CENTENNIAL, Colo., Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/
-- Gluten-Centric Culture – Chapters 1-3 Available To Read
Now
Imagine learning that nearly every food consumed for breakfast,
lunch, dinner, and snacks – foods once thought of as healthy – are
deemed to be destructive to one's overall health. Then imagine
discovering this ingredient infiltrates many every-day foods.
People diagnosed with celiac disease or gluten intolerance struggle
to learn the aliases this substance goes by to sort out a diet that
is safe. It's hard. They constantly have to remind themselves they
"can't eat that" anymore… and there are a lot of "that's" they
can't eat anymore. Some take a few risks, eating suspicious foods
only to pay the price of physical and sometimes mental pain as it
processes through the sensitive body. It's a bite-by-bite
struggle.
But that's only the beginning of the problem. Following a
gluten-free diet imposes social issues too because these foods are
an integral component of society. Before being diagnosed, those
with celiac disease or gluten intolerance likely never noticed how
gluten-containing foods are central to western cultural practices
because these are taken-for-granted foods everyone eats regularly.
But after being diagnosed, it doesn't seem possible to avoid it.
Not only is gluten present in some form at every meal, it is also
used for celebrations and sacraments. By not eating these foods,
those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance are constantly
explaining their new diet to others, experiencing subjugation from
social occasions. Family members of those with celiac disease or
gluten intolerance often don't want anything to do with this
extreme diet, and some may even doubt the need to follow it, not
wanting to become "inadvertent celiacs." This is what people
describe life is like when following a gluten-free diet. It's a
daily dilemma.
Dr. Duane conducted a nation-wide study to understand the social
aspects of food sensitivities and learned from hundreds of
participants that cultural conundrums are imposed when on a
restrictive diet. The study revealed that deep-seated beliefs about
food cause strife with others when one decides not to eat the food.
These "given truths" or ideologies come from many cultural
influences such as religious beliefs, sacraments including the
communion host, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
food recommendations and traditional foods such as birthday cake
and pizza for celebrations. This is a gluten-centric society. This
makes it especially difficult to manage a gluten-free lifestyle and
comply with social norms.
The book Gluten Centric Culture – The Commensality Conundrum
summarizes Dr. Duane's study with heart wrenching stories shared by
study participants. The book takes the reader through the process
of transformation, from experiencing the uncertainty of the
first-diagnosed, to the self-assurance of those who command respect
and cooperation. Some study participants completely altered their
lifestyles to accommodate their dietary needs. Gluten-Centric
Culture is being published one chapter a quarter in the Journal of
Gluten Sensitivity. Chapter 1, Are You Kidding? Chapter 2,
Ideologies in our Gluten-Centric Society, and Chapter 3, Where
Ideologies Collide in Public Settings are available to read right
now. Other chapters will appear in subsequent quarterly
publications. Stay tuned!
Dr. Duane says, "Once diagnosed, your life will never be the
same. I hope this work helps us to live more gracefully while
navigating the gluten free diet." For those who wish to dig deeper
into the chapters and the lifestyle, Dr. Duane offers workshops on
each chapter. Please sign up at alternativecook.com.
About the Author
Dr. Jean Duane is a social scientist
and author of Gluten Centric Culture – The Commensality Conundrum,
which summarizes a nation-wide study on understanding the social
aspects of food/gluten sensitivities and celiac disease. Join
Dr. Duane for workshops on the step-by-step transformation process
of living gracefully with food allergies. Cookbooks include Bake
Deliciously! Gluten and Dairy Free Cookbook and The Complete
Idiot's Guide to Gluten Free Cooking Cookbook. Dr. Duane produced
several spots for Comcast's Video on Demand, made television
appearances on PBS and has been a featured speaker at two
International Association for Culinary Professionals' Conferences
and at the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America's International Conference. Dr.
Jean Duane is a certified chef, has
an MBA, and a PhD. A researcher, cooking instructor, speaker, and
magazine writer, she won Kiplinger's "Dream in You" contest in
2006. To sign up for workshops, discover nearly 50 FREE recipes, or
to reach Dr. Duane, please visit alternativecook.com.
Media Contact
Dr. Jean Duane, Alternative Cook,
LLC, 1 3037732911, projectsjd@aol.com
SOURCE Dr. Jean Duane