Book - Celiac and the Beast (2024)

Celiac and the Beast book “Celiac and the Beast: A Love story between a gluten-free girl, her genes, and a broken digestive tract”out NOW!!!

Here’s a peek inside the book:

Introduction: The Gluten-Free Preamble to the Ramble. . . . vii

Disclaimers: Read This Book at Your Own Risk. . . .xi

My Celiac—Not Yours, but Still Awesome. . . . 1

Getting Diagnosed: The Dream Scenario ThatNo One Ever Gets to Have . . . .11

Returning to Gluten: The Gluten Challenge andReuniting With Wheat . . . .19

Does My Villi Look Fat in That Picture?A Tale of Upper Endoscopies. . . .27

Let’s Talk About Butts: A Story of a Girl, Her Rectum,and the Scope That Loved Her. . . .31

See Also

our favorite chocolate chip cookies

Gluten-Free Family and Events: How to Not Staba Family Member at Thanksgiving. . . .133

Navigating Shopping—To the Grocery Store and Beyond. . . .143

Gluten-Free Traveling—How to Survive the UnknownOutside Your Comfort Zone . . . .149

The Power of Support: Support Groups . . . .153

Gluten-Free Expos: How to Shove Grocery Bags Fullof Free Food in Suitcases. . . .157

What’s Next: How to Be a Gluten-Free Advocate. . . . 163

The End: Burned Bits and Acknowledgements. . . .171

This Celiac and the Beast book isavailable at all gluten-free expos and events found on the about/eventspage!

We welcome all reviews on the book – especially on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com. Here are some reader comments I’ve received so far!

“Ok, I received the book yesterday afternoon and admit that I read it in one fell swoop. Fantastic! Love your sense of humor and I confess I laughed right out loud when reading your “prep” scenario. Having been through that a few times myself, I’d say you nailed it pretty good. (although the actual prep itself is not funny for me at all, your description of it is hilarious)I found myself nodding and saying “yes!” or “me, too, Erica” and even a few “yeah baby!s”…many many times.Keep up the great work! Advocacy (i.e. sometimes being a very vocal pain in the ass)helps us make sense of the hand we’ve been dealt.Thanks for sharing so much of yourself. I admire that about all the GF bloggersand I try to visit all the sites and tell them so.Congratulations on a book that captures this life we GEEFreers live so well.” – Ginny aka IH

“Ok, so to be fair, she mentioned me in the book. (Page 99 I believe). But it is an incredibly honest and frank book about living with Celiac disease (and as she mentions throughout the book, most of her lessons can be applied to non-Celiac gluten sensitivity or wheat allergies). If you or a friend have any sort of medical reason for being gluten free, you need to read this book, and buy them a copy. Erica manages to laugh at some of the crazier moments in her journey (and suggests some hilarious gluten-free themed halloween costumes at one point) and dish out good, usable real-life advice. If you ever felt crazy when you ordered gluten-free on a date, or like you were inconveniencing your family when you wanted to bring your own holiday meal, you need to read this book. If you are new to living gluten-free and you are looking to find your way, you need to read this book. If you have been gluten-free for years (I have been for 8!), you need to read this book. You will see bits of yourself in the book. High fives, two thumbs up and as many stars as I can give it. Truly one of the first health books I liked.” – Mary Fran Wiley, Frannycakes.com

I’m not the typical “book reader” type. So this was only the sixth book over 100 pages I’ve actually read, and wanted to read, every word. (I do have a master’s degree, but never liked to read complete books.) Erica details what it was like to finally get diagnosed, finally, with something real, and how she has helped educate, been supported by and strives to help others going through years of misdiagnosis. My favorite chapter was all about butts and colonoscopy prep. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who has had fun times with the prep kit! Hooray for getting colonoscopies before you turn 30!I hope all of my fellow Celiac, NCGS, and true gluten allergy (or any other severe/life-threatening food allergy) people read and enjoy this book as much as I did!It also has great chapters on how to educate restauranteurs on what gluten free really means for us! – Angela, CeliacHashiGirl.com

This is the book about living gluten free that I wish had been around when I was diagnosed 4 years ago! Although there are many great books out there for the newly diagnosed, Erica gives us a practical (and humorous) account of all she has learned about needing to be strictly gluten free due to Celiac Disease. This book is full of practical advice and includes information about how to be successful in dining outside of the home, navigating travel, surviving holidays, gluten free dating, grocery shopping and cooking, and how to find support. She is upfront and honest about all of the mistakes she has made during her gluten free life and about the emotional rollercoaster that we all ride on when we have to be gluten free for health reasons like Celiac Disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. She does not sugarcoat things, and if you want a “peaches and cream” version of living life with Celiac Disease, this is not the book for you. She tells the real story. As a Celiac Disease advocate, Erica really stresses the necessity for all of us to be advocates for our own health. She demonstrates that it is crucial to speak up to servers, restaurant managers, family members, etc. about our dietary needs and to use every encounter as an opportunity to educate and increase awareness…Although I literally just finished this book, I plan to purchase several copies to share with my non Celiac family members and friends, as I feel that through reading it that they will gain a better understanding of what it is like to live with Celiac Disease…Please check out her book and help to spread the word. I promise you will not be disappointed! – Jessica, ThePatientCeliac.com

I’ve had a longstanding love for Erica’s blogging. It’s not the most fun when your autoimmune issues start creeping up when you’re just a highschooler, let alone in a world where gluten is often confused with sugar, carbs, or anything else people will blame for being fat. Finding CatB made my life so much better, even daily with one Instagram post at a time. She is our gleaming hope of sunny sarcasm in a world of poison and fad dieters. I don’t want to sound like a crazy fangirl, but really nobody else can be informative with research news and product reviews, and still not have rainbows coming out of her orifices! As she willingly admits, a good portion of the book is personal experience and butt jokes. What good would a good about GI problems be without fart jokes though? For each chapter about her very crooked path to diagnosis (as more often than not the rest of us will relate to), there is also a chapter on the ‘ideal’ scenario, with sources to boot…If you’re a seasoned veteren and don’t think you need any more advice, read it anyway. If you’re a noob, still scheduling tests for your Dx, or end up NCGS, or if you are a chef or restaurant manager and want to learn to do things the right way, or if your child or significant other or best friend is living with a war against a world chock full of gluten- we need your support too I promise and there is plenty information for you here too. – Devin, Goodreads.com Review

“Erica is 110% authentic about what her life has been like struggling with many health issues, life challenges and the process of getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease…Erica’s sassy personality comes out so well in her writing. I’m honored to call her a friend…If you want a no holds barred, sassy, fart stories, poop your pants story version of what Celiac Disease is like this is the book for you. It is a great read!” – Pam, I’m A Celiac post

“Once I opened the cover page I literally could not put it down! I had a pile of laundry sitting in front of me calling my name and I kept saying to myself, “Just one more page”. Before I knew it I was on page 60 and had already had some belly laughs and some, “Yes! She get’s me!!” moments…We laughed, we cried and we cursed this disease together. Erica’s writing is exquisite and very well done. Seriously, this is an amazing book!” – Chandice, Gluten Free Frenzy via Goodreads.com

“Erica’s has the funniest take on this typically awful disease we deal with. If you have farted in public, crapped your pants, struggled with dating and being gluten free, or been frustrated with restaurants, you have to read this book.She just gets it, and makes it hilarious. Granted, there are a few serious parts, but for most of the book she will make you laugh OUT LOUD because you have been through the same experiences…You will feel like she’s your best friend, even if you’ve never met her!” – Judith Rich, via Amazon.com

“This book just reinforces how awesome Erica is as well as the gluten free community as a whole. It reminds you how accepting and supportive everyone is in the community. I know for a while I felt like a fraud because I don’t have a Celiac diagnosis. I did not want to come across as one of those gluten-free dieters who don’t even know why they are gluten free. I also felt kinda ashamed at the expo while meeting people who had Celiac diagnoses. I felt like, I shouldn’t complain about my intolerance when these poor people probably deal with much more on a daily basis. But, now I feel like its ok, we are all going though our fight against gluten differently and as long as we are supportive of each other its all good. Reading about Erica’s struggle to finally figure out what was going on was actually really fun to read. Not in the, “I loved hearing about how sh*tty that was for you!” kinda way. But, in the “Its fun to learn” way. I learned so much more about what it means to be diagnosed with Celiac Disease and realize that the “testing” my doctor did what a complete waste of time…Not only do I highly recommend anyone with any sort of food allergy, special diet, or special circ*mstance read this book, but I think anyone who doesn’t have to deal with this stuff should read it too. It would be a great perspective for those who tell me I can’t have the veggie burger because quinoa is gluten. (just in case you are skimming and not reading carefully, quinoa is not gluten). I think it will also help to share the awareness and maybe stop some of that cross contamination that ruins my nights every time I get home from bar trivia.” – A Girl’s Best Friend

“If you or someone you know has celiac disease, you need to read this book. Erica Dermer has you laughing, crying, and feeling relieved that you aren’t alone in this. The book is full of facts, personal stories, tips, recommendations, and support. Highly, highly recommend it!”- Sarah, CanIEatHere.com

“As a person in the medical profession who is newly diagnosed with celiac last month. I appreciate the authors candor and common sense. A great book that I will read and refer to over and over again. Thanks so much for writing this Erica.” – Shannon Myers via Amazon.com

“I liked the honesty that Erica had in the book. A lot of books like to sugar coat things but she says it like it is. From shopping to dealing with others, this book will give you an accurate account of what it’s like to live a gluten free lifestyle. It’s always great to find someone who understands and just gets it. Erica totally gets it.”- Janie via Amazon.com