What's Your Story? Here's Mine...
My name is Katherine Gardner and I’m the owner of MinusG, a gluten-free and allergen-free baking mix company. In 2004 I was diagnosed with celiac, an autoimmune disease that effects the ability to absorb nutrients and over time can be fatal. Eating gluten-free is not a fad, but is the only answer for someone diagnosed with celiac.
I'm excited to bring awareness to celiac disease that effects so many. Celiac disease is an invisible illness that unfortunately has a major impact on our health and well-being. According to Beyond Celiac, an estimated 1 in 133 Americans, or about 1% of the population, has celiac disease. Being diagnosed with celiac has made me very aware of how serious this auto-immune disease is, and it has given me a respect for those who struggle with other allergens. It's so important to understand what causes us to get sick, but more importantly to know how we can get healthy and stay healthy.
A New Normal
When I was diagnosed, I was devastated and in shock. Gluten is in everything!!! I was no longer able to enjoy my guilty pleasures. It took months to adjust to knowing how to navigate what I could and could not eat and to remember to say no to it. I thought, "This gluten-free product, it's awful, there has to be something better!" A few years into my journey I realized, the only way to find a better gluten-free baked goods was to have a go at it. I put my baking skills to work and with God's help, developed MinusG's surprisingly gluten-free flour blends.
Live Without Compromise
Understanding the foods we eat is the key to staying completely gluten-free. Here is a helpful step by step guide to reading gluten-free labels. With MinusG's flour blends, I knew eating gluten-free would no longer restrict my diet and I could enjoy life without compromise. My hope is to help the celiac disease community to do the same and as a result live better, healthier and longer.
What makes this month extra special is being able to help those who are struggling on their gluten-free journey. If you have questions about living with celiac disease or are newly diagnosed and don't know where to start, please feel free to reach out. I am on instagram and facebook. I would be happy to share from what I have learned along the way.
We are stronger together.
~Katherine, the MinusG Baker