Howdy! My name is Omid Michael Almozafar, and I am a college senior studying Biomedical Sciences in College Station, Texas. I only had a surface understanding of gluten and celiac disease until I was diagnosed in late 2024. I initially had no idea how to navigate the dietary changes I would need to follow, and I ended up having to do a lot of research in between my classes. I found a lot of helpful resources – many from Beyond Celiac! – on how my new life would look like.
At first, celiac disease seemed like a common dietary restriction to me until I realized how many foods – even those that are not made with gluten – were unsafe for me to eat. The fact that not even a small amount is safe made it hard for me to find food when I was away from my home. It led me to learning more about the science of celiac disease and how exactly someone with this disease can navigate the food scene. I now work to teach others general health concepts encompassing nutrition, allergies, and autoimmune diseases connecting what we eat to how our bodies function. I’ve learned a few tricks and ways to handle being gluten-free in an environment filled with gluten and plan on sharing it with anyone wishing to learn more.
I wish to bring awareness to the fact that celiac disease impacts isn’t just a diet that can be treated as an afterthought, and I hope that I’ll be able to use my background in science to reach as many people as possible.