It’s been a big year for the celiac disease and gluten sensitive communities. Awareness of gluten-related disorders is at an all-time high, researchers are uncovering new things every day, and the FDA officially ruled on gluten-free food labeling. We’ve come a long way from the days of special ordering gluten-free food and eating food that tasted like the box it came in. But, we still need to raise awareness of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, not just the gluten-free diet. 83% of people with celiac disease are awaiting their life-saving prescription of a gluten-free diet. Help them get their diagnosis and let others know what the gluten-free diet is really all about.

Even if you are short on time, we have ideas that will have a big impact if we all work together. Check out our 10 suggestions for raising awareness on the day just for us: Celiac Awareness Day, Saturday, September 13, 2014.

Share the Celiac Disease Symptoms Checklist

Did you know 83% of the estimated 3 million Americans living with celiac disease are still undiagnosed or misdiagnosed? You can help put these people on the path to diagnosis by sharing the Celiac Disease Symptoms Checklist. Share it on social media or print it out and hand it to a friend, coworker or family member.

Patron a Gluten-Free-Friendly Restaurant

There are lots of restaurants out there that are doing gluten-free the right way. Say “thank you” by visiting a local gluten-free-friendly restaurant. Better yet, check and see if there’s an NFCA-trained GREAT Kitchen in your neighborhood.

Try a new recipe.

Cook something new for dinner this weekend. Not only will this help you find additional recipe options, but if you share it with a friend, you’ll be proving just how delicious gluten-free can be.

Wear green.

Show your support by wearing green – green pants, shirt, shoes, nail polish, hair ribbon, socks, whatever! If you’re feeling extra adventurous, upload a picture of you and your friends wearing green to NFCA’s Facebook page or tweet it to us @CeliacAwareness.

Help get the facts out there.

NFCA has a section for printable guides. Consider printing a few, like the “What is Celiac Disease?” information sheet, and leave them at your doctor’s office or favorite local store.

Use a hashtag.

Wouldn’t it be cool if we got #CeliacAwarenessDay trending on Twitter? Look out for our #CeliacAwarenessDay tweets and retweet them to help spread the word. Feel free to give us a shout out at @CeliacAwareness, too!

Donate or make a purchase in honor of Celiac Awareness Day.

At NFCA, we appreciate every donation we receive. Whether it’s $10 or $1,000, it truly makes a difference in our ability to provide free programs and services to people living with gluten-related disorders. Support our GREAT Kitchens online gluten-free training program, which works to help our community eat without fear.

P.S. – You can learn more about how GREAT Schools, Colleges and Camps (an adaptation of the popular GREAT Kitchens program) makes a difference for students living with gluten-related disorders by attending our upcoming free webinar.

Talk to your family about celiac disease testing.

Since celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease, meaning that it runs in families, it’s important for family members to get tested, whether they have symptoms or not. Raise awareness in your family by sharing the facts. We have some tools to help you get the conversation started.

Make sure you are up to date on the latest celiac disease news and research.

Researchers are working hard to better understand various aspects of celiac disease. Visit NFCA’s Research News Feed to stay up to date on their findings. You can also sign up for the Research Opt-In to periodically receive emails about new research and how you can get involved.

Share your ideas with NFCA.

These are just some of the many ways we can all work together to raise awareness. Tell us how you’re celebrating! Leave a comment on this blog, tweet us at @CeliacAwareness or drop us a line on our Facebook page.