Celiac Straight Talk

We spoke with Julie Kennedy, MPH, MEd, RDN, LDN about falling in love with food again after a celiac diagnosis or other medical diagnoses managed with a dietary restriction. Julie shares her celiac diagnosis story, and how, upon learning how difficult switching to a 100% gluten-free diet can be, she went back to school to pursue dietetics to help others fall in love with food again. Find Julie Kennedy at www.juliekennedynutrition.com/. Beyond Celiac Instagram Facebook TikTok YouTube

Telling someone you eat gluten-free can elicit a wide variety of responses, from sympathetic and accommodating to curious and confused, or even skeptical and derisive. Some conversations are tough to navigate, especially during the holidays, when many folks are reconnecting with family members or spending time with old and new friends. In this event, we offer tips on handling all these conversations. So brew your favorite warm drink and settle in for a Town Hall with Beyond Celiac! Thanks to our partners at Takeda Pharmaceuticals for sponsoring this epiosde. You can find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk anywhere you listen to podcasts and on our website at BeyondCeliac.org. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @BeyondCeliac.

In this episode of Celiac Straight Talk, Beyond Celiac Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Debra Silberg fact-checks celiac disease myths and misconceptions. She answers our questions about who can get celiac disease (answer: just about anyone!), as well as some unique symptoms that present in celiac disease, and whether or not you can grow out of it. Thank you to Dr. Silberg for taking the time to answer our questions! Thank you so much to Takeda Pharmaceuticals for their continued support of our disease awareness campaign and research towards treatments for celiac disease. Learn more about Beyond Celiac at beyondceliac.org! Find us on social media at @BeyondCeliac on all platforms.

Did you know that July is Disability Pride Month? One of our amazing Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassadors Ilana C. reached out to host a disability pride roundtable episode with myself and other Reach Beyond Celiac ambassadors Ella S. and Tara P. We had an amazing conversation about what it means to have celiac disease in a world designed for people who can eat gluten, and a bit of history and our thoughts on disability pride. Ilana also shares some stories of legal cases regarding celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. Listen to hear more! You can find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk anywhere you listen to podcasts and on our website at BeyondCeliac.org. If you want to get involved with the Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassador program, email Valerie Kraft at vkraft@beyondceliac.org. Thanks so much for listening!

Dr. Iain Croall, PhD, MRes, BSc and Jordan Dubow, MD discussed how eating gluten can affect neurological health in those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity and answered community questions about neurological health and the gut-brain connection. This event is possible thanks to our sponsor, Crunchmaster!

In our new episode of Celiac Straight Talk, we discussed the future of celiac research through Beyond Celiac Investments! We spoke with Eric White, Director of Business Development and Strategic Alliances at Beyond Celiac. We unpacked the concept of venture philanthropy, and how exactly BCI is making its mark on the future of celiac research. Eric is a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst with more than 18 years of experience in institutional investing, responsible for investment decisions totaling more than $2.5 billion. He began working with Beyond Celiac in 2020, designing Beyond Celiac Investments (BCI), a venture philanthropy investment program to accelerate the development of treatments and a cure for celiac disease by leveraging the speed and scale of venture capital and capital markets. In February 2024, Eric stewarded the successful launch of BCI with an initial funding of $2 million and is responsible for the program's ongoing relational and operational management. Learn more about Beyond Celiac Investments at beyondceliac.org/beyond-celiac-investments/. If you'd like to learn more, support BCI directly, or get involved, please send an email to investments@beyondceliac.org. Find all episodes of Celiac Straight Talk at beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.

Lauren chatted with two of our amazing Reach Beyond Celiac Ambassadors Rochelle and Paige about their experiences as parents of young children with celiac sending their kids back to school. This conversation was fun, informative, and enlightening, as well as supportive—if you're looking for tips for talking with your child's teachers, or just to listen to people who understand your experience, this is the episode for you! Find this episode and all our episodes of Celiac Straight Talk at https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/. Thanks again to Paige and Rochelle for being on the podcast.

Many with celiac disease often report feeling isolated, awkward, and disheartened as they navigate the world on a gluten-free diet. But the future is bright, and there are tools you can use to maneuver the social landscape and cope with the burden of a chronic illness. In this Town Hall celebrating both Celiac Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, Dr. Anava Wren discusses her work on the social and psychological impacts of celiac disease, and shares her top tips for combatting that isolation. Dr. Wren is a pediatric celiac psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Stanford University Medical Center. She is also the Director of the GI Psychosocial Services & IBD/Celiac Psychological Health Programs. She has been a leader in Stanford Medicine Children's Health Center for IBD and Celiac Disease since it was founded in 2020. This Town Hall is possible thanks to our sponsor, Crunchmaster. Crunchmaster crackers are made from simple, wholesome ingredients, and are certified gluten-free. Thank you Crunchmaster! To hear more episodes of Celiac Straight Talk, head to https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.

Liz (@yeet.that.wheat) has been living with celiac disease for 4 years and creates content focusing on health equity, advocacy, and living a fulfilling gluten free life. She uses her experience as a Black woman with celiac to talk about being gluten free through an intersectional lens. Through social media, she aims to create a supportive community for folks who are navigating living gluten free through educational posts, recipes, product recommendations, restaurant reviews, travel, tips and tricks, and of course, memes. In this casual conversation, Liz chats about her jump to social media upon her celiac disease diagnosis, and how she hopes her page can help others find community while experiencing a chronic condition. Liz also shares an exciting, nationwide project she is working on. You can follow Liz on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and soon to be Youtube! Thanks so much to Takeda for sponsoring this episode of Celiac Straight Talk. To hear more episodes of Celiac Straight Talk, head to https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/

Amy Ratner joined Beyond Celiac in 2016 as the medical and science news analyst to provide coverage of celiac disease research news. She has extensive experience reporting on and writing about celiac disease. She was editor-in-chief, associate editor and contributing editor for 23 years at Gluten-Free Living magazine, where her work touched on all topics related to celiac disease, including lifestyle, diet, nutrition, and medical and research developments. When Amy's daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease as a toddler 31 years ago, she was set on a path that combined her commitment to improving life for those with celiac disease with her journalism training. Tune in today to hear Amy and Social Media Coordinator Lauren Wallach discuss how far celiac disease research and access to gluten-free food has come in the last two decades! To hear more episodes of Celiac Straight Talk, visit https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.

Arnold Han, MD PhD, of Columbia University, was awarded the 2022 Beyond Celiac and SSCD Early Career Investigator Grant to investigate the role of CD8 T-cells in celiac disease. Thus far, Dr. Han's innovative research has found more precise ways that gluten sets off damage to the intestine in those who have celiac disease, which he believes could help in the development of innovative approaches to finding a treatment. In our discussion, Han reveals what he's discovered so far through this research and where he hopes it leads in the future. Special thanks to our friends at Crunchmaster Crackers for sponsoring this event! To hear more episodes of Celiac Straight Talk, visit https://www.beyondceliac.org/news-events/podcast-series/.

In this episode, Beyond Celiac staff recount our recent accomplishments and projects—when we aren't podcasting, you can rest assured that we are working hard to improve the lives of celiac disease patients everywhere! This episode is a recording from our in-person Community Summit event, which happened September 30, 2023 in Greenwich, Connecticut. Listen to Celiac Straight Talk wherever you find podcasts.