have celiac disease in a world designed for people who can eat gluten, and a bit of history and our thoughts on disability pride. Ilana also shares some stories of legal cases regarding celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Listen to hear more! You can find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk anywhere you listen to podcasts and on our website at BeyondCeliac.org. If you want to get involved with the Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassador program, email Valerie Kraft at [email protected]. Thanks so much for listening!  

Happy Pride! In this chatty episode of the podcast, Beyond Celiac Social Media Coordinator Lauren and gluten-free chef and content creator Matt Weinstein talk about identity, both his diagnosis and coming out stories, and eating gluten-free during food-centric Pride celebrations. Enjoy the episode! Find Matt on Instagram and TikTok at @glassofweinstein! Be sure to follow @BeyondCeliac.

Dr. Iain Croall, PhD, MRes, BSc and Jordan Dubow, MD discussed how eating gluten can affect neurological health in those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity and answered community questions about neurological health and the gut-brain connection. This event is possible thanks to our sponsor, Crunchmaster!

On this episode of Celiac Straight Talk, Celiac Cruise founder Maureen Basye sat down to chat with Social Media Coordinator Lauren Wallach and Associate Director of Communications Bailey Arman about the mission of Celiac Cruise and what it's like to vacation in a 100% gluten-free environment.  We're so grateful to Celiac Cruise for their support of the gluten-free community, and their passion for creating safe spaces for those with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders to be able to travel without fear. To learn more about Celiac Cruise, their eight cruises remaining in 2025 and the 13 scheduled for 2026, head to celiaccruise.com/ ! 🚢🧡

In our new episode of Celiac Straight Talk, we discussed the future of celiac research through Beyond Celiac Investments! We spoke with Eric White, Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances at Beyond Celiac. We unpacked the concept of venture philanthropy, and how exactly BCI is making its mark on the future of celiac research.  Eric is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst with more than 18 years of experience in institutional investing, responsible for investment decisions totaling more than $2.5 billion. He began working with Beyond Celiac in 2020, designing Beyond Celiac Investments (BCI), a venture philanthropy investment program to accelerate the development of treatments and a cure for celiac disease by leveraging the speed and scale of venture capital and capital markets. In February 2024, Eric stewarded the successful launch of BCI with an initial funding of $2 million and is responsible for the program's ongoing relational and operational management.  Learn more about Beyond Celiac Investments at beyondceliac.org/beyond-celiac-investments/. If you'd like to learn more, support BCI directly, or get involved, please send an email to [email protected]. Find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk at beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.

In this episode of Celiac Straight Talk, we chatted with Lauren of @eat.glutenfreewithme! Lauren is a passionate health and wellness creator focused on gluten-free living and autoimmune health. Living with Celiac disease, IBS, and Crohn's, she has transformed her personal journey into a mission to inspire and empower others with autoimmune conditions to take control of their health and thrive. We discussed our love-hate relationship with the gluten-free diet, her journey to creating content about living with autoimmune conditions, and what it's like living somewhere where the gluten-free diet is a fad. Follow Lauren's story and find her practical tips on Instagram (@eat.glutenfreewithme) and TikTok (@eatglutenfreewithme). Find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk at beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.