Life & Work with Emma Drennan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Drennan.

Hi Emma, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Emma Drennan. I live in Utah with my husband, six kids, and malti-poo dog, Albus. We have experienced quite a journey with our kids and their health.

In 2013 one of my children was diagnosed with 5 food sensitivities. Even with my background in nutrition, I still had such a hard time navigating this change in our diet. There were so many days in the beginning of walking down the isles of Walmart crying as food item after food item I picked up was not safe for him to eat.

Then in August 2021, we finally got a diagnosis of celiac disease. When one family member has celiac disease, the whole family gets tested. Three out of my six kids have celiac disease, and I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. I later found out that my grandfather had celiac disease, diagnosed late in life, so he never changed his diet. One of my three kids that was positive for the celiac disease found out one day before he left for his first year of college.

I understand how hard it can be to adjust your family’s lifestyle. I understand the strain on your family budget. Having to buy and try so many new products and throwing away ones you don’t like is a huge initial expense. And that’s why in July 2022, I started a blog called My Life After Gluten, where I share recipes, tips, and favorite products to help families that have a new celiac disease diagnosis. My hope is that I can help people navigate this dietary change by providing simple recipes, not complex ones. I share products that we actually eat and like. You can follow me on IG and Facebook too, for more tips @mylifeaftergluten.

As this blog is new, recipes and tips are being added each week. I hope you will find something to help your family succeed with celiac disease.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has been frustrating to watch my kids feel very sad, mourning even, not being able to eat their favorite foods. It is hard to teach adults about a new diet, but when teaching kids, you have varying levels of ability to understand. The ages of my kids with celiac disease are 19, 13, and 5. On my blog, I share some tips and videos that helped me teach my kids about why it is important to change their diet. https://mylifeaftergluten.com/teaching-kids-about-celiac-disease/

It has also been an adjustment for those in my family who still eat gluten. I used to bake amazing fresh bread almost every week. I don’t do that anymore because it isn’t safe for all that gluten flour to be floating around my kitchen. So again, mourning over food is real. And it is important to acknowledge the feelings of everyone.

Talking about how we feel and what we need has been an important part of our family’s journey. It has helped us to find balance with our family dinners, which are almost always 100% gluten-free. Sometimes, there will be a gluten option when those in my family need that. And we are very careful about discussing how to keep things from being cross-contaminated. Working together as a family, we can be safe and still enjoy family dinner time.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a background in Dietetics. I earned my bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University. I did not go on to do an internship or practice dietetics professionally. Instead, I used that knowledge to be a stay-at-home mom. This really helped when dealing with all our dietary issues over the past 12 years.

Being a stay-at-home mom has given me time to learn how to cook things from scratch, to do research about brands and what is safe, and to find ways to stay on a budget even when buying gluten-free foods.

I have taught myself how to create a blog. We can learn anything if we want to. I never thought I could do something like make a blog. I hope my story gives hope to people who want to do something they have never done before. You don’t have to have years of knowledge to try something new. Do a little research and go for it!

I have also developed a love for graphic design. I have taken a few classes in Adobe Photoshop. And with that knowledge, I have been able to create a printable to help my youngest child, who can’t read yet, easily see what foods are safe for her. This printable is a free download on my blog. https://mylifeaftergluten.com/im-gluten-free/. You can print this on vinyl sticker paper on any home printer.

We are given challenges in life. We are also given tools to succeed in those challenges. It is up to us to find those tools, trust that we are capable, and go for it!

My “career” doesn’t look like a profession in the normal sense of that word. My career is one of learning. Learning to succeed no matter what comes my way. Learning how to help my kids succeed and enjoy life to the fullest. And learning how I can share what I have learned in hopes that someone else will be helped.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mylifeaftergluten.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylifeaftergluten/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mylifeaftergluten
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtir_yvq0tI2r8-VNhrT1xg

Image Credits
Emma Drennan
Rhoda Dye