Hi my name is Dana and I can't eat gluten.

I have celiac disease.

Celiac is an autoimmune disease that is largely undiagnosed, but researchers estimate that it affects about 1 in 133 Americans...I being one of those lucky few. There can be various complications with celiac, but it basically means that when you eat gluten, your body attacks itself. And that's not a pleasant experience. (Enough said.) So a diagnosis of celiac is a prescription for a life without gluten.

When people hear I can't eat gluten, their first response is usually pity. They're incredulous as to how I ever manage to live without eating breads, pastas, cookies, and the like. I'll admit, when I was first diagnosed 7 years ago, I tended to dwell in this kind of self-pity. I hated my diet and I didn't follow it very well either. But that's all changed.

Today, I am thankful for celiac. That's right, thankful. It's a disease I'll have to live with my whole life, but the great part is that it's something I can totally control. Don't eat gluten, feel great. It's that easy. Even better, avoiding gluten has forced me to become very aware of nutrition and health. (When you have celiac, you become an expert at reading food labels and researching foods.) So now, not only am I careful to not put gluten in my body, but I try to exercise regularly and fuel my body with the best foods possible.

Yes, I still have my moments. I get stressed about eating out at restaurants and I hate imposing my diet on people when they invite me to eat at their homes. I miss eating red licorice and being able to pull anything off the shelf at the grocery store. But then I just remind myself that I can still drink coffee and eat chocolate. Life could be far, far worse.

Through all of this, I've come to see this body as a gift. It's capable of some amazing things, and I get to learn how to best take care of it. If I hadn't been diagnosed with celiac, I don't think I'd ever have appreciated my body and my health in the way I do now.

So all you "normal" people, go ahead, eat gluten. You can even eat it in front of me. I don't mind. I am happily gluten-free.