Please Don’t Pity Me – I Love Eating Gluten Free Ep. 206

Ever been on the receiving end of pity just for living your gluten free life?

You’re not alone—and you’re definitely not missing out.

In this episode, I share a message inspired by listener Lisa, who’s had enough of people feeling sorry for her because of her celiac diagnosis. 

You'll hear me talking about how to handle these moments with confidence, clarity, and even a little gratitude.

Whether you're tired of awkward comments or just want to feel stronger in your gluten free choices, this episode is for you. 

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Music Credit bensound.com 

Chapters

• 0:49 Sick of Being Pitied
• 1:51 We Don't Miss Out
• 3:21 Standing Up For Yourself
• 6:02 Blessing in Disguise
• 7:58 Putting Things in Perspective
• 9:36 Episode Wrap-Up

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:25

If you are sick of being pitied by people around you, then this episode is for you. Massive shout out to Lisa for suggesting this episode for us on the show. Now let's jump on into it. So Lisa messaged me with the idea of this episode because she's sick to death of people feeling sorry for her, that she has to eat gluten free, feeling sorry for her that she has to eat gluten-free. And you know she was saying that sometimes she wants to eat the apple instead of the crap. She's choosing to eat that apple and she would have done that previously, even when she didn't have to eat gluten-free. So sometimes people are making it out like it's such a big deal that we have to eat gluten-free that it makes us feel rubbish, and I wanted to talk about that on the show today so that you can have some insights in how to react in these situations and how to stick up for yourself, because sometimes it's about education and it's about explaining to people what is going on for you.

Speaker 1: 1:27

Now the thing with celiac disease and having to eat gluten-free is we don't miss out, like, if you really think about it, there are so many options. We don't have to be only eating whole foods, fruit and vegetables, whole grains. You know basic stuff. We have all the stuff. We have the ice creams, we have the chips, we have the lollies, we have the packaged foods, we have the crackers, we have cakes, we have slices. We have so many options. No one needs to feel sorry for us.

Speaker 1: 2:02

I hate it when it comes up with someone that doesn't know me very well and they go, oh, that must suck. They must suck eating gluten-free. When they find out that I have celiac disease, like yeah, it doesn't, it's just part of life, like I've done it for so long now and I do say that to them no, it doesn't suck. Like the food's great, we cook really well, we eat really well, we find great options. You know, sometimes you can get amazing foods when you go out. Sometimes you can find things that are better than a normal version of the food. So it doesn't suck, like it actually is how you focus on it. So if you are in a place, you you're like me and you're like Lisa and you don't feel like it sucks to live gluten-free and people are focusing on this when you're talking about it, put them in their place. Tell them how it is. Tell them it doesn't suck. Tell them, whatever comes out it might be. I actually really like it because it makes me more mindful of my eating. I make better choices or there's way more gluten-free options than there used to be. I don't actually miss out anymore, or whatever you feel that you could say to that person. But if they're saying that it must suck and you don't agree with that, you you can tell them that it's okay to tell people that it's okay and it's fine and you've got this and you're living a really happy, healthy life and you make better choices. There is nothing wrong with telling people that Some people like to put that negative spin on there, because it's almost a way of creating a conversation around it, because their initial thing is that must suck, I would die, I couldn't do that, I couldn't live without this, that and the other.

Speaker 1: 3:59

And you've heard my story a thousand times about my brother who was the same way. I'd hate to eat that way, I don't want to eat gluten-free, I'd miss this, I'd miss that. And then, now that he's celiac, he doesn't miss any of that. He doesn't complain about any of the foods that he had before, missing them, nothing like that. He's so happy and healthy within his body that he never pines for that sort of stuff. Well, at least he never complains to me and I've never heard him complain ever about his life now, because he is such a better person, so much happier, so much healthier, like I said.

Speaker 1: 4:37

So it's okay to tell people, it's okay to say to them you know what you might think, that it's horrible and that it's restrictive, and that it's you know, it's shite. It's actually not. And if you're listening to this and you're like, nah, it is pretty crappy, belinda, and you know all the rest of it, you will get to this point. I promise you, you will get to the point where you are like, yeah, there is a lot of food, there is a lot available to us, and you will become that person that stands up for yourself and can put people on the right direction, that it is okay to eat gluten-free. When we look at it and go and this is our prescription to our health, this is the way that we need to live to be able to be healthy, we are blessed, and I know that sounds silly, but I truly believe that, and so many of my clients say that to me as well, when they get to that point of feeling great. They do say that they do feel at that point where they are blessed and they feel happy and comfortable within themselves because you're not doing things that other people with major medical conditions do, you know, think of some of.

Speaker 1: 5:51

I know I know I say this a lot and I I only do it to help you, but when we compare ourselves to other people's conditions that are worse than ours, sometimes it can help us feel better within ourselves and that's the way I like to look at it. It could always be worse. It could, it could always be worse. And to be able to manage our condition through our diet is a blessing, and the way that I've always looked at it as well is it makes you be healthier. If anything else, it makes you be healthier because you are focusing on what you're eating. You're reading labels, you're looking at, you know sugar content and all those types of things in those labels. It can make you be a lot more focused on what you're putting in your body and being more mindful of what you're eating. Having said that, there are some amazing options. There's so many amazing options available to us, and when you are, you know you're in a position where you feel like you're missing out and you feel like you know it's hard and those types of things. Look, I get it. I totally get it.

Speaker 1: 7:01

I have been living with this for so many years now. Since 2009, I have been dealing with this for years. I was in a workspace when I first got diagnosed. I was in an office space. People were bringing cakes in all the time, sharing birthday cakes and going through all the motions and had to explain all the time why I wasn't eating the cake. And if I reflect back on that, I probably wouldn't have even eaten those cakes even if I didn't have celiac disease. That's just the type of person that I am. So I don't feel like I was missing out and it's okay to say say no, even if you don't have celiac disease. Do you know what I mean? Like it's not.

Speaker 1: 7:41

It's not that everyone has to eat the cake. We don't. We don't always want the plum and cake, okay, sometimes we just want to eat healthy and we just want to focus on eating food. That is not a big deal. It's not like, oh, this is gluten free and oh, we don't have to stress about that when we eat normal, real healthy foods.

Speaker 1: 8:02

So if someone's giving you grief about your food and your diet and the way that you choose to eat. Stick up for yourself, put them in their place, tell them how it is and move on, because sometimes, like I said, they're just doing it to make conversation and they don't even realize that it's hard for you to hear that many people don't even understand that they're being annoying when they're probably just trying to be comforting or helpful by kind of whinging about something that they assume that you would complain about as well. So if you are not the type of person that whinges and complains about your diet like me, that you are more positive and focused on, you, know that you're grateful and that you're happy that you get to eat this way and you get to feel better, then they're not doing you any service whatsoever. So those are the ones that need to be put in their place. So again, it comes down to that confidence of being able to stick up for yourself and being able to explain to those people what's going on for you.

Speaker 1: 9:12

So super quick episode today. I just wanted to answer that for Lisa and if you've got any more suggestions for things you'd like me to answer or cover off on the show, please make sure you send them through to me. If you're on YouTube, you can pop your idea below on this video or you can send it through on Instagram. You can send me a message over at the healthy celiac. I'll grab it there and if you're on my email list, you can hit reply at any time to my emails and let me know on there. But otherwise, I hope this episode helps and I look forward to talking with you again on next week's show. Have a fabulous week, take care. Bye.