When people hear “gluten-free” they usually picture it as a fad diet. Celiac disease is far from a fad diet. “Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.” (Mayo Clinic) Just like any other food allergy there are serious symptoms that are connected with celiac disease such as: dramatic weight loss, bloating, and diarrhea. To me this is not a fad diet or a choice I made to become healthy. I made the choice to become gluten free because my health and well-being depended on it. As a baby I had serious stomach problems that always went undiagnosed. I spent months at a time in the hospital constantly puking, crying, and losing weight because I simply couldn’t absorb the food that my body was taking in. At the young age of seven I was finally diagnosed with stomach migraines. This was such a relief to my family. We finally thought that we had gotten the long-awaited answers; well, that’s what we thought. After six months of medication and constant testing there was still no relief. I would wake up every morning feeling groggy, sick, and sad. I just wanted to feel better! After 13 different medications and six different kinds of pain medication we finally gave up. Even switching doctors did not relieve my pain. After the first visit with my new doctor and after the review of my test, she immediately put me on a gluten free diet. ONE month after beginning my gluten free diet, my life had completely turned around. Becoming gluten free has definitely made me a happier and healthier person, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy! I have a daily struggle trying to find food; something that comes so easily to everyone else. I am now, and always have been, extremely disappointed in the limited number of options that schools provide to students with a gluten allergy. Throughout high school, I could only eat one thing that the school offered: rice crispy bars. The salads had been touched with utensils that were not 100% gluten free. The French fries were made with the chicken strips, and either way, neither of those are a healthy option. After high school, I figured I would have better luck; I was wrong again. Waldorf College is the school I attended prior to Ellsworth, they did not offer ANY gluten free food whatsoever. However, they did offer three options for vegans at every meal! It amazes me that in this day in age that people who can choose their food (such as vegans or vegitarians) have more options in our society than people who have to follow a strict gluten-free