One of the things I struggle with since being diagnosed with celiac disease is explaining my diet needs to others. Even after twelve years I hear myself apologizing for being a pain and having to request gluten-free food options. I find myself getting angry and impatient with people because I have to explain again that I can’t just eat the filling out of the pie and I can’t eat the cheese dip after someone has dipped their wheat cracker into it.

I found this article today at celiac.com and hope they don’t mind me sharing these five things that people with celiac disease need their friends and relatives to understand about this illness.

1. We are NOT on a Fad Diet — Celiac disease is not some vague, make-believe condition. Celiac disease is a potentially serious immune disorder that, if left untreated, can lead to a very deadly types of…