Grappling with Gluten: An Adolescence with Celiac

Artwork created by Louise Giddings ’23

In the sunny month of August in the heart of Kansas, a beautiful field of wheat blows, synchronized with the summer wind. To you, this crop is a delicacy of world cuisine; to us, this is our poison. 

Twelve-year-old Miles J. ‘25 hears from his pediatrician that he has celiac disease a mere two years before coming to the Grace Church High School. This comes as no surprise to Miles as he describes his previous state as being, “short and tired all the time.” 

Two years later, he finds himself sitting in the school cafeteria munching on a gluten-traced protein bar. Yet Miles appears to be tall and energetic compared to his sickly state before his diagnosis. The mystery lies here: what has his partial break from glutenous foods done to his lifestyle? 

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that is genetically inherited, and currently, there is no cure for the illness. The only known cure is sticking to a “strict” gluten-free diet, which is not necessarily held up by its victims, such as Miles. Gluten is found in all things containing wheat, from donuts to pasta to pizza and even soy sauce. Celiac disease is not an allergy, despite often being categorized as one, as the reactions to contamination vary depending on the person. 

The gluten sensitivity struggle affects more of the Grace population than one may think. Whilst speaking to Miles, another gluten-free voice arises, Jayneth C. ‘25. Although Jayneth is not a carrier of celiac, he explains that he and his mother are “extremely sensitive to gluten.” 

He delves into the glutenous topic while taking a bite of his waffle and offering the glutenous waffle to Miles moments later. Miles feels little to no self-discipline when it comes to rejecting gluten, due to his disbelief in his illness –and neither does Jayneth. To a teenage mind, a minor stomach ache seems like  a fair sacrifice for a delightful waffle made by the Student Activities Committee. 

Unfortunately, for those with celiac, there can be potentially dangerous long-term effects of avid gluten consumption. 

We approached Miles, asking him why he typically passes on gluten-free options, even though the gluten is slowly eating away at his stomach, and he responded, “It doesn’t taste as good. Eating gluten makes me feel powerful: in control.” 

Miles discusses why he would rather eat gluten despite being aware of the consequences, due to the empowerment he feels when he “overpowers” the celiac. 

However, if you dive further into the circumstances of keeping a gluten-free diet as a teenager in New York City, it becomes evident that it is no easy task to entirely abandon the beloved protein when it is such a prominent ingredient of almost every NYC dish. 

In a food metropolis like New York City, diet restrictions will always be challenging, as most of the eminent cuisines and dishes may contain allergens, especially gluten. The delicacy of a $1 slice of pizza or a freshly boiled bagel from Tompkins Square Bagels cannot be shared with one who keeps a gluten-free diet, because this infamous grub cannot be adequately replicated in a gluten-free fashion. The renowned foods of New York City, such as pizza and bagels, are everyday staples of the teenage diet, yet they are sadly forced off the plate for the gluten-free’ers

When further investigating into the loophole of the celiac-conflict by speaking to people with celiac outside the Grace community, it became apparent that Miles wasn’t the only celiac loosening the bolts of the strict gluten-free diet.

 I spoke with one of my teammates on soccer, Emma, who attends the Brooklyn Technical School. Emma stated, “I love bread, bread makes me happy. I do have celiac but I eat gluten anyway because ‘so what’. It is important to acknowledge that the people interviewed are not intensely symptomatic (as a person with intense celiac would describe greater reactions). Additionally, what also emerged out of these interviews is that the common association of rebellious attitudes with teenagers does not fall short when it comes to celiac.

Miles wishes to become more resilient with his diet in the future, especially as he continues to grow and build discipline. 

We asked him where he could find gluten-free options that are good, if not better than their glutenous counterparts.

“Senza Gluten in the West Village,” Miles replied. “I ordered from there last night. They make a great chicken panini and french fries. All gluten free.” 

Senza Gluten was the first restaurant he recommended to us, and after hearing about their mouth-watering, gluten-free menu, it seems that hope is not lost for the gluten-free population! 

Despite some gluten-free students feeling unsupported by their peers, there seems to be a level of respect for people with celiac. Upon asking Isabelle V. ‘25 if she supported people with celiac, she promptly replied, “Yes! Of course!”.

 It was truly a heartwarming moment after hearing the downsides and drawbacks of celiac amongst teenagers.  If sought after, there does not seem to be a severe lack of delicious gluten-free options in the city. 

Gotham Magazinereports on the “15 BEST gluten-free restaurants in NYC”, listing acclaimed restaurants that do a phenomenal job at making dishes without gluten; of course, including Miles’ favorite: Senza Gluten. Regardless of the drawbacks of being gluten-free, people with celiac are able to situate their diets with scrumptious alternatives if sought after. Since the dawn of humanity, glutenous foods have been a staple of the human diet. Yet nonetheless, Grace students with celiac and general teens with celiac alike continue to work their way around the intolerance.