93: Disability Pride with Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassadors Ilana, Ella, and Tara

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/.

Lauren chatted with two of our amazing Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassadors Rochelle and Paige about their experiences as parents of young children with celiac sending their kids back to school. This conversation was fun, informative, and enlightening, as well as supportive—if you’re looking for tips for talking with your child’s teachers, or just to listen to people who understand your experience, this is the episode for you!  Find this episode and all our episodes of Celiac Straight Talk at https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/. Thanks again to Paige and Rochelle for being on the podcast.  

Our social media coordinator Lauren chats with two of our AMAZING Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassadors about their experiences with summer camp. Alyssa and Daniel share their insights about attending summer camp as a person with celiac in both camper and counselor roles. They discuss the pros and cons of bringing your own food, non-GI symptoms flaring up at camp, and how meaningful camp friendships can be.  To hear more episodes of Celiac Straight Talk, head to https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.

Many with celiac disease often report feeling isolated, awkward, and disheartened as they navigate the world on a gluten-free diet. But the future is bright, and there are tools you can use to maneuver the social landscape and cope with the burden of a chronic illness. In this Town Hall celebrating both Celiac Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, Dr. Anava Wren discusses her work on the social and psychological impacts of celiac disease, and shares her top tips for combatting that isolation. Dr. Wren is a pediatric celiac psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Stanford University Medical Center. She is also the Director of the GI Psychosocial Services & IBD/Celiac Psychological Health Programs. She has been a leader in Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Center for IBD and Celiac Disease since it was founded in 2020. This Town Hall is possible thanks to our sponsor, Crunchmaster. Crunchmaster crackers are made from simple, wholesome ingredients, and are certified gluten-free. Thank you Crunchmaster! To hear more episodes of Celiac Straight Talk, head to https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.

Beyond Celiac spoke with Australian researcher Dr. Jason Tye-Din about a few of the controversies in celiac disease. In this Town Hall, moderated by Director of Scientific Affairs Amy Ratner and Director of Research and Patient Engagement Kate Avery, MPH, Dr. Tye-Din discusses the safety of eating oats, a potential blood test that doesn’t require the gluten challenge, and monitoring adherence to the gluten-free diet with GIP tests. To hear more episodes of Celiac Straight Talk, head to https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.