By: Taylor Miller
The definition of diet: "To restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight."
Key words, "in order to lose weight".
Key words, "in order to lose weight".
Showing posts with label My Teenage Inputs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Teenage Inputs. Show all posts
Key words, "in order to lose weight".
Have you ever been picked on for being gluten-free? Gotten an insensitive comment from someone saying, "oh, that must really suck you can't eat gluten." As teenagers, we see bullying almost every day. We grow up in a world where food allergies are becoming more and more prominent, yet some of us are still not taken seriously. I, myself, was never really bullied much as a kid. I grew up having a pretty normal life and always faced every situation with positivity. But when I got diagnosed with Celiac Disease at age 13, that started to change. People saw it as something that made made me different and saw it as something to pick on me about. I didn't show them that it bothered me, I didn't give them a reason to continue bullying me because fortunately enough, I enjoyed eating gluten-free. As a young teenager at the time, I thought high school would be the end of it. I assumed that only kids picked on each because surely a grown adult couldn't be immature enough to bully one another over food. But guess what? I was wrong.
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| The first email Breann ever sent me and where it all began! |
On this day, 2 years ago, myself and this wonderful girl named Breann started dating at the age of 15. It all started from an email she sent me through GlutenAway asking for help on being gluten-free. At the age of 15, I would of never guessed this email from her would of led to so much more, I would of never guessed this person would of had such a big impact on my life, and I definitely would of never guessed I'd be sitting here 2 years later with this one person who I now care about so much.
Today, we are celebrating our 2 year anniversary together and seriously, it's been a crazy 2 years! Our relationship isn't like most relationships. We both have POTS, Celiac Disease, and many other illnesses, but we have never let that define us. The past 2 years has taught us both so much about relationships and about each other. It's showed us that age is just a number and that distance is just a number too. There's some things no one will really understand until they experience it themselves, and these are the things 2 years in a long distance relationship has taught me.
In case you haven't seen the Nascar Superbowl Commercial calling those who are gluten-free, "soft", you can watch it here. For the most part, I've been sitting back and reading people's comments as this all unfolds. Listening to everyone's point of view saying how they are either outraged or that we can't take a joke. Whatever your opinion on the matter may be, I really suggest you keep in mind the few things I share below no matter how this situation pans out.
I've been blogging for just over 2 years now and have connected with so many great bloggers! Even though I'm a blogger doesn't mean I don't take part in reading other's blogs. As a teenager I'm usually pretty selective of what I find interesting and who I enjoy to read from. I haven't been as engaged with blogging lately since I've been very busy with school, my senior year, etc. So if you ever feel like venturing out to some other blogs, here's a list of my top 10 favorite gluten-free bloggers that I read and that you should follow too!
The Evolution of a Gluten Free Lifestyle
Everyone who is gluten-free has gone through the process of learning how to adjust to the gluten free lifestyle in their own way. Most of us who have Celiac went through the stages of grief - shock/denial, pain, anger, depression/loneliness, the upwards turn, reconstruction and working through then acceptance and hope. Going from the traditional lifestyle of eating normally to a lifestyle with strict guidelines based on the wellness of our entire being is tough to take on. It’s something that takes time to work through and I believe that everyone goes through an evolution when being diagnosed with Celiac Disease or a gluten intolerance. With all the negativity towards others lately, I think it's important to understand that not everyone is at the same point you are and that everyone is going through this process in their own way.
Every year, Celiac Awareness Month comes around. Us bloggers usually come up with something fun and creative for you guys to participate in like giveaways. (Which I'm doing) But not often are any of you given ideas on how you can celebrate yourselves. There's a lot of simple things you can do during the month of May which can really make a difference! Whether you have celiac disease or not, we are all gluten-free and this month is something to celebrate. Please participate on Twitter by using #positiveceliac. If you're not on Twitter then my 3 tips to make a difference this celiac awareness month will be helpful as well!
Today, April 21st, I'm celebrating my 17th birthday! I'm not doing much to have a huge party but I'll still be celebrating with my family. Over the last 17 years I've learned a lot as a teen and kid. Most of my life I've had it pretty hard but I know everyone has difficult times at some points in their life! I think most people view me as a lot more mature than most teenagers. I've been through a lot and experienced a lot as a 17 year old but that's what makes me who I am today. A lot of people seem to be interested in my positive attitude and why I act the way I do. It honestly all has do do with my life experiences and these 5 important things I've learned over the last 17 years.
If you haven't heard yet, the U.S. food labeling system is getting a change for the first time in more than 20 years. A lot of huge changes are coming to our labels which means it can be either bad or good for some. Most of these changes will probably make you happy but there are some pretty obvious things not being done which should be. These changes are all pretty big and changes you will see coming in the next few years. I'll share with you what's going to change with the labels and give my input as a teenager about what still needs to be done in the future.
Wow, it's crazy to think that I'm still here 200 posts later writing this blog. I couldn't be more grateful for what it's become over the last year and from all the people that have impacted me through it. Talking to all of you and being apart of the gluten-free community is something I truly enjoy every day and is something I am extremely proud to be apart of. I wanted to thank some of the people that have been helpful to me since I started Glutenaway as well as share what my favorite posts have been over the last 2 years. If I don't mention any of you that I should of just know that 1. I don't have the best memory, lol and 2. you definitely have not been forgotten. You know who you are!
This week I will be heading to Georgia again to visit my girlfriend, Breann, and spend the week with her. This will only be my 4th visit since we have a long distance relationship but a visit I'm extremely excited for! I won't be posting anything on my blog or on social media since I will be spending my time with her but I hope you all have a happy New Year! For 2014 I hope to come out with a lot more gluten-free products to help all of you so I'm really looking forward to all of that. I also hope to do some more posts involving my girlfriend and I who both have POTS and Celiac Disease. She is an extremely important part of my life and why I am so positive each day. I know a lot of people would like to hear our story and I would love to share more about how we are as a teenage couple dealing with these illnesses together. I hope you all have a Happy New Years!On December 16th I was on Kathy Nelson's Gfree and Happy Show! I've already been on the show 2 times in the past discussing my health and what gluten-free products I enjoy as a teenager. But this time I was on the show discussing something a little different I've been working on. Recently I came out with my first gluten-free holiday cook book as well as some gluten-free gift baskets for the holidays! On this show I shared all the new things I've been working on for the holidays as well as a few things I plan on sharing soon. You can watch the video above as well as learn more about the baskets I talked about through the links below!
I'll admit, the last 3 years of my life have been awful health wise. It's been a roller coaster of constant pain, discomfort, or some problem where I don't feel normal. I got to the point where I just decided to put up with how I felt each day and began to accept it even though it was not normal. I had many problems that kept me from doing simple things like laying in the sun, going to the beach, or even just walking around outside. I have not been normal the last 3 years and I have not been able to live a normal teenage life. Even though my life may never be normal, I am at least happy to say that I am finally getting better. After all these years and all this time, I finally learned what my problem was and I am now on the road to better health.
I always feel like there are mixed views and opinions when it comes to this topic. Sometimes I feel like people get angry if they are told to limit even gluten-free labeled foods as much as they can. One thing that I do know is that everyone's body is different and that no one body is the same. What may work for you may be sickening and terrible for someone else. For me it's been about trying to find a balance in what I eat on my diet to make me feel best. Hopefully I can express how I feel on this topic but also give you a better idea on what may be better for your health as well.
