Some Gluten Free people have to travel a good distance to get Gluten Free products. The closest Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are 45 minutes from my house. I have one reader who has to drive three hours one way to a health food store. Getting safe products can be a challenge depending on where you live.
Now imagine what it would be like to be in Afghanistan as a Gluten Free person! Imagine no health food stores, no easy online ordering with over night shipping and no Gluten Free menus in restaurants. That is the reality for many of our service men and women serving overseas.
I had the privilege of meeting Cpt. Ben Andrasik at the GFAF Wellness Event in Raleigh. He has Celiac Disease and did a tour in Afghanistan. He has written a wonderful memoir about his experience as a Gluten Free person in the military called Gluten Free in Afghanistan. He discusses the challenges of eating Gluten Free food in military mess halls (cafeterias) and the negative stigmas that come with having a “disease”.
One amazing story involves training in the woods where his meal options where: gluten-filled meatloaf, gluten-filled spaghetti or not eat after training all day. What would you do?
Cpt. Andrasik has many stories of Gluten Free challenges and victories during his time in Afghanistan.
The book is an enjoyable and easy read. I was actually able to finish it in two evenings. As a military brat I have great respect for our soldiers and know what it is like to have a rank on your shoulder that defines you. I have eaten at mess halls and seen the food. As a Celiac I have often wondered what our service members do overseas and how they manage to eat Gluten Free. It was a privilege to read this book and get many of my questions answered!
If you are interested in learning about Cpt. Andrasik’s Gluten Free eating adventures in Afghanistan check it out on Amazon. If you know a Gluten Free service person about to go overseas this would be a great tool for them.
You can also connect with him at Twitter and Facebook.
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