about me

To say that going gluten free changed my life would be an understatement. Being diagnosed as coeliac and changing my entire lifestyle has been a catalyst for changing my entire life. Becoming gluten free is hard and not in a studying for an exam hard, but in a rewiring your brain kinda hard. To change dietary habits I’d had for 22 years of my life was so incredibly hard in fact that I’m still not all the way there, but it’s happening and one year later. I’d like to share my experiences and my journey with someone else. 

I was diagnosed in May 2024 (officially) as a coeliac, only after about 6 years of pestering my doctors that there was actually something more than anxiety going on. The diagnosis itself was quite horrendous, the worst day of my life in fact but not for reasons you might think. It was mothers day, I’d been dumped not 6 hours earlier and here I was; 8am on a Sunday in the ward awaiting my endoscopy… Oh and did I mention my phobia of hospitals? After declining all medication I spent the entire procedure crying, whether that was physical pain or emotional I'll never know, to then leaving and being offered wheat biscuits. But those nurses really knocked some sense into me. I’d like to call it a light bulb moment. I went home and referred myself to therapy and made a list of all the positive things I had to come. 

One of the hardest parts at the start of my journey was giving up foods that I loved. I’m not into diet culture and the fad that is gluten free by choice, I’d worked hard to have a positive relationship with food, life isn’t about diets. But now, mine was. Eating gluten free seemed impossible, I’d have to give up bread, doughnuts and cake, i’d have to give up most of my baking (until I learned how easy gf baking is) and I’d have to give up eating out. Or so I thought. 

In the luckiest of ways I met a boy, who actually cared and was with me every step of the way, our interest became one and we began to eat out at gf restaurants, diners, pubs, cafes and that’s when I learned being coeliac isn’t all that bad. I could still do things the same, in fact I would develop more energy and spirit over time to do more things. I’m lucky to live in a world where being gf isn’t something to be afraid of and even though it’s hard it is so worth it. Unlike many with a chronic illness there is a solution, it’s not a cure by any means but, it’s something. 

Looking at the world and my situation with a positive view and reminders that things really do get better is why I wanted to write this blog. I’m located in the north east of England and there really are some brilliant places to eat round here, even if you have food allergies or intolerances. I know how scary it can be and these are my experiences, the good, the bad, the ugly and the tasty. 

Sending lots of love, Cassie :)