Not knowing anything about this restaurant, I got in touch with my best friend to do some research. He goes by the name of Google…you may have heard of him.

Low and behold, Bonefish Grill has a gluten-free menu. Here is a blurb taken directly from their website.

At Bonefish Grill, you can choose from an entire menu dedicated to gluten-free options. From gluten-free beer and appetizers, to fresh, wood-grilled specialties and even decadent desserts, you can have something new and different every time you come in. It is important to note that gluten-free does not necessarily mean a fat-free or healthier diet, and it’s crucial that Americans consume the right amounts of nutrients and minerals in fresh foods to be healthy.

They had me at gluten free beer

But naturally I needed to be sure I was safe to eat there so I called the restaurant yesterday and asked to speak to the manager and asked all my questions about cross-contamination, shared utensils, blah, blah, blah.

And what I got was…honesty. Refreshing honesty.

The manager said that although they have dishes that are completely gluten free, because of the size of their kitchen and how busy they are, especially on a Friday night, he could not guarantee my safety. They simply didn’t have the capacity, for example, to make sure part of their grill was reserved only for gluten-free items.

I then asked him if it was ok if I very inconspicuously brought in my own food. He said it would be absolutely no problem and to ask for him by name when I arrive.

Now granted I could question why they offer a gluten free menu if it may not be completely safe for those who truly need it, but after a week of getting beaten up online over the Disney fiasco, I will keep a completely positive light on this one.

Although we are often labeled as such, we celiacs are not a demanding bunch (and if you are…please stop…you’re giving us a bad name.) We just want to stay healthy. If you are a restaurant owner, just be honest with us and we’ll be totally cool with it.

Am I bummed that I can’t simply relax and eat my meal like a normal person? Not one single bit.

It’s not always about the food.

Give me good friends, close family and a couple of cocktails, and I’m one happy Dude.

The post A Shout Out to Bonefish Grill for their Gluten Free Honesty appeared first on Gluten Dude.

After my blog post on Friday regarding the Jessie episode where they bullied a gluten free character, it caused a serious sh*tstorm within our community.

So we did what we do best. We stood up for ourselves. We shared across all of our platforms. We tweeted, facebooked (I know…not an actual word) and called Disney. We signed a Petition and generated over 2,000 signatures in a matter of hours.

We proved that we are a powerful, passionate community that is not to be taken lightly.

And guess what?

By the end of the day, Disney agreed to pull the episode off the air.

Imagine that. In the course of 10 hours, we convinced Disney to pull an episode right before it was supposed to air. How freaking cool is that??

Power to the people. Power…to…the…people.

My personal thanks to Disney for listening to the community and doing the right thing. How it made it through all of the stages (writing, editing, filming, etc.) is beyond me, but at least they did their best to right a wrong.

But alas…not everybody was happy with the decision. It was a mixed sampling at best and shows that we have so much more work to do to advocate and educate.

How mixed was the reaction? Here you go.

We can bask in the glow of our victory but please realize we have a long, long way to go.

Keep fighting the good fight folks.

The post The Disney Saga: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly appeared first on Gluten Dude.

They tell me how other kids put bread and other gluten filled items on their plate because they think it’s funny.

They tell me how the school will not help protect their children during lunch hours.

They tell me how their children come home from school crying.

These are children we are talking about.

So then why the hell would The Disney Channel produce a show (“Jessie”) where the most annoying character, Stuart, happens to be gluten free and is made fun of because of it? (watch the video above)

Did they go down a “disease list” and decide which would be the funniest?

“Let’s see Bob…Cancer isn’t funny…diabetes isn’t funny…MS isn’t funny. Oh, hey Bob, what about people who need to be gluten free. Those people are so annoying. Let’s make Stewart gluten free. People will laugh and laugh and laugh.”

Here’s the thing folks. It ain’t funny. It never was funny. And it never will be funny.

So let me touch on a few things and try to enlighten you a bit.

First off…your show sucks. When somebody on Twitter notified me of the episode, I had to watch the entire thing to find the gluten-free references and it was the most painful 23 minutes of my life. If that is the crap you’re coming up with these days, Walt must be rolling in his grave. I can’t even imagine the shows that didn’t make the cut.

Second, being gluten free as an adult is a total grind. Multiply that by 50 and you now have what a child goes through. Why do think that’s funny?

And third, by having another character throw pancakes at him and then having him whine about it makes her look like a bully and him look like a total wimp. Again, I’ll ask you…why do you think this is funny?

Let me guess. Because the media has turned gluten-free into a joke and instead of taking the higher road and realizing the TRUTH about gluten-free, you simply fell in line with everyone else and turned it into comedy gold.

And to air the episode during Celiac Awareness Month was just the perfect touch.

There is a mom who has a celiac child who is so incensed about this, she has started a petition at change.org to have the episode removed from the air waves.

Here is an excerpt of what she so eloquently stated:

For my kids, this is real. They have had friends make fun of their food, been disinvited to parties because of their diet. They have been made to sit alone, have had waitstaff roll their eyes and snidely comment about their requests to make their food safe for them to eat. They have watched others, sometimes strangers and sometimes not, act as if their requests are somehow just a trend, just a request of an overanxious parent or a spoiled and coddled child.

We are asking the Disney Channel to stop airing the episode ‘Quitting Cold Koala’ on the ‘Jessie’ show, and to stop using gluten-intolerance as an excuse to bully children with any disease, disorder or disability.

I could not have said it better myself.

Please sign the petition here.

The post Disney Thinks Bullying a Gluten Free Child is Funny appeared first on Gluten Dude.

I know some others out there are touting that it’s a good thing Pillsbury has jumped into the gluten-free game.

Me? I’m becoming immune to the whole thing. Absolutely immune.

It’s Celiac Awareness Month and I’m just at a loss of what to do to…you know…actually raise awareness.

When your up against the big boys like General Mills pumping out gluten-free crap to the masses, simply because they know the market is hot, I feel like an ant on a hot summer day, with a mean 8 year old boy, who looks just like the Pillsbury Doughboy, holding a magnifying glass over me.

I’m all hot and bothered…and while that may sound somewhat titillating, I assure you it’s the complete opposite.

Dude note: It’s 11:30 at night, I just worked a long, long day and I’m a tad cranky. I’m gonna come back to this post in the am to see if I may have a different viewpoint on this. See you in the morning.

Okay…I’m back. I’ve had a good night sleep, except for the dream where I’m bartending and people keep coming in and coming in and we are supposed to be closed but they keep coming in and I just want to go home. Make them stop!!!

So here’s the deal. I appreciate these companies are trying. I honestly do.

And I know many people LOVE the fact that there are now more gluten free options than ever to choose from. And I totally respect that.

I’m not a food bully and everyone has the right to put into their bodies whatever they would like.

As always, my intentions are good and all I’m looking to do is help my fellow celiacs.

But here’s my concern. I’m convinced, based on how I feel and how many of my fellow celiacs feel, that we have an extremely hard time digesting this kind of unhealthy food and the best way to heal our bodies is by eating MOSTLY natural foods. When I went totally Whole 30, I never felt better.

Pillsbury is owned by General Mills. General Mills also owns Betty Crocker and Chex Cereal. They have come out with many gluten free products.

But the problem is, most of them are crap and even worse they are being marketed as being healthy because they are gluten free.

Take a peek at the image below. This was taken by yours truly at one of my local grocery stores. They have a “Healthy Elements” tag posted under items throughout the store. The tag will say “low fat” or “low sodium”…things like that. But they use the same tag for “Gluten Free”. And while I appreciate the items being tagged, it sends a message to the uneducated that gluten free equals healthy and that sends celiac awareness down the crapper.

I mean is high maltose corn syrup really a healthy element?

And their Chex cereals are just as bad. Take their Honey Nut cereal as an example. Although they market it as a nutritious breakfast, here are the ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Corn Meal, Sugar, Honey, Salt, Brown Sugar Syrup, Molasses, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Natural Almond Flavor, Natural Flavor. BHT Added to Preserve Freshness.

I used to have these every single morning until I realized that “Hey…I really feel like crap still. Maybe this is part of the problem and not part of the solution.”

My point is, and I know I took a long time to get here, is that just because something is gluten free does not mean we should be eating it.

Yes, it’s nice to have the options, especially those who have kids with celiac disease and still want them to feel “normal”.

It’s just that celiac disease has been kidnapped by the food industry and they’ve put the focus on “gluten free” instead of on our disease. All in the name of padding their bottom line.

If these companies want to make their unhealthy food gluten free, more power to them. Just please don’t try to market it as being healthy.

That ain’t celiac awareness.

The post The Pillsbury Doughboy is Now Gluten Free appeared first on Gluten Dude.

Hey Gluten Dude…I am a 33 year old Type 1 diabetic, Mom to 2 beautiful munchkins, and a Navy wife. Whew! I thought I had enough on my plate but then I was feeling sick and having a mental breakdown and I pieced together that I may have Celiac. Well after testing it was confirmed and I have been gluten free for 4 months and have never felt better! I honestly thought I was losing my mind. Came to find out it was just the gluten that was making me crazy.

My question for you is how do you deal with the whole diet freaks?

People keep telling me I am so ‘lucky’ and eating gluten free isn’t that bad. It drives me nuts but I keep my mouth shut. I have a handful of friends that have told me they ‘wished they had Celiac so they could be skinny like me’!!!! Eeeek! I do not want to be rude, but I wish there was a way to communicate how hard it is to have celiac without seeming whiny and dramatic.

I would love a one liner to say when they tell me that it’s not that bad.

Thanks so much dude!!

So what do you say folks? Let’s come up with some great one-line responses. And feel free to be as “creatively honest” as you would like.

If someone tells you you’re lucky you have celiac disease, you say ______________________________.

The post She Says: I Wish I had Celiac Disease So I Could Be Skinny. You Say: _____________ appeared first on Gluten Dude.

Hey Gluten Dude: My wife is better since finding your blog. She has enjoyed keeping up with your posts & agrees with nearly every one of them. I was blessed earlier this year when you posted her love story to me and am extremely interested in reaching out to you to see if you might be able to post a Mother’s Day Letter I have written her. I would be forever grateful to you if you were able to post this somewhere on your blog. She is an awe-inspiring woman and I am so lucky to have her in my life. Keep doing what you are doing Gluten Dude. You are a regular feature in the Krussel household.

Flattery will get you everywhere Pete. It’s all yours.

——————————————————————–

To the strongest, most awe-inspiring mom I have had the pleasure of meeting, Rachael Krussel.

Every single day, there are hundreds or thousands of conscious decisions you make, some of which impact you in a lifelong way. Many of those decisions are made without very much forethought or serious consideration. Without knowing it, back in October of 1990, I made one of those thoughtless decisions that has been the single-most important decision of my life.

It was the day in our Freshman year of college I decided to get to know Rachael…as her first impression in class knocked me off my feet. At the time, the decision was spontaneous and one that I had no way of knowing would have such an amazing impact on my life and bring such outstanding wonder and Love.

From that point forward, I have grown closer to Rachael and have personally grown by leaps and bounds. When I think back to all the other decisions I have made with such careful planning and research, where I was confident in my decision, I am amazed at how quickly I decided it would be good to get to know Rachael better.

After a few years of marriage, we made the decision to have children. We have three beautiful children anybody would be proud to parent. As I have watched my children grow, I am stunned on a daily basis by the impact Rachael has had on them. The overwhelming capacity for Love and care she has for our kids is just awe inspiring. hey are such amazing little people because of the influence and wonder Rachael has provided them.

Nearly two years ago, we discovered that our two girls and Rachael all have Celiac Disease. Up until that point, I could not believe what an amazing mom she was. In hindsight, it was not until that point I truly knew how strong a mom she really is.

Rachael immediately immersed herself in the very confusing, misleading, misunderstood, naive, minimally researched, minimally supported or funded, little known disease.

Almost immediately she plowed through books with reckless abandon, web searches for truths and confirmed information, and detail about the disease, its effects, and how best to live gluten-free in a gluten-filled world. Right away she realized that she and our children would have to arm themselves with information and strength as ignorance runs amok in people’s understanding of Celiac.

She realized that she would have to further strengthen our children so our six year old would be able to say ‘no’ four times to four different adults in the span of 10 minutes as they tried to feed her a chicken biscuit for a morning snack at school.

Because of the wonderful mothering she had already provided as a basis for their lives, our children were immediately able to transition into their role as Celiac children… confidently stroll into their lunchrooms…open up their new Udi’s bread sandwich…and proudly and confidently eat their lunch on their special place mats in the middle of a gluten war zone.

When inquisitive eyes and questions loiter, our girls are strong in their conviction and carry on. When other children and adults ask questions, they confidently answer and attempt to put to rest the natural, “I-know-better-than-you” looks and statements they receive far too often.

Very early, Rachael was empowering our children to make thoughtful and smart decisions for themselves. To be independent in their thinking and actions, while ensuring they are aware of the impact of their decisions. There is no “helicopter” in Rachael. Instead, our children are filled with confidence in approaching new situations, “taking a school bus to school for the first time in their lives just days after moving half way across the country,” type of confidence.

I am proud to boast that Rachael is my wife and the mother to our children and I hope like crazy more people get to experience what I experience on a daily basis…what an amazing thing it is to witness the perfect mom.

The post Gluten-Free Love Story: Special Mother’s Day Edition appeared first on Gluten Dude.

When I lost the award last year for Personality of the Year, I gave a concession speech so I thought it only made sense to now deliver an acceptance speech. So here goes nothing (and yes I’m pretending to be at a big awards ceremony. Play along with me.)

I am so, so honored to be here tonight along with these other exceptional gluten free blogger of the year nominees. Really, none of these wonderful bloggers deserved to lose. But since there could only be one winner, I just want to say I’m totally ok that it was me.

First, I’d like to thank the academy, also known as Naked Pizza. When Mark Cuban retweeted my review of your establishment to his kajillion followers, it helped put me on the map so to speak. (I’ll ignore the fact that he has not returned any of my calls since then.) You folks are truly a celiac’s best friend and all you do is much appreciated.

Next, I’d like to thank ONE of my parents. I’m not sure which one of you carried the celiac gene but if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here tonight. I also wouldn’t spend half my day in the bathroom and the other half asleep. So mom or dad, if you’re out there and you can hear me, I thank you from the bottom of my bloated belly…and Scott’s bathroom tissues also sends their thanks.

I’d also like to thank the Dudettes, my wonderful daughters. Because you have given up gluten along with me to show your support, you have made my gluten-free journey so much easier and meaningful. I know it’s been a long five years, but hasn’t it been worth it?

What’s that? You haven’t given up gluten at all? You’ve eaten gluten every day since my diagnosis? Oh…in that case…ummm…thanks for not putting the bagels directly inside the ice bin so my Titos on the rocks doesn’t get contaminated. Every little effort counts.

In all seriousness, you are the two best kids a dad could ask for and I love you to the moon and back.

And of course, I need to thank the woman behind the scenes; the one who keeps me sane; the one who has to deal with all my sh*t; the one who grabbed the gluten free lifestyle by the throat on day one and never looked back. Mrs. Dude, you are my rock…my soul mate…and you’re stuck with me for the next 40 years (knocking on wood). Remember…for better or for worse. I love you.

And lastly, I want to thank the entire celiac community. I know not everyone agrees with my style. Why just yesterday, I was called, and I quote, a selfish a**hole for acting like an “elite celiac”.

But for the most part, you have opened you arms and your hearts to me and have helped create one amazing community here.

I love your emails. I love your tweets. I love your Facebook connections. I love your Instagram pics…yes even the ones of your cat.

I love the 10,000+ comments you have left on this blog in the past 16 months.

Yeah…I’ll say it. I love YOU.

Oh…how could I forget. To all those who voted for me, especially the ones that voted over and over and over again (just kidding), I can’t thank you enough.

Ok I gotta go. I’m heading over to Elton John’s house for the big after party.

I sure hope he has gluten free food there.

The post My Gluten Free Blogger of the Year Acceptance Speech appeared first on Gluten Dude.

I’ve joked.

I’ve pleaded. I’ve begged.

My bag of tricks is almost empty and instead of things getting better, they have actually gotten worse.

Celiac disease is a f*cking joke.

Not to me and you of course.

But we’re sane. We’re rational. We live with this crappy disease and we will continue to live with it every single day until our time is up. And I can deal with it. I hate it, but it is what it is and things could always be worse.

But yesterday a number of things happened that has just thrown me over the edge. We are not making progress folks. How is this happening?

Story #1: An investor approached Jennifer Esposito recently to help get her bakery products to the masses. Great, right? But he tells her that if she attaches celiac disease to her product, it will tarnish the brand. The focus needs to be on beauty and health conscious people and if she wants to tie herself with celiac disease, she won’t succeed and will be poor.

Unreal. Jennifer is saddened to the core and told me she would shut the brand down and burn all her recipes before selling herself out. She is working so hard for people who NEED this food.

Does anybody still want to question her devotion to the cause and whether she is a good advocate for her fellow celiacs (as some people have)?

Story #2: My good friend InspiredRD continues to struggle with her celiac disease. She posted the following on Twitter yesterday:

Me: “I need to look up the prescription to make sure it’s #glutenfree.”
Doc: “I’m sure it’s probably fine.”
Me: “No I need to look it up.”
Doc: “Oh celiac disease. You can’t eat what again?”

This is a doctor. A doctor in the year 2013 who treats celiac disease as callously as Gwyneth Paltrow and Miley Cyrus.

Story #3: I get samples sent to me frequently by companies looking to promote their gluten free products. A few weeks ago, I was sent some tea and coffee. Since I ran out of my regular coffee, I decided to make a cup of their coffee. I assumed it was just coffee with no added ingredients. But when I checked the ingredients, there is was: Organic Barley.

Now the company’s website claims that it has been tested and falls below the 20ppm when used with boiling water. But it also states that some people with celiac disease have had a reaction to it.

Here is my question: Why the hell are you promoting it as gluten free when it’s got barley and it’s potentially not safe for celiacs?

Oh wait…don’t tell me. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Story #4: Yesterday’s blog post was about a 19 year old woman (Mary) whose parents refuse to take her celiac disease seriously. The story itself was disturbing enough. But then Mary emailed me yesterday and said this:

“My older sister was diagnosed with lupus a few years ago so autoimmune diseases are clearly in my family. For some reason my parents understand my sisters illness but not mine.”

And that my friends is celiac disease in a nutshell; the Cinderella of autoimmune diseases.

Why? Because we’re letting it happen.

We’re flocking to the stores and buying the crappy, processed gluten-free food. Because we NEED to have bread still. We NEED to have muffins still. We NEED to have pizza still.

And because we keep buying it and there is money to be made, the vultures will come out and promote the “gluten free lifestyle” until a new fad comes along that they can profit from. And as long as the gluten-free fad is alive and kicking, celiac disease will never get the respect it needs.

So I don’t want you to open your window and scream that you’re mad as hell.

I don’t want you to stop buying the packaged gluten free food for good. We all need our treats and we all deserve to feel normal once in awhile.

But I’m begging you…please be the best advocates you can be. Get angry. Rise up. Make your voices heard.

It’s Celiac Awareness Month and 9 out of 10 tweets on my Twitter feed are people trying to sell me their food. But they hashtag it with #celiacawareness.

That’s not awareness folks.

Awareness is opening people’s eyes. Not emptying their pockets.

Thanks for listening.

The post I’m Mad as Hell!! What Can We Do to Change Things? appeared first on Gluten Dude.