Q & A: Living with Celiac in Fort Collins
Rachael Rudel is a junior at Colorado State University studying Liberal Arts and Business. She is an active member of the CSU cross country team and was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in high school. A native to Fort Collins, Rudel knows all the ins and outs of gluten free eating in Fort Collins, and has been wowed by the gluten free options available in Old Town and Campus West. She agreed to a short interview via chat on February 28, 2016, to talk about her experiences with Celiac in the town of Fort Collins, specifically in Old Town and Campus West.
Q: How do you feel about Fort Collins as a whole in terms of being gluten free friendly?
A: Now Fort Collins is AMAZING! When I first became gluten free I had no options going out to eat — most people didn’t even know what gluten was then (and that was only 5 years ago) but now Fort Collins has been growing as local and health conscious restaurant community! I am now able to go out to eat to most places with no problem! And much more options.
Q: What’s your favorite place to eat out in Old Town Fort Collins?
My favorite places are Suehiro (now called Wabi Sabi after all their new changes), Snooze , Austin’s , Blue Agave, and Tasty Harmony, but (outside of Old Town and Campus West,) La Buena Vida and Whole Foods are always great too! There are so many new places I still need to try, I just have the ones that I trust!
Q: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of eating gluten free?
A: It forces me to cook and eat healthy- which has made me to become creative! But it makes it hard to go to someone’s house to eat what they have prepared or go out to new places without worrying.
Q: As a runner, how do you “carb up” before a race?
A: I don’t believe in the “carb up” mentality like most runners. You burn through carbs so fast that I want something that will give me more sustained and long term energy — such as fats (avocados and coconut oils) plus I eat sweet potatoes and brown rice a lot the night before races. But I have more of a paleo mind set. Plus people forget fruit is a carbohydrate source and I eat A LOT of fruit
Q: What advice do you have for fellow Fort Collins residents with Celiac or gluten sensitivity?
A: My advice is, don’t be afraid of food (which was true in my case) or don’t be bummed / bitch about having this disease…. Embrace it! Learn how to cook and find a pleasure in the change that your body wants and needs. Plus anyone who has Celiac or has to eat gluten free is living in one of the best places in the country for it.
Oh and don’t eat a lot of the gluten free cookies and pastries …. They are actually worse for you and 100,000 times more expensive than regular cookies and treats!
