Oh, this one. This is the question that makes my eye twitch.
It usually comes right after I’ve explained that, yes, even a tiny bit of gluten can make me sick. And every time, there’s that same look of disbelief.
I get it. If you don’t have coeliac disease, it probably sounds ridiculous. A crumb? A single, invisible speck of flour? Surely that can’t do that much damage. But oh, it can. It really, really can.
That little bit means hours (sometimes days) of pain, exhaustion, and brain fog so bad I forget why I walked into a room. It’s my immune system throwing a tantrum over a molecule of wheat. It’s not just a stomach ache; it’s a full-body shutdown.
And yet, every time I explain this, people react like I’ve just told them I’m allergic to oxygen. “But surely a little bit won’t hurt?” Mate, if that were true, I wouldn’t be here asking the waiter if they toast the gluten-free bread on the same grill as the regular stuff.
So yes—that little can ruin my whole day. Maybe even my whole week. And no, I don’t love explaining it for the hundredth time. But hey, at least I get to see the moment it finally clicks for someone. And if nothing else, it’s a great way to find out who I definitely don’t trust to make me dinner.
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