Why A 15 Year Old Started GlutenAway

I'm 15, a teenager in high school, live in a society where partying, eating junk food, and not really caring about what happens in life is typical at my age. So a lot of people are probably wondering why the heck I chose to be different and am trying to make a difference in the "Gluten-free World". After thinking for a while about this topic, I knew some people were probably interested to know why I chose and continue to do what I do.

I knew I was Different

When I go to school and see the people around me, I don't avoid the obvious. I know I'm different from everyone there, I know I'm not normal, and frankly I just feel more mature than the kids I see everyday. But why? A lot of the reasons I think have to do with me having Celiac Disease and my Adrenal Disorder. I know I'm a lot more mature then the kids close to my age. I've had to make a lot more life changing decisions and experienced a lot more than most people my age too. I think a lot of kids with Celiac Disease obviously have to deal with a lot more than any other kid. You have to worry about what you are putting in your mouth every day when most kids don't care and just eat whatever they want. I found that this was one of the many things that would probably be really relatable to most of you while reading this, even if you're an adult.

                                                        My story and how it helped

With my story of Celiac Disease and my Adrenal Disorder, I felt like I had something on almost every level that someone could relate to. Having Celiac Disease and learning all about it along the way is something I think everyone goes through when they first get diagnosed. Since I am so young I knew that my age was something I really had going for me. There aren't many other teenagers that I feel are so passionate about this topic and go to the level that I do. I've just always tried my best to be a resource for anyone that's gluten-free. What I really want to do is include more things about my life as a teenager with Celiac to give a more open feel to my blog. To be honest, I'm usually pretty reserved about things related to my health but I'm learning to open up more about it.

Seeing a need for teens with Celiac

The one thing that couldn't bother me more is when I see other kids my age act so miserable while on a gluten-free diet. When I see comments and posts about how terrible their life is because they can't eat anything it really just makes me mad. Not mad because I think their ignorant or because I just don't get it, but mad because no one was doing anything about it! I saw a need for someone to show other teenagers, no matter what age, that living on a gluten-free diet doesn't mean it's the end of the world! That living on a gluten-free diet isn't something that should be looked at as a burden but rather something to embrace. No matter how much people hate or mope about having Celiac Disease, it's not going to change the fact that you have it.

When your a kid, who did you relate to most? ....Probably other kids right? Parents are great to look up to when it comes to certain things. But when it came to Celiac Disease and what I eat, I felt I would much rather look to someone else my age that's going through the same thing rather than an adult. The only thing was, there wasn't anyone else my age to look to! With seeing this every day and seeing nothing being done about it I thought, "Why couldn't I be the first to do so?" I had the knowledge, I had the resources, and I definitely had the motivation to be able to be that role model for other teens. I just had to take action and put it all together.

My Mom

I have always looked up to my mom whenever I needed anything. One of the biggest reasons I felt like I could go the distance and get my blog going is because of my mom. She is a web designer and marketing director so obviously I had a lot I could learn from her to help with my site. But the main reason is my mom's dedication to my health and always getting me the food I needed. My interest in food and nutrition all started from reading labels with her from when I was a much younger kid. From reading the sugars and calories in a yogurt smoothie to now knowing the basics and origin of every ingredient I read, it all started from being inspired by her.

Conclusion 

Overall I felt like I had all the pieces and all the things I needed to get my blog going and actually make it something real. Out of all the reasons I had to start my blog my biggest one was simply just the urge to help others. I feel very passionate about each thing I write and each thing I do because I know it can possibly help a family or person in a positive way. To me there really is no better feeling than knowing you helped someone out, even if it was in a very small way. That's truly my favorite thing about doing my blog and the main reason why I started GlutenAway.

Question for you: Would you of found getting through Celiac Disease or a gluten-free diet as a teenager easier if there was someone closer to your age to look up to? I'm really interested to know!