When I first had the idea to begin the gluten free guys spotlights, Gez was one of the first guys to come to mind. He is one of the first gluten free men I reached out to early in my IG days as I was trying to meet like minded people.
He consistently makes me feel that the US is behind the UK in the gluten free market! His posts show some incredible gluten free finds as he brings a positive and fun message with each post. Check out his story below, and reach out with any questions you have!
1) Your story…tell us a little bit about yourself!
“I’m Gez, 29 years old and I live in Wales, UK. I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease as a baby, and have had to follow a gluten free diet for my whole life.When I was younger I didn’t understand Coeliac disease, and always thought I would grow out of it.In my teenage years and early twenties, I would often feel embarrassed about it, especially when meeting new people and having to explain it. Over the past few years, I have come to realise that I spent many years eating things I shouldn’t have been eating. Due to lack of knowledge, things such as Chinese takeaways, and different crisps and sauces.Once I found out this information, it inspired me to create my Instagram and blog. My aim with this is to raise awareness, as I believe it will be very useful for people, as I could have definitely benefited from it in my earlier years.”
2) Why do you eat gluten free food?
“I follow a gluten free diet as I have Coeliac disease.”
3) What is your favorite gluten free snack? Where can we find it?
“Chilli & Lentil Eat Real Snacks”, you can find them in most supermarkets in the UK. However, if you’re from outside the UK, or they’re not stocked in your local supermarkets then you can find them on Amazon.”
4) What’s your favorite gluten free recipe?
“I love Lasagne, so I’m going to go with gluten free lasagne. Sample recipe below”:-
https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/gluten-free-lasagne.html
5) What’s one thing you wish you knew when first went gluten free?
“Where do I start with this one, I was born in 1989 and the information back then was very limited in regards to Coeliac disease. Growing up I didn’t understand the importance of cross contamination and I grew up eating a few things I didn’t realise were not gluten free. I wish the information in regards to Coeliac disease was better in the 90’s. It’s good that now there is information everywhere, and Instagram is a fabulous place to be for information and ideas (especially my accounts lol).”
6) If you could only eat one gluten free meal for the rest of your life,
what would it be and why?
“It would have to be a Sunday roast, with gluten free gravy of course….but all the trimmings!!”
7) What advice would you give someone who is about to go gluten free?
“Take time to read up on it, make sure you’re on Instagram and follow some amazing accounts (like mine haha). Ask loads of questions when eating out, to ensure what you’re eating is safe.Learn to enjoy cooking, understand what’s in the food you’re eating.”
8) What’s your favorite thing about being gluten free?
“When you’re at a bbq or party, you get to have your own food which nobody else wants.”
9) What is one thing you dislike about being gluten free and what do you do to mitigate it?
“Eating out is always a concern, although it shouldn’t stop us. You do have to be careful and ask questions, it’s not always nice asking questions, you might feel like you’re being annoying to the staff and the people you are eating with, however, you must always ask. If I’m with my friends, I usually make a joke about it to it to them. This usually makes me feel better about it, but they’re all understanding and realise the importance of it.”
10) How can other people find you?
Instagram – ‘glutenfreegez‘
Twitter – ‘GlutenFreeGez’
Facebook – ‘Gluten Free Gez‘
Website – www.glutenfreegez.com
Thank you!
Gez, thank you for taking the time to answer my hard hitting questions! I always enjoy seeing your posts on IG and reading through your blog. If any of the readers haven’t done so, check out Gez’s blog and reach out to him with any questions. He’s super friendly and ready to help!
Enjoying the gluten free guys spotlights? Send me a message or leave a comment and let me know what you think or want to see!
Leave a Comment