Gluten-Free Insenstive

Tonight, right before bedtime, this article made it across my Facebook feed:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-maclean/surviving-whole-foods_b_3895583.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=5329153b=facebook

 

 

Many people thought this article was very funny, while a whole community of those who eat gluten-free were pissed off.  I found this article to be offensive, despite it's claim to be satirical.  I believe the author could have done herself a favor and at least understood the gluten-free community before flippant, disrespectful article.  I too see that many people are joining a fad; however, that fad is based on a solid, strong and connected community of those diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

 

I wrote this comment in response to the article -

I think the most offensive thing about this blog post/article, satirical or not, is the statement which implies that restricted diets are primarily a "rich persons" optional ailment. This discredits many people who are unable to eat certain foods for valid health reasons. My daughters are unable to eat gluten, because they are both medically diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This has been a long and rough road at times, and we can be, understandably, sensitive. It is hard enough on my kids to not be able to enjoy the food at pizza parties, birthday parties, school functions, festivals, amusement parks etc. They always have to sit at the allergy free-table, they always feel left out. They both are sick more often than their peers, due to impaired immune systems. They get flu like illness when they do ingest gluten.

To someone who can choose to skip the gluten-free aisle this means nothing, but to those who can never skip it, this means everything.

It was extra cute that after invalidating the entire Celiac community the author goes on to add insult to injury by dissing the only food we can eat with the comment that the wheat substitutes are cardboard and sawdust.

I get this was supposed to be a joke, and perhaps it is funny, if you are not restricted in diet and you like to point a finger at allergy prone kids and laugh. Congrats to you.

So, I will skip the Namaste and just say,

F-You

 

 

I want to write about Whole Foods, at least for a second.  Whole Foods is expensive  (I also often complain about that) as a result I do not often shop there and my man and I do refer to it as "Whole Pay Check".  In fact, a lot of people I know do.  And it definitely goes for that hippie vibe.  Dietary restrictions just always seem to go hand in hand with the hippie trend.  That being stated, it is one of the few stores I know I can find a ready made snack, dessert or dinner for my family in a pinch.  Unlike every other grocery store out there, which almost exclusively cater to unrestricted diets.  Most importantly to me, Whole Foods Market was the first place I felt "normal" again after my oldest daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  It is the place that people aided me in finding products, giving recommendations and even support in the grocery aisles! In fact, several times I asked other patrons for help, only to find out they too had Celiac Disease, or were married to someone with Celiac Disease etc. 

 

I feel the author of this article stepped in something she did not expect, and wrote an entire article on an assumption or stereotype she had.  I think, it is so easy on the internet to write thoughtless comments and articles, without research, without basic comprehension... it is important to practice some decorum when writing.